Kintsugi
Masque (2019)

Kintsugi is in one way the most "generic" or "department store" of the Masque Milano l've tried, and in another way one of the most intriguing and original offerings of the line. What I mean by "generic" is that it feels like a sort of "fruity floral" or "fruit leather" and has the huge sillage and lasting power of synthetic fragrances. I sprayed sparingly from the sample and it was almost overpowering for hours. (The sort of abstract fruity-floral mega-sillage reminded me of Rossy de Palma, but the scents have nothing in common as such.) On the other hand, I've never smelled anything like it. It feels very conceptual. It starts as a sort of cool, white floral - magnolia, perhaps - with a pungent green sting that almost turns compost. Then it smoothens until the floral notes give an illusion of fruit - a white fruit, like pear or melon or white peach. There's nothing edible or gourmand about it - this is a completely abstract fruit, like the abstract floral note earlier. Beneath that there's a sort of feeling of suede, rather than a discernible scent - reading the notes, I could translate this into dry patchouli. The abstraction of the "fruit leather" brings Trudon's Bruma to mind, but that has warm, comforting, powdery quality that Kintsugi lacks. Kintsugi is entirely cool, a little difficult to bear with, but a beauty. If Bruma is amber-hued, Kintsugi is a greenish moon-white gleaming in darkness.

I want to expand my usual "go-to" wardrobe of masculine-leaning fragrances, etc. I have always LOVED well-balanced floral fragrances, so I'm expanding into florals naturally. I ADORE Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile and I'm exploring violet-centric fragrances once again. It was suggested I try Masque Milano Kintsugi...and so I tried it. And so I love it!

Kintsugi opens upfront with a BIG & HUGE flowery magnolia scent, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE!! Yes, citrus is present, along with some cedar. But on my skin I detect mellow, smooth and beautifully bloomed magnolia. Within five minutes, suede arrives but in a very soft and warm (not smoldering hot) leathery way. I am NOT a fan of cashmere-suede perfume bombs but this is a heck-YES. It's just lovely. Sometimes leathery notes can become overpowering. But this perfume is so well done, the leather-suede note is the perfect addition to prevent the magnolia from taking over, I suppose. Violets and their leaves & stems emerge, as does some rose. The entire fragrance lands in a benzoin, vanilla & slightly patchouli base, which is lovely lovely lovely. Perfection.

Longevity is fair at 4-6 hours. Silage is moderate and really really nice.

So, despite what one might imagine with the list of notes, Kintsugi does not perform in a heavy, suffocating, or vulgar way. Given the notes, which I love, Kintsugi is practically ethereal and veil-like on my skin. I LOVE THIS STUFF!

Did I say "I love this fragrance?"

Huge surprise given it was an "out-of-the nowhere" recommendation. I ADORE this perfume, I really do!!

I can understand why Masque went for the Japanese backstory and name for this fragrance – Kintsugi has the dry, strong yet subtle odour palette one associates with some Japanese incense sticks and perfumes; it reads as somewhat ‘other' to noses unaccustomed to such fragrance traditions. A shifting mélange of dry leather, wood bark and resins forms the basis of Kintsugi – it brings to mind monastic settings and parched vegetation. It's a deep, dark bitterness and yet somehow with the presence of a wisp of incense smoke curling through mountain air. It does strange and remarkable things to the florals and raspberry accent, presenting them as potpourri versions in a wood-panelled hallway.
Remarkably cohesive in mood and tone, I was charmed by Kintsugi's immaculate and ‘other' presence. But I also note its lack of fans so far on the fragrance boards, which is a shame but possibly indicates that it requires appreciation of unusual elements to be able to enjoy it.