Nomenclature Holy_wood Perfume Review  (Frank Voelkl) 2017 + Ideal Patchouli Draw

Karl bradl

Karl Bradl (L) Nomenclature Perfumes and Carlos Quintero (R)

Whoever believes that science cannot be sexy or that art and science are at odds has yet to explore the work of Nomenclature. Co-founders and creative directors Karl Bradl and Carlos Quintero (CaFleurebon Best Creative Directors 2015) new Nomenclature Holy_wood, perfumei s a “neo-stalgic” tribute to Hollywood glamour, brought to us by  perfumer Frank Voelkl. The soft, transparent patchouli of the Clearwood® molecule, created by Firmenich in 2014, takes center stage in the new Nomenclature Holy_wood perfume.

Photo: Firmenich

As we all know, Patchouli oil is an indispensable ingredient in perfumery. Supplies of quality oil have always been spotty, but in 2010 the availability of Indonesian patchouli became even more unreliable.  Soggy weather conditions and labor shortages resulted in poor harvests. Disastrous volcanic eruptions and earthquakes disrupted supply lines. In 2014 Firmenich came to the rescue with its award winning, seminal work on “patchoulol synthase”. The resulting Clearwood® is the first fragrance ingredient created through “white biotechnology”, sustainable and eco-friendly methods that use living cells—yeasts, bacteria, enzymes, etc – to synthesize, via fermentation, new fragrance molecules.  While Clearwood® was never intended to replace the complete scent profile of natural patchouli oil, this new raw material plays an essential supporting role in many contemporary fragrances.  In Nomenclature Holy_wood, Clearwood® is the undisputed star of the show.

Nick Knight for Stern Magazine February 2017

Nomenclature Holy_wood perfume debuts as modern, youthful, intense and bright, bursting with effervescent promise. The Clearwood® note is evident with the first breath – airy, blue, clean and woody. After about five minutes I detect a slight dampness and a suggestion of phenol that creates a fleeting impression of Sumbawa oud. This effect, dark but at once very sheer, is soon replaced with the sparking fizz of pink pepper. 

Nick Knight for Stern Magazine February 2017

As the youthful Nomenclature Holy_wood perfume starlet matures, rich voluptuous notes of velvety Bulgarian rose and sensuous jasmine sambac add depth and fire to the performance. This floral heart of the fragrance creates an impression of the golden age of Hollywood glamour, a neo-vintage vibe that lingers for at least five hours. The initial energy of youth and the heart of maturity are superimposed over a luxurious, sueded, satiny sandalwood that becomes stronger as the fragrance dries down. The Clearwood® note, like the perfume itself, evolves with the life of the scent. The morning after my first experience of Nomenclature Holy_wood, I awaken to a dream of my ideal patchouli.  Forty-eight hours later I am still enjoying (on clothing) a contemporary suggestion of 1970s California and the budding new age culture, free of the dusty and the musty, a perfect marriage of earth, wind and fire.

Nick Knight for Stern Magazine February 2017

Firmenich describes Clearwood® as a clean version of patchouli, minus the leathery and rubbery notes found in the natural oil. I can’t agree more!  Clearwood® is a polished and finely finished rendition of patchouli. The dark head shop and the rough edges of the natural oil have been recast as a transparent, ethereal stand-in for the original With the Clearwood® molecule, roses and jasmine, Nomenclature’s newest fragrance relocates the science lab to the glamorous world of new and old Holy_wood.

Notes: Clearwood®, Pink Pepper SFE, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmin Sambac, Suede and Sandalwood.

Disclaimer:  I would like to thank Nomenclature for the generous samples of Holy–wood.  My opinions are my own.

Gail Gross – Senior Editor

Art Director – Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief. Nomenclature is sold on their site,  Saks.com, Aedes de Venustas and Twisted Lily among other stockists worldwide

Thanks to the generosity of Nomenclature we have one 50 ml bottle of Nomenclature Holy_wood Perfume for one registered reader in the US, Canada or Europe  (be sure to register or your comment will not count). To be eligible, tell us what appeals to you about Nomenclature Holy_wood, based on Gail’s review of Nomenclature Holy_Wood Perfume, where you live and if you like your patchouli – light and bright or dark and earthy.  What do you think of neo-synthetics? Draw closes December 18, 2017

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our  RSS feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

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24 comments

  • Chocolate Marzipan says:

    What appeals to me about Holy Wood is the usage of Clearwood because I adore patchouli in all forms (light and bright AND dark and heavy). I haven’t had much experience with neo-synthetics so I am interested in exploring. I reside in the USA.

