Photographer and Perfumer Christèle Jacquemin holding Christèle Jacquemin Celebration
Ever since this year’s Esxence, I have been waiting patiently for a sample of Christèle Jacquemin Celebration: it was one of the first new releases I smelt as I entered, and it left a lasting impression. There were no available samples at the time, and the perfumer promised to send me one as soon as Celebration had been matured and was ready for sale. My sample arrived last week – and it is even better than I’d remembered. Christèle informed me that she had tweaked its formula and was pleased with the results. Frankly, it was worth waiting for: at more than 90% naturals, Celebration is a photorealistic homage to the Avignon of photographer/perfumer Christèle’s birth – but you don’t have to take my word alone. Our own Ermano Picco (the polymath of many hats) included Celebration amongst his Best of Show Esxence 2024 in Essencional (an online presence which one of Esxence’s founders, Silvio Levi – set up in 2018 as a natural continuation of Esxence’s workshops).
Christèle Jacquemin Celebration photography courtesy of the brand
“The octagon tower casts a shade
Cool and gray like a cutlass blade;
In sun-baked vines the cicalas spin,
The little green lizards run out and in.
A sail dips over the ocean’s rim,
And bubbles rise to the fountain’s brim.
The minstrel touches his silver strings,
And gazing up to the lady, sings: —
Down the road to Avignon,
The long, long road to Avignon,
Across the bridge to Avignon,
One morning in the spring.” ~ excerpt from Down the Road to Avignon by Amy Lowell
Ida’s photos of the Palais des Papes, dancing Roma, and carnival puppets while in Avignon July -August 1998
Provence has been dear to my heart since I explored it in 1972, when I was 18. Besides Grasse and all the medieval towns and backwaters where Roman soldiers once trod – Avignon was a revelation: living history infused with current day significance. The Palais des Papes, the sprawling vineyards which surround its environs, its extant, preserved fortress walls. I visited again in the summer of 1998 when our sons were very young, and fondly recall the extraordinary light which suffused this ancient city. It was festival, carnival time – and Roma dancers swarmed the streets with their fervid grace; traditional giant puppets filled the city center. A marvelous melding of the sacred and the profane.
“The fragrance invites you to make a paradigm shift and to serenely assert oneself by celebrating life.” ~ Christèle Jacquemin describing Celebration.
Christèle Jacquemin Celebration photography courtesy of the brand
Christèle Jacquemin invites us into her natal realm and wellspring of spiritual sustenance with her latest fragrance. Celebration’s individual elements play off one another with great skill: two precious incenses are incorporated with holy copal – and to my delight, the effect is beautifully balanced. Holy copal is utilized in religious ceremonies (the Mayans relied upon it), and is smoky, lemony, and pine-inflected – but it is tenderly handled here so that it blends felicitously with all the other aromatic materials. The perfumer refers to ‘true frankincense’, which could mean any number of characteristics, as there are many varieties; from what I’ve been able to glean re: Ogaden olibanum (aka Boswellia rivae), it is sourced from the arid portion of Somalia which borders the Ethiopian highlands. Ogaden olibanum is called “sweet incense” and “honey frankincense” because of its spicy, candied personality – and it differs from other frankincenses due to its abundance of a potent dark resinous timbre, alive with intensely woody, terpenic aspects. While the Ogaden possesses notes of lemon and pine, they are less prominent than in other incenses. The sole floral feature in Celebration arises from exquisite elderflower – itself complex, often described as honeyed, haylike; dried fruit and tobacco-nuanced; fruity, floral; and possessing facets resembling chocolate cherry. The crowning unexpected touch arises from deeply verdant, resinous galbanum – which imparts a lovely sappiness and a snapped stem nuance. It makes perfect sense to align this olibanum with cocoa, beeswax, and a honey accord: they both complement and flesh out the entire composition.
Christèle Jacquemin Celebration photo by the perfumer
In the setting of the venerable city of Avignon, home to the popes from 1309-1376, the city which came under Julius Caesar’s rule in 49 BC – Christèle Jacquemin has created a visionary perfume of her own. Christèle Jacquemin Celebration reflects the depth of her gratitude for this sundrenched natal locale, replete with life’s bounty. I believe that this perfume honors both the perfumer and her inspiration, and I am smitten. I will also note that I promptly ordered myself a bottle – which is not something I do these days unless the fragrance sings a siren song – which Celebration most certainly did.
Notes: Absolutes of cocoa, beeswax, elderflower. Essential oils of true frankincense, Ogaden olibanum, galbanum, holy copal. Honey accord.
Sample kindly provided by the perfumer – many thanks! It’s my favorite of your line. My nose is my own…
Christèle Jacquemin Celebration via the brand
Thanks to the generosity of Christèle Jacquemin we have a 30 ml bottle of Celebration for one registered reader in the EU, USA, or UK. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Ida’s review of Christèle Jacquemin Celebration, and where you live. Draw closes 6/9/2024
Please read Nicoleta’s review of Christèle Jacquemin Memory Lane and Meandering Soul included in her10 best perfumes of 2021.
Karl’s review of the 2020 Art and Olfaction Finalist Impermanence
Enjoy Lauryn’s essay on Christèle Jacquemin Underworld
Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebonofficial @idameister @christelejacquemin
This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy.
We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so “like” Çafleurebon and use our blog feed, or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.