Dua Fragrances - Queen of Spades In 1834 Alexander Pushkin published his short story Queen of Spades (Pikovaya Dama). Over the years, the story has been adapted multiple times - into stories, film, and an opera (Tchaikovsky). Essentially the story revolves around a Countess, who after incurring a large gambling debt, learned a secret to winning at cards by playing three specific cards just once during the game. This story is told to a Russian army officer who, because of his greed, is led to court the Countess’s charge to gain the secret. The story is rife with themes of power, avarice, and the supernatural. As you can imagine, the Queen of Spades in story and in scent is not shy. Instead, she is powerful and in control, even after death. Mahsam Raza’s interpretation brings us the Countess in all her complexity. This fragrance opens with a powerful and bold citric floral aldehyde blend. The opening is bright and clean with a...