“There Are No Good or Bad Notes”: Talking Scents with Maison Crivelli’s Thibaud Crivelli
August 12 | 3 minute read
Words by Christie Sinclair
What if perfume could make you hear colour or see sound?
Sound preposterous? Well, while it’s the reality for people with synaesthesia – a fascinating phenomenon where one sense sparks another – it's also how Thibaud Crivelli, founder of French fragrance house Maison Crivelli, begins every one of his perfumes. This synaesthetic approach helps him transform visceral memories, usually from his travels, into perfumes that almost elicit a full-body response. If you’ve smelled one, you’ll know exactly what we mean. Cuir InfraRouge Extrait de Parfum, for example, smells so much like an early 2000s music festival, your mouth almost fizzes as you inhale the scent of a tangy raspberry-citrus cocktail and creamy leather.
Ahead, Crivelli shares notes on creating unexpected combinations from vivid memories, emotions and real-life experiences.
My earliest scent memory…
Thibaud Crivelli: “The smell of nature in various forms: wisteria, honeysuckle, rose and peonies in spring, or aromatic herbs and citruses in the summer. I also have vivid memories of the scent of forests in fall, and roasted chestnuts in winter. I've always been fascinated by how a scent can instantly transport you back to a precise moment and emotion.”
The first fragrance I wore…
TC: “I was curious from a young age, so I was already exploring fragrances long before I started creating them. I don't remember one specific perfume as much as I remember the excitement of discovering different worlds.”
Falling in love smells like…
TC: “A mixture of excitement, surprise and addiction. I don't believe love has one scent; it constantly evolves. Yet the perfume should have depth and a lot of comfort.”
My favourite person smells like…
TC: “My favourite person smells authentic. I always remember people by the emotion their scent leaves behind rather than by the fragrance they're wearing.”
The end of the day smells like…
TC: “Warm woods, skin and the calm that follows a day full of discoveries.”
Australia smells like…
TC: “Endless landscapes where salty ocean air meets wild vegetation, sun-warmed woods and unexpected native botanicals. A place where nature feels incredibly alive, wild and inspiring.”
The fragrance I wear everyday…
TC: “I choose my scent depending on my mood, the season or where I'm going – or even who I'm meeting – and I often enjoy layering fragrances to create something even more personal. For instance I love the combination of Musc Nurāsana and Rose Saltifolia.”
The one note I would never wear…
TC: “None. I don't believe in ‘good’ or ‘bad’ notes; I believe in unexpected combinations. Even an ingredient I wouldn't imagine wearing can become irresistible when it tells the right story.”
The scent I wish existed…
TC: “I don't think about the scent I wish existed – I think about the experiences I haven't lived yet. They will inspire the fragrances of tomorrow.”
The scent that changed my life...
TC: “Hibiscus Mahajád. It is inspired by one of my most vivid personal memories: that of tasting hibiscus tea in the heart of a gemstone market. And it has also become one of our most iconic perfumes.”
The first step in creating a scent…
TC: “It always begins with a real-life experience that deeply moved or surprised me. I remember not only the scent, but also the colours, textures, sounds and emotions surrounding that moment. I then share this multi-sensory memory with the perfumer, who helps me translate it into a fragrance.”
The scent I’m most proud of…
TC: “It's difficult to choose. Every fragrance captures a very personal memory and a different moment of my life, so they all mean something different to me. If I were to name one, I would choose Oud Maracujá. It is such an original take on oud, thanks to its exotic fruity touch, and it was elected best niche perfume by the readers of Fragrantica in 2024.”
The scent with the most interesting story is...
TC: “Probably Tobacco Carnaval (Editor’s note: coming to MECCA in September!). It was born from the unexpected energy of a carnival party, where music, movement and celebration suddenly met the warm scent of dried tobacco leaves. That vibrant contrast became the soul of this fragrance, which combines a fruit-infused rhum with tobacco leaves.”
The most important thing I’ve learnt about fragrance…
TC: “That fragrance is one of the rare art forms you don't observe – you live it. It becomes part of your memories, your emotions and sometimes even changes the way you remember a place or a moment. It is also deeply personal.”
The hardest scent/feeling to capture…
TC: “Surprise. It's not a smell you can bottle; it's an emotion. Yet it's the emotion I'm constantly trying to recreate through every Maison Crivelli fragrance.”
A fragrance is finished when…
TC: “It feels emotionally complete and it has an incredible sillage. When every note contributes to telling the story I have lived and nothing needs to be added or removed, and when it stays and diffuses well enough so that people notice it and ask the wearer which perfume they have chosen. Telling other people that they smell good is the best compliment.”
