Maison Crivelli Ambre Chromatique Photo by Olya Bar 

Keeper of the memories, sensorial adventurer: Founder and Creative Director Thibaud Crivelli of Maison Crivelli “bottles” his many personal experiences and with each new release, we get a glimpse inside his creative mind. Ambre Chromatique marks the third collaboration with Quentin Bisch, and it promises all the sultriness we can expect from a sensual material that became the extrait de parfum’s centerpiece – Amber.

Raw amber resin by Olya Bar

Amber is one of my favorite resins, yet it’s not the actual resin that comes to mind that is being used in perfumery. ‘Amber’ as a perfume ingredient first made its debut in the late 1800s with the invention of synthetic vanilla or, as we know it, vanillin. It became so widely used in ambrée-style perfumes that it gave rise to a whole category – Amber or Ambrée. It’s the name given to a fragrance accord built of labdanum, benzoin, and vanilla – sometimes, with touches of tonka bean and Peru balsam, which also have a sweet, resinous, and almost liquor-like quality. Often warm and textured amber can sometimes have an animalic quality, I find it highly sensual and erotic yet as comfortable as a familiar cozy cashmere sweater.

With the core belief that perfume is a living experience, both Thibaud Crivelli and Quentin Bisch focused on sensorial mapping as the foundation for this project.

Jungle via Unsplash

Nocturnal jungle, the sound of the bark cracking underneath your feet as you make your way deeper into the lush greenery. The singing of birds around you, multicolored flora and fauna showcasing all the vibrant colors nature can create. You are surrounded by an aroma of the most exotic flowers and abundant vegetation everywhere you look. Finally, you feel the precious resin between your fingers, inhaling its deep incense-like aroma. At the same time, a taste of boozy, slightly bitter vanilla on your lips is quite intoxicating and so addictive.

Quentin Bisch in his office courtesy of the perfumer

Quentin Bisch is a master of transportive fragrances; in Ambre Chromatique you feel fully immersed in the tropical humidity of the jungle. He succeeds in creating a vivid sense that he’s on a dangerous trek through the multicolored fauna in search of the precious benzoin resin. The taste of adventure and adrenaline merge with overwhelming curiosity and a high appetite for risk. There is a mesmerizing duality of the amber and  incense, as if you stumbled upon an ancient temple, obscured by old trees and vines where the strong scent of all the resinous oils are still in the air.

Maison Crivelli Ambre Chromatique by Olya Bar 

There is something mystical about how Maison Crivelli Ambre Chromatique opens. A spicy blast of pink pepper and incense slowly gives way to the sweet and heady davana with a liquor-like thickness and an undertone of a fruity osmanthus that adds a touch of ripeness to the heart. It’s a slow-developing journey. The perfume oozes sensuality and has an enormous amount of depth Quentin Bisch always delivers in his work. Most of the ingredients used are from the Givaudan exclusive Orpur® label. First introduced over 20 years ago, this constantly evolving palette of the highest-quality ingredients gives perfumers the building blocks to create luxurious, nature-conscious fragrances. This precious and unique range of sustainably sourced materials is selected and approved by a special committee of fine fragrance perfumers and technical experts. More than 200 natural ingredients are currently classified as Orpur® qualities. However, the palette continues to expand and evolve year after year due to technological advances and new botanical species, and in parallel with the creative needs of Givaudan perfumers.

Maison Crivelli Ambre Chromatique photo courtesy of Maison Crivelli.

The dry down of Maison Crivelli Ambre Chromatique is all about the golden resin with vanilla, benzoin absolute, and *Akigala wood. Rich and  glowing as if you held the resins over the fire, letting it slowly drip over the freshly cut bourbon vanilla beans. it is one of the most beautiful amber stories I have ever read on my skin.

I’m ending the evening with a spritz of this ambery beauty and feel immediately transported. A haze of balsams and spices takes me on a heart-pounding sensorial expedition in search of a forgotten treasure, full of dangerous encounters with exotic animals lurking nearby. I hear an unsettling growl and feel the predator’s eyes watching me with hungry curiosity as if they had already sunk their sharp claws into me, pulling me deeper into the jungle.

Notes: ORPUR incense essential oil, CO2 extract of pink peppercorn, davana essential oil, ORPUR osmanthus absolute, ORPUR benzoin absolute, Bourbon vanilla absolute, Akigala wood.

–Olya Bar, Editor.

Disclosure: Fragrance kindly provided by Europerfumes, the USA distributor; opinions are my own.

Maison Crivelli Ambre Chromatique is an extrait de parfum  and is highly concentrated.

*Akigalawood© is fractionated from patchouli oil and is used by Givaudan. Its odor is woody, spicy and floral.

Please check out Olya’s reviews of Maison Crivelli Hibiscus Mahajad  Rosa Saltifolia and Bois Datchai.

Also, Steven Gavrielatos’ video review of Patchouli Magnetik

Former Sr. Editor Despina Veneti’s review of Citrus Batikanga

Read Quentin Bisch’s journey to perfumery in our Young Perfumer Series

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebonofficial @olyabar  @maisoncrivelli @quentinbischperfumer

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