Private Label
Jovoy's signature woody oriental grew out of a commission from a Middle Eastern princess for her son. Cécile Zarokian composed it. Dry papyrus and vetiver open the scent, and it settles into smoky, leathery woods.
Perfumer: Cécile Zarokian
Private Label began as a commission. According to Jovoy's artistic director François Hénin, a Middle Eastern princess passing through Paris visited the first Jovoy boutique, then a boudoir on a street perpendicular to the Rue de la Paix, and asked for a perfume for her son. A scent that might have stayed a one-off became the house's signature woody oriental.
The request came in mid-August, when the perfumers of Paris were on holiday and the laboratories were closed. Cécile Zarokian, who had only just started her own company, took on the brief.
The pyramid opens with papyrus, moves to vetiver and patchouli in the heart, and settles on sandalwood, birch, cistus and cedarwood. Papyrus gives a dry, green edge, vetiver brings an earthy tone, and patchouli adds depth. In the base, birch and cistus lay a smoky, resinous shade over the woods. Jovoy describes the scent as both leathery and smoky.
