Hibiscus Mahajád Maison Crivelli 2021

I've only gotten into perfumes as a "hobby" about a year or two ago, prior to which I'd only have one or two bottles at a time, usually gifted to me. One boring evening I decided to read some reviews for fun, mostly of notoriously "bad" fragrances like Secretions Magnifiques, but curiosity got the better of me, and I bought my first bottle - Encre Noire, because it seemed to "match my personality" if that makes sense.

A year later, and I find myself visiting various stockists in person, just trying on anything that looks interesting.. And this is how I encounter Hibiscus Mahajad. I took off the cap, sprayed, and fell in love instantly - I won't bother listing the notes and how well they interact, plenty of reviews have done that already. But yeah, the only fragrance I'd give a perfect 10 in appeal.

I check the price - £360 for the 100ml bottle. This is so far out of my budget that I couldn't even justify buying it with a 50% discount. I could get like, two litres of my humble Encre Noire for that much! It's a lot even for designer or niche, to me anyway. But I love this scent, so what to do? I look for anything similar. Similar notes, designer, niche, dupe, whatever. Nothing is the same, nothing hits as good.

I mull over this predicament for a few months, until today, where I find myself adding it to my basket and almost clicking through to checkout. But before I do so, I decide to check the Maison Crivelli website, wondering what history or status they have to demand such a price, and that's where my desire turns into disappointment:

The brand, eponomous to it's founder Thibaud Crivelli, was created just a few years ago, in 2018. That's cool, niche brands like Kerosene pop up all the time, but Crivelli feels different. Why do I see it in luxury stores standing alongside Dior and Chanel, while for anything else this new I usually need to order decants from overseas? For a brand this new, this felt unusual, and as good as Hibiscus Mahajad is, the perfume industry is not based on merit.

Not much can be found about Crivelli, or "Mr Hibiscus" as he calls himself (holy fuck, lol) - but thankfully he tells us about himself on the website:

"Behind the calm exterior of this young entrepreneur lies a thirst for adventure that has characterized his family for more than 150 years, as they have ventured off the beaten tracks at a time when traveling was uncommon. The three generations that preceded Thibaud lived on 5 continents, and have passed on an eclectic legacy that has sharpened his taste for exploration."

This self-praising wank goes on for quite a bit, but you get the picture by now. Rich kid coming from multigenerational wealth. Born in Paris, and an international hedonist since then, it seems that this venture is his first successful one. So how does he contribute?

"For each project, the perfumers are briefed with a multi-sensorial mood-board, retracing the experience that Thibaud Crivelli wants to share."

Dude just hands talented perfumers a fucking MOOD BOARD he cooked up after coming home from his holidays and calls it a day, no doubt feeling like his "mood boards" are a work of genius, his retreats in luxury resorts certainly providing an ocean of inspiration for artists like Bisch. Oh my fucking god.

As much as I love this perfume, I simply can't get over how shallow and pretentious and insufferable this whole thing is. But how much should brand mythology affect my decision if I love the perfume itself? I love most things Quentin Bisch, this is primarily his creation after all (lest we not forget the "mood board" he was given by Thibaud, of course!) but do I want to give my money for this? Why does it all bother me so much? Should it? The juice itself is the same, it's just the framing around it that turned me off.

I guess the world we live in is ultimately pretty disappointing. What a bummer. Oh, looks like Encre Noire really was a good "personality" match for me in the end!

Hibiscus Mahajad is a lot better than Maracuja, I promise you
It's just underrated bc the opening is both harsh and boring
Do more than one full day of wearing it before you judge
OR ELSE

The opening/paper smell is pretty mid
It's boring, one dimensional and smells like a pretty generic teenage girl's pink perfume
Afterward the bitter green notes are what put me off at first - they are HARSH
From the 3rd wear I could appreciate them as a secondary note that adds depth

But once you get used to the dry down maaaan this stuff is delicious
The Hibiscus and rose are perfectly balanced by leather, creamy vanilla, bitter green notes and the spices
It's so buttery smooth, creamy and sexy while still being very easy to wear as a male

MEGA 12+ hour performance as always from Crivelli
With massive sillage. 2 sprays max
$315 for 50ml is a bit gross
But honestly this stuff is so unique and STRONG that it's not terrible value, considering how slowly you'll run out of it
Crivelli perfumes have a very steep learning curve to the uninitiated

I want to clobber people who rate perfumes after wearing it for 30 seconds
You're ruining the parfumo score of Mahajad and Amouage Interlude >:( grrr

9.25/10
One of THE most interesting scents

Like so many other fragrances, Anne Lauren was the one to convince me to try Hibiscus Mahajád. When at Galilu last summer with my friend, I sprayed a paper strip liberally and was immediately taken aback by how potent the scent was. I looked over at my friend, she shook her head, but nonetheless I saved the paper strip in my purse for later wanting to give the fragrance a proper chance.

