On paper it should not work. Oud, the dark, dense, resinous wood prized across the Middle East, is about as far from a tropical fruit as perfumery gets. Passionfruit is bright, juicy, almost playful. Putting the two together sounds like a dare. And yet Maison Crivelli's Oud Maracuja has become one of the most talked-about, most complimented fragrances of the last few years precisely because that improbable pairing works so beautifully.
It comes from a house built on memories.
Perfume as memory
Maison Crivelli was founded in 2018 by Thibaud Crivelli, with an unusual guiding principle: rather than abstract themes, every fragrance is built around a specific personal memory or sensory experience. Oud Maracuja, released in 2023 and composed by the perfumer Jordi Fernández, was inspired by the idea of tasting passionfruit deep in an oud-wood forest, the collision of the bright and the dark, the fresh and the deep. The whole house trades in exactly this kind of vivid contrast.
Bright fruit, dark wood
It opens on a burst of passionfruit and exotic fruit, juicy and almost tart, with saffron and Turkish rose adding spice and a floral richness. Then the oud arrives, smooth and resinous rather than medicinal, deepened by benzoin and patchouli. The base of leather, amber, vanilla and labdanum grounds the whole thing in warmth. The effect is genuinely novel: the fruit keeps it fresh and modern, the oud keeps it luxurious and serious, and the two play off each other from first spray to last.
What it actually smells like
Juicy passionfruit wrapped around a smooth, rich oud, sweet and exotic but never childish. The fruit is vivid up top and never quite disappears, while the oud and amber give it depth, warmth and real staying power. It is unisex, leans rich and slightly sweet, and is a notorious compliment-getter, the kind of fragrance that makes strangers ask what you are wearing. It projects well and lasts a long time.
The £295 question
A bottle of Oud Maracuja sits around £295 in the UK. For the money you get one of the most distinctive and admired niche fragrances of recent years and a genuinely original idea. The catch is the spend: £295 is a serious outlay, particularly for something you may want to wear often.
Which is the reason an alternative market exists. People fall hard for the fruit-and-oud magic of Oud Maracuja and want a way to wear it without the £295 price tag.
Maracuda: the 35% interpretation
This is where we come in, and we will be straight about what we are. Our Maracuda is Aromara's interpretation of that fruit-and-oud character, not a counterfeit and not a Maison Crivelli product. It carries no branding and makes no claim to be the original. It chases the part that matters: the juicy passionfruit and exotic-fruit opening, the rose, saffron and spice heart, and the smooth oud, amber and musk base.
The difference is in two numbers. Ours is built at 35% extrait concentration, roughly double a standard eau de parfum, so the fruit and oud hold for seven hours or more rather than fading by lunch. And it costs £4.99 for a 5ml to test it properly, against £295 for the original. We guarantee the wear time in writing, with 60 days to send it back for a full refund if it does not last.
Our guide to extrait de parfum explains why concentration matters, and the strongest perfume dupes in the UK shows where our range sits. If you love a rich fruity scent, the story behind Tiziana Terenzi Kirke is a natural next read, and our Kirky is another to try.
Frequently asked questions
Who created Maison Crivelli Oud Maracuja?
It was composed by the perfumer Jordi Fernández and released in 2023 by Maison Crivelli, the house founded by Thibaud Crivelli.
What does Oud Maracuja smell like?
A vivid contrast of bright passionfruit and dark oud: juicy fruit with saffron and rose up top, smooth resinous oud in the heart, and a warm base of leather, amber and vanilla.
Is Aromara's Maracuda the same as Maison Crivelli?
No. It is an independent composition inspired by the same character, built at 35% extrait for longevity and sold at a fraction of the price. It is not affiliated with Maison Crivelli.
Aromara is an independent UK fragrance house. Our fragrances are original compositions inspired by the character of well-known designer scents. We are not affiliated with Maison Crivelli, and all trademarks belong to their respective owners. Every Aromara fragrance is made in the UK at 35% extrait concentration, with a 7+ hour longevity guarantee and a 60-day money-back promise.