MAISON CRIVELLI
Ingredients 07\2012
2022
PERFUMER
Gael Montero
In 2025, Maison Crivelli re-released Ingredients 07\2012 (2022) as Safran Secret (at the time of launch with an identical formulation, just new branding). And, wider distribution, as the initial run of Ingredients 07\2012 was limited and I wasn’t able to try this fragrance at the time. Until now.
Knowing that I rarely love saffron, this is not quite what I expected. I’d heard several things from several people about what to expect from Safran Secret, leading me to believe this would be a very direct leathery scent with some hints of a Ganymede type of DNA; essentially, I was expecting another Matiere Premiere Crystal Saffron (especially the nicer Extrait) and was not overly excited for that to be the case. However, Safran Secret was a positive surprise.
Yes, this smells familiar and saffron is prominent, but this has a different vibe going on and a much stronger floral (?) and herbal aspect than I expected (and I like it way more for it). In particular, this has a core that reminds me of Tom Ford Oud Wood quite a bit and also the liquorice, chewy resinous side of a Myrrhe Mystere; so very Tom Ford-ish. It also feels less ‘molecular skin-scent’-like than I was expecting; there’s plenty of body to this fragrance and as it dries down, it feels more dense and resinous than the Escentric Molecules or ‘mineralic-Bisch’ aesthetics.
The liquorice vibe that I perceive adds as a fresh, minty, almost herbal edge to this opening that I’m getting and overall, it makes me think of a more traditionally masculine leaning, greener/herbal, shower-gel version of Oud Wood. Which is a pretty great scent profile for my taste.
Slightly smoky with spices, but a metallic-like tinge. It feels hot and cold or perhaps more so, wet, at the same time, like steam in a sauna. I was for example reminded of the drydown of Gallivant Accra to some extent. While I was writing this review, I saw that multiple others had compared it to Baruti Hot Cotton, which has a hot iron/steam accord; I don’t know the Baruti well enough to say if it smells similar, but I do get that theme in Safran Secret as well.
It ends up smelling like a recognizable, nostalgic, pleasant mix. The more time passes on, the more leathery facets of the saffron come through. Yet, as someone who often finds leather fragrances tiresome to wear, I don’t have that issue with Safran Secret, despite it getting properly smoky. It feels liquid enough, smooth enough, warm enough, sweetened enough for me to truly enjoy. I do prefer the opening and mid over the increasingly more focus on leather, but it could actually be one of my favorite leather drydowns that I’ve encountered.
I can’t shake the Oud Wood DNA, which was one of my first ever encounters with niche perfumery years ago, hence the nostalgia coming into play here and it skews my verdict in its favor. I went in with moderately low expectations, but Safran Secret/Ingredients 07/2012 could very well turn out to be one of my favorite surprises of 2025. As with the previous year’s Tubereuse Astrale, it’s certainly up there with my favorites from the brand and against my expectations, my first impression even says it’s my favorite Crivelli so far. It may not be as eccentric as Tubereuse Astrale or a statement maker as Oud Maracuja, but Safran Secret has unlocked a rare feeling of connection to a scent that I’ve lost experiencing often anymore after years of exploration.