The Conqueror

This actually started because I was planning to release two fragrances: one was Calypso, which has already launched, and another unreleased one. But I felt like inviting Phi First to collaborate, so we chatted about doing two joint projects—one released under Éclectiques, the other under Novelic.

We chose to focus on Odysseus. Phi First built a leather accord, and I added the rest. At the time, I was pondering how to tweak it, and remembered that Odysseus was stuck out in the middle of the sea anyway, so let's make it aquatic. But since I was simultaneously developing Calypso and studying the effects of overdosing Calone, I tried crashing Isobutyl Quinoline (leather), Safranal (saffron), and Calone (water) together to see if it would create a "cocoa crunch" effect. Sure enough, it produced a sustained leather-saffron accord that lasted all the way into the base.

Number of mods: 3 (I actually loved mod 2, but Safranal blew past IFRA limits, so Phi First dialed it down in the next draft. The effect didn't change much because the overdosed Calone naturally lifted the Safranal scent anyway).

Mise en Scène

For anyone who loves skin scents (the kind that clings to your skin until it refuses to wash off), you are cordially invited to check it out at The Iliad and The Odyssey exhibition at Siam Discovery, G Floor, starting next Monday!