Céline Barel Bottles Pure Air for Aesop's Unforeseen Aer
Céline Barel, a French perfumer, has crafted Unforeseen Aer for Aesop, drawing inspiration from a line of Edna St. Vincent Millay's poetry showcased in Aesop's Paris office. This fragrance captures the essence of 'aether,' or divine air, featuring a fougère composition that includes lavender, coumarin, oakmoss, geranium, rosemary, and lavandin, with nutmeg adding complexity. Barel's past Aesop creations include Tacit Truths (2015), Above Us, Steorra, and Entirely Aurner. Her innovative approach is shaped by sensory experiences and bold ingredient choices, reflecting André Gide's artistic views. Early olfactory memories stem from her mother's Van Cleef & Arpels and her father's Christian Dior Eau Sauvage. Recently, she traveled to Indonesia for a clove bud harvest, blending high and low perfumery.
Key facts
- Céline Barel created Unforeseen Aer for Aesop, inspired by a line from an Edna St. Vincent Millay poem.
- The fragrance translates the myth of 'aether,' the pristine air breathed by the gods, into a physical scent.
- Barel was born and raised in Grasse, France, and studied at the IFF perfumery school after an internship at Mane.
- Unforeseen Aer is a fougère structure with lavender, coumarin, oakmoss, geranium, rosemary, lavandin, and nutmeg.
- Barel's previous Aesop fragrances include Tacit Truths (2015), Above Us, Steorra, and Entirely Aurner.
- She describes the nutmeg as providing a controlled contrast that adds depth and softens the crisp top notes.
- Barel's creative process is guided by André Gide's sentiment that 'the work of art is the exaggeration of an idea.'
- She recently traveled to Indonesia for a clove bud harvest to rediscover raw ingredients in their natural habitat.
Entities
Artists
- Céline Barel
- Yoko Ono
- Edna St. Vincent Millay
- André Gide
Institutions
- Aesop
- CULTURED
- Mane
- IFF
- Van Cleef & Arpels
- Christian Dior
- Guerlain
- Serge Lutens
Locations
- Grasse
- France
- Paris
- Morocco
- Indonesia