Crystal Saffron Matiere Premiere for women and men

This perfume opens with a strong, sweet and synthetic saffron note, which initially didn't appeal to me. However, as it dries down, the fragrance evolves into a lovely blend of woody, clean, and mineral elements that I adore. The drydown reminds me of a superior version of Baccarat Rouge 540 —more airy, mature, and less sweet. The combination of saffron, musk, and ambroxan creates an effortless and cool vibe that I enjoy. The ambroxan is prominent, so you have to like that note appreciate this fragrance. Crystal Saffron is impressively long-lasting; just a couple of sprays linger on the skin all day. So spray carefully!

Loved it on paper. Smells like manure on my skin (sorry). Hard pass.

I Love this perfume, It reminds me a super big farm of saffron of my country.

revolting overly synthetic ambroxan bomb that stays on you forever. the saffron is heavy and would be interesting if it stayed but the ambroxan ruins it so badly. so sharp. if you’re into this, you WILL get a bang for ur buck!

Oh I can see where the comparison with Ganymede is coming from, but Crystal Saffron is so much better, a far superior composition with a defined character, well rounded and very smooth. I would rather wear this one over Ganymede any day.

I bought this because I am obsessed with Saffron. But I regret this purchase and should have bought Parisian Musc instead. In the store it smelled good but the more I wear it the more it annoys me. It is too strong and it has a petrol type smell that is too much for me. I made myself buy this because of the saffron and because of reviews. ( I know, I am stupid for following reviews). sometimes i just spray 1 spray and hope for the best, but is is just not doing it for me, It is overpowering. But a lesson was learned. DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE INFLUENCED.
but if you do like this fragrance you are in luck because it is extremely strong and lasts and lasts.

Loved it in the store and tried one small sprits on my wrist and it developed a lot, i couldnt stand it after about an hour and now after 2 hours in not mad at it, but it is so strong that it will probably give people a headache. A big too masculine for me (i am a woman), but maybe it could work to pair with a vanilla scent. Reminds me of Side effect by Initio, but harsher and with more incense.

This is giga saffron, strongest saffron on the market, put one drop on my hand and wore nitrile gloves for hours and pulled them off and it was still insanely strong.

This perfume is definitely will liked by me as an Arab specially with essence it’s one of kind and it’s not like baccarat or even close to it ,performance is excellent and worth buying it

This smells like Side Effect Inito to my nose 🙀😰

@RamsesII
This is the problem with Fragrantica. People come here to read comments and decide is it worth trying or even blind buying maybe but what do they get?
Opinions without any sense or worse - being misguided by them. Maybe you'll be interested to know that Matiere Premiere fragrances are 85/92% all natural.

Such a clean,elegant,gentlemanly,sophisticated saffron musk scent with a little rubberish touch in the opening. This could be signature scent easily. Longevity and projection as it should be! Can be worn through all weather seasons.
Note: Crystal Saffron have NOTHING compared to Ganymede.

Relentless, brutal, migraine-inducing.

I love the first few seconds but over time I'm worn down until I can't bear it anymore. I get a headache every time, and so have to ask myself why I keep doing it. Well, I'm out for good this time, luckily I only bought a decant.

Everything I've tried from MP has been beyond beast mode, and makes clothing smell for months on end. That's not a good thing in my book.

It does remind me of a not sweet BR540. It does really feel like a crystalized saffron; saffron in a metallic prism. There's a note in here (ambroxan?) that I find overwhelming and headachy. I've liked a lot of things I've tried from this house but this one is not for me. It's interesting and cool, but just not one I want to wear. I'm normally a saffron fan but maybe I prefer it as more of a supporting player.

So this perfume taught me that I shouldn't focus on the reviews on fragrantica.com too much (I do this a lot).

I received a sample of this perfume and I am just overwhelmingly amazed. It's not perfume, it's art. I think about it when I don't wear it.

I almost felt reluctant to write this here because I would hate it if it would become more mainstream, but felt like I needed to provide a sound about how amazing it can be. It smells like magic.
Best scent I have ever smelled (a lot!!!).

Absolutely my new signature scent and DEFINITELY not a safe blind buy. You'll love it or you'll hate it.

Matiere Premiere is a house that plays no games regarding the quality and power of its scents.
I got this in my MP Discovery Kit. When I first sprayed it on my skin, it smelled like heavy anesthesia doctors would use before my operations when I was a child, so as you can imagine, I was terrified and close to disgusted. :D

After a week had passed, I tried it again (this time on paper), and all I could smell was linear but powerful saffron.

I am almost sad I won't be able to wear this since this is an exquisite scent, made for cold weather, and designed to leave a bold impression on everyone. However, I recommend trying this one before buying it and wearing it at different times of the day and on various occasions to see how it would act on your skin. I don't hate it, but I cannot see myself enduring it.

I blind-bought Red Temptation from Zara two years ago, and I couldn't stand it (now I see that the saffron in it was the reason), so I gave it away almost immediately. This scent reminded me of that one from Zara, but Zara also had some synthetic elements in it. If you're looking for a slightly sweeter dupe, check that out.

Starting 2024 with new fragrances, and Crystal Saffron made the cut. My skin chemistry makes this fragrance twice as pungent, but in a very good way. It's leaning more towards ambroxan rather than saffron, and I find the level of incense in this piece more than moderated. It is NOT a safe blind buy, clearly, this fragrance may induce headaches. Got it in 50ml to see if I'll still love the scent as I'll wear it over time...

One of the best fragrances in the market. Period.

It just smells like br540 but without the warm burnt sugar note. Gives me a headache if I smell it too close. I'm sure it projects a crisp air quality (like 540 does) but smelling it directly on the skin is headache inducing for me.

I do not know what people are smelling. This is Synthetic to the max. Even two people who are not into perfumes commented on how synthetic it was. Opening is exciting. drydown will make people run away.

Try before you buy.
no compliments on this one.

