Jovoy Paris Ambre Premier, Psychédélique and Private Label in a Jovoy red leather case – Picture, editing and collage by Emmanuelle Varron.
Many perfumes that I love to wear in fall and winter reveal new facets during summer. My skin loves them 365 days a year, so why deprive myself? Several were created by Jovoy Paris, under the creative direction of François Hénin, the owner and founder. ÇaFleureBon readers outside France should know that Jovoy Paris Parfums Rares is known as “niche perfume paradise” with 131 brands, two of them are their own: Jovoy Paris and Jeroboam. I am fortunate to have known Mr. Henin since 2010, when he owned a small boutique on rue Danielle-Casanova. I also had the chance to experience the beginnings of the Jovoy Paris brand that was released in 2011, because I was desperately looking for a beautiful patchouli with character, a hippy-chic version that was not at all fashionable in the time. Choosing just three from this wonderful line was not easy.
François Hénin, Jovoy Paris owner, founder and Creative Director also known as ‘the ambassador of niche perfume.” photo Jovoy Paris©
At that time François Hénin told me that there would be a beautiful Jovoy fragrance that would appeal to my desire. I was even able to smell a sample of a not yet finalized version, which would become the famous Jovoy Paris Psychédélique. I also wanted this Jovoy Paris “The Three You Should Be Wearing” summer edition to show you my favorites places in Paris. Summer in Paris, as Anggun sings it so sensually; get ready to rethink your fragrance choices when the temperature rises!
From left to right, top to bottom: Ambre Premier bottle / Place Vendôme / Nicolas Coustou La Seine et la Marne statue located in the Tuileries Garden / Sunset in the Tuileries Garden – all pictures by Emmanuelle Varron except Ambre Premier Bottle (by Jovoy).
Jovoy Paris Ambre Premier (Michelle Saramitot, 2011): If you have ever been to the rue de Castiglione boutique, you probably remember that a few meters from the entrance, you can already smell a bewitching and addicting scent: it is indeed Jovoy Paris Ambre Premier which is diffused. It is a soft amber with an “easy to wear” first glance; combined with musk, spices and rose, it opens with a lot of lightness and softness. It is only after several minutes that the vanilla gives a nice roundness on the skin, greedy and regressive. The rose also takes on an unexpected dimension, usually very discreet when I wear Jovoy Paris Ambre Premier in winter. Here, the rose imposes a “girly” facet that plays on equal terms with amber and gives a sophisticated character. Less balmy than in winter, more sparkling and flowery on skin heated by high temperatures, Jovoy Paris Ambre Premier is to be rediscovered under the sun, maybe by strolling on Place Vendôme or in the Tuileries Garden, neighbors of the Jovoy Paris boutique? Notes: spices, candied orange, rose, amber, musk, patchouli, vanilla.
From left to right, top to bottom: Psychédélique bottle / Centre Pompidou / Compression sculpture from Centre Pompidou César exhibition in 2018 / Max Ernst Capricorn sculpture on Centre Pompidou patio – all pictures by Emmanuelle Varron except Psychédélique bottle (by Jovoy).
Jovoy Paris Psychédélique (Jacques Flori, 2011): Jovoy Paris Psychédélique, a bold, opulent patchouli with a powerful trail when worn in winter, may seem like a curious choice for summer. Don’t worry it keeps a fresh and luminous opening brought by citrus fruits and when the temperature rises, the almost animalic notes usually of Jovoy Paris Psychédélique stay in the background. And if I still perceive this nod to the Woodstock and “Peace and Love” spirit thanks to the patchouli-cistus accord, it grows slowly into a floral and chocolate caress on my skin. A floral with geranium and rose which bring freshness and delicacy to patchouli, and even a sophisticated touch. And a chocolate touch with the addition of a plump and heated vanilla, full of gourmet notes, brightening the skin without any risk of sunburn. Jovoy Paris Psychédélique does not lose its sensuality when season changes, nor its assertive character (shy perfumistas will still find it difficult to wear), but it is less wild and more urban. That is typically the kind of perfume I like to wear to go to an exhibition at the Modern art Centre Pompidou Museum, with its “so 70’s” revolutionary architecture (it was inaugurated in 1977 after 6 years of construction works). Notes: citrus, amber, cistus labdanum, geranium, patchouli, rose, musk, vanilla.
From left to right, top to bottom: Private Label bottle / Restored Bourse de Commerce metal glass dome and frescos / Urs Fischer The Abduction of the Sabine Women wax sculpture installation surrounded by other wax sculptures / View from the Bourse du Commerce: Nelson Mandela garden, Les Halles Canopy and the Centre Pompidou – all pictures by Emmanuelle Varron except Private Label bottle (by Jovoy).
Jovoy Paris Private Label (Cécile Zarokian, 2011): Jovoy Paris Private Label may seem like the most surprising choice out of the three. Cécile Zarokian’s creation is a true woody-leathery fragrance par excellence, which warms you from head to toes with its cedar, sandalwood and patchouli notes, accentuated by cistus. In the summer Jovoy Paris Private Label is the style of perfume I like to wear for a night out, when the temperatures are a little cooler and the sun is setting. Its opening remains very lively, very woody (it reminds me of the smell that emanated from my father’s hands when he carried the logs to make a chimney fire) but it only lasts a few seconds. The papyrus brings a watery and fresh note, and the patchouli devirilizes this thunderous start with its creamy aspects linked by a vetiver which develops earthy notes. This is when cistus and sandalwood join the dance, bringing a delicious, milky and balmy roundness, like a leather jacket that one would wear on summer nights. At first glance rather masculine, Jovoy Paris Private Label is also a marvel to discover on the back of a woman’s neck. A mysterious scent with character, for a beautiful summer night. An ideal perfume to discover on a Friday night, at the Bourse de Commerce nocturne, an old trading building completely renovated and transformed into a museum which houses mogul François Pinault rich and varied collection of contemporary art. With a view of the Nelson Mandela Garden, which frames Les Halles quarter, and, in perspective … the Centre Pompidou. Notes: papyrus, patchouli, vetiver, birch, cedarwood, cistus labdanum, sandalwood.
Disclaimer: A huge “merci” to Jovoy Paris for the samples provided for this review, even if I own all three perfumes. The opinions expressed are my own.
Emmanuelle Varron, Senior contributor
Ambre Premier, Psychédélique and Private Label 100 ml bottles – Pictures by Jovoy, edited by Emmanuelle Varron.
Thanks to the generosity of François Henin of Jovoy Paris , we have a 100ml bottle you can choose between Ambre Premier, Psychédélique or Jovoy Private Label for one registered reader in the USA, EU, UK, UAE, Dubai. To be eligible, please leave a comment with your perfume choice, and where you live. If you have a favorite from Jovoy Paris please let us know. Draw closes 7/16/2021
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