JOVOY
Remember Me

2018

PERFUMER
Cecile Zarokian

cardamom
bergamot
lemon

frangipani
ginger
tea

vanilla
milk
woody notes
cedarwood

For the money (currently retailing at €160/100ml), Remember Me may still be one of the best gourmand-ish fragrances on the market in 2024 and it is my favorite from Jovoy.

I’ve sampled and reviewed this some years ago, but somehow never committed to buying a bottle. I decided to buy another sample and see if my positive thoughts held up. And they absolutely do.

I feel like a lot of people have misconceptions about Cecile Zarokian’s other highlight, Nishane Ani, which shares similar notes. I often hear things like : ‘oh, this is not really a vanilla’, ‘it’s too aromatic’ or ‘it’s more masculine than I thought’. To me, Remember Me seems to be exactly what those people thought Ani was. And as much as I am a fan of Ani, I think nowadays I’d gravitate more towards the easier going Remember Me.

Remember Me is much smoother, softer and it doesn’t have the more pronounced aromatics that may pull away from it’s coziness. It has a citrussy, brighter side, also with ginger, but it’s much softer and blended in versus the sharper ginger in Ani.

Overall, this is one of the most comforting, cozy gourmands, without being too basic. It’s not like you’re just getting vanilla here; you get a ton of nuances, but they are all blended into one soft cloud that is hard not to enjoy. What stands out most besides the sweetness is cardamom. And that is definitely the spiciness that sticks out the most, but it’s still an easy on the nose take on cardamom; it’s less harsh than for example the cardamom in BDK Gris Charnel.

What follows is a mix of milky vanilla, citrus and tea. I’d say it’s too custardy vanillic to really come across as tea to my nose, but it does add a refreshing, almost watery texture that we don’t get often in vanilla fragrances (versus creamy milk). It’s super smooth and makes for a non-demanding wear and a vanilla that you can wear all year round.

Remember Me gives me everything I look for and as you can see from the photo above, I bought a a full bottle the day after the re-review as it deserves a spot in my collection. Especially as I find Jovoy one of the more reasonably priced niche brands at the moment.

Sidenote: I find it remarkable how many people seem to have gravitated towards Jovoy’s other vanilla more recently, Fire At Will, while I feel that Remember Me is the far far superior fragrance and one of Cecile’s best.