In terms of longevity and sillage its intensity is similar to Vanilla Powder, I just love it sooo much. I think Matiere Premiere is under loved by many. At the same time I don’t want many people to know about either like I want this to be my little secret… I think strolling around Milan really made me realize the number of perfume brands that exist. Would I buy this again? Again and again. This would be a hit amongst middle easterners.

Love the iodine saffron and the cool metallic opening, it dries down into leather on me very quickly. This is not a sheer scent by any means, so microdosing is recommended -a full bottle will probably be passed down to my grandchildren because I can't wear it when seeing patients, and there are only so many special occasions. It's one of those scents that is capable of adding lots of pizzaz to basic makeup-free look of shirt and jeans and a blazer. Staying power is insane, I once wore two careful spritzes in my hair for daytime wedding and I could still smell it after 2 washes.

Have you ever tried the “hajabdol...” pismaniye candies with saffron? It feels so similar!

But Crystal Saffron is definitely less sweet and more pure.
Tried it on a cold rainy day, high humidity opens a leathery note, so it smells like a brand new luxury bag.
I really like it, the perfume sits so well like a second skin, cozy and intimate, dry and warm I wish it could stay with me longer:(
Disappears completely after 2 hours

Top Note: Dry BR540 without the sweetness + ambroxan
Middle note: being alike Ganymede + ambroxan
Base Note: Saffron + Incense + slight musk

I’m not a saffron’s fan but i like this as the saffron is not so loud. I like incense but this seems not having enough of it.

Overall i’m satisfied and walked out from the store with full bottle 100ml.

Update: Longevity on skin up 8 hours. 3 days on clothes. Outdoor performs good. Indoor performs excellent
Overall: 8.5/10

I can't decide what I think of this. It's gorgeous in the opening, no doubt. I love saffron (tho not BR style), and this is a clear and slightly sweet, milky, musky version. The staying power is immense. But. A couple of reviewers have mentioned a funky drydown, and I do get that: sinister spring roll's mention of "cheap body spray for men", what I think of as synthetic testosterone smell, is spot on - it's the same stuff that ruins Another 13 and also Santal Austral. My husband is also very much aware of this mystery molecule, and comments spontaneously and aversely on CR even when it's been on my skin for hours and I think it might be settling down. I suspect you either smell this or you don't, given that plenty of people reviewing Another 13, Santal Austral, Crystal Saffron etc (I guess it's a common molecule?) seem not to notice it. I don't think it's ambroxan - I quite like that in other perfumes.

In any case, I've tried micro-dosing Crystal Saffron to see if it helps: a single cautious spray from the tester, in cold weather, seems to avoid the 'men's pong' effect and instead give me the pillowy musk-leather effect that's still plenty powerful. However, the 'synthetic testosterone' note is still very noticeable to DH and when wearing it out I've noticed a few raised eyebrows from passing acquaintances also. I may just wear this on wfh days - pity, because the leathery-musky-saffron really is stunning.

✨ Saffron flavored rock candy eaten after church. The big crystal rock candy lollipops on a classic wooden stick with a wooden ball at the bottom. The sweet crystallized saffron is blended perfectly with a clean woodsy musk vibe and super powered by plenty of ambroxan. The incense in this is like a faint transparent fog; its perfect that way, in the background. Lasts all day long and has good silage; it’s a really nice unisex niche. I love it alone or layered with JHAG Not A Perfume SUPER DOSE which really makes it sparkle even more. I need a mini bottle because the samples lasted forever on me. 🎠💎🤍

Outfit and scent of the day inspo:
Wear a pair of my EB vintage Levi’s jeans, my trusty comfy Ferragamo Brown lizard loafers with sheer cream colored socks, NR vintage brown croc tote with planner and book inside, cream St. John button up tennis sport cardi sweater, my vintage Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy small brown shades and natural wavy hair either loose or in a pony tail with a satin black bow or brown headband. No makeup makeup, glowing skin looking beautiful and sleek; equis nice.

I loved this, and now I hate it. The opening is sublime. The dry-down is absolutely disgusting. I am utterly embarrassed to be wearing this in public right now. Big mistake putting this one on this morning only based on the opening. I stink right now.

Iso bomb. If you want iso you can get it way cheaper. I tryed it first time when I also put on some amourage and others and it came in quite nice overall. At night one of the scents still smelt good. So today I went back to the shop to try only the saffron crystal.

Opening came in quite harsh like molecule01, so mostly iso, not in a good way, then the saffron gives it an interesting twist. 2 hours later I added the molecule 02 at home on my other wrist. now another 4 hours later they smell the same on me. woody. iso, ambroxan. incense/saffron gone.

The opening notes are fresh, clean and spicy with a hint of sweetness. I quite like it when I first spray it on. But the dry down is unpleasantly musky for me and reminds me of cheap body spray for men, like the obnoxious smell that buries deep into your nose and makes you want to sneeze after you pass a group of high-school boys on the street.

Well I absolutely love this one but even if I wear half of one spray, people tend to say things like: "What's that strong smell?".... so there's that.

This is a dry, metallic, cool toned, molecular, saffron bomb. I can see how some people would dislike this but I find it quite intoxicating and addicting. In order to like this you must enjoy ambroxan. It is very synthetic so those who are sensitive to those aroma chemical notes will likely dislike this. My husband said it reminded him of Initio’s Side Effect, which I personally can’t quite understand. As a woman I would gladly wear this but I believe it to be unisex leaning masculine. The performance is strong!

Edit: My husband has redacted his previous comparison with Side Effect and noted it's similarity to Rosendo Mateu 5. This I can understand, I think CS is harsher and cooler toned. Rosendo 5 is a warmer, sweeter airier version. Though I still adore Crystal Saffron, I think it would be redundant in my collection being that I own and love Rosendo 5.

This is one pungent, choking,long lasting, problematic, a supreme quality and actually amazing. Hard to find a suitable event to wear.
Overall 10/10!!!

