Artemisia

Perfection. Artemisia has absolutely no faults or flaws. If Snow White has a scent, this is surely it. Artemisia is breezy and warm, sweet and comforting, like a 73 degree Spring or Fall day; always flowing in perfect harmony. This is by no means an "innocent" or "naive", it is a Wise Humble Goodness. It is a breathe of fresh air, and a sharp Right turn away from all the fragrances with no faces. This radiates a beautiful smell all around you, and leaves memory scent trails where you have stood or sat. It is truly divine. Artemisia is not masked behind powder or musk, vanilla or amber, floral's or citrus. Yes, there are similarities with Cashmere Mist, but that is very much clouded by strong musk and powder, while this keeps a perfect balance. I can not put the notes in proper place, but it is creamy, green, sweet and light, but lasting and silage is above par. It shows slight acidity, but stays neutral the whole way through. Initial spray is sparkly green with acidity, and the middle is more powder sweet, while the drydown is mixed perfectly, sweet light crisp yet a heavy silage. All I can say is this is absolutely Enchanting...I really love it. It makes me very self assured, but also self aware...A true Beauty this is. Update: This gets even better with time. Have it on your skin throughout the night and wake up to an enchanting smell. Spray it on a coat and find that a week later a glorious smell is coming from your closet.

This fragrance is very elegant. I associate it with something a woman making a name into "a mens' world" would wear. And after all it was made in honor of Artemisia Gentileschi, the controversial and celebrated painter of the Renaissance. Long neglected as a serious artist, her work was often attributed to other male artists. Reclaimed as a feminist icon in recent years, she is now rightly seen as a serious and groundbreaking artist. She also spent some time in England at the court of King Charles I. Her most famous work is the chiaroscuro masterpiece “Judith Beheading Holfernes.” It has nothing to do with the ancient queen Artemisia, the plant nor the deity Artemis like many think and are left disappointed. For me the scent starts of with nectarines, apples and green foliage. After some time the flowers and vanilla kick-in. Beautiful flowers and wrapped up in sunshine and butterflies. The end is warm, powdery and earthy - mainly musk and oak moss with the rest of ingredients lingering somewhere there as to remind of themselves. I wouldn't describe the scent as fresh at all. On me it has a lot of presence and warmth and this is making it more suitable for the fall/winter season, or perhaps a cold summer evening. And the bottle just got me - very beautiful! Artemisia is truly unique but yet comfortable scent!

A favourite of mine among the Penhaligon’s fragrances. This is a soft, creamy, woody and warm floral musk. It is beautifully blended and smells great from application to dry down. I don’t get any hints from the green notes or apple but what I do get is prominent musk, subtle sandalwood, really nice interpretation of violets, light vanilla, and the teeniest breakthrough hint of oak moss (oak moss isn’t a note I love, it sometimes assails my nostrils, but here it plays an inoffensive supporting role). I can not individually smell the peach, even though I quite like peachy fragrances. I feel like it’s there though, adding some juicy sweetness that’s just out of reach. While this is suggested as a powdery fragrance, I don’t think it’s overly powdery. Not like some of its counterparts, but there is a subtle powdered cosmetic undertone. Overall a really gorgeous, snuggly and feminine scent - lovely in Autumn (when I’m now wearing it in the Southern Hemisphere). It smells great wafting off a light scarf. Love.

So romantic. A whiff from a bygone world, when girls from wealthy families stayed mostly indoors and learned to speak French, do needlework, and play the piano. I once knew a woman who had grown up like this before World War II started, completely shielded from (and unprepared for) real life. I am happy that many women have the option to go out into the world these days. But it is beautiful to sniff at Artemisia and dream of being a girl in a pretty white dress, sitting in a room where powders and hair brushes are nicely laid out on a vanity, expecting the whole world to be one big, pretty, lovely smelling room. Surprisingly I cannot detect the violet in Artemisia - even though it usually is strong on me. I get musk and a juicy nectarine and a sweetness that reminds me of glucose tablets. Very, very delicious. Flowers? A lot, but I cannot tell you, which. Same with wood. Artemisia is so deftly blended, that I cannot analyse it further. Very longlasting, but with only moderate sillage.

I've had this fragrance for over 2 years now, so I've had time to let my thoughts on this marinate... Obsessed with the way it smells once it's settled on the skin for at least a couple hours. When you first spray it it does give a medicinal, almost bug spray like aroma that others have mentioned in their reviews.. But if you can get past that, this is a gorgeous and complex scent. I have an aversion to generic, linear fragrances, so I like to be challenged by the experience as a whole.. For me, I can look past that because of how unique and truly "niche" this fragrance is. This feels like freshly shaven legs on white pure silk sheets. THAT level of satisfaction from the crispness and smoothness. It's cozy, clean, intimate, with a hint of milky sweetness. I'm very picky when it comes to powdery scents to avoid giving "old lady" but this powdery note is light, fluffy and cloud like. Just dreamy and angelic. This would be my signature fragrance if it had better longevity and sillage.