Cécile Zarokian photo by Creative Director Renaud Salmon of Amouage
Ah, Cécile Zarokian.
When asked to write a piece on Three Fragrances You Should Be Wearing from Cécile Zarokian, I must admit I was rather at a loss… for I myself wear more than three. In fact, I owe a lot to Cécile’s work. Through her, I realised, quite early into my fragrant journey, that perfumers are artists in their own right, just as writers or directors. They have a “patte”, a distinctive style that infuses, consciously or not, all of their creations. It seems obvious, now that we live in a time of star perfumers, but it was not exactly so ten years ago. Thus, unbeknownst to me, Cécile became the most represented perfumer of my perfume collection and it wasn’t until I investigated my own taste that I realised – that I was a Zarokianista.
So to narrow down”Three fragrances You Should Be Wearing” seems nothing short of impossible, which is why I chose five; five perfumes to have the most universal, whole and total experience, in my very own opinion, of what Cécile Zarokian can achieve. A young perfumer she still is, yet a master she is already become. Gladly would I write longer about her numerous feats, starting with her first perfume Epic Woman for Amouage which remains, 13 years after its launch, one of the best-sellers of the house – yet I will quiet now. There is indeed much to say about Cécile but nothing would be as telling as her work…
Photo Romaine Bassen©
Mon Nom est Rouge – Cécile Zarokian for Majda Bekkali (2012): Is it lust or is it passion? Is it blood or is it wine? Is it power or is it death? Is it life or inebriation? Is it singing, is it dancing, is it crying out of rage, is it running out of fear? Mon Nom est Rouge is it all. It burns, it beams, it sizzles and it shines – it wears like rouge on one’s cheeks, like rouge on one’s lips, like the scarlet mark of a too-strong embrace, like a bruised loin of hard love, like a crimson dress of pride. Here, Cécile Zarokian does what she knows best and perhaps loves most – working in shades, tunes and tones, each note but a facet of a heart to which they gradually build up. Pink Pepper and Elemi hiss on one’s skin like a burning coal – a lick of Geranium boldened by a tear of Rose follows under the tingling light of Ginger and Frankincense. Juicy Rosewood, dry-ashen Cardamom and sullen Cedarwood argue with a heart of ambery warmth – the Labdanum ever-so dark infuses a base of Musk and Tonka Bean, blurring the lines between love and hate. Neither incense nor rose, nor amber nor musk, it is certainly unique and unlike most perfumes I have smelt. Blushing, weeping, raging, panting… Red is the Name of all emotions unleashed. NOTES – Elemi, Pink Pepper, Cumin, Frankincense, Geranium, Rosewood, Cardamom, Rose, Cinnamon, Ginger, Sandalwood, Amber, Vanilla, Musk, Tobacco, Labdanum, Patchouli, Tonka.
Photo Romaine Bassen©
Aqua Sextius – Cécile Zarokian for Jul et Mad (2014): A word on Jul et Mad. As far as I am concerned – which is the point of this article, really – Jul et Mad is a prime example of what niche is and should be. Over the past seven years, Julien and Madalina, the creative duo behind the brand, have shown that they know how to find the right perfumers and wriggle every drop of genius out of them to create fragrances that either bring something truly original to perfumery or shine a new light on traditional themes. Aqua Sextius does a bit of both. It is proof that Cécile Zarokian can reach far beyond her comfort zones, reinvent herself and her craft, and surprise us still with an addictive perfume. Forget indeed all you think about Cécile – forget the plush and lavish ambers – forget the ouds – forget the vanilla, spice and wood – this is a crisp slap of freshwater on the face. A straightforward and sleek, gender-bending chypre, where an acidulous Bergamot together with leathery Mandarin and Grapefruit peels lead to a dryly green landscape. Fig and Mint convey the feeling of standing on the brink of a stream, its glacial waters running down from in an icy-mere to the deeps of a forest older than time, thick with gnarled Guaiac trees covered in fuzzy, musky Oakmoss. Here and there at last peeks the warm colour of Mimosa blossoms, the sickly sap of Labdanum and the coarse and comforting aroma of heatened Cedarwood. Light, shadow, sun, wood and stone – Aqua Sextius is a worthy tribute to the font upon which Aix-en-Provence was built. NOTES – Bergamot, Lime, Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Mint, Eucalyptus, Marine Notes, Mimosa, White Flowers, Fig, Labdanum, Ambergris, Cedar, Guaiac Wood, Oakmoss, Musk.
