Calypso is the new version of the original same-named fragrance of the late 1950s. Aurélien Guichard by Givaudan, who has composed the new formula, paid tribute to the vintage character of the perfume but managed to give it a contemporary twist. I have never had the chance to smell the original but I have loved the new version from the first sniff.
The opening is a fresh mix of geranium, tangerine and rose. This intro is so short, that the drydown seems to start immediately. You get warm aspects of amber and hidden in the background a whiff of patchouli weaving an invisible veil around the rose, that softly fades into a powdery base.
This scent is shy and stays on your skin. You would never disturb anyone around you. While Visa by Robert Piguet is a loud diva dancing in the middle of the room, Calypso is the shy beauty sitting in the corner hiding behind her small leather bag. She is not aware of her sensuality. She needs time. She’s gorgeous!
To choose a character from Mad Men, I would say that Visa would be Joan Holloway, Calypso fits Peggy Olson. It is Joan who tells Peggy to dress like a woman and not like a little girl. Peggy needs time to decide to live her own life and to enjoy being successful and independent. She’s revolutionary but always discreet and deliberate. She is torn between working like a man and being a woman. Here we find a parallel to Calypso, which has virile and female facets. In the end the female attributes dominate the drydown. Go, Peggy go!
Calypso is neither a floral scent nor a leather scent. The predominant notes are amber and rose. I am really into amber at the moment. I love the balsamic, soft, powdery sweetness of it. There is a soft leather note in the base, but it smells more like a lady’s bag inside, mixed with a broken powder tin. Slightly musky, breezy, weightless, aldehydic.
Calypso is what I expected Chloé to present, when they announced the launch of the new scent Love, Chloé. Calypso in the Chloé bottle would be perfect. This bottle is so amazing and elegant!
Category: I suggest this scent for women
Perfumer: Aurélien Guichard (Givaudan)
Year: 2010
Notes: tangerine, geranium, Bulgarian rose, orris, zentifoglia, patchouli, ambroxan, suede
