Cristian Cavagna Murice Imperiale (Christian Cavagna and Arturetto Landi) 2022 + The Tuberose Mermaid Giveaway

August 23, 2022August 23, 2022

A mermaid rising towards the surface of the ocean, hugging Cristian Cavagna Murice Imperiale – Mermaid ©Pixabay, bottle ©Cristian Cavagna, montage ©Emmanuelle Varron

My colleagues Ida Meister, Karl Topham,Ermano Picco and I spent four jam packed days of discoveries, surprises and reunions at Esxence 2022. I had scrupulously prepared a list of brands to visit, but the show was so large I was unable to stop by all the booths. Fortunately, the unexpected is always welcome: aware of my mad love for tuberose, dear Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor Ida Meister wanted to introduce me to a brand that was presenting a perfume preview, the third fragrance in a collection exclusively devoted to this mythical flower of the perfumery. Our schedule had been very busy; it was finally the last day that we visited Cristian Cavagna, the creative director of “La Tuberosa Seconda Me” (The tuberose according to me).

Cristian Cavagna Boa Madre, Murice Imperiale and Musa Paradisiaca at Esxence 2022 – ©Emmanuelle Varron.

My gaze was immediately drawn to the Art Deco-style bottles and my nose was captivated by a cocktail of divine raw materials, from which tuberose reigned supreme. When I met Cristian Cavagna, I knew immediately by his style, his eyes and his mellifluous Italian that he was a born artist. He founded Adjumi in 2005 (an fragrant entity he completely redesigned in 2020 and which he also presented at Esxence 2022). The new Christian Cavagna brand is centered around tuberose in all its facets and will includes seven fragrances. To compose the fragrances he called on Arturetto Landi (Mane), his mentor and friend for many years.

Cristian Cavagna and Arturetto Landi via Cristian Cavagna

Musa Paradisiaca, Boa Madre and Murice Imperiale are the first three creations in this collection. Cristian Cavagna Musa Paradisiaca (the botanical name of the banana tree) is an incredibly lavish tuberose, with green and luminous facets that seem straight out of the tropics. The top notes of this fragrance (tuberose and banana leaf) are common throughout the collection. Cristian Cavagna Boa Madre is adorned with woody, leathery and animal notes of a very “couture” sensuality. I love these two fragrances which launched in 2021 and I hope to share more about them in the future.

Cristian Cavagna quote on Cristian Cavagna Murice Imperiale – Background ©Pixabay, collage ©Emmanuelle Varron.

Cristian Cavagna Murice Imperiale (Imperial Murex) is a tribute to the underwater world and the murex mollusk. It’s royal purple color was used in Mediterranean antiquity to dye fabrics dedicated to the gods and the ruling classes, the Imperatores having the privilege to wear all purple clothes, known as Tyrian red. Today, it is still used for the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches cardinals’ vestments. In Cristian Cavagna Murice Imperiale, this noble color is symbolized by the rhubarb that is a top note in the perfume.

Returning to the world under the sea water: sometimes a fragrance’s “official storytelling” does not speak to me.. That is not the case here. I immediately identify with the mermaid conceptualized by Cristian Cavagna and can imagine her taking care of tuberoses fields cultivated in the depths of the ocean. From the opening, I easily identify the tuberose-banana leaf duo present in the two previous fragrances. Instantaneously, like a wave with a delicate but endless rhythm, the mineral and aqueous facets of Cristian Cavagna Murice Imperiale is revealed… and astonishes. Closing my eyes, I see (and smell) the red algae dancing to the rhythm of the water current that reveals powerful moist notes blending with a heady, camphorated tuberose. A contrast that never fades but gradually takes on a more earthy character, like a murex stranded on a beach of grainy wet salted sand, reminiscent of the delicious petrichor that can be smelled in the woods after a diluvium storm and at its heart, a tuberose with a straight stem and delicately curved and velvety petals. This rare duality does not weaken on my skin and is reinforced by the ambergris which offers more breadth to the (sub)marine and camphorous character of Cristian Cavagna Murice Imperiale, adorning itself in leathery, juicy rhubarb and the lightly tarry saffron that is woven throughout the perfume.

Identifying with a perfume… Thanks to AI, my face replaced the one painted in 1900 by John William Waterhouse for “A Mermaid” – via Reface.

The longevity of this perfume extrait is exceptional, and the projection outstanding. Cristian Cavagna Murice Imperiale is a tuberose perfume that will delight lovers of the ‘Queen of Forbidden Pleasure” and who are always looking for a new interpretation featuring their favorite flower. What better perfume for a mermaid? An amazing fragrance, one of my most beautiful discoveries of Esxence 2022 and “Best of Show Top 10“, which makes me impatient to discover Cristian Cavagna and Arturetto Landi last four creations that will complete “La Tuberosa Seconda Me” sublime collection.

Cristian Cavagna Murice Imperiale interpreted by Lithuanian artist Natasha Gro – ©Cristian Cavagna / Natasha Gro.

A true artist, Cristian Cavagna oversees all visual interpretation of his perfumes. For Murice Imperiale, it is Natasha Gro, a Lithuanian-born designer, who illustrated the features of a mermaid with seductive lips and long gloves, enclosing a tuberose against an Art -Deco inspired murex.

Notes for: banana leaves, saffron, rhubarb, tuberose, coral, petrichor, tuberose absolute, red seaweed absolute, sea musk, ambergris.

Disclaimer: A huge “grazie mille” to Cristian Cavagna for the Murice Imperiale tester and Musa Paradisiaca and Boa Madre samples provided for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Emmanuelle Varron, Senior Editor

Thanks to Cristian Cavagna, we have a 100 ml bottle of Murice Imperiale for one registered reader in USA, UK and EU. You must be a registered reader. To be eligible, leave a comment what sparked your interest about Emmanuelle’s review and where you live. Draw closes 08/26/2022.

Cristian Cavagna’s “La Tuberosa Seconda Me” collection is available here.

Editor’s Note: Cristian Cavagna is the moderator for the Facebook page Adjiumi, is on tiktoK with 1.3 B views

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