Cedar in the Club: Diptyque Jazzes Up Orphéon
Hypnotic.
Diptyque chose that word to describe their latest experience.
Though not recently developed, their Orphéon fragrance deserves a reintroduction owing to its Parisian history. Everyone loves an alluring origin story. And (almost) free stuff.
“Orphéon: a celebration of rhythmic nights, creativity, and the Parisian art of living.”
How does one bottle a vintage jazz bar? Thinking of an old Parisian jazz club conjures images of plush velvet blue seating and dark oak round drink tables. Its grains lit up by a small votive candle and intimate stage lights. Only fine wisps of high-quality tobacco smoke and tunes of Satchmo fill the air.
And the band plays on. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Because of the close-knit relationship between the olfactory and central nervous system, it is common to experience a moment of nostalgia when encountering particular scents. Perfume is a luxury that not only induces emotions, but also reflects identity and character from the moment of misting to olfactory processing. Perfume unites chemistry with perception and environment.
“Orphéon’s juniper berry top note is like the perfect gin martini, while the heart of the scent is ‘woody’ owing to cedar and smoky tonka bean. Its bottom note is a lingering jasmine like hot Parisian nights. Well, in theory anyway.
Body chemistry ultimately determines how Orphéon emits to subway neighbors. An alternative is a room fragrance. It jazzes up work-from-home moments.”
The design of the collection plays back to the interiors of the 1950’s bohemian club L’Orphéon. The re-packaged Orphéon fragrance and candle duo are presented through the Diptyque Jazz Club experience. They sent out an invite on their social channels to boost the event that debuts in NYC and will travel to Asia and the UK. Pop-ups have been popping up all over the globe for several years. The lines getting longer, the experience more generic. Diptyque’s sounds exciting and the invitation brief enough to draw intrigue. The bottom line: Are the products and experience worth it?
Our science and mini-outing assessed the situation.
Trumpets and saxophones fill the air. The overall aroma is in harmony with jazz- the juxtaposition of laze and intrigue. Achieving a delicate and distinctive tobacco fragrance without smelling like clothes from the previous night at a cigarette smoke-swathed club demands a touch of vanilla. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
THE SCIENCE
Diptyque reintroduced an old fragrance with a new look using an uninvolved method: special packaging, of course. A more consumer-engaging blue label replaced their storied black label and they created boxed sets. Two of their existing candles paired up to form the scent of their 2021 perfume and an oak case houses a bottle of Orphéon for IG-ready close-ups.
The concept of Orphéon materializes in a pyramid that meticulously transitions through fresh citrus over a spicy floral on top of a foundation of rich musky woody notes. Synthetic components are added to the Orphéon perfume and candle set to mimic an unfamiliar bouquet, while essential oils and their extracts reside in the nucleus at around 77%. Layering aromatics also provides the intricacy of a distant memory not found on a walk through a rose garden.
When smelling a scent, whether that of a perfume, candle, fruit or flower, the aromatic molecules ‘melt’ into the nasal mucosa. From there, a message is sent to the brain and feelings get felt- from relaxation to disconcertment. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
The overall aroma is in harmony with jazz- the juxtaposition of laze and intrigue. Achieving a delicate and distinctive tobacco fragrance without smelling like clothes from the previous night at a cigarette smoke-swathed club demands a touch of vanilla. For Diptyque, coumarin in the Orphéon perfume and Narguilé candle is extracted from tonka bean as a cheaper alternative to vanilla.
This Jazz Club scent evokes the graceful balance of neuronal stimulation and slowdown. The goal of aromatherapy is to trigger olfactory-hippocampus-driven relaxation with a side of memories but not sedation. Several anxiolytics sedate, which is an unwanted side effect of, for example, benzodiazepines, the initial treatment for anxiety disorders. Monterpenes extracted from essential oils interact with the olfactory system to possibly induce anxiolytic effects via GABAergic activity (limbic system). Diptyque’s fragrance is roughly 50% montoerpenes, and the Genévrier and Narguilé candles together have three monoterpenes.
“When smelling a scent, whether that of a perfume, candle, fruit or flower, the aromatic molecules ‘melt’ into the nasal mucosa. From there, a message is sent to the brain and feelings get felt- from relaxation to disconcertment. The result is not uniform because of the memory factor. For example, velvety amber is a tranquil scent, but a case reviewed at AKScientist Research noted a trigger of negative memory with a spritz of Diptyque’s Amber room spray.”
The Perfume
A bottle of Orphéon perfume displayed at the Jazz Club. Originally produced in 2021 as a tribute to an actual bohemian club in 1950s Paris. Synthetic components are added to mimic an unfamiliar bouquet, while essential oils and their extracts reside in the nucleus at around 77%. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Orphéon perfume’s scent profile can lighten the ambience of a small room. With a single light mist, Diptyque plays up notes of “tonka bean, cedar and juniper berry”. To recreate the feeling of a 1960’s jazz club, the powdery organic ester methyl benzoate mixes with the smoky isoeugenol. Both emit a trace of ylang-ylang, but the latter has properties of decomposed wood.