My initial impressions - smells like rubber bands, paperclips, and about to sneeze. I understand the comparison to markers. I think this just doesn't hit well with my nose and body chemistry, sadly. I can barely perceive the saffron over the other smells.

My favorite perfume!!!

This one is equal parts BR540 and Ganymede. Literally half and half. You can clearly see the similarities. The dry down is more BR540. I like it a lot since my signature is Ganymede and my special occasion scent is BR540.

This one left me heartbroken because I adore it so much but it’s far too mature for me. If you’re a fan of saffron scents (BR540 being a famous one) this is everything and more — it’s a saffron and ambroxan punch to the face. Super, super addictive and I kept going back to the store to spray it on myself day after day. The drydown is gorgeous and leathery with a sharply crystalline edge to it. Definitely for someone more sophisticated though, I wouldn’t suggest this for a broke college student (me).

This one's controversial. Immediately after spraying Crystal Saffron on yourself, the saffron note punches you in the face. Now, if you're a fan of risotto milanese or persian cuisine like myself, the opening is very pleasant.

The next phase, about 5 minutes in, is problematic. I get whiffs of headache-inducing toilet disinfectant and burning rubber but maybe it's just olfactory fatigue from the saffron?

The drydown is freaking amazing, it reminds me of that moment when unwrap cellophane from a new product and the static electricity produces ozone. Then there's cardboard and smokey ink.

Despite everything, this is 10/10. It's expensive but the longevity is worth every cent.

This fragrance is a saffron, ambroxan bomb, but it is highly highly likable bottom line a unique version with molecule 01 with saffron. A a kaleidoscope of purple and white together is the idea.

8/10

I'd say it's a manly, a non-sweet version of Baccarat Rouge 540, with a huge sillage and longevity. I'd rather save it for special occasions. Love it.

This starts super heavy and spicy but as it dries down it adopts a cool, sparkling character. It’s almost metallic but not in a bad way. Quite unique and hard to describe; it’s simultaneously spicy and fresh (but not fresh in a green/aquatic way, more of an icy or steel way). I found the sillage to be prominent but not as beast-mode as others have described, not sure if it’s just my batch. Definitely masculine leaning.

Good Gawd! Maybe the most muscular and true-to-life saffron yet formulated. Takes no prisoners whatsoever: not cute, not sweet, not gentle - a brutal saffron BEAST for those who live and love the note. I both admire and fear this one. Purely savoury, almost-leathery, rich and lasting spice with a rock-hard (and OK, syntheticky, but not in a bad way) chassis that can deal with any bumps along the road and carry on roaring its way to Ultra Saffron Terminus with zero compromise. If that earthy, nearly-sweaty, pop-ya-in-the-schnozzle note does it for you - then this is the one. Platonic saffron for the lovers, unisex for the bold, and overall just striking, classy, almost unbelievably well-engineered. Still: not gentling it up at all with any of the sweeter spices or rose that so many saffron-centric blends mix in to try and make the experience smoother or more 'perfumey'. (Zegna Indian Saffron, my usual go-to for the real feel of the orangey-red stuff, is a gentle chamber piece compared to this blaring bass-heavy symphony of saffron). It is what it is, and what it says it is.

Huge sillage, near-eternal longevity (especially on fabrics, where it will not just linger, but carry on asserting itself LOUDLY, for several days at least.) Definitely worth the money - and most certainly not a blind buy.

Way more than impressive - borderline intimidating. Could induce the hallucination that everything around you has been dyed for life with threads of that golden, pricy, wonderful stuff. More saffron attitude than a giant clanging pan of paella, hot and steaming and ladled out very generously. Standing ovation from me to Matiere Premiere on this one. Bang, crash, WALLOP with a big bludgeoning saffron stick.

This is a very masculine leaning fragrance, and as much as I love saffron (purchased Radical Rose, which works better with my skin chemistry). It is beautiful, but not female friendly in my opinion. Have a 100ml bottle for sale if anyone is interested with about 90ML left. PM me if interested. Thanks

Ooooh this is luxe. An ambroxan + saffron bomb that really is crystalline in nature and almost sparkling. It does have a bit of that burnt or metallic quality to it which I personally find addicting. Sometimes the spicy saffron almost gives a unique minty type of cooling feel. Think BR540 but without the sugary-ness.

Completely addictive and something I’d reach for in any season. Would sit so nicely on my shelf beside my most favorite ambroxan bomb, Thomas Kosmala No. 4. They make great cousins!

Adding to my to-buy list…

9.5/10

dry, spicy, unique... metallic saffron and some musk and spice, i quite like it. will need to try on skin as this was tested on paper. beautiful.

Luxurious, sophisticated, subtle and addictive!
If you want to be noticed - this perfume is for you!
If you want to receive compliments - this perfume is for you!
Leaving a deep mark and the best impressions.

Oh dear... this perfume is a BOMB, and not in a good way!

Wow! Exactly what I have been looking for. I love the salty dry down of saffron but find it nauseating when mixed with sweet notes - ie in BR50 or Memo Paris Vadhoo. I am also in love with Matiere Premiere Falcon Leather (disclaimer - I love smells like burnt rubber, birch tar & petrol) But whilst I find Falcon Leather eye rollingly addictive, I fear its too masculine for a woman to wear in public. Crystal Saffron is like its shyer sibling, with a rounded leathery top note that dries down to a warm salty saffron that lasts all day on my skin.

First time I wore it out I was extremely hungry and waiting for my food in a warm restaurant. This scent is so loud, even after hours of just applying 1 spritz, it nauseated & overwhelmed me (the empty stomach & warm room didn't help).
Do N O T blind buy this!
After I finished my meal I could really appreciate this composition again.
I'm no stranger to saffron fragrances, this is without a doubt the most prominent saffron note in a fragrance I've ever smelled.
It opens in a juicy way, the "dry down" (I say "dry down" because this fragrance's performance is eternal; If this scent was an athlete it would be an ultra runner) is a lot drier than the opening lets on. It is however very warm (without being sweet).
Other than the opening blast it's very linear.
Even after showering it was still present on my skin. Though CS is loud and not for the faint of heart it has become one of my favorites <3
Another reviewer mentioned going easy on the trigger and I thought this was very appropriate and couldn't agree more.

