Alcove

Alcove by Masque Milano is an unisex eau de parfum in the niche price tier. It opens with rosemary, bergamot, grapefruit, lemon and cardamom, moves into rose, violet, fig and cypress and dries down to mysore sandalwood, cedarwood, amyris, cypriol, amber and benzoin. Expect around 8 hours of wear, and it projects at a moderate level.

Notes, explained

Opening

Rosemary Sharp, camphorous herb. Bracing and clean, borders on medicinal.
Bergamot Sharp citrus with a faint bitter edge. The opening of about half of all men's fragrances.
Grapefruit Bitter, slightly sweaty citrus. More grown-up than lemon.
Lemon Clean, sour, instantly recognisable. Bright but burns off fast.
Cardamom Cool, aromatic spice with a eucalyptus lift. Smells expensive.

Heart

Rose Can be jammy, green, peppery or soapy depending on the type. Not one smell.
Violet Powdery, sweet and a bit retro. Parma Violets in flower form.
Fig Green, milky and jammy at once. One of the most interesting fruits in perfume.
Cypress Cool, green, resinous conifer. Sharp and clean.

Dry-down

Mysore Sandalwood The legendary Indian sandalwood. Richer and butterier than any substitute.
Cedarwood Dry, pencil-shaving woodiness. Clean and structural.
Amyris Soft, sweet, sandalwood-adjacent. Often stands in for the real thing.
Cypriol Also called nagarmotha. Smoky, leathery, earthy — a vetiver relative.
Amber Warm, golden and resinous. Not a real material — a blend that glows.
Benzoin Sweet balsamic resin. Vanilla-adjacent but drier.

Smells like this

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