Milonga, the precursor to Tango. Milongas were and are still played in dive bars in the suburban neighborhoods of old, mysterious Buenos Aires.
Called "antros" by the locals, many dive bars play Tangos and Milongas for local patrons and the occasional tourists that manage to find them.
For this candle, I wanted to recreate the smells that hit you as you enter a Milonga dive bar, the smell of leather stools, waxed floors and tobacco blending with men's aftershave, women's lipstick and booze. These create an intoxicating, sensual concoction that wafts through the room, impregnating clothes and skin.
I worked with noble materials like real frankincense essential oil from India, real cadé oil from Spain, and real sandalwood essential oil from Australia - from our partners at Quintis - to build the backbone of the formula. A Bourbon accord created with whiskey and maple lactones, and green cognac essential oil from Romania adds a fizzy sparkle; and glorious real Ylang-Ylang from the island of Nosy-Bé in Madagascar combined with violet and raspberry create the illusion of lipstick.
Milonga is a leather and incense luxury candle with a powerful fragrance and diffusion, and a daring play between all genders. Excessive, extravagant, exquisite.