First Impressions – Masque Milano – Sleight of Fern

I’ve got a lot of time for the Italian brand, Masque Milano. Their scents are always well thought out and executed. I like most of their perfumes, some more than others. My favourite is the animalic tobacco of Montecristo. Montecristo forms one scent of sixteen from the brand’s “Opera” series. Up until recently, the collection had 14 scents split over 4 categories called “Acts”. Act I featured Terralba, Montecristo, Russian Tea & Times Square. Act II included Luci ed Ombre, Mandala, (homage to) Hemingway & Kintsugi. The Act III featured L’Attesa, Romanza, Tango & Love Kills. Last but certainly not least is Act IV, which so far includes Lost Alice & Ray-Flection.

The two scents completing Act IV and thus rounding out the Opera collection are Sleight of Fern & White Whale. I’ve recently purchased samples of both. Below are my first impressions of Sleight of Fern. And my first impressions of White Whale shall follow in a separate post.

Masque Milano – Sleight of Fern – I think it’s fair to say that the final four scents in the Masque Milano “Opera” collection are the easiest on the nose. In truth, none of them are as divisive as things like Tango, Romanza, or Montecristo. Nonetheless, the two scents we’ve been treated to so far, Ray and Lost Alice, are quality perfumes. Fortunately, the trend continues with Sleight of Fern. As the moniker suggests, Sleight of Fern is the brand’s nod to the aromatic fougere family. Masque Milano employed Stephanie Backouche to compose the scent. Wise choice, as she has good form in this area. Invasion Barbare, the brilliant aromatic from MDCI, is one of her compositions.

All the requisite notes are here for a fougere – bergamot, lavender, geranium, tonka, and mosses. Sleight of Fern opens up herbal, aromatic, and somewhat medicinal, immediately transporting the wearer to a barbershop. The lavender and thyme are instantly discernable. It’s everything one would expect from this sort of scent. But Masque Milano never goes down the obvious route. Unusual counterpoints such as pine-like mastic and a sappy fig accord shake up the establishment.

Before long, minty green geranium pokes through. It partners up with narcissus and tuberose. Even though neither are the main players, both add subtle nuances. The tuberose is camphorous without baring its claws too viciously. Concurrently, the narcissus delivers what I perceive to be a slight hint of tobacco. I pick up more of the narcissus than the tuberose.

The base of Sleight of Fern is mossy, smoky, and woody. Indeed, fans of Russian Tea may enjoy Sleight of Fern. The smoky birch note, prominent in that scent, forms an integral component of the Sleight of Fern dry down. Though, Sleight of Fern is not quite as smoky as that one. All in all, Masque Milano has successfully paid homage to the age-old aromatic genre, while simultaneously bringing it into modern times. Elegant work. I even bought myself a bottle.

Have you tried Sleight of Fern? What’s your favourite fougere?

Note: Bottle image from Fragrantica. All other images are my own.