Nomenclature

Helvetolide®

Part of the latest generation of synthetic musks (the oldest one goes back to 1888), Helvetolide® is particularly valued for its delectable pear note, reminiscent of ambrette, a vegetal musk extracted from hibiscus seeds. It was patented in 1991 by the Swiss company Firmenich, hence its name, derived from Helvetia, the Latin term for Switzerland.

The scent: Zero Gravity Musk

Helvetolide® gives off a softly enveloping, long-lasting aura; an otherworldly feeling of stillness and weightlessness. Rather than using Helvetolide® in a “classic” way to enhance other notes, Frank Voelkl boosts its ethereal vibe in a futuristic composition that seems to conjure the scent of zero gravity.

A pink pepper comet brings out its fruitiness. Cool, metallic iris underlines its affinities with ambrette (which has an iris facet). A nebula of vanilla, tonka bean and ambergris underline its sensuousness. In German, adrett means “neat” or “dapper”: in this spare, smartly trimmed scent, each element is essential – as it would be in outer space.

The Aedes signature black box features a preserved purple rose that will last forever along with the Nomenclature's Holywood Eau de Parfum (10ml).  A combination of two floral divas, Bulgarian rose and jasmine sambac,  on a bed of mystical sandalwood and luxurious suede. 

Paradisone®

Ever since it infused Edmond Roudnitska’s groundbreaking Eau Sauvage with its citrus-tinged, floral airiness, Hedione®, an analogue of a compound naturally present in jasmine, has been one of the most widely-used materials in perfumery. Paradisone®, a captive molecule patented in 1996 by Firmenich, is its purest, most precious and most powerful expression.

The scent: The flower of angels

Paradisone® is “the angelic aroma of one million flowers… a storm of delicacy and diffusion,” in the poetic words of the perfumer Arcadi Boix-Camps.

In the astonishingly radiant efflor_esce, Frank Voelkl blows its heavenly breeze over an edenic Sicilian orchard. Touched by the luminous soul of jasmine, the fruit, leaves, twigs and blossoms of the orange tree unfurl their heady, sun-gorged scents. Bergamot adds its peppery sparkle; osmanthus, the yielding velvet of its apricot and suede flesh; tuberose, its narcotic sillage. This is nature, but better: Paradise found.

The Scent: Glowing Bright in the Dark

In the 90s, Calone was used for clean, limpid aquatic scents. Here, Nathalie Feisthauer amps up its transparency by backlighting it with green notes so bright they veer on the fluorescent. Rhubarb, blackcurrant bud and tomato leaf add both the vegetal scents of a moonlit seaside jungle and the eerie glow of bioluminescent plankton edging indigo waves. Then she sets it off against the ink-black depths of Somalian incense, its metallic facets adding their cool gleam to the saline effects of Calone. In this powerfully contrasted and textured environment, the molecule evolves into a new olfactory life form. This is marine, but not as we know it.

The molecule: Calone®

Discovered by Pfizer chemists in 1965 doing research on tranquilizers, Calone turned out to be more efficient when inhaled. Its sea-spray, green and melon facets were so powerful that perfumers took over two decades to fully exploit the molecule. It went on to spawn the most iconic fragrance families of the 90s: aquatic fragrances. A victim of its success, Calone has been dormant for the past two decades. With fluo_ral, Nathalie Feisthauer introduces it into a radically different ecosystem.

The molecule: Clearwood®

The very first fragrance ingredient designed through White Biotechnology, Clearwood® is the 21^st century’s answer to patchouli. Developed in California for Firmenich, this sustainable, eco-friendly material is derived from the fermentation of sugar cane. Blurring the boundary between the natural and the man-made, the pioneering Clearwood® ushers in a new age for perfumery.

The Scent: Glam Wood

In a neo-stalgic tribute to 1970s California, holy_wood celebrates both the New Age spiritual awakening of the era and the creative explosion of the New Hollywood cinema movement. Just as technical innovations allowed young directors like Scorsese or Altman to reinvent American cinematography, master perfumer Frank Voelkl uses cutting-edge materials to create a luminous modern version of the signature accord of that decade: rose and patchouli. Shorn of its musty facets, the latter reincarnates as the ethereal Clearwood®. Rose Petal Nature Print®, an airy “capture” of flower’s scent, breathes life into the classic note, sprinkled with sparkling pink pepper SFE*. Two floral divas, Bulgarian rose and jasmine sambac, add a touch of Golden-Age Hollywood glamour to the streamlined blend, on a bed of mystical sandalwood and luxurious suede. Turn on, tune in, waft out!

minted | Modern Eclectics
fresh, laundered herb

Moroccan mint tea on ice.
Guilt-free opulence.
Pale green clouds of chalk.
The clean virtual slate.
A crypto curious mind and a full wallet.

The art of the possible. An optimistic outlook. Freshly laundered herb with a touch of cream. Good taste. No acquisition required.

