Meandering Soul Christèle Jacquemin 2019

This fragrance was created after a month in an artist's residence in Taipei. Christèle experienced the volume and hustle and constant buzzy of the metropolis as sometimes uncomfortable and distracting. All the more she has tried to find relief in the nights and by walks in the nature and meandering back to strength and inner calm. Meandering Soul describes this gliding into inner freedom - under trees and on paths, but also in the calm and the shadows of the night. When all the hustle and buzzing seems to be asleep or just holds its breath for a moment. Hums, instead of screaming.

The mixture of the Hinoki woods smoke and this special glowing, smoldering DNA, combined with fennel, results in a deeply aromatic melange, which is then subliminally turned towards some “licorice memories” by the cinnamon. The tones of dark, almost malty, caramel complement - completely unsweetened - really very well in the drydown. The scent builds a protection shield on my skin to fight the noise of the world. And keeps defending me for more than eight hours, before I come home to find a place for meditation. Every one that I pass, catching a nose full of this beauty, catches a glimpse of the inner freedom most of them are missing for so long.

I like one of the main picture of the photo cycle belonging to the fragrance ("Meandering Soul I") the best. To me - It shows the lights of Taipei, abstractly and a bit set out of focus, behind a tree´s branch. It´s a picture illustrating the constant noise of our surrounding, making it harder for us to focus on our link to nature. Discovering and nurturing it each and every day.

The artist subtitles the picture: Flee from the day, live at night. Dream of another world. Find serenity.

Meandering Soul could have be named “Escaping Taipei” too.