Here at Who What Wear UK, we're total fragrance obsessives. You'll often find us writing about new perfume launches, the biggest perfume trends right now and the most luxurious, niche and iconic perfumes of all time. So, when we spotted a niche fragrance brand in Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's The Row Margaux bag on Instagram, we took notice.
Maison Crivelli is a French fragrance house, with each and every scent inspired by the adventures around the world from the founder, Thibaud Crivelli. Each provides a glimpse into his sensorial memories experienced from all over—think experiencing the twinkling stars of the Milky Way while surrounded by the creamy scent of tuberose, drinking absinthe under the Northern Lights or breathing in the scorched scent of sandalwood from a nearby erupting volcano. He's visited over 90 countries, and his range of fragrances is the next best thing to stepping on a plane to the destinations that inspire them.
Each and every one is a work of art with a story to tell, and they happen to all smell incredibly luxurious too. So much so, they're often quietly gatekept by celebrities as some of their most-loved scents. However, after getting my hands on the brand's perfume discovery sets, I've tried almost every single fragrance and can confirm they are all amazing, but the ones ahead are absolute favourites. Scroll ahead for the best Maison Crivelli perfumes, as loved by the likes of beauty editors and celebrities.
Best Maison Crivelli Perfumes
1. Tuberose Astrale
Key Notes: Tuberose absolute, leather accord, cinnamon bark, osmanthus absolute, carrot seed, cistus absolute, musk
As part of the perfume extraits collection, this particular scent was inspired from when Crivelli experienced the scent of creamy tuberose underneath a blanket of stars in the night sky. It's a sweet, almost hypnotic floral that smells next-level luxurious. So it's unsurprising that it's the very scent you can see in Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's bag above, and it also has the seal of approval from Who What Wear UK beauty director, Shannon Lawlor.
"I wouldn't say I'm typically a fan of sweet fragrances, but Tubereuse Astrale is one of my most cherished scents ever," says Lawlor. "At its core, it abides by the blueprint of any great white floral classic—it is creamy, powdery-soft and clings to the skin like luxury velvet. What sets it apart from other tuberose scents of its kind, however, is that its florality is swaddled in a teeth-clenching sweetness that guarantees intrigue," she says. "It's one of those perfumes that I spritz whenever I'm in need of a confidence boost—the compliments just keep rolling in."
2. Papyrus Moléculaire
Key Notes: Coriander, papyrus, sandalwood, black pepper, tonka bean absolute, tobacco absolute, leather accord
I was immediately drawn to the Papyrus Moléculaire, and I was surprised by how light and airy this scent, yet at the same time both warm and milky. The papyrus has a dewy green freshness, and coupled with herbaceous coriander and creamy, milky sandalwood. It's almost a little powdery and skin-like and would suit anyone, on any occasion. I like to think of it as a plain white T-shirt for your perfume collection—it's so easy to wear, understated and effortlessly chic.
3. Hibiscus Mahajád
Key Notes: Rose damascena absolute, pomegranate, blackcurrant, vanilla absolute, leather, spearmint, cassis, ambrette seeds absolute, cinnamon
Another celebrity favourite is Hibiscus Mahajád. Sabrina Elba told Who What Wear UK that this is one of her favourites perfumes, telling us, "Maison Crivelli Hibiscus Mahajád is another good one, but I always get scared about telling people because then everyone is going to wear it!"
To me, this is scent is like the most expensive of rubies bottled. It's a fruity rose with velvety petals, crushed pomegranate seeds and a zing of sparkling mint that melts into a warm, sensual and intoxicating vanilla base. It has impressive silage and lasting power, and is guaranteed to get you noticed. Whether you share what it is or keep it to yourself is up to you.
4. Iris Malikhân
Key Notes: Iris, cypress, lentisque, galbanum absolute, orris butter, mimosa absolute, vanilla, leather accord, amber, musk
Another of my favourites from the eau de parfums collection is this dreamy take on powdery iris. Paired with creamy mimosa and vanilla, this has a beautiful musky dry-down that lasts all day, getting subtly sweeter and milky with each passing hour. It also has a subtle suede touch to it, which makes it all the more addictive—I actually can't stop smelling it whenever I wear it. This is another one that will get you compliments left, right and centre.
5. Ambre Chromatique
Key Notes: Incense, pink peppercorn, davana, osmanthus, benzoin, vanilla bourbon, akigala wood
This opulent amber scent was inspired by Thibaud's nightfall adventures through colourful jungles in search of benzoin trees, which produce a thick golden resin. The result is a warming amber that oozes sweetness with vanilla, akigala wood and a touch of spice. I see this firmly as a sensual yet cosy scent to take you into the evening, or as a warming winter scent that will cling to your knitwear and scarves, welcoming you back every time you wear them.
Maison Crivelli Discovery Sets
Want to try all of Maison Crivelli's scents? Try these discovery sets which contains 1.5ml or 5ml vials to experiment with.
Discover the eau de parfums in 10 1.5ml vials to try each scent on for size before investing in a full sized bottle of your favourite.
If you gravitate to strongerscents, the Choc Olfactifs Adventure Set is a must try, with six 1.5ml sized vials of Maison Crivelli's perfume extraits.
This set contains six larger 5ml vials of the extraits, which are perfect for travelling.