  • Alen says:

    I was always atracted to the nomenclature bottles. So so eye catchy. As about the patchouli, i like this note a lot in both ways, light and bright or dark and earthy, depending on the other ingredients from that particular juice. I live in the EU, thanks for the chance.

  • Frozenheat28 says:

    WOW! ( It seems I’m never short of using this word when reading Gail’s articles! ) She grabbed me from the start when she said “Whoever believes that science cannot be sexy…” Then went into the conceptual background of the Molecule of CLEARWOOD® To bring this back around, what really appeals to me about this fragrance is there SEXY SCIENCE and the fact that Holy_wood uses this new Molecule as the star of this fragrance. I’m so intrigued by that! I tend to like my Patchouli on the lighter/brighter side but surrounded by Heavier/darker notes which this fragrance seems to use the rose to accomplish. I’m so interested in this “Neo-synthesis” that I’m actually going to look up more about it one I am done writing this. I live in Pennsylvania, USA.

  • aurora_ru says:

    This is something really interesting: “Clearwood® is the first fragrance ingredient created through “white biotechnology”, sustainable and eco-friendly methods that use living cells—yeasts, bacteria, enzymes, etc – to synthesize, via fermentation, new fragrance molecules”! I am actually interested in enzymes and fermentation as for nutrition and I never thought that enzymes could be somehow related to perfume industry, too.
    I like most of the patchouli-dominant scents, this one sounds very innovative and different. Would love to try it! The bottle looks very appealing and sexy (in scientific way) 😉
    Thank you, I live in Europe (EU).

  • Hasib says:

    Interesting fragrance and House. Clean patchouli sounds retry good. Nice One Gail. Like to try this out. Haven’t really tried and patchouli based Fragrances yet. Thanks U.S.

  • Roxana says:

    Gail Gross’s depiction of “Holly-wood” sounds promising to me.
    I love patchouli and I only know it smelling earthy, thick and very masculine. So it would be interesting to see how it is the lighter version in real life.
    I live in Europe. Thank you.

  • fazalcheema says:

    I am becoming a believer in synthetics. I believe they have significantly expanded the universe of perfumes as Holy_wood shows us and they are the main reason we get to smell perfumes that smell nothing like nature or that paint the nature in a abstract way. Clearwood in Holy_wood is also an abstract rendition of patchouli while removing the earthy dusty parts that I do not usually like, hence, my favorite patchouli creations are perfumes like Givenchy Gentleman where the earthy parts are absent. It is apparent I like my patchouli to be light and bright. thanks for the generous draw. I am in US.

  • NiceVULady says:

    I am curious as to how this smells compared to non-synthetic patchouli. I can’t imagine what this must be like. Thanks for the draw. I’m in the USA

  • peppermoon says:

    Hmm interesting. I’d like to join the draw. I’d like to try Holy_wood to be able to sniff this new Firmenich creation, the Clearwood molecule. The chemistry side of perfumery is endlessly fascinating to me. Synthetics don’t bother me unless they are too harsh and grating. I see them as simply another color for the palette of the perfumer. I myself prefer using both naturals and synthetics in my own hobbyist tinkering. As for patchouli, we’ve had a rocky history but I’ve come to love certain, well blended patchoulis. I’m not fond of the overly headshoppy patchouli, but I enjoy it as a dark underscore in a lighter composition.

  • Richard Potter says:

    I am currently in the patchouli phase of my fragrance education. My favorite at present is Jovoy Psychédélique, so I suppose one could surmise that I like my patch warm and ambery. I also have Patchouly Indonesiano (cold), Coromandel (gourmand), Voleur de Roses (my first patch, and one that I am now beginning to appreciate). I just ordered Patch Flash. Holy_Wood sounds interesting and lovely and I would love to try it. USA.

