L'Attesa
Masque (2016)

I first noticed the Masque Milano line when I did a search for Meo Fusciuni, and found that Giuseppe Imprezzabile had a fragrance for Masque, Luci Ed Ombra. (More on that elsewhere.) But what was this line, "Masque Milano"? I learned that it is a kind of Italian anthology of international perfumery, one scent per "nose," which made my heart surge. Italian perfumery has been my true love--for now; it could soon be Dior or Guerlain or Chanel again. I find it characterized by experimental uses of high quality raw ingredients, for a visceral encounter with plants translated through aromachemicals. Meo Fusciuni is the name of a Sicilian herbalist doctor who founded that house in 2010, and Imprezzabile's fragrances can indeed have a medicinal quality, especially in their opening. I love plants, and medicinal traditions. So I was fascinated to explore the creators Masque was drawing into its Milanese fold. The line was co-founded by Allessandro Brun, who passed away in Spring 2024. For whatever reason, the scents can be had for more lower prices these days than at their launch. A basenoter recently commented to the effect that Imprezzabile was a rank experimenter compared to Luca Maffei, whose creations I had never smelled, and so when I saw Maffei's L'Attesa at Masque Milano being sold in the $80 range, I had to splurge. More accurately, after reading Strangelight's 2023 review (below) of the 2016 fragrance, I felt intuitively that the perfume had been perfectly described, and that I could safely do a blind buy. In a sense, there is no reason for me to say more than "Read the review by Strangelight." But I can add a bit more. My first impression was that it was waxy; then citrussy, with some spice; but almost detergent-y in its complex earthy, powdery, medicinal kind of representation. I realized this was my first real encounter with the almost mythical earthy iris and iris root. I had sprayed it on my hand before bed, but it woke my senses rather than soothing them, and I got back out of bed, and sprayed more. The orris butter has an almost bourbon-like potency. There is a rough grassy floral greenness like an uncultivated summer field, with yeasty edges. But then a clear iris floral note, flanked by the sweetness of ylang ylang, emerges. The waxy, lipstick-like quality, which Masque describes as being like the vinyl of a record playing jazz, is now more of a leathery foundation for these other notes. I find it on the masculine side; for my husband, it was more feminine. This is a vigorous, shapeshifting fragrance that evokes a chance confluence of scents in gardening. My exploratory instincts are aroused and keep active. I do see a slight resemblance to Chanel's 31 Rue Cambon, but the latter, by contrast, seems censored into salon graciousness. The two perfumes L'Atessa most reminds me of, in terms of technique, are both Meo Fusciuni: Viole nere with its woody, parchmenty violet, and Odor 93 for a patchouli so earthy it comes across almost as sasparilla or spearmint on a first sniff. In any case, this is pretty deep experience in a bottle.

I've always liked iris, but one - worthy of being "the" reference iris for me, albeit I haven't tried Iris Silver Mist yet - crept up to being an all time favourite very gradually. My initial reaction was this was a little underwhelming as it just seemed to be just cool powdery orris, so reserved as to have an almost ghostly sheen. It reminded me of unscented lipsticks I owned. Nothing offensive, but nothing that grabbed me in the least. I suppose at that time I was into warmer, sweeter scents (and probably a little anosmic from testing too much too quickly!) and I didn't really know what to do with this.
I think it was the third time I sprayed this months later it clicked. Suddenly, the other facets came into the forefront - the fresh burst of bergamot, the sweetness of the florals, the leather hum in the background, all perfectly in balance to support the orris core without overwhelming it. There's definitely a noticeable amount of at least one iso-e super type aromachemical here too, but (as someone that finds often finds uses modern woody ambers too loud) I find it well balanced and fitting for the overall scent profile well.
Luca Turin's review (on his blog, not the guide) claims that this is what he imagined a Guerlain iris would be like, but to my (less sophisticated) nose, this has the icy precision and cool sophistication I find more characteristic of a Chanel.

The “opening bars” of L’Attesa are a zesty citric blast, transitioning to the “champagne” sparkle of the iris in the heart, with a base wisely calibrated not to break the spell. Think Iris Silver Mist sans “space carrots,” crossed with the original Dior Homme’s iris fireworks but without DH’s endless, cloying vanilla afterglow.

Tell Goldilocks her iris is here.

Masque Milano L'Attesa is the palpably iris/orris-dominant offering from the line that is Act 3, Perfume 1, as designated on the bottle and cap, as usual. It smelled oddly appropriate on paper when I first got a sense of what it was like at the introductory event at Perfumology in June, but as always, it needs to be tried on skin.

