Odin New York
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Bitter orange and bergamot clash with yuzu's green snap, a sharpness that feels almost mentholic against your skin. Within moments, the citrus contracts inward, revealing something unexpectedly spiced—nutmeg's peppery warmth announces itself with surprising authority, already beginning to pivot the composition away from freshness.
The vermouth emerges as a drying, herbaceous force, its wine-like quality combining with elemi resin to create something almost bitter and resinous—reminiscent of pine sap and dried herbs. The spice softens fractionally, allowing the woody framework to become audible beneath, whilst that earthy quality develops a subtle, almost petroleum-like depth that keeps the composition from becoming conventional.
Vetiver takes command with a cool, slightly smoky character as the base settles into skin. Benzoin adds a creamy anchor whilst oakmoss provides a damp, mineral quality—the overall effect is of autumn soil and smoke rather than perfumer's sweetness. The fragrance becomes quieter, more whisper than declaration, settling into an austere, slightly herbal woody comfort that lingers for hours in a skin-intimate veil.
Seylon arrives as a deliberate contradiction: a citrus fragrance that refuses the cheerful brevity its top notes suggest. Philippe Romano has constructed something far more cerebral, where bitter orange and bergamot serve not as the primary voice but as aromatic scaffolding for what lies beneath. The yuzu adds a whisper of green tartness, but even here there's restraint—these aren't the bright, effusive citruses of summer cologne. Instead, they're compressed, almost resinous, hinting at the architectural spice that's about to unfold.
What emerges is distinctly uncompromising: nutmeg and vermouth create an almost herbal bitterness, like standing in a Victorian apothecary where someone's been steeping botanicals in alcohol. The elemi resin adds a slightly metallic brightness, preventing the composition from sinking into sweetness. This is a fragrance for someone uninterested in olfactory flattery. It doesn't seduce; it intrigues. The woody and smoky accords suggest leather furniture and aged spirits rather than cologne-counter accessibility.
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3.8/5 (123)