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lediolya21 – :
This fragrance is so soft and baby-like to me… it’s beyond innocent and girlish in a way that brings to mind China dolls and lace gloves rather than pigtails and lollipops.
There’s something creamy in its scent, I’m missing any of the green sharpness to complicate it… its a huge departure from my regular perfumes, but it’s a pleasant and soft scent.
Mihha – :
Tested it, very very light sillage, sweet light baby powdery scent. Nice, but for me it’s not worth paying quite a lot of $$ for.
Kimberly_fromAD – :
9:20 – Smells like…rubbing alcohol? Acetone? Even after letting it sit and air out a bit. Not even saying it’s a bad thing, but it is odd. I’m wondering if I just am reading the nectarine note as very sharp.
1 – Old lady and dog shampoo.
Never got anything oriental out of this. Nor floral. Mostly just musk with a bit of vanilla and fruit. The opening was interesting, which I’m into but after the first 45 minutes or so, it was boring and vaguely unpleasant.
Zoonsemervive – :
This perfume is lovely. To me is late spring/ early summer day in a bottle. Soft, fresh, and absolutely amazing. My first Penhaligon’s and is not disappointing. Classic, lady like, non offensive perfume. Looking forward to try more from this brand.
andzej331 – :
Soft and powdery, perfectly nice with light sillage. Violets and vanilla, musk and amber. Office safe. I like it and would be happy to receive it as a gift, but it’s hard to pull the trigger when I have so many others on my wish list.
Taylora – :
To say this smells like Donna Karan’s Cashmere Mist – is like saying Olive Garden tastes like real Italian food from Italy .
The selling point here is the scent of real fresh cut flowers, leaves, stems…..
Donna Karan’s surplus smells like dry sheets and Fabreeze.
markets – :
Artemisia … This perfume I have associated with Marian Maudsley, the main character of the movie “The go-between” 2015. Who hasn’t seen-very lovely film,advise!
Warm, cozy, soft powdery scent, as Kitty. But it is passion that makes man wish woman dressed in this perfume. Musk and Amber-cocktail of desires, very sensual and passionate. The scent is very stable, but encloses a gentle cloud as a scarf around the neck. I adore this perfume,one of my favourites
meherrem333 – :
On me a soft, powdery, clean and flowery scent. Very alike DKNY Cashmere Mist – A very nice and safe every-day-scent. Maybe not for a teenager, bur sure for a mature woman.
På mig en mjuk, pudrig, ren och blommig doft. Väldigt lik DKNY Cashmere Misgt – en trevlig och säker varje-dag-doft. Kanske inte tilltalar tonåringen, men tilltalar nog många kvinnor mitt i livet.
swine – :
Artemisia opens with sweet green notes mixed with fruits. It is a sweet fruity odour, not sour or pungent. It has a nice opening.
After a while, I feel lily of the valley and jasmine in a green armour. Not a loud floral perfume. A skin fragrance, sweet and pleasant.
The dry-down is powdery and woody and is all about musk.
Artemisia is a nice fragrance. It has good longevity and intimate sillage. This is a discreet scent, good for a quiet day when you want something to make you feel comfortable.
Give it a try if you like florals with pleasant smell and a good vibe.
aleks0066 – :
Soft, clean, powdery, floral vanilla musk. A scent to pair with a cozy short sleeved cream colored cashmere sweater, pearl earrings, and a retro matte red lipstick. Super inoffensive great for daytime or office wear. Reminds me of others in the same genre but is closest in my collection I think to Royal Muska but also similar to others I’ve tried like Serge Lutens Clair de Musc and SJP Lovely. I always think these types of perfumes are a “hug from mom” or “good girl” scents.
gerasimenk20071 – :
This makes me feel like I’m very clean, wearing a clean, completely white, comfortable suit, with white shoes, sitting on a yacht, relaxing, and enjoying the evening breeze that brings with it a soft, sweet scent of white flowers from afar.
jku883Diobtetty – :
Warm, soft musk supported by florals and a very discrete vanilla. Artemisia is very well balanced and I could not really identify the main floral as violet until I read the notes pyramid.
The dry down is very skin close, it feels like it is just amplifying and embellishing the best of your personal skin scent.
Artemisia has to be tested on skin. At least for me it is very different on paper, with a sharp edge not present when applied on skin. On paper much of the warm musky feel is also missing.