Opens with a clean, warm blast of saffron. It's a bit reminiscent of Oud for Greatness after a while, yet without the dark sweetness. Unfortunately, it's also a bit reminiscent of permanent markers -- not the sharpies, but the industrial-strength ones that fill an entire room when you open them and squeak as you write. That latter detail is worth mentioning as there is definitely something a little screechy about this.

Massive projection and longevity, so go easy on the trigger.

Selling a brand new 3.4oz bottle of this! [email protected]

I had really high hopes for this perfume, I only bought a travel size (thank god) because this is a scrubber. The initial hour is fine, a lovely linear Saffron beast but then it really reminded me of Nudiflorum by Nasomatto which is repulsive. I had to was my t-shirt afterwards so this one is a big no from me.

I get leather mixed with windex and a hint of burnt sugar, which I guess is where the BR540 comparisons come from, though I don’t think the two are actually that similar. It’s a very strong and sharp fragrance. What it really reminds me of is the shoe section of a department store—that plastic and leather smell of new shoes. I really want to enjoy a PM fragrance but so far they have all been duds for me BESIDES French Flower.

A comforting and warming creamy saffron that lasts 🤍 crisp and clean with the incense and backdrop of musk, getting warmer with the aroma of high quality saffron singing ever louder with wear time, an absolutely beautiful composition that showed me a completely different side of the scent profile of saffron, clean and pure! I love wearing this before bed, I find falling asleep to this scent amazingly comforting. Also worth noting is the smell of the saffron stays on clothes for days, I can see it being an amazing winter coat perfume!

I didn't like it. smells like marker.

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Blindly sprayed it on and it's definitely very interesting. It has the transparency of BR540, mostly in its saffron, but it's quite different in certain nuances. This is similar to new tires, saffron risotto and freshly opened trading cards, in all the best ways. No sweetness, no saltiness, none of that. It's simply clean and vague the same way pure Iso E Super and Ambroxan would be. Does not smell like condoms, but it's almost there.

Not a blind buy for sure, and I'd say something like 1/20 customers will find it appealing. Haven't found someone who likes it on my skin, even though my skin gives neutral, unmodified performance for most fragrances.

I have a dabber sample and three dabs is too much for me. I can't imagine spraying this. I love this out - particularly Encens Suave - but this is just too much for me.

This smells nothing like BR540. The only thing these 2 fragrances have in common is that airy quality. They’re two completely different scent profiles and takes two different directions. This is a very pure clean saffron. It’s mysterious and unique. I can understand the rubber smell references. This also smells nothing like Thomas Kosmala No.4. That smells like Zara Red Temptation which happens to be a dupe of BR540. Crystal Saffron is a really great fragrance. The saffron is leathery. It’s very smooth & refined. It adds a little mystery. This equally is a unisex scent.

Wow Wow Wow

My first reaction was to the grapefruit note but then BAM that Notorious Oud similarity which I love. So, it's funny to see others have the same reaction.

I think this is truly marvelous. A particularly unique scent so I wouldn't say it's made for the masses BUT can be enjoyed as such.

So powerful. The performance alone plus the grapefruit top note makes this an immediate buy for me. Thank you, ZGO SF!

I smelled it on a girl who had a pedicure next to me, it was hot that day, and she sprayed just a lot of this perfume, i wanted to run from salon, withought finishing my pedicure! And you know , it wouldnt be that bad if that industrial-metal-rubber note wasnt soooo overpowering! I agree to leave this indusrtial note on this perfume, i understand it makes it unique and modern, but it is just too much for my nose! I wish to smell it with toned down note in it, I think it will be beautyful then.

Crystal rubber

Divine strange perfume that hits a sapphire blue otherworldly colour receptor for me. So unique to my nose, so thrilled I’m falling in love with some ultramodern scents. It does give a strong saffron top note, but it’s like its teetering on being icy and frozen. Abstract and beautiful, futuristic. When I first smelled the sample I was Whoa Nellie, taken aback, had to withdraw and then carefully resmell thinking, I can’t love this, it’s too strange, too synthetic, my nose must be wrong. Nope, total infatuation!

When I first sprayed this I was so pleasantly surprised by this unique saffron blend.. VERY luminous, bright, almost a little fruity. And then the dry down happened and I was repulsed, it literally just dries down into what can only be described as burnt rubber. Amazing projection though and longevity so definitely worth it if burnt rubber is your vibe

Open a bottle of high quality saffron stigma and take deep breath if u like it buy this perfume blindly otherwise u must sample it.
For me it a love
All season signature scent

Very similar to Lattafa‘a Ishq al Shuyukh… which is a dupe for Rosendo Mateu 5… which makes me happy I purchased Lattafa ‘s one and got a back up bottle.
Really beautiful chagrin but nothing I haven’t smelt before

I love this. The saffron blast in the opening, which remains so vivid for a good 2-3 hours. Without fail someone will ask what I’m wearing when I wear this. I should point out I like ambroxan, I like the straight up metallic that subdues into a warm amber on my skin. (I also love Pear Inc where I get a similar amber/warmth)
A winner for me.

Unfortunately, my nose interprets this as burning rubber.

Strong release from a strong house.
Very wearable musk and saffron combo.
Great longevity and a realistic saffron note. As someone who wore BR540 extrait a lot, this is a refreshing switch up that toned down the ambroxan and amps up a natural saffron.

Edit: the hair spray is nice as well

Love at first sniff. It's the amber fragrance that I've been looking for! It's Babycat and Rosendo 5 minus the heavy leather. Sillage and longevity are impressive too. I suspect I'll burn through my sample quickly, so I better get a bigger bottle.