Structural analysis of hydroxycitronellal and GABAAR through computational modeling revealed “potential agonist activity”. Mainly through high affinity interactions with amino acids at binding sites (in subunits).
Common monoterpenes limonene (from junipers) and linalool (from lavender) provide a sedative aroma without being too depressive. The common lab yeast saccharomyces cerevisiae yields alpha-isomethyl ionone, giving perfume the violet-like scent that is also blended into Chanel No. 5. This is a commonly used combination of essential oil extracts that blend well with hydroxycitronellal and “woody notes” like cedar. Their sedative and anti-depressive properties are possibly via increasing inhibitory action of GABAAR like the monoterpene borneol in valerian. With chemistry of orange, cinnamon, melon, rose and vanilla, it is easy to see why citral, cinnamal, coumarin, hydroxycitronellal and geraniol have presented anxiolytic effects in aromatherapy studies.
“There are 77 short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase genes expressed in isoeugenol. This is important in reducing NAD and maybe the reason it increases hair growth.”
Interestingly, the rose-like scent citronellol, yielded by the monoterpene alcohol geraniol, was found to be anxiety-inducing by one study. Though not scientifically confirmed, there is a possibility that geraniol may offer neuroprotective effects like the iridoid geranyl acetone. The acetone reduces ROS and prevents beta-plaque formation in Alzheimer’s through inhibiting beta-secretase.
Coumarin, though toxic at high ingestion levels, is oddly also an anxiolytic when eaten. This may be due its effect on genetic expression of not only the GABA system, but also genes regulating actions through dopamine and serotonin as shown through studies on the simple coumarin officinalin. Genes responsible for 5-HT1 and TH1 receptors are turned on more with officinalin treatment. The GABA system is important in both getting and getting rid of anxiety. Officinalin increases clusters of GABAARs by increasing gene expression for GABAA-receptor associated proteins alpha and beta and also serotonergic receptors 5HT1A/2A/2B by increasing expression of their genes.
A reminder on the general action of GABA-A receptors on emotion: An aromatic binding to a GABAAR results in a conformational change of the receptor, thus opening the ion channel and decreasing neuronal activity. This changes the emotional state. Read the Scientific Tidbit here.
“Geraniol, another rose and lavender monoterpenoid, normalizes cortical EEG wave pattern, hippocampal serotonin and catecholamines while enhancing SOD levels. Together these findings mean a decrease in anxious behavior. To calm the brain, geraniol may act through the HPA-axis to decrease it’s activity by increasing the power of theta (4-7 Hz) and delta (0.5-4 Hz) waves and decreasing beta wave activity. The former is slow, thus acts on the reward system.”
The Candle Duo
On-site hand engraving is a thoughtful gesture by Diptyque. The duo is packaged in a small blue box redolent of the berry-like cone Juniperus communis. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Narguilé’s stronger and deeper smell is softened by Genévrier. It is similar to Le Labo’s Tonka scent. The real-life effect is synonymous with the moment you step outside of a jazz club where you are suddenly veiled with the melding of fresh and smoky airs. The blend of tonka’s coumarin, synthetic grey amber and piperonal in Narguilé provide the notes of “honey, tobacco, and spices” as noted by Diptyque.
Narguilé’s stronger and deeper smell is softened by Genévrier. It is similar to Le Labo’s Tonka scent. Its fourth ingredient, PTBCHA, lets Genévrier’s subtle woodiness linger while the last ingredient is responsible for the aroma of gin’s juniper berry. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Using chemical aromatic analysis, the candle duo can be described as a mix of a bit of cherry pie with woody cured sperm whale excrement that releases a jazzy shisha lounge mood. Dr. Lecter was a fan of amber gris from Physeter macrocephalus as he spritzed it on a letter to agent Starling (Hannibal). The synthetic goes by Iso E Super.
For more accurate “non-freestyle” engraving, head to the store for machine precision and a choice of 3 fonts, including the Diptyque font. These are examples from the Nolita boutique. If using the JAZZ code, a small fragrance sample of Orphéon is included. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Diptyque’s description of Genévrier as ‘spicy, smoky… and the bitterness of citrus peel’ arises from blending the same synthetic amber gris used in Narguilé with a sweet fruity ester, and woody notes from Vertenex and octahydro-7-methyl-1,4-methanonaphthalen-6(2H)-one. Its fourth ingredient, PTBCHA, lets Genévrier’s subtle woodiness linger while the last ingredient is responsible for the aroma of gin’s juniper berry. The former is a synthetic that is The Gap cheap and can be found in Yankee Candle Co Pink Sands candle for less than $31 for a giant jar.
THE EXPERIENCE
Another Saturday, another brand experience.
Everyone loves free stuff and Instagrammable moments (unsure if TikTok is available at the time of publication). The ‘ok let’s see what this is about’ attitude is familiar because you never know what a brand is willing to offer and FOMO is still a thing despite the gratitude journaling trend.