It starts out with mixed burst of bergamot, neroli, creamy orris, and powdery iris, and interestingly enough, it's the creamier side that fades, giving way to a bit of a sharper, woody, borderline musky experience through the heart of the fragrance that's technically dominated by the florals, not only the iris/orris but also tuberose and ylang ylang, giving way to a fairly stuble dry down of mysore sandalwood, oakmoss, and leather. It gives me a comfortably paper-like vibe, and even though the iris/orris and other florals lean a little sharp and powdery, it's nonetheless unobtrusive and walks the line between fun and serious.

L'Attesa is not as boastful in terms of projection as some of the other options, but the care put into the fragrance is obvious. Just as Mandala is an exploration of incense, L'Attesa is an exploration of iris/orris, at least to me. At $158 for 35ml, L'Attesa is on the higher end the brand's pricing (the lower end is $125), and like Mandala and Hemingway for incense and vetiver, L'Attesa is really a nod to lovers of orris/iris and it may seem odd to those less familiar and fond of those notes, but is really quite an agreeable composition, less boastful than Mandala and certainly less so than Hemingway.

This is certainly yet another interesting option from the line that I recommend everyone trying, as I see it as a versatile option with respect to season, occasion, and gender. Very pleasant and neat composition of orris/iris, predominantly.

7 out of 10

L'Attesa is one hell of an orris fragrance - perhaps the quintessential orris fragrance alongside Serge Lutens - Iris Silver Mist.

The orris/iris is derived here as a composite note composed of three different forms of iris: Italian Iris absolute, Italian Iris Root Butter and French Iris Root Butter which help to give radical depth to a note that often plays a much more supportive role, even in fragrances dedicated to it. Here, through the opening, mid and drydown of this fragrance, you experience far different elements of the orris/iris from buttery, to dry root and yeasty, to cool and delicate floral notes, the iris here has it all.
Take into account that the iris/orris is paired with a slew of supporting notes that help to create the total impression of a universe of iris/orris notes, walking you through a space-time display of the note's development, shifting, snaking, and yet essentially remaining the self-same flower/root. The creamy quality is paired with real mysore sandalwood, which draws on the woody qualities of both the sandalwood, but also on the iris note, giving it a thick, rounded, and yet ethereal quality which smells of the highest quality of natural ingredients, and yet touched up (as if a delicate make-up) with Iso E Super, which leads you to notice the "champagne" accord, which is slightly fizzy, but seems to fade into the yeast-like quality that was more heavy at the beginning of the fragrance.

The bergamote, neroli and oakmoss help play into a lot of the more sparkly elements of the iris up top, and are immediately contrasted with the smokey leather weighting down the bottom of this fragrance. The leather here helps to recall images of fashionable young models of either sex in all of the overwhelming light of a summer day - perhaps with the light reflecting off a pool, and turning to overexposure on the image of the individuals. The ylang-ylang here, like the tuberose dance in and out of focus just on the edges of this fragrance, either calling to the sweet, creamy elements at the edge, or vintage heady floral qualities. Either way, when they appear the dance of notes already hard at work make the iris/orris here so intensely engaged with the iconic moments it has played in so many genres of perfume previously, and yet at the same time, so transcendentally monolithic that it could hardly be called by another other name: L'Attesa!

10/10

YT: Jess AndWesH

Exquisite iris in the delicate, subdued way that only iris can be, as uplifting as a baby's kiss and as tender.
That's me done about L'Attesa, actually – I've succumbed totally, it's a perfume that immediately belongs on me. But for those who like a little more detail, here goes:
Wearing L'Attesa is like being brushed by the finest of suedes, powders, and the gentlest lips. The aura of its iris is softly sweet, its butteriness just an indication of how smooth it is, never fatty. There's a lifting effervescence within (perhaps the so-called champagne accord) and the airiest suggestion of floral notes which gain in body during the course of the wear. The introduction of complementary bitters is similarly restrained, suede, perhaps woods, but not the vegetal rootiness that pushes many an iris to the wrong side of odd.
L'Attesa's main player, the iris, has a reputation for wan ethereality, its delicacy can easily be insubstantial. The perfume, subsequently, wears like a haze, but what an impressionist haze it is – full of soft colour gradations, slight changes in light and shade, and suffused by an almost ghostly tactile quality. L'Attesa gives the iris presence without forcing it to raise its voice.
Impressively tenacious, lasts a full 24 hours on me – possibly longer, but I can't be certain as I shower every morning.