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Top Review
Cuir Infrarouge: Widian London on Steroids? I My Impression and Direct Comparison
As a Selfridges Exclusive, it wasn't easy to get my hands on the "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli," but it was worth it! As everyone here knows, the "London | Widian / AJ Arabia" is a masterpiece and remains undisputedly leading in its domain. Therefore, I was even more surprised at how well Maison Crivelli took this composition as a foundation but went in a completely different direction.
How do I perceive the "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli"?
- The "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli" starts with a sweet-fruity-fresh raspberry note that is truly convincing and brings a smile to your face. It is a voluminous sweet raspberry, carried by a light citrus and fruitiness. Yes, at this stage, "London | Widian / AJ Arabia" and "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli" smell slightly similar due to the raspberry, but in "London | Widian / AJ Arabia," the raspberry is fruity, yet somehow dry-fruity and only marginally sweet... and not as fruity-sweet as in "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli."
- Then comes a beautiful, present leather accord, which is relatively well blended with woody accords and cinnamon; neither the leather, nor the woody accords, nor the cinnamon dominate, but they are all in harmony; yes, the leather remains the star of the heart note, but it doesn't stand alone on the pedestal like in "London | Widian / AJ Arabia." The "London | Widian / AJ Arabia" is much more leathery and dry at this stage - which is not bad, it's just different. Here, the "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli" is sweeter, fruitier, woodier, somehow fuller.
- ...in the drydown, the typical Maison Crivelli oud accord joins in, which together with vanilla and tonka bean leads to a rather sweet-leathery drydown... yes, the "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli" remains overall sweet-leathery-fruity until the end, whereas the "London | Widian / AJ Arabia" continues the fruity raspberry with a rather dry leather accord until the end; yes, a bit of amber and vanilla join in, but much less strongly dosed. Is one better than the other? Absolutely not, the fragrances are simply - fortunately - designed differently, and each fragrance does what it is supposed to do, brilliantly in its own way. They are just different fragrances.
- The longevity is fantastic with the "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli," much stronger than with the "London | Widian / AJ Arabia," and the sillage is also significantly stronger. This should not be understood as a quality feature, but it is a fact that the performance takes it up a notch.
Yes, I understand that there is so much comparison with the "London | Widian / AJ Arabia" due to the leather and raspberry, but the fragrances are completely differently interpreted aside from the listed notes and main players. Both are masterpieces, but in the domain they belong to; accordingly, test and decide which one suits you better.
How do I perceive the "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli"?
- The "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli" starts with a sweet-fruity-fresh raspberry note that is truly convincing and brings a smile to your face. It is a voluminous sweet raspberry, carried by a light citrus and fruitiness. Yes, at this stage, "London | Widian / AJ Arabia" and "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli" smell slightly similar due to the raspberry, but in "London | Widian / AJ Arabia," the raspberry is fruity, yet somehow dry-fruity and only marginally sweet... and not as fruity-sweet as in "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli."
- Then comes a beautiful, present leather accord, which is relatively well blended with woody accords and cinnamon; neither the leather, nor the woody accords, nor the cinnamon dominate, but they are all in harmony; yes, the leather remains the star of the heart note, but it doesn't stand alone on the pedestal like in "London | Widian / AJ Arabia." The "London | Widian / AJ Arabia" is much more leathery and dry at this stage - which is not bad, it's just different. Here, the "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli" is sweeter, fruitier, woodier, somehow fuller.
- ...in the drydown, the typical Maison Crivelli oud accord joins in, which together with vanilla and tonka bean leads to a rather sweet-leathery drydown... yes, the "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli" remains overall sweet-leathery-fruity until the end, whereas the "London | Widian / AJ Arabia" continues the fruity raspberry with a rather dry leather accord until the end; yes, a bit of amber and vanilla join in, but much less strongly dosed. Is one better than the other? Absolutely not, the fragrances are simply - fortunately - designed differently, and each fragrance does what it is supposed to do, brilliantly in its own way. They are just different fragrances.
- The longevity is fantastic with the "Cuir InfraRouge | Maison Crivelli," much stronger than with the "London | Widian / AJ Arabia," and the sillage is also significantly stronger. This should not be understood as a quality feature, but it is a fact that the performance takes it up a notch.
Yes, I understand that there is so much comparison with the "London | Widian / AJ Arabia" due to the leather and raspberry, but the fragrances are completely differently interpreted aside from the listed notes and main players. Both are masterpieces, but in the domain they belong to; accordingly, test and decide which one suits you better.
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