Amouage Material  (courtesy of Amouage)

 

Some perfumes are the sum of their materials.

Some others live through the stories they create.

This is one such story.

 

Cécile Zarokian, courtesy of Renaud Salmon.

I met  Amouage Material by chance on a night of January 2021 when Paris was still under a curfew. Our City of Lights glowed grim and I went alone, hurrying down the silent streets still shining from gone rains, to meet Cécile Zarokian and right as I was about to push open the door leading into her building, she and Pauline came out with glowing smiles and wrapped in the most fantastic fragrance I’d smelt in a long time. We walked for half a mile and though we talked about many things trifle and true, I could not keep my mind off their perfume. It tore my senses asunder. Whenever I would catch a whiff of this lustrously golden Vanilla, my mind and body, my senses and my soul would for a millisecond be still. During this spark of life, naught else existed but this – but Material which I would discover a week later on my skin.

Heirloom vintage perfume miniatures by Alexandre Helwani.

It all somehow began in a farm, not three summers past, tucked away in a remote corner of Normandy. There, I met Valérie, my best friend’s mum, a quiet woman and welcoming, who took it upon her family and herself to care for a menagerie of horses, cats and dogs, cows and goats in the humblest manner. Truth be told, in the course of a weekend, we did not talk much except for this one time just as my friend and I were about to embark upon a road-trip to the lonely peaks of Ardèche. I remember speaking of God and faith to an atheist woman, of endurance and trust to a cancer survivor and of crêpes recipes to an accomplished cook. And that was it. Here our story ended, on a stormy Sunday morning while I escaped their farm, shrieking as mud-ridden hounds jumped on my countryside flannel suit. Or so I thought. For the next three years, I kept her in my thoughts and she kept me in her heart, never forgetting my birthday, sending me her secret crepe recipe and astutely following my Chronicles, until that ill day of September when she passed away. Cancer came back and drained her life faster than the turn of a season; and I, sorry, sorry I, would not have the chance to reply to her last letter. Now, why does this matter, really? Because you see, unbeknownst to my poor soul, she had worked in a perfumery some forty years ago and from these glorious years had kept, as if relics, dozens of unopened miniatures, countless training brochures and stunning posters – all of which were bestowed on me, as was her wish. These were the miniatures I carried in my bag on that grim Parisian night of January, as I headed to Cécile Zarokian’s office. She respectfully asked if she could smell Valérie’s vintage Égoïste – I said she could smell the whole collection for I thought of no better way to honour the memory of a late perfume collector than to share her treasures with one of the perfumers I admire the most.

 

Renaud Salmon and Cecil Cécile Zarokian selfie in Sur, Oman

I shall not speak of the tears and hours of laughter that followed – for some memories are best cherished untold – but only of this inebriating fragrance that followed Cécile and Pauline whenever they moved, that solar and alluring aura of Vanilla that turned a nippy, damp night into a sepia-washed summer scene. Oh, there is much to say about Amouage Material… I could speak of my gasp when I spritzed it on my wrist, of the tears I managed to hold back, of my inebriated burst of laughter and my trademarked “wow”.

Rainbow Eucalyptus tree courtesy of Amouage

I could speak of Renaud Salmon’s incredible vision, his masterfully creative direction that shines a hopeful light on Amouage’s future. I could speak of his inspirations, for he told me all of it – the power of liberation, the folly and irony of Madonna’s “Material Girl” which inspired the name, the vision of a psychedelic rainbow eucalyptus, the feeling of being trapped in a jungle deep and moving with woods in hues of black and red and gold, materials and textures blurring into one another, fading like a trance-induced vision of an idol, his desire to use Vanilla as a main character in a tale of lustre and luxury, to bring together a modern sensory kaleidoscope with a vintage patina…

Cécile Zarokian as seen by Renaud in Sur, Oman after a day at the factory

I could also speak of Cécile Zarokian’s talent and maestria, of her ability to always reinvent herself while keeping true to her style, of her brilliant return to Amouage after having created Epic Woman in 2009 more than a decade ago, of her inimitable control of resins and balsams, her sophistication and generosity poured into her perfumes, her humility, welcoming heart and audacity translated into gentle accords rather than harsh ambers, Oh, surely I could speak of Amouage Material itself and the inexplicable smile she brings to my face, and its wondrous heart beaming with sun’s might and comforting strength.