Back home, I emptied my purse full of paper strips and Hibiscus Mahajád stuck out like a sore thumb. I was still unsure, whether that was good or bad. For days it layed on the dining table being the main aura around our late night talks over wine or the next day for breakfast.

After a week, I still couldn't get myself to throw it out even though I was still unsure whether I liked it or not. At the end of my trip, I still struggled to throw it out and considered taking it back home. The paper strip remained just as potent with the juice of Hibiscus Mahajád as it was in the beginning.

I looked back and wondered about Hibiscus Mahajád, so when the opportunity came, I had to get my hands on a sample and this is how it went.

Hibiscus Mahajád is nothing like I remember. The difference is, besides the then heat and the current winter (I started this review half a year ago), is that I am testing it on skin.

On skin, Hibiscus Mahajád smells like a hint of gasoline. The leather is definitely there and the hibiscus is in the background too. The scent is definitely floral, but in an unconventional way. This fragrance is a complete enigma to me and I find it very difficult to describe.

My boyfriend's short review is that this fragrance wants to be too much at the same time.

I find it fruity and floral in the most unique way. It is also a bit creamy, not lactonic, but creamy like suede. The fragrance might sound juvenile, but Hibiscus Mahajád is fruity and floral in the most mature way possible.

Most of all, I find Hibiscus Mahajád leathery, but completely void of the harshness and the sourness that often comes with a leather note.

After an hour, Hibiscus Mahajád is the most realistic cooled down cup of hibiscus tea. Deliciously sour and fiery red.

Funny thing is, I'm still unsure whether I like it when I smell it close to my wrist.
The projection is amazing and I can smell it all around me up in the air and I smell amazing! The fragrance gives me a boost in confidence even though it isn't sexy or flirtatious per se.

Hours later, the scent is the same, but so very different. It has calmed down, settled into my skin. Melted into it. Hibiscus Mahajád is just unique, there's no other way to put it. And I'm pretty sure, I love it. Oh, and so does my boyfriend.

Half a year later, I am back to finishing this review. I have added the fragrance to my collection and worn it many times throughout winter. It is one of my absolute faves at the moment and a prized possession, however, I recommend not overusing it, because I did at some point and had to take a long break before introducing it again. Beware, Hibiscus Mahajád is a force to be reckoned with!

I blind bought my bottle which I guess was risky based on the reviews, but luckily I love it.

Hibiscus Mahajad was based on an ancient Egyptian Hibiscus tea known as “Karkade”, which apparently Pharos would drink for its medicinal qualities. I like the hibiscus, rose and blackcurrant opening. I don’t find it harsh at all. I knew what to expect the Hibiscus note to smell like, as I feed it as a dried treat to my Chinchillas. It’s actually a very realistic hibiscus scent, although I do wish the fragrance was sweeter. As it dries down it becomes more of a Middle Eastern type of vibe with a slightly musky, soft leathery oud type of smell mixed in with Hibiscus. The leather gives the scent a smoothness. As someone who doesn’t usually enjoy oud or leather, I do actually love this scent. It does alternate between being more leathery and then more hibiscus throughout the wear. It’s definitely long lasting, but I don’t find the scent overly strong. Maybe my sense of smell is broken… but I sprayed it more than 8 times just to write this review, which is funny to me since a couple of sprays seem to knock some people sideways. This is a unique, dark, mysterious and sexy fragrance that would be perfect for a date night.

A lot of people say this reminds them of Delina. For the record, I absolutely hate all the Delina's and don’t see the comparison at all! Id say this is much more in the realm of Narcotic Delight by Initio or Nirvana by Paradis Des Sens, which I also own and love. If you like those types of scents, or the style of fragrances from those houses, you’ll enjoy this! If these kind of scents aren’t your thing, I’d steer clear of this one.

The opening of this is so nostalgic to me, it reminds me of these expensive rose flavoured gummy bears that I used to buy in my early adulthood. I remember I felt so sophisticated eating them. Sometimes rose notes can be overpowering for me but this one is just lovely. It’s a jammy rose that has a light and fresh opening from the peppermint and also some juiciness from blackcurrant. I always get compliments when I wear this one. Even my boyfriend complimented me and he’s not normally into anything floral. I smell my wrist all day when I wear this I just can’t get enough. It becomes a little warmer and soft in the dry down when the vanilla comes through. I think the leather also gives it a sophistication and depth. I don’t really get the cinnamon on me but I’m not sure I miss it either.

My first few wears I thought I might have to buy a full bottle soon but something is stopping me. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something deep deep into the dry down that is slightly off to me. It’s not enough to make me stop wearing my sample but it’s enough to make me second guess spending a bunch of money on the full bottle. I can’t really explain what it is but I think it’s something related to the vanilla, maybe the specific type of vanilla. I don’t get playdoh at all but there’s something that is reminding me of playdoh smelling fragrances. Maybe if I come into more money down the road I’ll just say who cares and bite the bullet. But for now I will hold back.