Modern Eclectics’ minted is the fragrance equivalent of a deep breath. Clean jasmine petals and papyrus dust a cup of Moroccan mint tea.

A faint cloud of powder makes the mint accord less
bracing but not soft. Instead, it is expansive and diffuse, carrying with it the subtle touches of violet and lemongrass. This aromatic woody scent lands on skin as a light veil that remains fresh even as the hours tick on.

Notes: Moroccan mint, mate tea, jasmine petals, papyrus, Atlas cedarwood, violet, lemongrass, bergamot, brown sugar

Set contains a 2ml spray EdP of Modern Eclectics' Minted, Wood Dew, Neo Rose, Pink Ivory and Palmetto along with five limited edition postcards featuring artwork by NY based artist Rafael Santiago.

neo rose | Modern Eclectics
velvet petal pressure

Burgundy in a mirror.
Chilled suede.
Dark academia beauty.
What goes around comes around.
A rose is not a rose.

A history that does not repeat but transforms itself. A rose pressed between the sheets of a suede-bound book. When finally discovered, it has not been preserved in its cut state. Rather, it emerges as something entirely new.

Modern Eclectics’ neo rose is an ethereal floral being that exists for the modern age. A tactile geometry of Turkish rose is woven with black tea, patchouli and equally heady jasmine and freesia for a revelatory rose with just a hint of thorn. This floral woody scent is like catching a peek at a darkened garden, lit only for those who know just where to look.

Notes: Turkish rose, black tea, jasmine, patchouli, freesia, pink pepper, bergamot, white wood

A selection of all ten Nomenclature Eau de Parfums:

• Adr_ett
• Efflor_esce
• Orb_ital
• Lumen_esce
• Shi_so
• Holy_wood
• Para_iso
• Fluo_ral
• Psy_cou
• Red_wood

Orbitone®

It softens other materials, appeases tensions between musk, woody and floral notes, and makes perfume blends light as clouds… Since the early 1990s, “the transparent woody-ambery odor of Iso E Super has shaped and defined modern perfumery like hardly any other material,” writes the fragrance chemist Philip Kraft. With Orbitone®, Takasago offers a sophisticated, surprisingly textured version of this indispensable molecule.

The scent: Wood in orbit

Orbits are the result of a perfect balance between momentum and gravity. And in orb_ital, Patricia Choux has brilliantly used the balancing qualities of her star molecule to create a new fragrant planetary system. Violet and rhubarb; pepper, cedar and roast coffee; tobacco, smoke, and a whiff of struck match… Of the many facets spinning around Orbitone® the perfumer has picked pepper as the main force of attraction. The spice’s cool-hot burn acts from top to base notes in orb_ital, exerting its pull on a creamy sandalwood compound, Takasago’s Hindinol®, anchored by sacred olibanum.

palmetto | Modern Eclectics
jungle plant soul

Feathered fronds.
Heated abundance.
A vertical landscape.
The breeze in your hair.
Moving on and up.

A new point of view. Sky-high lethargic palms swung by hot winds. A hand slicing through tall grass. The calm that comes by looking down from above.

Modern Eclectics’ palmetto captures the soul of a palm. It is less of an ideal and more of a complete picture: lush leaves, slender trunk, earthly roots; each element emitting its own aroma tinged with fruits and flowers and earth. Dry galbanum and crisp amber are balanced by fig cream, spicy angelica seeds and sichuan pepper. This is a green spicy scent with the power to create its own atmosphere.

Notes: Galbanum, lemon, angelica seeds, fig cream, jasmine petals, crisp amber, sichuan pepper, musk nectar

The molecule:  Quincester®

Eve’s fruit of temptation may not have been an apple, but a quince. For the ancient Greeks, it was a symbol of love, dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite. The effusive

Quincester®, a captive molecule developed by Firmenich, conveys  the heavenly tartness of the pear-like quince.  “It’s crisp, lively, so radiant it’s almost fluorescent!” says Frank Voelkl, who admits it was love at first sniff for him.

THE SCENT: In Search of Paradise

In para_íso, the radiant Quincester®, guides you “In Search Of” or ISO, the ubiquitous acronym. Cutting through a maze of green vines, the laser-sharp molecule reveals a vibrant oasis of green, floral, fruity and woody notes. Iris, jasmine sambac and a full-bodied, almost coconutty muguet note, the captive Lilyflore®, nestle the tart, juicy fruit in their dewy petals. White Tea Nature Print, a vividly realistic reproduction of the floral-scented beverage, introduces luminous cedarwood. A mirror-like waterfall reflects the light of this bright composition.

The search is over: para_íso is your smile as you bite into the forbidden fruit.

pink ivory | Modern Eclectics

raw beach rococo

Cotton candy in the fridge. Aquarelle aesthetic.
Glitter pressed into glass.
The first step on blush sand.
Marie Antoinette in a micro mini.