Crystal Saffron is the newest release from Matière Première. Each MP perfume places a traditional perfume accord (incense, rose etc.) centre-stage, alongside a few select ingredients specifically chosen to complement the main accord. What the compositions lack in complexity, their quality and performance makes up for it. However, some MP scents contain too much ambroxan for my liking - this spoiled French Flower for me, and unfortunately there is an overdose of ambroxan here too. The saffron as a focal point is lovely though - it is so rare to find a saffron-dominant scent.

CS is a saffron scent from initial spray - its distinctive warm amber spiciness permeates this scent throughout. Slightly musky and quite dry, it is rich yet airy. The ambroxan emerges early on and outlasts all other elements. It is liberally used, and adds a synthetic, metallic, musky-amber grey cloud that lingers for an eternity. It is headache-inducing after a time.

It is linear, with the saffron lasting a long time, but fades to the aforementioned single-note ambroxan molecule that hovers for an eternity. Sillage is strong and longevity is long-lasting. It is best worn in cold weather - apply sparingly!

A unisex, musky-amber scent with saffron as its main event, CS will work beautifully for some, but the liberal use of synthetic ambroxan takes from it for me. This is disappointing, as I love the saffron component, and was excited to try this scent. High-quality saffron choked by cheap ambroxan. 2/5.

Good stuff. Went for it as an alternative to Ganymede which a number of my acquaintances are wearing. Very prominent Saffron note, smooth amber dry down. Long lasting

bold, sweet, and interesting. however, dries down to annoying white florals and musky ambroxans

I would love this if it didn't go leathery. Absolute saffron bomb.

The opening was pretty odd, very metallic/burnt tires, kind of off putting but THEN (actually after quite a while) saffron & musk and something a bit dirty (incense?) enters in and it’s amazing! I felt like covered in a huge cashmere scarf where till the end of the day it becomes creamy, woody, maybe a bit (too much) sweet. For me a great alternative to BR540 or Santal 33 (both of them I dislike). And longevity is unreal- 12hrs and on hair 24hrs. Modern saffron, wearable but less mass oriented

I have a dabber vial. It's sort of clear and sharp, like a bell. Clean. It's not a Not Sexy scent, but it's less welcoming than a gourmand.

(I like to use it with Cloud body spray.)

I think this fragrance is a showcase on saffron. But first, I'll start with what I don't like, which keeps this from being a perfect 10/10 for me. It's the ambroxan. After the saffron has run its course (4-6 hours), you're left with a base of ambroxan, which can be found in many fragrances.

Now let's talk about the good: Saffron.The saffron is displayed so well here that you get to experience every nook and cranny of this wonderful and expensive material. The musk, incense, and even the ambroxan, act as spotlights, shining brightly on the saffron exposing every angle, nuance, and facet of the flower pistil and stamen. Easily my favorite from the house (although I liked most of them to varying degrees) and the only one I felt was worthy of purchasing.
This is, in my opinion, THE reference fragrance on saffron.

Sent 9.5/10
Performance 9/10

P. S. No no resemblance to the sickly sweet BR540. The atmospheric saffron/leathery vibe is closer to Ganymede

I am on the fence with this. I really like this house and have several of their fragrances in full bottles and use them often. This i have tried out from a sample and though I do like it it is not a done deal. And I cannot yet say if it for me is full bottle worthy or not.

Crystal Saffron has a lovely and Interesting opening with a soft leathery musk with just a touch of a very smooth incense surrounding the saffron which really gets to blossom with both a very crystal clear airy and slightly metallic note and a sweet full body which makes this saffron stand out from most. There is also a slight smoky feeling. But more subtle in its tone which makes this able to lean both feminine and masculine and sets it in a very wide unisex lane.

Then there is the ambroxan… Which does lend itself to both add som nice smooth woodyness and also I believe is responsible for the smooth, soft leathery feel. And from the beginning the mix is quite intoxicating and the composition awesome. And quite different from most saffron-heavy perfumes. Which makes Crystal Saffron feel new and modern.
But then the dry down comes. And to me that is a tad bit disappointing…On me the complexity sort of diminishes and what is left is a much more poignant sense of leathery, woody ambroxan with just a hint of saffron left, which pretty much just adds some sweetness to the concoction at this point.
It becomes much more generic then, and like many have stated resembles more a less sweet version or Baccarat rouge 540. Or to me really also reminds me a lot of the dry down of Another 13 from Le Labo… perhaps mixed with something woody like a light sandal wood…
When I compare the three, I still somehow prefer Crystal Saffron. Mostly because it sits sort of right in the middle of the other two, where BR540 is sweeter and less leathery, and Another 13 is less sweet and lacks any leathery or spicy accord.

But I can’t help but still feel a little bit disappointed as what I really would have loved was for the complexity of the saffron with the light cool crystal feel of the musk and the very soft incense that just accompanied by the ambroxan created the magic in the beginning - to linger on also at least to some degree in the dry down. Instead to me it becomes very ambroxan heavy in its dried down state. Almost to the point where it reminds me of molecular scents, with some slight saffrony sweetness added to it.
The dry down does however last very well and projects quite a bit leaving a nice musky ambroxan trail behind it. So if you love ambroxan heavy scents then the dry down of this is probably not a problem for you. Despite the ambroxan this has not been in any way an anosmic inducing composition for me however so if one has problems with ambroxan dominated scents this is worth a sniff or two…. (Not a safe blind buy though from that aspect).
I do not get any of the burnt rubber either in this that some seem to detect. My guess though is that type of experiences probably also is connected to the ambroxan as that is a note that can sway in different directions on different people.