The fragrance is very silent but creates a warm and friendly atmosphere. Being embedded in the gentle warm atmosphere of Artemisia makes life a bit smoother and brighter. What I could wish for is some more sillage, at present it is a very private scent.
black angel – :
I wanted to like it but, to me, there was nothing redeeming about this perfume. The reviewer who said this smelt like latex was spot on. I feel like I’m sat in the dentist’s chair when I’m wearing this.
Whilst the latex smell did settle on the drydown it was still unmistakably there and ruined the whole composition for me.
latoevacex – :
I love Artemisia because I love Cashmere Mist from Donna Karan. Both fragrances are very similar almost identical, PA seams to be a bit sweeter but lovely anyway. Strange to see a modern designer fragrance in this Victorian packaging.
voplevil – :
Gives me a massive headache. DKNY Cashmere Mist EDP smells very similar, but much better, and much less $. Make sure you get the EDP
vik28tor29iya – :
Woah, definitely get the reference to burnt rubber some people are mentioning! I think this is more due a sourness, especially in the opening which was incredibly bitter. I put this down to the green apple/violet combination (possibly affected by the oak moss in some small part?). Underneath, the powder and soft vanilla is clearly the slow starter that begins to overtake and lead from the front. With my ‘oriental friendly’ skin I get the drydown as a baking apple cooked in milk with brown sugar and vanilla pods melted in the centre made occasionally by my grandmother at the harvesting of their apple tree bounty. Mouthwatering and crisp but still velvety and subtle. So far this is a contender for my summer go to. Not heavy enough to be overly cloying and oddly refreshing, almost cooling?
Update with longevity to come.
Tulaus – :
I am ambivalent about this one…
I got it because I couldn’t understand it.
This is like a unicorn to me.
I loved the softness and mystery of Artemisia.
Strangely it ends up smelling a little too loud on me!
I smell creamy vanilla and lots of musk.
In fact, it smells like caramel on me.
I enjoy the light herbal top notes more, but it always ends up too powdery and gourmand for my taste.
I kind of like it anyway!
I have a roll-on almost unused for swap if anyone is interested. : )
Marry25 – :
I really wanted to love this–not to be. I sit here nursing a headache after 2 small spritzs from the sample I received. I can see how there are so many who find it similar to DK Cashmere Mist, but on me there is a thick underlying smell of burnt rubber! Yuck! This perfume has smelled the same for 2 hrs. No change of notes whatsoever. I will stick with the DK Cashmere Mist. A much more beautiful, elegant scent for the $. I highly recommend spending $5 on a sample of this. SO happy I didnt spend the money–and this is not cheap–on a blind buy!
XRRichard – :
I have already reviewed this,months ago,but I have a habit to go through my samples after a while.now that it’s spring and I’m looking for a soft,clean,musky scent I remembered artemisia and thought it may be the one I’m looking for
Violets are not usually my thing,they usually give me an impression of scented earasers I used to use as a schoolgirl and no exception here.but in the best way possible.vanilla,clean musk,some fruity notes and light white florals(there’s more jasmine to my nose than lily of the valley)and sandalwood blend with violet to create a soft,clean and lovely scent.musky vanilla becomes stronger in drydown and makes me like it less
Still my emotions towards it are the same.nice,lovely but not for me.but I can see that I’d enjoy it on others
Hubby says that he can smell something rubbery in it.it seems that he doesn’t like it on me either
Still I’d love to try DN cashmere mist
❤❤❤
alik00088 – :
This is beautiful! Oh so soft, delicate, creamy and dreamy. The review by Hippo Princess is so perfect! It does total justice to this darling perfume. So evocative of just that – dreaming of being a princess. Perfect!
rwx971speagoessenda – :
Bought a sample. It opens with violet and powder – dries down to violet soap. Old-fashioned. Not my type.
xmara77mail.ru – :
My husband wore this for a year! We got it for him while on vacation in Miami. We both loved it! Only recently found out that it is “for women.” I don’t think he was embarrassed by that or anything (I wear Cartier Declaration, Hermes Voyage and have worn Vetiver by Guerlain and he loves these “men’s” fragrances on me) — but I don’t think he will wear it again. Maybe I will!? There is something so warm and nutty about it. I really like it.
lenor9995 – :
Fragrance Review For Artemisia
Penhaligon
Top Notes
Nectarine Green Notes
Middle Notes
Green Apple Lily of the Valley Jasmine Tea Violet Vanilla
Base Notes
Oak Moss Sandalwood Amber Musk
Artemisia!
