Terralba

Masque Milano’s line is divided into four “acts” of increasing complexity; this is how they were introduced to me by director Alessandro Brun during an event at Perfumology. Terralba is the first perfume from the first act (hence the “I:I” on the front of the bottle and the top of the rubber cap), so in that respect, it’s among the most accessible and perhaps easily satisfying of the line, though it’s quite interesting and nuanced to me. The inspiration behind Terralba is the coast of Sardinia, the marine smells mixing with the terrestrial. It does very effectively what I like in a handful of other fragrances: it’s a marine smell that has hints of dirtiness. Its opening is what I find most distinctive, the blast of fresh citruses and dirty green clary sage, which evolves into a floral, herbal heart of myrtle and thyme and then into a woody base of juniper, cypress, and cedarwood. It’s really on-target for me in terms of conjuring an island coast, the richness of the vegetation at play with some of aquatic whiffs, somewhere at the intersection of fresh and dirty. The bottle is especially lovely and practical amongst niche designs. Practical innovations included the bottom-heavy design of the bottle, rubber composition of the cap, notation of the act and fragrance number on bottle and cap, and custom image (designed by Alex’s students) for each fragrance. The overall feel of the design is personal and lovely, and it’s among my very favorites. I’m rarely so enthusiastic about presentation but Masque Milano’s looks and feels like true artwork. Terralba is the first I (and probably numerous others) smelled from the line and it was so obviously an instant winner for me. I more naturally gravitate toward heavier, more wintery fragrances, so I’m always keen to find more unique warm-weather-friendly offerings that pique my interest, and Terralba is a great offering that I don’t feel is at all redundant with what I own and what’s widely available in the market. I look forward to sampling the rest of the line, as well—Montecristo and Tango were my two other favorites from the initial smelling during the intro at Perfumology. 8 out of 10

Terralba reminds me of the time I was hiking my favorite trail and I spotted a bench carved out of a huge log. Some sap was leaking out, and it had hardened in the cool mountian air. I could not resist the tears of clear amber. I picked one off and thought, "Mmmm delicious!" and I popped it right into my mouth. Bad idea. It tasted like Mentholatum and made my mouth numb. I took it home to burn as incense. This perfume is uber green. Thankfully it is not nearly so camphorous as that tree sap I ate, but it certainly contains a camphorous element. It smells like conifer forests during the winter months. Brings me back to the breathtaking pine-covered canyons of the Willamette Valley in Oregon. There is no sweetness to be found here, except for what I perceive to be the faintest touch of tangerine. Terralba is the ultimate green, resinous, woody, herbal-aromatic perfume. The drydown aftter several hours seems like 100% lentisque. Leans a little masculine and reminds me a bit of men's cologne, but I think the right lady can pull it off. If you are looking for lentisque, this is well-done!

Terralba is a savory green. A lemon sorbet and cool clary sage lead into the seasoned herbs and sea air inflected conifers—I detect something that does recall Cupressus sempervirens oil. I also pick up the sweet, woody camphor of myrtle. While I haven't yet had the pleasure of experiencing the Mediterranean, I feel it would be safe to say this is evocative of its atmosphere, somehow balmy, breezy, and effervescent all at once. The mastic resin lends its own olibanum-gone-green, arid, sour balsam presence to this climate. What's most striking, however, is how all its camphor green and jaunty brightness transmogrifies into a salty perspiration and lightly smoldering grass, curry-tinged, sun-baked skin. It's this pungency in layers that wins me over, smelling like the color yellow, feeling like steamy warm bodies and sand dune vegetation. Terralba is by the ocean, but never quite of the ocean, which is refreshing in that it avoids falling into any blunt aquatic tropes. It's low key sexy in a "summer rustle in the shore pines, nobody has to know" sort of way.

