A while back I stopped by the launch event for Odin’s fourth showing in their line of unisex scents, 04 Petrana. While I’m not really huge on fragrances myself (I consider Right Guard deodorant adventurous), I know some guys dig ‘em and I’m definitely a devoted fan of nice-smelling ladies. So I figured I might as well drop on by.
And I’m glad I did. Eddy Chai and Paul Birardi from Odin were both there, as was Jean Paul DeVille, the perfumer behind the scent itself. All of them were incredibly gracious gentlemen, and hearing Jean Claude talk perfume was enormously entertaining. He’s deeply engaging, just a bit science-geeky, and willing to explain any and everything one could want to know about fragrances. A pleasure all around.
And while I’m still pretty firmly in the scent-neutral category personally, 04 Petrana is a solid product. It’s inspired by the Black Iris flower from the Jordanian desert, and has a deep leathery base with a lot of pepper and a bit of floral in there too. Despite the unisex label, it seems more female-friendly to me (my girlfriend is a fan), but if you guys dig it, have at.
What with the celebratory nature of New Year’s Eve, I was hoping to get this post up early enough last week that you could score this as a final holiday gift for the appropriate person in your life (or for yourself). Seeing as that didn’t happen, consider this for the next big to-do on your calendar.
It’s $110 for a 100ml bottle; sold out at Odin but available at Barney’s online.
—Jonathan
PS- Happy New Year!








Happy New Year!