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A Work in Progress...
MAAI is a perfume I had to date many times before falling for it. Hard. Not because it's challenging, not at all. But because throughout the years, it has suffered so many variations from batch to batch that one could easily decide to collect and purchase every single iteration, as to me, they are all different and tell a different story. There is not one MAAI perfume. There is a story about this idea of a perfume called MAAI. It is an ongoing story that keeps unfolding, and trust me, it has traveled a long way to be where it is now.
The original iteration makes me think of French Budoirs, vintage green chypres, and old-school glamour. I would classify it as a Green-Floral Chypre. It opens up with a blast of icy green aldehydes and camphorous clouds. The heart unveils white florals with tuberose leading the way. It exploits the green facets of the flower. The base is loaded with civet and plenty of moss.
The second iteration, I only have a sample of, and I believe it's the standard bottle with a grey light cap. It follows the same structure as the original, yet I get a more prominent soapiness in the heart, and the civet in the base is significantly toned down.
The latest version has the same bottle design as the previous one, but the cap is dark grey. Here, the perfume takes a significant turn from a green floral chypre toward a full-on Oriental perfume that makes me think of a Harem. The green, icy opening is replaced by a smoky cloud of resins where florals seem to melt and turn into a stream of desire. I detect an increased usage of woods like cedar and vetiver while the civet is now overshadowed by leathery, sweet, and smoky castoreum that Antonio has proven time and time again not only that he loves but that he also knows how to use well. The moss, the florals, and the greens are all swallowed by this heavy flow of glowing, warm resins. Vintage Bal à Versailles comes to mind with modern MAAI. That being said, I love both directions. The original as well as the latest iteration. They are my favorites. The in-between version is just a bit too shy for my tastes. They are worth owning as they are different. I might prefer the current version overall due to my love for Oriental compositions. Yet it is hard to beat the original MAAI when thinking of great modern chypres, as not many can rival its grandeur.
MAAI. A story about French boudoirs, icy florals, piercing green shades and velvety mosses, Oriental Harems, Frankincense smoke, warm thick resins, and of course, LOADS of animalics. And the story goes on.
IG:@memory.of.scents
The original iteration makes me think of French Budoirs, vintage green chypres, and old-school glamour. I would classify it as a Green-Floral Chypre. It opens up with a blast of icy green aldehydes and camphorous clouds. The heart unveils white florals with tuberose leading the way. It exploits the green facets of the flower. The base is loaded with civet and plenty of moss.
The second iteration, I only have a sample of, and I believe it's the standard bottle with a grey light cap. It follows the same structure as the original, yet I get a more prominent soapiness in the heart, and the civet in the base is significantly toned down.
The latest version has the same bottle design as the previous one, but the cap is dark grey. Here, the perfume takes a significant turn from a green floral chypre toward a full-on Oriental perfume that makes me think of a Harem. The green, icy opening is replaced by a smoky cloud of resins where florals seem to melt and turn into a stream of desire. I detect an increased usage of woods like cedar and vetiver while the civet is now overshadowed by leathery, sweet, and smoky castoreum that Antonio has proven time and time again not only that he loves but that he also knows how to use well. The moss, the florals, and the greens are all swallowed by this heavy flow of glowing, warm resins. Vintage Bal à Versailles comes to mind with modern MAAI. That being said, I love both directions. The original as well as the latest iteration. They are my favorites. The in-between version is just a bit too shy for my tastes. They are worth owning as they are different. I might prefer the current version overall due to my love for Oriental compositions. Yet it is hard to beat the original MAAI when thinking of great modern chypres, as not many can rival its grandeur.
MAAI. A story about French boudoirs, icy florals, piercing green shades and velvety mosses, Oriental Harems, Frankincense smoke, warm thick resins, and of course, LOADS of animalics. And the story goes on.
IG:@memory.of.scents