Diptyque is hosting a weekend pop-up in Soho to reintroduce the existing fragrance, Orphéon. The Magazinevisited this without press credentials to evaluate the process. Because we, as well as our readers, are perplexed as to why those long lines continue to be an event for relatively unexciting happenings. Alternative to the A-lister pre-opening event, is either an RSVP line that runs down Green St to Canal or a waitlist line. The latter is oddly shorter. Everyone who RSVP’d is confused about the long line, but decide to line up with their perplexed facial expression lines.
Even if people go into this completely clueless about the history of Orphéon, “Jazz Club” is intriguing enough to wait outside in the cold. ‘What is that, what’s going to happen, are we going sit at those strategically tight tables with a two drink minimum surrounded by smoke?’
Sometimes what is left is an empty stained cup and crinkled bag.
Unlike the improvising nature of jazz, the space is lively with a tone of restriction. The purchasing station greets guests before entering the experience room. This is minimally constructed with a brief history of the scent and smelling stations. The rich blue velvet draped walls are adorned with framed news clippings about the brand while jazz instruments hang from above. The back area is transformed into the club room with coffee bar, low performance stage and seating.
Essentially, Diptyque’s Orphéon Jazz Club in NYC is a free little coffee shop where candles are available for purchase and a live band plays jazz.
Diptyqes Orphéon Jazz Club opened for a pop-up on Green St. in the SoHo neighborhood of NYC. It will move to Asia and the UK. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
“If you make people wait an hour in line outside during the freezing month of love and an additional 30 minutes indoors for a coffee drink, then do not garner the look of contempt on your face, Mr. Corraller.”
Diptyque’s story for this product is ‘connecting the past to the future’. Nobody at this event has ever been to a jazz club in Paris in the ‘60s. Mostly because none were vital thoughts of their would-be parents at that time. Creating basically a false memory for a new generation is worthwhile for both parties. Most of these pop-ups are curated for a younger clientele- they do not mind waiting in line or paying someone for the charge. They also want exclusive packaging especially if it is free. The electric blue paper coffee cups are seen toted around SoHo throughout the day tempting oglers to wonder where one can be obtained.
The patrons in the coffee bar line becomes suspicious near the end of the first time slot between 12-3p. They want their free stuff! The coffee bar decides it is a good time to run “out of all milk” in an attempt to attenuate the crowd. They all rush to get their free noshes. An attendant in SoHo says ‘hanging out is okay, but this is not Starbucks’ before revealing a guest became too homey with a laptop.
Tweaking this Diptyque experience accordingly as it moves across the globe is highly suggested. Make a month-long jazz club where time is given to sit and enjoy music with a two drink minimum. That is probably not cost-effective.
For those particularly drawn to the scent, Diptyque made a special oak wood box for Orphéon’s reintroduction. It runs around $300, which is what some scents cost on their own. This is at the Diptyque NoHo Boutique on Prince. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
“Overall, it was a nice presentation, but the wait was not worth it because there is not much to see and the product is not great. Why do I need two candles to make one scent? Telling a story about jazz and that period of French culture is noteworthy, but I would not wait for coffee that I normally get on Lafayette. The brand experience is ‘fresh’, but what they should have invested more in in the infrastructure to make things work more smoothly. ”
An alternative to attending this pop-up in NYC is spend Sunday night in, turning on Paris Blues, enjoying Joanne Woodward’s and Diane Carol’s 60’s fashion, and lighting the Genévrier classic candle. This is juniper berry without the gin hangover. Fast-forward to Louis Armstrong’s “Wild Man Moore” blaring into Club Prive and showing Paul Newman what it really is to trumpet (~60 minutes in). This scene coming to life resembles what it would take to jumpstart Orphéon.
BOTTOM LINE
Orphéon has elements that summon intrigue and renewal- forbidden tonka bean, boho vintage Paris and a brand story. Unfortunately, hypnotic is not the adjective for it. This product line and experience is held together like tobacco.
This is one of those products that takes a Gladys Glover (Judy Holliday, It Should Happen to You) approach- put its name in lights so that the masses will think it is something special. Most people have not developed personal taste, especially in the Age of Influence. Aside from that, anything traveling through the nasal pathway has the power to alter moods and conjure memories. So, the olfactory system regulates taste variation.
The coffee bar decided to run out of “all milk” around 1 hour before closing the first session. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
More studies on the ritual of lighting a candle or spritzing perfume are needed to determine their ability to ameliorate mood afflictions. For now, clinical and laboratory evidence suggests that they can chase away the Sunday Scaries sans side-effects.
Notably, essential oils that form fragrances, either perfumes or candles, can be categorized by their constituents responsible for the user experience. Neurotransmitters calm and uplift the mood system through modulation. Many are bioactives used in traditional medicine that are now more commonly seen on the therapeutics market.
Though gift bags, live music, and refreshments are, time is not gratis. Spending over an hour in line is a non-refundable cost. That goes for any of these pop-ups from Diptyque to Rhode. It is also highly annoying to residents that need to take a detour around the masses.
“Tonka’s coumarin conveys a sweet smell and bitter taste. Juniper’s cedrane, cedrol and the terpene thujopsene interact with the olfactory system for a particular response that is user-specific.”