I have been comparing this also with BDK’s Ambre Saffiano that also is a newish spicy smoky incensy saffron scent with amber instead of ambroxan. And though I like them both Crystal Saffron is knocking the socks of that in the opening. The BDK one is a lot more smoky and therefore leans more traditionally masculine spicy in the beginning and is not as new-feeling in the composition. But in the dry down I somehow find it a bit liberating to not have the ambroxan dominance present. The Ambre Saffiano dries down more gourmand with a saffron touch. When you compare the dry downs side by side though you can detect that Crystal Saffron does still carry more saffron than the BDK one does in the dry down too. But it is sort of more drowned in ambroxan, whereas the dry down of Ambre Saffiano is more resembling a spicy cake with saffron in it, if that makes sense…?

And this is why the jury is still out on this one… When push comes to shove I really do like Crystal Saffron. And it is a beautiful and intoxicatingly new take on saffron as a note, I find. The first hour(s) of wear are therefore spectacularly lovely. But the dry down a bit more generic and one needs to really love the effect of molecular scents to truly appreciate it. Longevity is however excellent. Still a tiny bit of silage 24 hours later…❣️

This perfume makes me feel comfortable and confident also.

It's strong smoky scent with pleasant flowery (crocus) aroma. The musk soothes it but composition still remains quite leathery and spicy.

I am not a tobacco lover usually, but here is very well connected with other, milder notes. This perfume is very appealing and sensual.

It works great on women -adds mystery, confidence and sex-appeall - and for men is bold, but not loud: there is high quality charisma with gentleman aura. Love it.

Sillage moderate, longevity about 4-5 hours.

Very leathery smelling from a heavy dose of saffron and linear so you have to absolutely love this note or you are in for a bad time.
Smells very dry and in your face. I hardly get any sweetness to balance it out therefore I would never wear this over Baccarat, oud for greatness, instant crush or arabian's tonka. I find these scents to be saffron-heavy but more enjoyable and interesting.
This perfume seems to have monstrous performance off my skin, but I can't fathom people wanting to smell like this all day.

Might be good for layering though, maybe with a fruity scent ?

I understand the hate this fragrance is receiving
And if it wasn’t for the opening of the scent I might’ve been a hater as well
What I can understand about the hate is the dry down of the fragrance combining ambroxan with musk is a very famous DNA that was introduced way back when BR540 was released
Yes the saffron is what you get initially and I would’ve hoped if it was a little bit stronger dose of the saffron the perfumer tried to balance the ambroxan with the saffron to get both the authenticity of the saffron and the performance of the ambroxan
Personally I would’ve preferred more saffron in the scent even if I had to sacrifice 3 to 4 hours of the longevity 5 to 6 hours is enough for this kind of spice heavy scent
The opening is full of saffron which is why I like it but after 2 hours it joins the rest of the notes which is very mediocre to be honest

If you have Baccarat Rouge 540 (EDP) and combine it with water, windex, and car wash soap, you have Crystal Saffron! Mistakingly was given a sample of this at Saks (I requested Encens Suave ugh) but tried it out anyways. Moderate performance on all aspects and lasts well on clothes. Though its not appealing enough for me to buy a decant or bottle, its a great generalized safe pick from Matiere Premiere’s line!

Saffron is simply beautiful. It has a very slight sweetness on my skin, but not too much, and at the same time it ventures outside kitchen-like spices zone, making it gorgeous perfume to wear on, well, any occasion.

wow, everybody here is comenting how it is similar to ganymede or baccarat or kosmala apres l'amour or even sunset riot. I owe ganymede and baccarat and crystal saffron and had a sample of other two mentioned so i'm surprised how somebody find them similar. All of them exept ganymede are sweet and crystal saffron is not! And how nobody find it similar to Santal Carmin by Atelier Cologne. To me they are brothers, thoug crystal saffron is a stronger and santal carmin a bit more "metalic" smell. Maybe that metalic vibe is something that can connect it to ganymede but they are't the same at all. It is a strong musk saffron and ambroxan smell and so santal carmin is a scent of musk and saffron.

Suffocating smell, it's hard to even breathe, by multiplying the amount of this perfume

Ultimately, I don't think ambroxan serves as a suitable base for this composition which would probably benefit from some floral notes to balance the saffron.

This is a real powerhouse: I sprayed about 5 or so sprays on my wrists and back of the neck whilst in Selfridges and then went to Lush to smell things but could only smell Crystal Saffron. It’s like 36 hours later and I’m out the shower after washing my hair and am still getting occasional whiffs!

I’ve tried Ganymede but there was something about it I didn’t like which isn’t present in Matiere Premiere’s offering. That being said I did find Crystal Saffron to be too much at some points so less is more.

I can’t stop thinking about it, I’m going to need to get a tester or two before committing to a full bottle as it’s not an easy scent.

Nowhere near as sweet as Baccarat but equally not a car interior leather as I hate that.

Haven't tried it on skin, but on paper this is a very nice and realistic saffron. I enjoyed smelling it just because it reminds me of the saffron grinder we have back home.

People have to stop comparing everything to BR540. It's like saying that every dish that contains beans is inspired by the chili con carne. I doubt that the people even know what real saffron smells like, being one of the most expensive spice on the market, it is not very common to find it in basic food. There were perfumes with saffron before Baccarat rouge and they will be lots after... To me this perfume is amazing, it is deep, warm, round, and dry at the same time. Straight to the point but not culinary like. It is elegant but not austere, its spicy facet makes it daring and sexy, and super long lasting...I love it, period...

*Disclaimer: This is not really a review, just a few of my thoughts/impressions after owning this perfume for 3 months. And I'm not a fan of ambroxan.
Two releases in 2022 both heavily based on ambroxan is quite disappointing for Matiere Premiere - a favorite brand of mine. At least French Flower has some interesting aspects here and there. Crystal Saffron, on the other hand, lacks a wow factor and feels like a rushed release (to be in time for the brand's first official launch in the US market(?)). It's more like a perfume base to me and I usually have to layer it with some other fragrances to feel completed. Longevity and sillage are very good, and the saffron opening is decent. But the saffron fades away from my skin after about 1 hour then I'm stuck with the ambroxan all day and many days after on clothes.

