MASQUE MILANO
LOST ALICE
2021
PERFUMER
Mackenzie Reilly
bergamot
ambrette
clary sage
‘too much’ black pepper
carrot heart
orris
english tea
white roses ‘painted red’
sandalwood
broom absolute
steamed milk
‘A frabjous olfactory journey into too much black pepper, white roses (painted red), mad tea and carrot cakes. The inspiration for Lost Alice comes from Chapter Seven – A Mad Tea-Party, where one could almost smell the Hatter’s tea, milk, bread and butter, served in a bucolic setting. Add some scones to complete a very Brit cream tea, and the magic is complete.’ – Masque Milano
Lost Alice has an awesome concept; it’s centered around the teaparty in Alice In Wonderland. I was invited for the virtual launch event during a Covid-19 lockdown for this release, which included a sample, but I purchased a bottle shortly after.
Lost Alice is a fragrance in which a lot of the elements in the note breakdown are noticeable. In the first hour you’ll mostly get black pepper (following Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland ‘too much pepper in the soup’ reference). It’s contrasted with the lactonic note; I get more of a steamed milk than actual tea. If anything, I can picture an opaque, cloudy milk tea. The opening is lifted with a nice bergamot scent.
It slowly transitions to the carrot cake accord, including a very carrotty iris, ambrette and broom. It’s my favorite element in this composition. Mackenzie Reilly absolutely nailed the warm baked goods vibe and I’d say for most of the wear, Lost Alice is more edible, than it is drinkable. Sporadically I’ll get a whiff of rose, but it’s not a floral scent at all.
The notes are divided in a ‘eat me’, ‘drink me’ and ‘smell me’ category and I think the composition finds a perfect balance between the three; it’s not as edible as Madeleine, nor as drinkable as Ray-Flection, but sort of sits in between those releases. Style-wise, it fits in the category of a Jovoy Remember Me to me.
It’s not all good news. Over time the milk note in Lost Alice became the element that I started to enjoy less and less. It came across like a sweet condensed milk in combination with the other notes and I ended up swapping my bottle after about 2 years of having it in my collection. For a sweet Masque Milano, Madeleine has my preference now.
