Bogue Profumo

Maai

Eau de Parfum

Femme
  Unisex
Masc
Fragrance Notes

tuberose, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, civet, castoreum, hyraceum, dried fruits, sandalwood, oakmoss.

Fragrance Style

Exotic, Earthy, Chypre, Woody - Dark, Animalic

Scent Bar Staff Video Review for Maai

Video Transcript
Okay, so I'm really excited because this is one of my favorite fragrances of all time. It's actually the one that got me into niche and indie perfumes. This is Maai by Bogue Profumo, which is this beautiful, opulent and rich vintage style chypre with a lot of tuberose. It starts off with this mentholated tuberose, and anamalic jasmine, and a creamy ylang-ylang. And then underneath all that there's like this purring civet that gives it a lot of warmth and a lot of texture and of course an anamalic facet to it, just like fragrances of the past. As it slowly develops and it changes a lot on skin, it becomes this almost ambery, labdanum, resinous, deep, rich concoction. It just takes so many turns. There's so many natural absolutes in it that make it kind of unpredictable in a really alluring way. All throughout, there's a little bit of a smokiness that Antonio Gardoni has used in other fragrances, but It's just very soft and subtle in the background, but it gives it a little bit more of like a masculine edge as well. So that juxtaposition with tons of florals and the smokiness and the amberiness with that animalic facet, I think it just makes it a beautiful, opulent, and operatic, almost diva-ish scent that is truly unisex and truly showcases this style and these ingredients in what I think is a masterful way.
If you like Maai Eau de Parfum, we recommend you try:
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Chypre Palatin by Parfums MDCI
Iris 39 by Le Labo
Iris 39 by Le Labo
Chypre Mousse by Oriza L. Legrand
Chypre Mousse by Oriza L. Legrand
MEM by Bogue Profumo
MEM by Bogue Profumo
Salome by Papillon Artisan Perfumes
Salome by Papillon Artisan Perfumes
Anubis by Papillon Artisan Perfumes
Anubis by Papillon Artisan Perfumes
Reviews
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A growling floral wood chypre with animalic notes, this is a very beautiful throwback to the vintage days of furs and minks and perfumes that used real animalic musks. The perfume contains notes of tuberose, rose, jasmine, woody resins, aldehydes, oakmoss, labdanum and synthetic animal notes of civet, musk and castoreum. Perfectly unisex with moderate to strong sillage, this is a masterpiece of modern perfumery, because it takes you beautifully to a different place and time of royal noble grandeur. All the hype about this is warranted. What is amazing about this creation is that it takes modern synthetic elements and creates a very real old worldly charm, which is a true rarity these days. Bravo!
By   - Professor and Perfumer from Charlottesville on 2/20/2019
Brilliant aromatics atop an earthy, dark chypre base, with a lovely, subtle and darkly floral component. MAAI is bold and concentrated. Not "perfumey" and in no way department store-like. Smells like a very high proportion of natural oils. Smells oily, bark-y, intense and opulent. Not a musk, strictly speaking; the animalics are crowned with wood and botanical essences. I'd say it leans towards the masculine, reminding one almost of a Victorian macassar, like the handsomely pomaded hair of a British military officer.
By   - artist from boerne, TX on 8/10/2018
First off, I would call this a masculine more than a feminine scent which means I would tend to describe this more as a fougere if I remember correctly rather than a Chypre. I think this perfume is well put together and yes, pretty animalic/skanky. To me it smells like a much stronger version of Aramis but they are VERY much alike. I don't love it but I give it points for being unique and bold. Not sure why the comparison to Jubilation XXV as it smells nothing at all like it. it might be the civet but overall, this is not one of my favorites.
By   - Consultant from Weybridge on 3/22/2018
Medieval potency, lovely balance. There was a head shoppe in the 80's my mother used to visit, a hold-over from the 70's L.A. mystical-holistic living, eco-spiritualism, women and men dressed in their interpretations of Renaissance fashions. All the floral, spice, and tree-sap scented perfume oils mixed with the perfumed incense in the air culminated in an atmosphere which quietly submerged the visitor when one entered. Time slowed down a little, suspended. You can hear the little bells tinkling when you open the door and brush aside the velvet curtain to enter. Captures another time, but it's fresh after the dry down, not old. Fascinating! Warmly draws one in, man or woman. Can't wait to get the full size. Top marks.