I think this is my least favourite from this house. It has a metallic quality that is also on the verge of being plastic-y. I definitely agree with the reviewer below that it feels cold and gray, but to me, it's a downside. I think what makes me love Ganymede and not vibe with this one as much is the fact that the former has fruity touches which breaks up the coldness. I find Crystal Saffron just cold and uninviting, at least now in the winter time - I will check it out again when the weather gets warmer.

Lovely cold, not very sweet, silky suede and saffron which provides a warm oriental touch. Utterly elegant with a mineralic and ozonic edge. This to me comes across as a cross of Ganymede and resin sacra of Tom daxon. Btw, I get the same slight petroleum vibe from this as i get from falcon leather too. Very tranquil and chic. If i had to explain the fragrance through a color, it would be gray with rays of Bordeaux red and surprisingly it's such a treat in the cold.

The overdose of Iso E and Ambroxan here are giving me a headache, and the worst part is the rubbery, stale plastic smell that resonates from this specific combination of notes. Fragrances with a caoutchouc (gum or natural rubber) note have given me the same effect. What I can smell of the saffron is pleasant.

This perfume is a surprise and exception to me - I imagined it in a totally different way, and when I've seen the comparison to Baccarat Rouge 540 my imagination created Crystal Saffron as a totally different perfume... To me, it's nothing even close to Baccarat - while Baccarat has a little bit sweet like a burnt sugar note ( at least to me ), Crystal Saffron stands on a very different side - saffron here is the main player, this is on point very dramatic saffron perfume, super illuminating... Luminous I think is the most perfect word as to describe this perfume.
It's loud, it's super vibrant, and powerful. A perfume that envelopes this unique spice in the best way. The musk here I think makes the spice even more brighter even more radiating. I see this as a powerful protective shield, as saffron is the most expensive spice in the world this in deed feels very luxurious, you will definitely feel uplifted with this one.
To me this is a perfume for a confident person who wants to be seen but still remain a mystery, because you definitely will be noticed as the sillage is enormous as I mentioned it creates this radiating opulent aura around you, and with this perfumed bubble you will walk all day.
The quality here raises no questions - AMAZING! Another great creation of Matiere Premiere house that seems to leave no space for mistakes.

This is completely a unisex perfume. I think it's going to be one of the best creations this year and I hope males and females will start to wear this everywhere because I really would enjoy to grasp the smell of it while passing strangers...

I see this being compared to Ganymede and No.5... this is nothing like it. This is beyond on the different side of those perfumes. The one similarity they share is the beast mode.

Lovely and spicy though every now and then I get a waft that feels plasticy... Not exactly plastic but plastic adjacent.This one is so close to being a love for me but that one little facet just holds it back. I like this but don't love it. I'm going to stick with my big love from this brand - Ensens suave.

This is an extraordinary brilliant fragrance by the master perfumer Aurelian Guichard.
This perfume is one of the best perfumes I have ever bought in my life .

On my skin it reminds of Sunset Riot from Allsaints - because both have similar metallic, sometimes plasticky element - but SR does not contain saffron, so yeah - you won't smell it there.

Stronger performance and more prominent metallic, Ambroxan accord together with leathery saffron. Defintiely less sweet, which makes it more masculine.

Of course CS in the air will be more complex and richer in quality, but daaaaaaamn.
They are not the same fragrances, but you can try SR and see which you like better.

The Matière Première raw material style takes a single note from traditional perfumery, fleshes it out into an accord, simple but fully realised, and then amplifies and bolsters it with generous use of extenders, ambroxan and the like. The accords have substance with good projection and performance but at the cost of complexity and interest.

The best of the line — Crystal Saffron, French Flower, Falcon Leather — take their accords and really make them pop without the extenders becoming too intrusive. Saffron and tuberose notes are also pretty interesting to me on their own terms so work better than the others which I’m sorry to say just bore me. If you’re sensitive to large amounts of ambroxan and Iso E Super approach this brand with caution. These are some of the most headachy perfumes I’ve come across.

Overall I’m down on the brand but thought I might reach a like for Crystal Saffron. It’s soft, dusty and very suede-like. It’s great to smell something that focusses on saffron without the intrusion of rose or iris. This is the smell of dry, boxed-up suede desert boots. There's also something metallic here that creates a tingling sensation in my nose and whatever it is persists even after I stop sniffing. The ambroxan is very heavy and it has that glassy, forced-fresh quality. My main problem though is the unpleasant rubbery tar note in the dry down that I associate with amber-woods. I was hoping I could overlook it for my love for saffron but on the second wearing I had to scrub it off. A shame.

This is the reason why samples exist - Crystal Saffron is NOT a safe blind buy. Don’t let the comparisons to BR540 fool you: while it does have some common notes, it is a very different animal. And I mean “animal” in more than one way. I had a visceral negative reaction to a point where this fragrance made me sick. I can’t get this beast off from my wrist even with the dish soap. It has nuclear projection and tenacity. Oh my! And I am not among the fainthearted when it comes to perfume.

Ugly aggressive and harsh scent

Beautiful beautiful, beautiful. A mixture between Rosendo Matheu , BR540 and Thomas Cosmala Number 4. Strong, addictive and intoxicating. Linear, but that is good, since the fragrance is so amazing, you wont stop smelling your skin when you use it. 10 out of 10.

Crystal Saffron’s dry down is so very similar to Mancera Instant Crush.

longevity & projection are incredible...... just two sprays is a bit much so proceed with caution. definitely for the colder months!

This is when I want to say: “ do what you want with me”… in a sexual meaning.. I am so paralyzed, controllable, in love… possessed… it is very simillar to Ganymade/marc antoine barrois/, but Crystal Saffron is more erotical…mmmm.. no more words;)…

10 out of 10! One of the best saffrons I own in my opinion. It’s really hard to put words to this fragrance but the main word that comes to my mind is Addictive. It’s a light, airy, unique, long lasting beast of a fragrance. It was not love at first sniff but walking around with it on I circled back an picked it up. I would strongly suggest getting a sample an testing it out before purchasing it.

