Decided to steer away from the MM set as I ordered a new one to do a side-by-side and check if my set was faulty. While I wait for the parcel, I thought I’d dive into some older unfinished discovery sets. I stumbled upon the Maison Crivelli ones and randomly picked Hibiscus Mahajád. This was one of the four from Quentin Bisch in the set, so that got me excited. A very linear fragrance that doesn’t develop much. It has notes of hibiscus, blackcurrant, Damask rose absolute, hibiscus tea, vanilla absolute, ambrette seed absolute, leather, vanilla, cinnamon, pomegranate and spearmint. The tea and spearmint disappear once it dries down, so it becomes more of a proportion shift. Beautifully blended with enough space to smell the individual notes. It’s a beautiful fragrance that wraps you in a pink cloud. Very well balanced and high quality. It definitely has that Quentin Bisch influence. This man has me in a chokehold. One unfortunate thing about Maison Crivelli is the performance on me. I’m jealous when people say they get 10-12 hours with massive sillage. On me, it’s a modest 6-hour fragrance and stops projecting after 90 minutes. Compared to other MC fragrances, this one lasted and smelled better on me. Funny enough, my duvet that caught a hint of the perfume had better performance, as I could still smell it after 9 hours. Maybe using it as a fabric scent makes more sense for me. Even with “bad” performance, it’s still a solid option for many. If you like Delina or its flankers, you should try this. If anything, it almost makes it redundant if you already own Delina. Both by Quentin Bisch, maybe that’s why. I can rock unisex or even 60/40 feminine fragrances, but this one is a bit outside that. Around 65/35 in my opinion, so it’s a pass. Now I need to strategically make sure my girlfriend likes this so I can buy it for her and still get to smell it. All that said, I would still give it an 8.3/10. On my skin it didn’t shine the way it was supposed to. It smells like a high-quality version of a generic designer “pink” fragrance. Beautiful, but not groundbreaking or inspiring. If your partner loves rose, they should try this.

This was an outstanding fragrance from last year's additions for me. Rusty Island by Auraa Desire appears to be associated with the house of Rasasi, is an extremely food Extrait de Parfum that has been a popular choice since its release in 2023. This was one of the Luxury options that I picked up in the ME world. Said to be a highconcentration alternative to Louis Vuitton’s Ombre Nomade. Well the core of both fragrances have the DNA of Oud, Rose & Saffron, but the execution varies: While it mimics the Ombre Nomade structure, it leans harder into the earthy, metallic side. It replaces the prominent raspberry sweetness of the LV with a stronger presence of Geranium & Cypriol. This makes it feel slightly more green & gritty compared to the smoother, fruitier sweetness of Ombre Nomade. As usual,a perfumer was not credited here. Rusty Island can be defined by its rich, multi-layered structure that evolves dramatically from the first spray. In the opening, a classic duo of rose & geranium provides a floral elegance, which is immediately sharpened & warmed by a prominent note of saffron, giving it a slightly spicy, metallic rusty edge. As the fragrance transitions into the middle notes, it becomes significantly more earthy & textured; here, patchouli & cypriol oil introduce a smoky, woodsy depth, while sandalwood adds a creamy counterpoint to the sharper herbal elements. The base is where the fragrance anchors itself, settling into a deep, luxurious foundation of leather, amber & agarwood. This combo creates a resinous, animalic, slightly sweet finish that lingers for hours. Rusty Island lives up to its Extrait designation. It has what can only be described as exceptional longevity, this will stay on skin all day long, easily 10hrs. With a heavy projection for at least 3, where it can work it's way through a room at ease. Because of its intense, warm, and spicy character, it is best suited for the autumn & winter seasons. It is an ideal choice for formal evening occasions, or anywhere you want to make a statement.