I made a mistake. I read reviews, discussions, pros and cons, meaningless video acclamations or words of disagreement. That’s why I avoided sampling it until now: Jungle Jezebel from Artist Edition Collection, by Sarah Baker Perfumes, created by Miguel Matos, renown writer for Fragrantica, and a perfumer.
When a visual artist teams up with the “bad boy” of perfumery, there are some boundaries to be pushed!
If you don’t like your perfumes to provoke – don’t.
If you don’t like the bottle with a blond wig and false eyelashes – don’t buy it, there’s a “regular” bottle. Just keep in mind that the other one fits the concept of Divine perfectly.
Jungle Jezebel will do everything but leave you indifferent. It starts off with a punch of pink bubble gum chewed and rolled around big, meaty lips. Shocking? Maybe, but you can’t stop sniffing it, just to see what happens next.
This wham-bam-in-your-face “cheap thrill” doesn’t last long, and just about when you think it’s going to turn into sweet mashed bananas and almost plastic fruits, the fragrance shows its vulnerable floral side, even a little powdery ylang-ylang twist.
Nothing is as it seems at first sniff: civet rises, deep, creamy, sultry flow begins, flirting with tuberose in a loud animalistic trance, big bubble gum balloons appearing every now and then, popping loud, and amongst all that crazy rhythm pearly drops of ylang-ylang begin to glide down the sweaty, shiny skin.
It’s strange, it’s weird, it’s different, but you still can’t stop thinking about it!
This whole wild, under-the-spotlight, percussion colored ride settles down with quite retro-elegant sandalwood-tonka-bean tones, turning later on woody and moist dripping vanilla sweet, making you wonder how in the world did “that” become “this”?
Does it have character? Tons of it. Is it pleasing all the time? It depends on what you find pleasing because what it definitely isn’t is – a mass pleaser.
Will you like it? I can’t tell, just make sure to sample before you buy. Will you forget it? No, never.
Just like Divine. Now go and take a look at a Jungle Jezebel song video, and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
Nothing is as it seems to be…or maybe it is: Jun-gle Jezebel, Jungle Jezebel: now who are you calling Jezebel???
Notes: Orange, banana, grapes, peach, bubble gum, rose, tuberose, ylang-ylang, amber, sandalwood, civet, vetiver, vanilla, tonka bean.
Jungle Jezebel is Extrait du Parfum, released in 2018. Divine bottles are a limited edition – 250 with signed and numbered authenticity card. Available at Sarah Baker Perfumes.
The Plum Girl
Elena Cvjetkovic
Photos: The Plum Girl, Sarah Baker Perfumes
Samples were provided by Sarah Baker at Esxence 2019, opinions of my own.
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7 Comments
I love the sound and look of this fragrance, Elena. Is banana becoming a cool note?
Jasmin gone bananas is fun! I see a lot of Yuzu, Mint, and aquatics lately…and you?
Still too many fruity florals for my liking. Ha!
I received Sarah’s sample pack today and could not resist to spray Jungle Jezebel right away on my arm. Only a tiny spritz. Wow, this is not for starters, haha. Tomorrow a fuller test.
handle with care! Let me know your impressions once you give it a full wearing!
Hi Elena,
I sure will let you know after more testing. Just read reviews on Fragrantica.com. some positive, some not.I don’t care, only trust my own nose;) I am not a fan of Shalimar or Chanel altough many many people like it. But I like reading other perfume lovers thoughts about perfumes.
The best thing ever – trusting your own. Ide! There are more interesting ones in that sample pack too!