By   - Curator from Los Angeles on 3/1/2018
Don't know why but this is nothing but soapy floral on me, no civet, no animal, no resin, no wood. It reminds me of yardley's soap.
By   - Teacher  from Chi on 12/9/2017
Love this one!! Opens like a perfume-y turpentine, fades thru paint thinner to a beautiful resiny wood. I don't get any of the floral, but it must be there because this all actually smells really nice. It hangs together - you don't really get a progression of individual notes, more like the whole thing just sits in a beautiful place.
By   - writer from saratoga springs ny on 3/22/2017
The hype regarding this one is completely overrated. Its a wonderful idea of a growling animalic but executed in too much of a blunt, crude way. The moss while impressive in the face of IFRA regulation is admirable but suffocates the florals within the composition to really turn this into a stunner. Test before you buy.
By   - Fragrance Concierge from Arizona on 2/14/2017
Wow... This is so skanky and bold - aldehydic and animallic.. I'm at a loss for words other than to plainly state that this smells like a vintage hotel room in Europe after sex... I'm sorry to sound crass, but I've been sniffing this scent as it develops for hours and I'm blushing with mild embarrassment..!! It is so well-constructed... The aldehydes and florals remind me of Calèche by Hermès, and even a nod to the underrated Aromatics Elixir from Clinique.. But also a civet like I've never been able to purchase in MY lifetime.. Hint of Dzing! By L'Artisan Parfumeur... Is it possible this has some ACTUAL civet/castoreum going on? (I won't tell).. Love it, but truthfully, can't imagine a time/place I could ever wear it. Dirty ;)
By   - Teacher  from Taiwan on 9/29/2016
Intense! I can imagine being chased through a zoo by all the wild cats with this powerhouse on. For me and on me, the rose and (especially) tuberose are initially far too strong. That's in the first hour. On the dry-down, the greener scents blend beautifully with the sandalwood and oak moss. A original creation, but not an everyday scent for me. As chypres go, I think I prefer Papillon's Anubis.
By   - Perfume Addict from Denver, CO on 4/28/2016
It's very nice, to be sure, but I don't find it particularly compelling or worthy of these reviews. I like my perfumes to be multi-faceted, changing over time, with layers. I find this to be kind of just like dried rose with some civet (hopefully not real!!), and doesn't evolve past that. Nice, but not worthy of the praise.
By   - Mommy from San Francisco on 2/19/2016
Wonderful! Who would have thought we might see a ballsy chypre in this day and age? For me it occupies a similar space to the original (pre-EU/IFRA'ed) AdP Profumo - deep, resonant, alive . . . beguiling stuff. For grown-ups :)
By   - Music Producer from Hong Kong on 2/12/2016
First response to this perfume: yikes, it's really strong! Second response, as it dried down: OMG I love this -- green, floral, chypre, so many layers! Lesson learned: wear in small doses, but am completely enraptured by Maai. It smells divine. Characterization: modern interpretation of a great chypre of the past. Someone said in an interview that they could imagine Cate Blanchett wearing this, and I would second that, and add Tilda Swinton, too.
By   - Records Manager and Wine Server from Fairfax, VA on 2/5/2016
Wonderful! Tried a sample, and after the first try I was sure I needed a full bottle. It is not an everyday wear for me, and reminds me of a cross between vintage Bal a Versailles and vintage Diva. A true classic chypre with a heady, classic scent, sublimely sexy and obsessive.
By  on 2/21/2015
Having heard raves about from online friends, I was most keen to try Maai. Sample obtained, I confess at first blush this fragrance was very challenging for me. Commencing with fortissimo blasts of animalic and white floral accords, the composition was soon tempered by a glory of resins, to bewitching effect. This would be at home on Cate Blanchet in bespoke tweed haberdashery, or on Fred Astaire at his very height, silk tux with tails and top-hat. Grand and bold, this fragrance is not for the faint of heart. With modest application, the longevity is impressive, but you will not bludgeon folks from across the room. To my nose, Maai seems a nod to classic perfumery, yet utterly modern in its sophistication and refinement. This is high on my list for upcoming full bottle purchases. My congratulations to the perfumer, and many thanks to Lucky Scent for carrying this raving beauty.
By   - Nursing Student from Greater Redneckia, Texas on 11/29/2014
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