As a virgin to the Masque line of fragrances I was not sure quite what to expect. My first experience being with the formidable "Terralba". As my nose is usually drawn to citrus, spicy, and woody scents, I had pretty high expectations after reading the include fragrance notes. I was most certainly not disappointed. The citrus opening is quite refreshing, with sunny notes of lemon and green tangerine. Clary sage, curry leaves and peppery thyme are noted here as well, offering spice to the hedoine accord. Gently the resinous, green, pungent lentisque note enters and dominates. It is balanced nicely with woody facets of cedar, juniper, cypress, and myrtle. Imagine a dry arid cliff along the Mediterranean Sea, punctuated with evergreens growing between the rocks. The hot summer sun causing the leaves to resonate with fragrance while a gentle breeze brings fresh sea air to your nose. A must "smell" fragrance. (122).

Oh, my! This was totally blind buy, but this was certanly no mistake! Some would say I smell like a dude😉, but I really don't care. This is the most natural herbal scent I have ever smelled in my whole life. No aquatic notes, no florals, not even citruses (if those bittery notes are citruses, then so be it) . Just wonderful herbs! Cold day in the forest in the spring. Sap from a pine tree. Moss. Thyme and sage. Wet ground. Excellent perfume. 10/10

I purchased this a few years ago and enjoyed it. Then I kind of forgot about it until I tried it again. Excellent I would say! A bitter lemony-herbal fragrance with a rich resinous base that is neither dark nor heavy but light. The resins give depth and duration to the fragrance. It works very well in warm weather and is clearly unisex.

Discreet and criminally underrated excellent MM quality

After the big surprise of Montecristo, I felt more than intrigued to explore the rest of the Masque's line and I've to say Terralba was another winner. In a nutshell, it strikes as a less minimalistic version of Sel Marin mashed up with Fleurs De Sel and with some extra potency. Terralba shares the same salty woody citrusy aspect of the Heeley but it's enriched by some mediterranean aromatic herbs such as mirtle, juniper, clary sage and thyme which enhance the overall summery vibe and drive the fragrance towards more complex territories. Notes list also immortelle but it's neither dominant nor prominent at all. It sort of lurks in the back providing a little extra body while, at the same time, concurring to remarkably extend longevity. The woods are smooth, resiny and sort of warm as opposed to angular and sharp. So, aromatic, woody, salty and summery but NOT aquatic. More of a walk on the Sardinian / Corse sand dunes on a hot mid-summer day, than a day at the beach. In this context, the fragrance feels also very vegetal and resinous. Green, brown and yellow with white undertones. Quite a different beast from Montecristo. Totally at the opposite, If I've to be honest, but nonetheless unique and extremely nice. If you like absolutely non-sweet stuff, smooth woods, herbal fragrances and salty nouances, give this a shot. A few keywords: Sel Marin, Eau D'Ikar, Harmatan Noir, Fleurs De Sel, L'Humaniste. Terralba, just like Montecristo, was composed by Delphine Thierry. Rating: 7.5/10

Outdoorsy, dry, very very herbal citrus which cycles fast into a more resinous woody (but still with heavy herbal overtones) in almost no time. A wonderful smellscape - walking among the cliffs and dunes through clumps of Mediterranean herbs which surge and throb as you brush past them - and beautifully done with loads of organic detail. That leafy-woody-aromatic facet really surges a couple of hours in, and very honestly and classily too - I shuddered to read 'curry leaf' on here, but it turns out to be just one note in a whole herbal bouquet, rather than an overwhelming food-curry smell. (Thankfully I don't get a lot of the immortelle either - just as well as it can sabotage a whole composition for me if it's not kept in check. ) So Terralba is high-concept, high-quality stuff; it pulls off the trick of seeming opulent as well as true. But overall performance is poor - almost completely gone in three hours on me - and price and availability both intimidating. Is it possible to feel both impressed and slightly disappointed at once? Because that's where this one left me. .

Given the seemingly inventive narrative of the description of this perfume you’d justifiably raise an eyebrow while reading it, but I’m very happy to say that the description is spot on in my opinion. I get the spicy, herbal (curry leaf) aspects, the dry dusty rocks and the warmed aquatic notes all at once, jostling for position with each other. It’s a refreshing yet slightly dirty scent, brimming with interest and is quite transportive to whichever Mediterranean island it’s based upon. It comes alive in hot weather, perfectly mimicking the mix of smells you get in hot, dry climates. Superbly constructed and crafted as with all Masque Milano’s. Love it!