  • Nat says:

    Not a huge fan of the dark patchouli scents… because they smell too strong for me. This one sounds interesting to try.

    Thank you for the draw! I live in Europe

  • Dawn Crawford says:

    Patchouli. I grew up in the sixties and seventies. Would love to try any fragrance with Karl’s name associated with it.

  • Michelle says:

    I love love love patchouli! I like my patchouli dark and earthy however Gail’s review had me at “contemporary suggestion of 1970’s California”. My curiosity is peeked by neo-synthetics as I am not familiar with them at all. I live in NJ, USA. Thank you so much for the draw!!

  • Vahagn says:

    Thanks for review. I like this sentence: “The initial energy of youth and the heart of maturity are superimposed over a luxurious…”. I would like to feel this perfume”neo-vintage” vibe.
    I like patchouli both sides- dark and bright, but maybe bright side a little more ))
    USA, DE

  • Steve A. says:

    I’m sure I’d love a net-synthetic patchouli. I can take my patchouli light or dark. Looking forward to this effect, “The dark head shop and the rough edges of the natural oil have been recast as a transparent…”. USA

  • Diana D says:

    Wow, this sounds incredible. I have a hard time wearing patchouli. But there are a few fragrances like Midnight Poison that has it, but it’s blended with rose and it’s gorgeous. This one has rose added to it, as well, so I’d be so interested in trying it. I’ve definitely added it to my wishlist.
    I live in the US.

  • psebi101 says:

    I am more of a clean patchouli fan (light and bright), so I think this the kind I would like. The accompanied notes seem to be lifting the composition in a good way. And it lasts that long? Uh!
    Thanks for this draw, I live in Europe.

  • Clay says:

    I have a love hate relationship with Patchouli. Gail writes that this clean and woody. Find the new synthetic like clear wood to be interesting I have read on these pages about Shiso which I bought and it’s quite good. Usa

  • Galen says:

    I loved Gail’s description of how Holy Wood evolves, hour by hour, over the course of a day. There’s nothing quite as wonderful as being surprised by a thoughtfully composed, long lasting and complex fragrance.
    Having lived in San Francisco and now Portland, patchouli has gotten a pretty bad rap. But those associations aside, it is beautiful and I prefer mine to be light and bright.
    Hmmm…neo-synthetics: I can’t say I have an opinion either way!
    Oregon, USA.

  • roxhas1cat says:

    Chemistry was not my best subject, but I sure do appreciate the chemists who can come to the rescue when bad weather, volcanoes and such interrupt the perfumer’s patchouli supply! Thank you! I would love to try this, the bottle is super cute and scientific, how perfect is that? I like that it is long lasting (of course) and that it is refined and polished. All of my patchouli (which I just recently discovered I even liked) is earthy and dark. Thanks for the great info. I live in the US.

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    Loved hearing about biotechnologically advanced aroma chemicals! I’ve always thought of synthetics as just that…man made and synthetic. I never thought of ways of creating aroma molecules that aren’t found in nature but are derived from semi-natural sources. In any case, I’ve found nomenclature to produce lovely scents using intriguing synthetic blends, so I’d love to try this! I also enjoyed hearing that the “morning after” of this scent was the “ideal patchouli.” I love a lot of patchouli. Smelled the real stuff once and I was surprised how green and slightly minty it was…I always thought of it as deep brown and more dirty, but it is a leafy plant. I do like my patchoulis earthy…Givenchy Gentlemen and Lutens’ Borneo are faves. Thanks for the draw! I’m in the US.

  • jrwlovescologne says:

    I enjoy Patchouli a lot it is one of my favorite notes in fragrances. I have not tried this brand yet, I would love to win this fragrance. USA resident

  • doveskylark says:

    As a big fan of old Hollywood pictures, I can’t wait to try this. One of my favorite things to do is wear old bombshell fragrances while watching films from the Golden Age of Hollywood. This fragrance with its neosynthetics sounds like a new spin on my hobby.
    I love earthy patchouli fragrances, especially Lui by Mazzolari.
    I live in the USA.