Quentin Bisch is running the risk of becoming overly associated with his love of Akigalawood (the weirdly sour, unbearably strident patchouli-esque material so beloved at Givaudan, the company for which he works). But thankfully, if he’s used it in his Patchouli Magnetik for Crivelli, he’s modulated the dosage skilfully, as I discovered when I reviewed the scent over on YouTube the other day, together with the new Crivelli Oud Maracuja, composed by Jordi Fernandez. Here’s a link to the episode: Crivelli Patchouli Magnetik and Oud Maracuja review.
Oud Maracuja is worth sniffing, not just for its perplexingly realistic passion fruit note (well balanced between tart and sweet) but also for the way it grafts the fruit onto an oud that isn’t afraid to let everyone know it hasn’t had a wash for several days. As the scent progresses, the overall effect becomes more tannery than agarwood (there are several echoes of Tom Ford Tuscan Leather here), but as an attempt to bring something new to the oud narrative, it deserves praise.
On the other hand, Patchouli Magnetik holds quite a few surprises up its silver-edged sleeve. For a start, there’s an unexpected peach note: fuzzy, fleshy and snuggly. Then there’s an equally eyebrow-raising whisper of gardenia. And then the patchouli itself somehow manages to come across as recognisably patchouli-like (earthy, woody, tobacco-ish) while presenting curious metallic facets, somewhere between steel and camphor, if you can imagine such a scent. It’s a compelling blend, at once retro and futuristic, as though coming to us from a 22nd century space party where the guests have been asked to dress as Victorians. Strange and beguiling, it shows that when he’s at his best, Bisch is one of the most innovative perfumers currently in the business. Seek it out if you can.
Persolaise
[Crivelli Patchouli Magnetik and Oud Maracuja review based on samples provided by the brand in 2023.]
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