The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Maison Crivelli was founded in Paris in 2018 by Thibaud Crivelli, a nose trained to find fragrance in unexpected places. For Tuberose Astrale, that place was a field of tuberoses visited at night, under a sky that felt close enough to touch. The founding principle here, as with all Crivelli work, is the sensory shock: taking a flower you think you know and showing you a version you never expected. Perfumer Quentin Bisch translated this cosmic perspective into a composition where tuberose is not a garden bloom but a celestial one.
The choice of cinnamon as an opening note is deliberate; it provides the shock of cold night air that precedes the field discovery. The osmanthus in the heart acts as a bridge between the warmth of the florals and the sweetness of the drydown, a subtle structural choice that makes the composition feel cohesive rather than episodic. This is not tuberose plus filler; it is tuberose orchestrated with intention.
The evolution
The fragrance begins with a brief but arresting cinnamon note that could almost be mistaken for cold air, before the tuberose and osmanthus heart takes command. Osmanthus is the quieter of the two in the heart, appearing as a supporting warmth rather than a lead, though its influence is felt throughout the long heart phase. The drydown shifts from floral to intimate, with musk and vanilla working together to extend the experience without changing its character. The notes move as a continuous argument rather than a series of contrasts.
Cultural impact
The 2024 Extrait de Parfum is Maison Crivelli's most assertive release to date. Where previous fragrances from the house leaned into controlled elegance, Tubéreuse Astrale pushes into opulence, 32% concentration, enormous projection, and a leather-tube rose pairing that doesn't hedge its bets. Wearers either love it for that unapologetic presence or find it too much. Both reactions are the point. It's a fragrance built to polarize, which is increasingly rare in a market that favors safe bets.
