MAAI
Bogue Profumo (2014)

A Work in Progress...

MAAI is a perfume that I had to date many times before falling for it. Really hard. Not because it's challenging, not at all. But because throughout the years this one has suffered so many variations from batch to batch that one could easily decide to collect and purchase every single iteration, as to me, they are all different and all tell a different story. To me, there is not one MAAI perfume, to me, there is a story about this idea of a perfume called MAAI. It is an ongoing story, that keeps unfolding, and trust me, it has traveled a long way to be where it is now. I might write one day about all the different iterations of it, but I won't do it here as it would require a full-on article. While not my favorite BOGUE, it is without a doubt the most fascinating one. A story about French boudoirs, icy florals, piercing green shades and velvety mosses, Oriental Harems, Frankincense smoke, warm thick resins, and of course, LOADS of animalics. And the story goes on.

I got a sample of this about 8 years ago and have tested it again. This just stinks. And not in a good way. Dior Leather Oud is one of two scents I would consider signature scents while most think it's too dirty. I can't imagine wanting to smell like this. The best thing I can say is that Maai is what Kouros should have been.

I keep testing this trying to find what everyone else is loving.

I've moved to a 👍 from a 👎. It kind of enjoy the minty lavender topnote - it smells very natural - to the point of smelling "Aveda natural."

It then gets a bit mossy - kind of like hay, to a chocolatey heart(?) All while having slightly disturbing animalic notes. A distinctive champaca notes adds a cheesy-meaty element, making things even more bizarre.

It's just so weird. Funny thing is, I kinda like it. Kudos to those can pull it off....I don't think I can.

Like something a youngish femme fatale might wear like Kathleen Turner in Body Heat.like Kim Novak in Bell.this as classic and bewitching as "woman" can be.Maai Bogue is like vintage Chanel No. 5 cologne with a splash of Avon Occur for the extra animal civet & resin, sweetness. it is not chypre,it is not oriental...it is just womanly perfume reminder a time of elegance and luxury.

It is aldehyde civet opening is ligher than No.5.it develops into an absolutely lovely, soft, comforting soapy floral.in this stage the fragrance is not sexy or sultry to me any more. the dry down grounds you with it's musk,resin,patchouli and civet.in this stage gives an impression fur and cigarette smoke mingled with great quality perfume,immediately bringing a femme fatale from the first part of the 20th country in my mind,holding a foot long cigarette holder,clad in mink and nothing else.this scent can be spicy and powdery.the powder is not as powdery as Shalimar but the musk can feel a tad powdery.

It greets me with a fresh labdanum, which is underscored by a peachy fruitiness and a smooth and bright incense, that is neither haughty nor ceremonious - reminding me of the sun-filled moments in the majestic brightness of Uppsala'a Cathedral. An ylang-ylang develops into another main player; it is trim and neither rich nor creamy. A lot of the brightness is due to backbone of sparkling aldehydes that permeate the whole.

A more floral phase is develops a bit later, with a strong green and light-filled tuberose very notable; this is not very waxy, only has a slightly resinous touch, and presents ass less creamy again that other versions of it in other olfactory products. A green jasmine as well as a rose note are joining in, with the rose a bit nonspecific on me; the jasmine grows into a more significant contributor to the mix.

Spicier components of this creation include a mildly crisp castoreum, which pairs with a nice and gently edgy high-quality oakmoss, which starts out timidly, but then develops to full glory only many hours later, and then with a slightly civety undercurrent. Hints of a slightly leathery undertone transiently appear, but is is a sandalwood that gradually makes itself known in the mix and that adds a woody feeling to the whole. By now the resinous aroma expresses nigh-campherous characteristics at times, and it becomes stronger towards the end instilling a bit more sweetness in the final stages. These stages are not neatly separated, but they merge into one another over time.

I get moderate sillage, excellent projection, and eight hours of longevity on my skin.

This is an unusual scent for warm autumn days in its unconventional combination of various disparate aspects of the perfumer's tool kit. It is spicy and has lots of incense, but it is bright too; it uses florals but also animalic touches - and it is quite original in blending and structuring. On the downside some of its components are a tad generic, and in the wave of numerous ingredients cannot full develop their characteristics or are overwhelmed by others - the rose especially on me - but some of very good quality. Overall 3.75/5

A blood red provocation

I could start by identifying MAAI as a floral chypre diva. I could note the contrast between its soapy aldehydes with smears of dark animalic musks. I could describe its soaring, brassy florals in more depth, so on and so forth. But others here have already done it so well.

As such, I will instead describe how MAAI makes me feel - like a member of the aristocracy sporting a choker of glittering, fat, blood red rubies during the French Revolution. Qu'ils mangent de la brioche indeed.