Inside the seductive world of Jouissance with Cherry Cheng

An intimate look at the line that's capturing our hearts

From the moment I first laid eyes on Jouissance’s perfectly sculpted bottles, nestled in a bed of pink silk, I was intrigued. The packaging alone is as seductive as the scents within—each one tempting you to get closer.

So far, the line consists of three fragrances, each a standout in its own right. Inspired by erotic literature penned by women and the allure of vintage perfumes, they offer distinct personalities that feel both intimate and evocative.

The undisputed bestseller seems to be Les Cahiers Secrets—a subtly sexy, musky beauty with a quiet floral veil and a hint of something just a little dirty that lingers like a memory on the skin. En Plein Air leans into bright citrus, effortlessly sophisticated, like sipping a gin and tonic in a moody hotel bar, just on the edge of mischief.

But the one that has stolen my heart—is La Bague D’o. With its intoxicating mix of pink pepper, orange flesh, jasmine, rose, violet, amber, and patchouli, it’s the fragrance I never stood a chance against. On my skin, it feels like a velvet gown, tailored to perfection, caressing every curve. Bury me in this one.

I was thrilled when Cherry Cheng, the visionary founder of Jouissance, reached out to me. Her masterful approach—where sensuality, storytelling, and vintage inspiration intertwine—had already captivated me. I couldn’t wait to dive deeper into the world she’s created, from the expertly crafted scents to the brand’s evocative concept and what the future holds for this truly special perfume house.

Can you tell me how the idea for Jouissance was born? And how does the name capture the ethos of the brand?

JOUISSANCE was born out of the solitude of my reading nook during the lockdown. Confined in reality, I sought escapism through books and films that sparked and adorned my desires and fantasies. And with the world of smells abruptly stripped away—restricted for health and hygiene reasons— I found myself craving the rich, sensuous experiences and deep intimacy that only fragrance could evoke.

Like many others who started learning something new during the lockdown, I delved into the world of fragrances by taking online perfumery courses and experimenting with materials I had ordered from Pell Wall and Perfumer’s Apprentice. After reading Barbara Herman’s Scent and Subversion and exploring blogs like World Wide Aura and Cleopatra’s Boudoir, I became obsessed with the history of iconic fragrances in the 20th century, and went on buying sprees on eBay.

I sensed that, at some point, all these passions would converge. The stillness of lockdown sparked an urge to create, and I realized that perfume was the perfect medium to express the desires and fantasies I had absorbed from my favourite books, films, and art.

The name JOUISSANCE came from Cixous’ essay, The Laugh of Medusa (1975). In the essay, Cixous connects women’s experiences of erotic pleasure with creative prolificy, which I thought perfectly summarizes what I hope to do with JOUISSANCE: to inspire creativity across literature and art through the evocative medium of fragrance.

I love that each fragrance is based on a piece of literature. Can you share what that process was like with the perfumer? Did the idea for the fragrance come first, or was it completely inspired by the art?

The starting point for each of our fragrance is definitely the authors that inspired them – Anne Desclos, Catherine Millet, and Anaïs Nin. And for each author, we’ve chosen an iconic work as the foundation: Story of O, The Sexual Life and Catherine M., and Anaïs Nin’s early diaries from the 1930s, which recounted her ménage à trois with Henry Miller and his wife, June Mansfield. We delved deeply into each book, carefully selecting quotes and passages that evoke the sense of smell, using them as the starting point for our creations.

However, it was also important for me to reference the iconic fragrances and fragrance trends from the era in which these books were written, to create a more historically faithful reimagining. That’s why each fragrance title is paired with a date, grounding it in its historical context.

For example, LA BAGUE D’O (1954), has the year when Story of O was published, which connects it to the post-war resurgence of Chypre fragrances, such as Rochas’ Femme (1948) created by Marcel Rochas for his wife Hélène. To me, this fragrance resonates with Dior’s “New Look” movement from the year before, and both celebrated ultra-femininity and opulence while Europe was still in recovery – women were encouraged to embrace beauty and femininity again after the austerity of the war years. However, the new woman wasn’t the delicate beauty of the pre-war era. The rose-patchouli combination creates a striking contrast between the softness of rose and the dark complexity of patchouli. This new woman is beautiful, but also tough and multifaceted — a perfect reflection of the heroine in Story of O and the autofiction of Anne Desclos herself.

For LES CAHIERS SECRETS (1931), we drew inspiration from Anaïs Nin’s favorite fragrances, Caron’s Narcisse Noir (1911) and Guerlain’s Mitsouko (1919), both iconic scents from classic Parisian houses in the early decades of 20^th century. The lily and orris notes are both the signature cosmetic scents from that era. Our perfumer suggested adding cumin as the finishing touch, and the result was incredible! It brought depth to the fragrance, introducing warmth, sensuality, and just the right touch of vulgarity.

Lastly, EN PLEIN AIR (1968) is the most contemporary scent from our debut trio. 1968 was the year Catherine Millet left her suburban home and moved to Paris to become a part of the metropolitan intelligentsia circle. It was the year of commencement of her sexual awakening. This is the most unisex scent of our trio, since Millet herself often identifies more with the boys, and her impression is fresh and sharp like citrus overdoses.