This is very green and very wearable. Tends to fade a little fast and isn't high in projection. It makes up for this in being pleasant. I'm not sure if it fits the goal of being at the Mediterranean with shrubland behind you. It is very clearly a woodsy green scent which it pulls of well but there really isn't much in the way of "sea". And I think that's more than fine. Interestingly despite a fairly high rating from me it doesn't feel like a buy.

Terralba is a light scent, evocative of the Mediterranean. There’s some juicy citrus in the top, with a substantial woody herbal base that sticks around and doesn’t get too harshly synthetic. This kind of citrus-and-cypress summer scent is always delightful but you only really need one, and Terralba isn’t clearly ahead of, say, Un Jardin en Mediterranee or O de Lancôme.

This one is just seductive. On my skin, the curry comes through with a vengeance. I can pick up on the citrus and herbs in a sort of tertiary way, but, on me, this is pure, deep, wild spice. It's not quite right for me, personally, but I'm a fan.

First sampled it years ago in the old (bigger) packaging and was so impressed with the quality I considered a bottle (I was on a gin/juniper hunt); nowadays it's not that special or worth the mark up though.

Fresh green leafy vegetal spice with some sharp unsweet lemon Crisp and clean, almost medicinal. Very nice herbal green sticky steamy leafy frag. Quality is good. I don't get the Indian food vibe. 8/10

unique unisex freshy good smell scent with mod perf sillage, green citrus and curry

Sexy citronella. Kinda smells like huffing cleaning chemicals, but in a good way?

Just a little too much vegetables. I suspect it's the curry tree grabbing attention. Otherwise pretty, green smell.

Soft aromatics and citrus. I smell vetiver. I'm retesting today and it leans masculine. - Reminds me of Timbuktu.

Welp, I guess suckers are born every minute and I was suckered and lured by the fancy looking bottle. Last I checked, a fragrance lasting 3 hours was a felony. This is definitely a "been there done that and cant believe they are doing it again" kind of fragrance. I found this to be light piney and slightly curry. Is there a such thing as a fragrance smelling like the color yellow?..Or maybe yellow crosses my mind when sniffing Terralba. The peppery note was like a hissing radiator and depending on which way the wind blows, you can smell some leather. Can't deny the Bang moments, Marc Jacobs that is.

When I first sprayed it, the scent opened with a lot of vetiver, and I thought, wow, if this has so much vetiver, hor much would Hemingway have? Vetiver is notlisted, so I guess it is the grapefruit that gives that feeling. It was definitely very herbal, the thyme and cypress, etc. After two hours, the vetiver/grapefruit is still there (which is nice), but I just get so much curry on my skin! It is like you ate a very spicy chicken at an Indian restaurant and then exposed to a work out or heat so that your skin sweats... Oh sorry, not for me!

I get a lot of herbal tea smell, very aromatic. The immortelle, sage, thyme, and curry leaves all stand out for me. I don't seem to pick up much juniper, but it's there. It's an interesting fragrance, not something of my taste though. I don't think a lot of men would be interested in wearing something like this, I appreciate the artistry in it. Longevity and projection are moderate. I would take Montecristo over this any day.

Terralba is terrible (said in a French accent). This was a total blind buy for me, compulsively bought because of a flash sale one of my discount sites was having. It is by far the most challenging fragrance I have. The ONLY thing I smell on me is curry and probably the immortelle (I've never smelled immortelle IRL but based on Fragrantica's description of it -- hay smelling -- it sounds about right). Like someone poured curry powder on a sweaty armpit. The other notes that one would think would tamper down the curry -- the citrus and woody notes -- don't come through at all. It is unlike any cologne I've ever smelled, and, frankly, hope I never smell again. On me, Terralba smells like body odor -- in my wife's words, "You smell like ass." Why anyone would want to smell like curry powder and body odor (or get that reaction from people) is beyond me. And, yet, this is probably one of the points behind the "niche" genre -- out of the ordinary and outside the box. Still, not for me. I often see posts on Fragrantica of people saying certain fragrances make them nauseous, but I always thought it was all exaggerated since I've never had that reaction to any cologne or perfume. Until I encountered Terralba. I have a strong stomach and Terralba quite literally makes me sick. I have no idea why the other reviewers have vastly polar opposite experiences than I have had. My body chemistry isn't that far from center. I have other frags with savory elements -- like the cumin in Creed Royal Water -- and they don't smell repulsive on me. 100% not blind buy safe. If you're considering buying this fragrance, I recommend sprinkling a layer of curry powder on yourself after you've come back from the gym or a run. If you like the scent, Terralba might be for you. If not, steer clear.

