noun \ noh-men-kluh-cher
From the Latin nomenclatura (“calling by name, assigning of names”), from nomen (“name”) + calare (“call”)
\ the act of naming
\ the system, set of terms or symbols used in a particular science, discipline, or art
Nomenclature celebrates design in perfume chemistry by showcasing today’s most inspiring, exclusive molecules—so exclusive that some, known as “captives,” are zealously guarded by fragrance companies.
Through a series of sheer and streamlined compositions, Nomenclature explores their complex facets and their potential for protagonism. Demonstrating that these man-made hybrids of poetry and science have a beauty all their own.
The beauty of modernity.
“Scientists design these outstanding compounds as elegant solutions to very practical problems. For example, to find a compassionate equivalent to musk, an ecological substitute for sandalwood or a cost-efficient alternative to ambergris. I fell in love with the idea of celebrating design in fragrance chemistry.” - Carlos Quintero, founder
ARD_ETT
The Scent: Zero Gravity Musk
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.
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.
Helvetolide® Musk, Pink Pepper, Iris, Amber Gris, Vanilla, Tonka Bean
LUMEN_ESCE
The Scent: Electric Violet
Capturing the scent of violets in a lab was one of the earliest triumphs of fragrance chemistry and ever since, ionones have been a pillar of perfumery. Violettyne® is the 21st century’s answer to their wistful, powdery fragrance: a preternaturally bright violet with a metallic vibration, edged in fluorescent green. Patented in 2000 by Firmenich, the cutting-edge captive molecule turns scent into light with lumen_esce.
Boosted by a cool-as-cucumber essence of violet leaves, the sizzling Violettyne® shoots high-voltage current from bloom to roots. Petals aquiver, the flower scatters scented powder on a springtime posy (freesia, jasmine, iris and rose). Patchouli Prisma, a high-tech natural ingredient distilled and reassembled to enhance its woody warmth, sheds black light on the radiant bouquet.
Violettyne®, Violet Leaves, Freesia, Jasmin Sambac, Bulgarian Rose, Bergamot, Patchouli Prisma
EFFLOR_ESCE
The Scent: The flower of angels
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.
Paradisone® is “the angelic aroma of one million flowers. 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.
Paradisone® Citrus-Floral, Neroli, Tuberose, Bergamot, Bigarade, Osmanthus
ORB_ITAL
The Scent: Wood in orbit
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.
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.
Orbitone® Wood-Amber, Co2, Pepper, Rhubarb, Violet, Sandalwood, Olibanum
IRI_DEL
The Scent: Urban Iris
With its cucumber-cool, earthy, slightly skin-like facets contrasting with bright, clean, lined-dried linen effects, this modern, powerful organic compound comes as close as you can get to orris butter without tearing an iris field out by its roots and waiting six years for it to yield its fragrance.
Bolstered by iris concrete and irone alpha (the main molecule of the natural ingredient), the iris accord is stretched over an angular structure of crackling woody-ambery notes. Bergamot and ambrette – a vegetal musk with crystalline rose, pear and iris facets – shed their radiance on the trim, dry blend.
Iris Aldehyde, Wood, Ambrette, Bergamo, Amber
SHI_Sõ
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.
Glycolierral® Green, Shiso, Ivy Leaf, Cardamom, Spearmint, Verbena, Blackcurrant
