Jubilation 25 Woman Amouage 2007 Eau de Parfum

It has been quite a while since a dear friend surprised me with a sample of Jubilation 25. What a stroke of luck, because without her, I would surely have overlooked this fragrance. I hadn't paid much attention to Amouage's lineup in general and curiously eyed the noble elixir in its glass bottle. Mentally, I prepared myself for a rich, heavy oriental. Then I closed my eyes, took a breath, and … I was far off!

Suddenly, I felt transported to the banks of the Seine. In front of me, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame behind me, a street musician in a beret plays a melancholic tune on his accordion.
Citrus notes, something herbal-spicy, oak moss, and a hint of velvety peach greet me. Très Parisienne! In my surprise, I initially don’t even notice how delicate wisps of incense and roasted cumin join in. The sound of the accordion fades away and from the minaret behind the Louvre, the call of the muezzin resonates.

Wait a minute!

The fragrance reveals a second layer, as if the photos from the last Paris vacation had been double-exposed. The peach increasingly comes to the forefront and unites with a lush floral scent. That woman over there in the hijab, I know her. No mistake, that’s Mitsouko! I recognize her by her eyes. She turns to me and smiles knowingly.
The longer Jubilation 25 lingers on my skin, the warmer, deeper, and more vibrant the scent becomes. It is sweet and heavy and soft, but not overwhelming. Instead, it is indescribably feminine. Mata Hari comes to mind, as well as the last of the seven veils of Salome. The Seine's banks have given way to the narrow streets of a bustling Medina. “Bonjour la gazelle!”, I hear a challenging call, followed by a hiss. Careful, buddy! If you mess with women like this, you can get yourself into serious trouble.

Since I first smelled it, Jubilation 25 has not left my mind, and my sample was empty faster than I ever thought possible. Worn in the morning, it remains present all day long. The sillage is anything but subtle. Therefore, moderation is key when it comes to application.

By now, I know that the peach is actually Davana and the spiciness comes from tarragon. Be that as it may, it doesn’t change the connection to Mitsouko, which I only came to understand and love through Jubilation 25.