Photo Romaine Bassen©
Ani – Cécile Zarokian for Nishane (2019) : It was not an obvious choice to include Ani in this selection – because I am certain every niche enthusiast either knows of it or wears it already… which is what convinced me to include it at last. Ani is a best-selling fragrance, an award-winning fragrance, a heart-robbing one too and while these make for a compelling argument, the only reason that matters is that Ani is, without the hint of a doubt, a flabbergasting perfume. Cécile Zarokian used many a trick here to compose a straight-to-the-gut vanilla that is both sickeningly gourmand and ravishingly poised. In that regard, it reminds me of Ernest Beaux’s comment on Shalimar, that “with that much vanilla (he) only could have made a crème brûlée” yet Guerlain created a masterpiece. Ani is not a tribute to Shalimar in the scent yet it is one in the how it was made. Strikingly modern, the beaming, blooming heart of Lemon and Vanilla is cleft in two by a spire of nitescent greenness – an evanescent mist, unmistakable if only by its effect. Rose indeed and a trickle of Blackcurrant, the agrestic whistletune of Cardamom and the zesty trill of Pink Pepper serve the purpose of bringing light, air, song and life into a usually too meek and too treacly Vanilla. While so the theme is not new, the execution is fantastic and addictive. Beware now, that you should want to eat yourself… NOTES – Bergamot, Ginger, Pink Pepper, Green Notes, Turkish Rose, Cardamom, Blackcurrant Bud, Vanilla, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Benzoin, Sandalwood, Ambergris, Musk
Photo Romaine Bassen©
Remember Me – Cécile Zarokian for Jovoy Paris (2018) : True to its name, Remember Me is an intimate experience. Think of cotton, think of clouds, think of a never-ending hug, of a bed of comfort, of closing your eyes and feeling the brisk morning air washing over your face – even though it was inspired by the heavy scent of frangipani blooming in Doha and karak tea brewing somewhere astreet. Remember Me ever leaves me dreamy and longing for the coming of someone I love or loved or haven’t yet found; for the subtle tang of your lover’s skin come the break of dawn. It very slowly evolves, rather it unfolds its chaste nuances of sweet condensed Milk, of waxy Frangipani and almondy Heliotrope as the night draws on and long and hot. The solar heart glimmers under the silver shine of a dry Black Tea note and a salty sprinkle of Ginger and Cardamom until the Vanilla comes at last,not overly sweet, nor too present for that matter, here only to prolong the lactonic floralcy of the perfume onto your skin, until the very last dregs of the night. Remember Me smells just of this, of gentle hearts, of gentle smiles. NOTES – Cardamom, Lemon, Bergamot, Ginger, Tea, Frangipani , Milk, Vanilla, Cedarwood, Woody Notes.
Amouage Material photo by Louise Mertens
As we may have seen, although we have only scraped at the surface of her work, Cécile Zarokian is far more than the “Queen of Ambers”. Her style, which she has built over the past 13 years, could be summed up in two words: simple complexity. Quality materials that all find their time to shine thanks to her knowledge of naturals and synthetics; formulas that, whether short or long, never fail to create an impression of depth, of layers, of sheened life and lively brilliance. There is ever an opulence, be it through the cedar-starkness of Aqua Sextius or the powdery resins of Mon Nom est Rouge. That is why I could not possibly end this selection without mentioning yet another work, perhaps the most reflective of Cécile’s mastery and evolution – the calm, quieting creation of a woman reaching a peak of her art, not the first and certainly not the last, humbly entering the sphere of the most renowned, sought-after perfumers of a generation. A perfume which name is: Material – by Cécile Zarokian for Amouage (2021)
Disclaimer – These samples were sent to me by Jovoy Parfums Rare as part of their Cécile Zarokian14 sample Box #8. All opinions are my own.
– Alexandre Helwani, Contributor
photo courtesy of JOVOY PARFUMS RARE
Thanks to the generosity of Francois Henin of Jovoy Parfums Rares (the retail store is open !!!!) we have the No. 8 box of 14 samples representing Cécile Zarokian’s greatest hits for one registered CaFleureBon readers in USA, EU, UK and the Middle East (if you are not sure if you are registered click here.)To be eligible please leave a comment with what you think of Alexandre’s choices, where you live and which are your favorites in the Cécile Zarokian box. Draw closes 6/5/21
Editor’s Note: 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”in 2014, I knew I would lead off with one of the industry’s most talented independent perfumers. I do not envy Alexandre’s task of choosing only five of Cécile Zarokian of Cécile Zarokian SARL’s fragrances. Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief
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