There's something about markets that holds me. Not the sanitized grocery stores with fluorescent lights, but the real ones: places where vendors call out prices in languages you half-understand, where spices tumble from burlap sacks, and where everything feels alive and unscripted. This was the exact feeling I recalled upon my first encounter with Hibiscus Mahajád, because wearing it feels exactly like wandering through a gemstone bazaar at golden hour, when the light catches every facet and the air hums with possibility.
First Encounter
I sprayed it on a Tuesday morning, expecting something pretty but predictable. Instead, I was transported. The first breath was like sipping hibiscus tea while sitting cross-legged on Persian rugs, surrounded by cases of tourmaline and jade. There is an immediate floral brightness. It's not just a gentle, quiet floral, but the kind that makes you pay attention. Here, the rose and hibiscus dance together, whilst underneath them, something darker also whispers: leather and spice. The contrast shouldn't work, yet it does, much like finding a vintage leather jacket embroidered with flowers.
Scent Journey
Hibiscus Mahajád opens with the tartness of hibiscus, that crimson tea that stains your lips and tastes like summer storms. Rose Damascena joins almost immediately. It's rich and complex, with edges that feel almost wild. Spearmint threads through the composition, cooling and brightening, like mint leaves crushed between your fingers.
Then the magic happens. As the florals settle, leather emerges. It's a supple, worn leather that tells stories. It's the scent of well-loved books, of vintage handbags, and of the interior of a car that has seen decades of adventures. Vanilla beans warm everything from beneath, not in a sweet way, but in a comforting one, like the vanilla pods my grandmother kept in her sugar jar. Cassis adds depth with a touch of dark fruit, while cinnamon brings warmth without overwhelming. This is a display of masterful restraint, where each note is present but never shouts. The result is a creation that feels both exotic and familiar, like a memory from a trip you have not yet taken.
Creative Vision
The ethos of Maison Crivelli is sensory exploration, a commitment to capturing fleeting, vivid moments in scent. Hibiscus Mahajád, brought to life by perfumer Quentin Bisch, is the direct result of this philosophy. Inspired by a journey through gardens at twilight, it is a study in powerful contrasts, where the delicate and the potent, the luminous and the shadowy, all coexist.
The goal is not just to replicate the scent of a flower, but to distill its very soul: the essence of a hibiscus blooming defiantly against the approaching night. Ultimately, this is a composition that invites pause, encouraging reflection and compelling the wearer to savor the profound beauty found in its nuances.
Personal Reflection
Wearing Hibiscus Mahajád makes me feel like I'm carrying a secret. It is not loud or attention-seeking, but people notice. They lean in closer during conversations, trying to place what they are smelling. A coworker asked if I had been drinking tea. Another mentioned something about "expensive leather." Both were correct in their own way, yet they were also missing the whole picture.
It is a fragrance that shifts with my mood and the weather. On bright days, the florals sing. In cooler weather, the leather and spices take center stage. It's sophisticated without being stuffy and exotic without being costume-y. I reach for it when I want to feel like the most interesting version of myself: the one who speaks three languages and has stories from cities whose names you cannot pronounce.
The longevity is excellent, which you would expect from an extrait. It stays close to the skin yet remains persistent, revealing new facets hours later. Sometimes I catch whiffs of it on my scarf the next day, a sensation like finding a pressed flower in an old book.
For the Curious Nose
If you're drawn to fragrances that challenge expectations and pair the beautiful with the unexpected, Hibiscus Mahajád deserves your attention. Picture that moment when you taste something completely new and your brain struggles to categorize it. This is precisely the feeling the fragrance captures. It's the scent of adventures waiting to happen and of stories yet to be told.
Explore Hibiscus Mahajád on ZGO's website, where you can discover the full range of Maison Crivelli fragrances, visit their brand page on ZGO.
Let this one surprise you. In a world of safe choices, sometimes what we need is something that dares to be different.
Fragrance Notes
Hibiscus, Rose Damascena, Spearmint, Cassis, Ambrette Seeds, Cinnamon, Leather, Vanilla, Musk