A dream state. An evolved realm of sparkling calm and kinetic kindness. A moment to remember that life really is sweet. Not saccharine, but beautiful.

Modern Eclectics’ pink ivory is a creamy froth of clean iris and sugared carrot. An undercurrent of saltiness is a like a secret, a slightly naughty counter to the initial rolling wave of confection. Beachy tones from amber and cashmere are welcome ground on which to anchor, a soft landing for this floral musky perfume.

Notes: Orris, carrot seed, pink sugar, violet, bergamot, white amber, cashmere

Coumarin®

Call it the primal scream of perfumery. Coumarin was the very first molecule that allowed perfumers to cut loose from the past and venture into modern abstraction. First used in the groundbreaking 1882 Fougère Royale, this synthetic marvel ignited a new era of artistic expression. Named after kumarù, the word for the tonka bean tree in Tupi, an Amazonian language, coumarin is not only the primal source of modern perfumery, it is still a primary material in the fragrance industry.

THE SCENT: Primal Modernity

To rebirth coumarin and bring it back to its original modernity in psy_cou, perfumer Frank Voelkl had to cure it from its compulsive desire for sugar in order to let its deepest psyche break free. Rather than focusing on its almondy aroma, he drew on the molecule’s true nature: the scent given off by fresh-mown hay. Cool, sparkling juniper berries and cardamom and creamy Palo Santo wood – used as incense in sacred Ecuadorian rituals – shed a ray of light on the bucolic bale. Then flamboyant saffron sets it ablaze, releasing burnt notes of coffee, incense and oud, unleashing psy_cou’s darkest instincts. Like souls, perfumes are made of shadows and light.

Notes: Coumarin, cardamom, juniper berries, coffee, incense, saffron, oud, palo santo

Norlimbanol®

Norlimbanol is one of the most powerful woody notes in all of perfumery, with its hypnotic smell of absolute dryness. Perfume critic Chandler Burr describes it as “a genius molecule that should be worth its weight in gold” and compares it to a multi-sensory amusement park ride. Discovered by Firmenich’s chemists and patented in 1986, this “vintage” captive joined the exclusive group of “Green Chemistry” molecules readily biodegradable. Its dry woody and ambery hues are a must in modern perfumery.

THE SCENT: Monumental Wood

It takes a monumental molecule to recreate the scent of the gigantic redwoods. Frank Voelkl’s choice became the core of this colossal composition. Norlimbanol runs thru every fiber in our conceptual tree. First, it is absorbed by its roots along with tactile suede, earthy patchouli, and animalistic musky notes. Then, victoriously ascends through its trunk, carried by sweet stems of cyclamen, suave rose petals, and volatile pimento berries. As it reaches the canopy, chlorophyll-saturated juniper, balsamic eucalyptus, bright bergamot, and celestial star anise propel the glorious ascension, releasing a gigantic silage worth of its name, red_wood.

 Notes: Norlimbanol, rose, pimento berries, cyclamen, suede, juniper, cedarwood

Glycolierral®

Though fragrance chemistry can’t yet say “green” in quite as many ways as Nature, today its variegated palette goes far beyond “grass” or “Granny Smith”. Thus, Givaudan’s herbaceous Glycolierral® captures the cool scent of a crushed ivy leaf – hence the name given by Givaudan to the molecule, from the French word for “ivy”, lierre.

THE SCENT: Thinking Green

Say it with a long “o” – Shisõ – and in Japanese, it means “modern thought”. With a short “o”, it trips over the tongue with the uniquely complex flavor of the shiso leaf. An iconic herb in Japanese cuisine, shiso is seldom featured in fragrance. But its smell – a blend of mint, basil and cumin with a metallic flash -- has long fascinated Bertrand Duchaufour. In shi_sõ, he spins it into an arrestingly modern take on a classic genre, the eau de Cologne, replacing citrus with a kaleidoscope of green notes. The zesty bite of cardamom. A sprig of cool spearmint. Lemony verbena. Raspy blackcurrant. Soapy almondy anise. Tart rhubarb. Glycolierral® wraps the bracing blend in a sweet, milky, sap-laden effect.

wood dew | Modern Eclectics
forest shower drops

Naked in autumn.
Been inside for too long.
Tree tops and bare bark.
Nymph vibes.
Grounding energy, but just for a minute.

Stepping into the forest after the rain. The wood is wet, but the air has dried. There is hope and there is slumber, both on the horizon. There’s still time to touch the earth.

Modern Eclectics’ wood dew captures a moment in time when the loud blooms are long gone. What’s left is not as colorful, yet it still pulses with life. A clearing of soft, fragrant Australian sandalwood and palo santo form this forest. A crisp air comes from Asian pear. Peach nectar, Turkish rose, and white musk allow this woody floral a
soft landing that welcomes those who wish to ground.

Notes: Australian sandalwood, palo santo, white musks, Asian pear, peony, peach nectar, matcha tea, dewy violet, Turkish rose.