 

Amouage Material materials, by Renaud Salmon

I could speak of the Benzoin, red and round, Armenian and gourmand. I could speak of the generous opening, of its captivating oomph dripping with a pulverulent Tonka and streaks of Patchouli. I could speak of resins and toffeed balsams, of Incense and Elemi. I could speak of the generous Guaiac and the animalic Oud, hidden in the folds of a Vanilla dark and plush, a smoky bean, iridescent and chewy, leathered and waxy beading with aromas of spices and tiaré. I could speak of the touch of Osmanthus like a work of perfume-lace infusing its honeyed transparent light into a mellow Labdanum heart. I could speak of the diaphanous Musks, cloudlike and milky, their dew gleaming over the thickness of a sweltering grove.

Amouage Material, by Louise Mertens, courtesy of Amouage.

I could speak of the marvel of a fragrance so nuanced built on materials so heavy; of a sillage so pervading yet never overwhelming; of the undisputable quality of materials used in its making that transfigure a simple idea into an olfactory work-of-art; of this addictive addiction devoid of any vulgarity; of this consubstantial artistic feat: a fragrance quintessentially Amouage and Zarokian at once. I could speak of how grateful I am to have found a last the Vanilla I needed for my days of sorrow, the one I shall need for my days of courtship, for my nights of long love, my mornings of lovers gone; the Vanilla suited for all days and every day, a Vanilla serene and supreme, superbly simple, insanely intricate; a Vanilla bound to become a masterpiece – that ought to be one. But Material is all – and more. It is a creature left alone, a treasure yet unfound, dark and yet glowing, wild but seducing, coiling and unfurling and leaping from tree to tree until it finds us unawares – and imprints on our senses an olfactory talisman, an ointment of kings, a radiance enveloping like an orb of sheer sunlight; a liquid flame poured over the curls of Eve, thick as honey and pure like the spring of Salsabil, like a splash of addiction. Yes, I could forever speak of Material because despite wearing it for so long, I have not come close to wrapping my mind against its brilliance, so addicted that I am. I could forever speak of Material, bound to me by the will of a woman now passed in the ethereal realms, but for all the words I could muster, none would do it justice.

Because you see, while some perfumes are the sum of their materials, some others live through the stories they create. Amouage Material is your immaterial story.

In loving memory of Valérie.

Et lux perpetua luceat ea.

Notes – Elemi, Patchouli, Madagascar Vanilla Absolute, Benzoin, Guaiacwood, Oud, Osmanthus, Frankincense Resinoid, Labdanum, Tonka Bean.

Disclaimer – This review was based on a bottle provided by Amouage. All opinions are my own. As of this writing Material is not for sale, but will be available on April 29, 2021 on Amouage.com and can be pre-ordered here.

–Alexandre Helwani, Contributor and Author of The Perfume Chronicles

Cecile Zarokian 2014 Young Perfumer’s Series

Editor’s Note: Alexandre’s review is special to me on a deeply personal level. One of the most enjoyable and exciting aspects of my role as Editor-in-Chief of CaFleureBon is shining a light on talented olfactive artists  before they become “known” to a broader audience. When I thought about a series on The Next Generation: “perfumers under 40”, I knew I would lead off with one of the industry’s most talented independent perfumers, Cécile Zarokian of Cécile Zarokian SARL. Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

photo courtesy of Amouage

Thanks to the generosity of Amouage we have two  AVANT PREMIER 10 ml travel sprays of Amouage Material for two registered CaFleureBon readers in all countries EXCLUDING Canada, Russia, China, Italy, Spain, New Zealand and Latin America (if you are not sure if you are registered click here.)To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed or will remember you in Alexandre’s review and if you plan on buying it once it is available where you live. Draw closes 4/21/21

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