To me this smells very similar to Rosendo Mateu 5.
Impressive longevity & projection.

Oh my oh my! I would have called it "Brilliant Saffron"!
I'm not a big saffron fan and didn't expect to like it but I suck for BR540 and wanted to try it anyway. I don't find CS be close to or inspired by BR540. I can understand why the two are being compared but they are very very different - CS is more spicy and slightly leathery and obviously heavier on saffron. Also, there is no medicinal opening.
The main similarity I see among CS, BR and Ganymede is kinda "big evening" vibe - they all seem to be very posh and suitable for some Gala, a bit androgynous and cold yet shiny and optimistic. I wouldn't wear any of them for friends' party or cozy evening. This stuff is meant for big rooms.
I am a woman and I think it's perfectly unisex. I don't find any harsh notes in it. Another plus of this fragrance that it opens slowly - you have a change to enjoy every stage of this beauty, and it lasts forever.

Was excited to try it as I love saffron and was intrigued by a musky non-sweet saffron fragrance, but ended up really disliking this. I do smell saffron but mostly I smell burned rubber. It became a bit more pleasant on dry down, but not for me.
Also, I would say this smell more masculine than unisex, but it might be just me.

Update after 2 weeks:
Well, I changed my mind. I wore it a few more times and was still getting harsh burned rubber, but the last time I wore it something changed. Maybe my nose stopped treating it as a threat and the burned rubber was gone and I was left with that sharp slightly bitter slightly medicinal saffron, without any cloying sweetness or heavy woodiness of other popular saffron+ambroxan compositions. The longevity is really impressive. I sprayed it once on my wrist and after some time wore a coat to run an errand. Three days later I wore the same coat again and after I took it off, I smelled like this perfume again. Not like a skin scent transferred a bit on me, but I smelled like I just sprayed it on myself again.

We are living a new perfume era. Once the Aventus thing has gone, now we’re living the Baccarat Rouge era, where everything gets inspired by that.

Everything that has saffron reminds of BR like pineapple aventus, but not everything is necessairly the same.

Crystal Saffron has a bright sparkling and citrousy opening, while the drydown gets close to BR540 with that pungent middle eastern saffron note, metallic, modern and molecular.

It’s different enough to have both, as this hasn’t that cloying sweetnes but yeah, this starts to get a bit boring.

Anyways, i really like it, but i’m sure in some years this will be forgiven like all the aventus-like stuff.

It is full on saffron, but very bright at the same time.
The opening is pungent with harsh metallic note. Then, as it dries down, the beauty of this fragrance begins. It becomes more woody, bit smoky and leathery yet with a feel of lightness to it. It projects and lasts hours.
Very intriguing, original (and powerful) perfume. One of my faves from the brand.

Tested this one today and love the first impressions. Really find it beautiful, get somewhat vegital notes in the lines of Parisian Musc, but a lot more ambery, mineral and spicy. Also have an almost cologne quality to it. Truly another beautiful scent from Matiere Premiere, the quality is there like all other fragrances in their line.

Oh no.
I was *so* excited about this since I love saffron in fragrance, and the opening was *divine*. Super realistic saffron. But then. The drydown is just a hint of saffron with something suuuuuper sharp popping up.
Did my nose go blind to the saffron so all I was left with was sharp ambroxan? At least I'm saving money, but I'd rather have found my perfect saffron scent 😭😭
I literally went from "ohhh, I'll get this!!!! .... But let me just wear it for the rest of the day first" to "noooooo, not another one 😭" in about 45 minutes.

True to its name, saffron is strong and present in the fragrance. In front of me, in a burning pile of saffron and a teaspoon of sugar. This fragrance comes off heady and loud, making its presence known. The longevity is insane, along with the projection. Although it shares that airy quality that BR540 has, this is more closer related to Oud for Greatness. This is Crystal Saffron to me.

Testing this blind, this was mixed in with samples from three different niche brands.

Comes across as mineral and musky, generally clean and aromatic with maybe peppermint, or something similar giving it a bit of fresh spicy edge. At first it comes across as relatively light but the spice builds and projects far more after application. I don't get a lot of depth, mostly middle and high notes. While cool, crisp, and clean with a kick, it is a little too "aftershave" retro for me. Looking at the notes now that saffron packs a punch, in a spicy crisp and good way. Name is fitting, but I just didn't expect something this cold (for lack of a better word) from something with this mix of notes. Long lasting, ending with a comparatively warmer and more amber and ambroxan base than how it starts out.

Edit: returning to this a year later, still very crisp and clean, with a spicy kick. It is a bit more mineral-metal sharp, which I like, making it lean a bit masculine. Looking back at the notes, I don't get the incense - at least the typical kind of incense I'm thinking of. Nice, long lasting, and projection moderate to strong. I think it is a great value if you like a sharper clean and spicy fragrance.

This scent is really meant for true saffron lovers. It is so STRONG... I can barely scrub it off my skin. I really love Matiere Premiere fragrances but the strength of them plus me being migraine prone do not mix well (really in love with radical rose regardless). But this is way too much for me personally, though I know it could be a love for so many. It's a very almost sweet saffron. I do not see any similarities to Baccarat personally. Pass for me but worth a try if you're a beast mode fragrance fan.

Let’s be honest this fragance is a piece of art as all Matiere Premiere parfum.
The the projection is REALLY Strong and the Sillage is HUGE. Two sprays should be enough Really. Is it nice for a dinner or special occasion Tuxedo etc I’ll recommend that fragrance

Love this!!!! It is definitely great with MFK B540 and Another 31. But by its self… you really get to see how amazing saffron smells. Definitely can be a signature scent