Masque Milano's Terrabla is not for me. On my skin, it is a green camphor bomb. Reminds me of an unfortunate encounter I had with J.R. Watkins Vapor Rub. Still worth sampling. For me, it's a hard pass.

Alright, ...I guess I'm now reviewing (olfactory). opera, This is Act 1, Scene I. Terrealba by Masque Milano White Land ...or White Earth (like gypsum). The name might make one think of Albion, the white cliffs of Dover, or else Scotland. ... but here the reference seems to signify dry land, 'white-hot' perhaps the macchia. Here we find a number of notes based on plants from the macchia or similar terrain. Though the curry-leaf tree, Bergera (Murraya) koenigii, is native to tropical Asia, ...not to be confused with curry plant, another name for Helichrysum italicum, ...which is also present in this amazing composition. The first sniff of the opening is overwhelming, ...This is indeed grand opera. An intensely herbal aromatic scent, including also mastic, conifer oils and foliar spice (curry-leaf). This is heady stuff; most, more quotidian, aromatic scents fall far short. This falls into the same general category as some of those L'Héritage Corse fragrances by Parfum d'Empire. Very well, ...I'm fully enthralled. I settle back comfortably into my velvet-upholstered loge to await the next scene.

9 - Vetiver isn't listed, but that's all I could smell in the open until some citrus snuck in. Quickly became a juniper and oranges blend. While very well done, it is overwhelmingly masculine. Guess I'm stuck smelling like a dude today. Going to let it dry down just in case something happens but I'm washing this off as soon as my curiosity is taken care of. 1:15 - Well, I didn't wash it off, but mostly because I'm lazy. And I'm at work. Which admittedly has showers, but I don't like being naked in the office. I smell like a dude. Still. I'd say the longevity is standard, the sillage is pretty large, and the quality is good but I have the same problem with this as I do with Creeds. It smells like a nicer version of something you can pick up at the drug store for 30 bucks. Sure, there's a difference, but it's like a luxury t-shirt. I don't really get why people buy them. On the other hand, unlike Creed, I am really impressed with this brand as a whole. If you want a classic dude smell, and enjoy buying fancy things, go for this.

Lemon bitter herbal immortelle mastic green woody Delphine Thierry is a perfumer I respect immensely for consistently presenting excellent work. Terralba is no exception, neither does it hesitate to use challenging intensely green facets in an otherwise hazy and dreamy mediterranean composition. While some people oddly describe mastic as sweet (i presume because of heavily sweetened mastic chewing gum) its a very bold raw material, piercing aromatic green resinous. In Terralba mastic stands for the folliage and green plant life, the citrusy herbal top gives radiating freshness, a soft layer of hazy piney woods in the base (with some cashmeran in the mix) soften the aggression of the wild plant life. Presumably immortelle is the source of sunlight, warmth and that characteristic solar dryness. It's lovely to wear, very much hiking in the afternoon on a Greek island, shrubs and tree branches all around you with that distinct feeling of parched summer heat.

righto -- the mastic gum is totally green. aromatic, slightly fruity, but overall, green. the resiny qualities to this are overshadowed by the green, and as such, the rest of the components in this scent are muted. i do detect some floraly-fruitiness, but the overriding theme of this scent is the green of the mastic, or an accord struck between the mastic and other components. mild metally and or saltiness in the background, a bit like l'artisan's batacada (sp?), might be suited to people into that. overall, it's mostly a no for mine...

Very interesting cologney fougerey fragrance with powerful citrus clary sage top notes, progresses through resinous herbal heart to woody base without wasting a lot of time, as is reasonable for the genre. There is a "meat rub" aspect to the herbal heart that is appealing but I think would annoy if it persisted longer, so for me the up tempo is a positive. There also seems to be a sweet smooth floral aspect to the heart (I guess a facet of myrtle or immortelle?) that very nicely complements the herb/resin/wood overall structure.