If each fragrance in the line were a woman, who would you most want to hang out with and why?

I like to think that each of our fragrances is connected to the authors who inspired them – Anne Desclos for LBO, Catherine Millet for EPA, and Anaïs Nin for LCS.

It would have been a dream to meet Anaïs Nin when she was living in Paris during the 1930s, and to immerse myself in her artistic and literary circle. Nin embodies the ultimate party hostess of her time, a woman who delighted in offering her friends small luxuries —exquisitely prepared meals, good coffee, silk stockings and lingerie.

The interwar years remain my favourite period for both art and aesthetic movements, such as Art Deco, Surrealism, and New Objectivity. A lot of my favourite historic fragrances also come out of this period, such as Caron’s Tabac Blond (1919), Lanvin’s Arpège (1927), Worth’s Je Reviens (1932) and Guerlain’s Vol de Nuit (1933).

Which scent do you wear the most or feel drawn to the most right now?

I mostly wear JOUISSANCE fragrances when I go out these days in order to promote them... I tend to wear LCS more during the day, since it’s sexy but also subtle. I wear LBO when I'm feeling theatrical and want to make a statement at an event.

When I'm working, I tend to avoid wearing any fragrances to maintain a neutral environment, so I’m receptive to new ideas. It's similar to how I don't like listening to music while working or reading. I think fragrances and music can both be wonderfully inspiring, but they can also be distracting when I'm trying to focus and get things done.

What's the sexiest smell? (not in the line but in general, in the world)

For me, the sexiest scents always hint at vulgarity, discomfort, or unpleasantness.

I’ll never forget the first time I tried Serge Lutens’ Musc Kublai Khan (1998). It’s rather raw and beastly, yet I couldn't get enough of it. During the lockdowns, I used to spray it on my pillow before bed, hoping it would unlock some wild, savage dreams.

Another favourite, which I only had the chance to experience recently due to its being discontinued and hard to come by, is Vierges et Toreros (Virgins and Bullfights, 2007) by Antoine Lie for Etat Libre d’Orange. Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of everything Antoine creates, but this one is particularly visceral — it immediately envelops you with a photorealistic rendering of the bull’s hairs. Yet the dry down is strangely angelic, almost cocooning. It’s a confusing experience. It reminds me of Almodóvar’s Matador (1986), one of my all-time favourite films about erotic desires.

What are some of your current favorite fragrances or perfume houses?

I’m a sucker for most of the classic fragrances from Guerlain and Caron. Apart from the ones I’ve already mentioned, I also love L’Heure Bleue (1912).

My favourite contemporary brand is Orto Parisi. It drives me mad to smell Boccanera (2014) or Brutus (2014) on a man. I make my boyfriend wear them and absolutely love smelling them on him.

Some other favourites: Estée Lauder’s Youth Dew (1953), Clinique’s Aromatics Elixir (1971), Serge Lutens’ A La Nuit (2000) and La Fille de Berlin (2013), ELDO’s Eau de Protection (2007), Astier de Villatte’s Les Nuits (2022).

What do you think is unique about the sense of smell that is unlike any of the other senses?

Its power to transport us instantaneously to a past memory, or to a purely imaginary world.

I love how visceral and invasive it can be. Scents permeate our body without our permission — we literally have to stop inhaling/breathing to stop smelling. We can cover our eyes or ears, but we can’t stop breathing.

Will you be releasing any new fragrances in 2025?

Absolutely! Our second collection for JOUISSANCE is currently in development. It will feature another trio.

In addition to JOUISSANCE, I’m also working on my very first fragrance, which I will be creating independently from start to finish.

I can't wait to share both of these with you very soon!

What's your vision for the future of Jouissance?

First and foremost is to continue creating beautiful fragrances, but also diversify our offerings into other scented products such as candles and scented stationaries. We want our scents to adorn not only our customers’ bodies but also their creative spaces.

In addition to our main line, we’re also hoping to explore more publishing projects, similar to The Collector project that we launched last November at Studio Voltaire.

Anything else you'd like to share?

I’m excited to share that I’ll be hosting a rose accord workshop on Wednesday, February 12th, for my dear friend Gigi Surel’s newly launched curatorial practice, Teaspoon Projects.

In this workshop, I will be guiding the participants through one of the first things I learned as a perfumery student—both in Grasse and under the mentorship of Antoine: constructing a simple rose accord using only synthetic raw materials. My goal is to debunk some of the mysteries around synthetic raw materials for anyone who wishes to start learning about perfumery but had to navigate it independently, as I did five years ago due to a lack of industry access and resources.

This will be my very first workshop, and I’ve spent the entire Christmas holiday and most of January preparing for it. I’m really excited to share what I’ve found to be the most interesting and helpful aspects of perfumery with the wonderful friends who’ve signed up to this workshop.

Further ahead, I’m excited to share that I will be coming to New York end of April / early May this year. We will be hosting our first ever JOUISSANCE U.S. event at Stéle Williamsburg. I’ve been so grateful for all the enthusiasm and support we’ve received from our U.S. friends since we launched, and I can’t wait to connect with everyone in-person!

Thank you for sharing your world with us Cherry! 🌹

If you have not gotten your nose on Jouissance yet I highly recommend you order their discovery set!