This is woody, spicy, herbal, balsamic all right. If I hadn't got a free sample of this, may be I would not have dared investegating it further. And what a huge mistake that would have been! I don't really perceive it as unisex, although I rather like to wear and sniff it. But I would find a man so attractive wearing this scent. Enjoy PS I prefer it after the first ca 30 minutes, but may be some will get a kick out of a marihuana-like note in the beginning :-)

I get what this scent is going for, herbal, lemony, waxy, however my first thought spraying this was pickle juice. And now that's all I'm smelling. Trying to put the association aside, and I do love pickle juice. Herbal, green, but fruity a bit, a touch sour, a touch bitter. A touch sweet...very foodie herbal. ** 200 samples up for swap UK- check my custom shelves, let's swap a bundle of at least 10+ **

Such a beautiful opening, the sour salty green tangerine with the herbs are really magical. The thyme reminds me of another discontinued gem Virgillio from Diptyque, but this one is softer since it has a fresh floral scent underneath. The drydown of cedar and cypress is reminiscent of encre noire, but with a refreshing sour note in the middle. A very pleasant scent that wears close to the skin.

Starts very citrus but quickly evolves to a light musk, to my nose it's a bit slimey for lack of a better word. But, it deepens to a more robust kind of musk that is a lot more appealing. It's more of a skin scent via a tester but would maybe have better sillage from a bottle. I don't get anything resinous or smoky. Just a pleasant, somewhat more masculine musk

unfortunately this one is not for me. The entering doesn't work for me at all, I just smell woodsy notes of cedar and cypress. It reminds me an old cottage (indeed on a seashore), somewhere in Ireland, an old grandpa and his wooden desk, where he reads. Yes, I can smell the saltiness a bit, but really at the end when it dries. The performance is quite weak.

Curry tree is very present on my skin and probably in fact the most prominent note - reads similar to the cumin in Tous 1920 which is to say it's very wearable and not BO-like at all as long as you enjoy cumin and similar notes. Really nice, wearable in the heat. No idea why this has even 3 votes towards it smelling like Acqua di Scandola - huh?

fresh spicy, woody, citrus, a little bitter, a cologne & fougere vibe Shortly followed by salty, aromatic, soapy, & mossy notes & on me finished with ozonic touches Not really what I expected based off of just glancing at the notes, I was not expecting ozonic or salty notes which are in the written description above

The lentisc in this fragrances gives me a vibe very similar to pine on my skin. This along with perhaps the cypress and cedar combine to create a very woodsy scent that was linear on my skin. Although linear, I would say it's very pleasant and not overpowering, and I think my wife likes it too.

I received this as a sample and loved it. It's a green, herbal scent with depth and complexity. If you can imagine standing on a mountain clifftop overlooking the ocean and crushing fresh herbs within your fingers - this is what you will experience. Just lovely.

Reminds me instantly of Ramon Monegal’s Ten Fresh Notes that came a few good years later. Well executed earthy, aromatic citric that, like the aforementioned TFN, lasts quite a bit and has a base that leans towards classic chypre scents.

حس فرش و گیاهی نعنایی کثیف شل ----------- Scent & Quality: 8/10 Longevity: 7/10 Sillage: 6/10 Creativity & Uniqueness: 8/10 Affordability: 3/10 ----------- Overall: 6.4/10

بیش از حد نرم و آرام و کم جان ----------- Scent & Qualiy: 7/10 Longevity: 5/10 Sillage: 4/10 Creativity & Uniqueness: 6/10 Affordability: 3/10 ----------- Overall: 5/10

Lemon sherbet fizzy sweet at the opening settling into a woody herbal barbershop composition, leans masculine, I would admire this on a man, but not for me.

As beautiful as its fleeting. Sweetened by mastic. Solar. Well done aromatics and sweet peels with no rinds.

This is one of the best scents i have ever smelled , its literally amazing .

The feeling of peace and calm bottled...

Sunset in the tuscan countryside...