This fragrance seduced me with it’s greenness which I mistook for actual artemisia. There is no artemisia note but they can fool anyone into thinking it’s on here. The green notes in the first spritz are shrubs and sage bush, medicinal plants that smell just like walking into an herbal shop with that unmistakable green medicinal plant smell. Lovely. A summer time scent, it features sweet edible fruit including nectarine and green apple. They are both detectable and quite sweet, not at all like fruit shampoo but definitely like fruit out in the open air, sweet and projecting their scent to any nearby nose.
The floral notes in this fragrance are ravishing. Only three: jasmine, violet and lily of the valley. The lily of the valley, green and white floral notes combined, are at the forefront. This is a pastoral scent, like being in nature, in the forest with only the natural scents of flowers and woods. The violet is quite nice and I wish it was a bit stronger. It turns powdery as does the jasmine. Sweet powdery florals. There is a little bit of tea but it’s part of that green note arrangement. The tea is not as noticeable as the flowers. To me this is earthy, aromatic, green and floral. It’s also fresh and sweet.
The dry down is a musk which can be both spicy and musky. It had a strange resemblance to perfumes like Victoria Secret Heavenly Angels (floral musk) and Bath & Body Works Moonlight Path (floral musk) but it has much more going on because it is more full bodied and rich. Penhaligon would never really smell like either B&B Works or VS but it’s a bit of the same type of musk dry down. The amber is absolutely gorgeous, resinous and warm, melted like actual amber from a tree. A woody note emerges and it’s a sandalwood. There is also moss of oak and the whole thing feels like losing oneself in woods and getting your hair and limbs entangled in woods and moss and artemisia shrubs.
When I was little I remember the few shrubs and plants that grew wildly in cemented neighborhoods and parks, smelled like this scent. I don’t know if it was artemisia at the time but it was. It’s sharp, pungent, and it lasts and lasts and lasts. The scent is on you all day. I remember I had to take a shower to get ride of that artemisia smell. This is the more beautiful and perfumy verison of what I experienced as a child. I always wanted to smell it again and now I have.
Stunning and suitable to summer and spring. However as it dries down, it’s warm and spicy-musky and amber, so it’s also very lovely as a winter perfume. This is an all season scent: winter, autumn spring and summer. It’s like they put all the seasons into one fragrance. Fruit for summer, florals for spring, and artemisia/tea/oak moss, sandalwood, musk and amber for winter and fall. You can wear this any time anywhere. Don’t over spray as it’s quite potent. A little at a time and it turns into a pretty powder.
Beautiful!
lVergl – :
Soft, cuddly, mildly sweet, very feminine imho. You can never go overboard with it, it mainly stays close to the skin. If you want it to be noticeable to your surroundings, than you have to use it liberally, in which case it becomes a compliment magnet from either male or female acquaintances. All season gem 🙂
aleksanderivk – :
I can only detect a very soft,powdery musk,delicately sweet violet and smooth,not very sweet or too warm vanilla and a hint of fruity smell,maybe nectarin but not a juicy one..I love all the notes mentioned here,which I don’t detect.tea,green apple,other florals but no problem..I really looove this soft powdered scent..it”s very delicate,fragile and amazingly clean..actually this is the cleanest scent I’ve ever smelt,I don’t know why I find it this much clean,it reminds me something very familiar which I’m not able to recall now..maybe smell of a body lotion or a body powder or a cleaning product or something like this..it’s summery,fresh,girly and lovely..I really do loooveee the initial phase,there are not dramatic changes in notes,I just feel the overall scent gets a bit warm and a dominant sandalwood sits on the front seat,this little change makes it less pretty to my nose,I just wished that cool clean musky violet and fruity icecreamy vanilla lasted forever..however I don’t dislike the drydown
longevity is moderate on my skin and sillage is almost soft.I’m thinking hardly to remember what was that familiar smell,identical to opening part
❤️❤️❤️
softoperminc – :
This fragrance was one that I often smelt on paper and could never understand as to why it was so popular. I could not smell ANYTHING.
Gradually I familiarized myself with the scent. Someone had remarked previously that it is best to think of a strawberry dusted in icing sugar. Its now a fragrance I enjoy wearing for personal preference. It definitely comes across as feminine. I love the soft, un-offending musk of the scent.
Everything within this scent is very soft. It smells great on a nice summers day. I once however smelt it in the hot Indian weather and did not enjoy the scent at all. In hot weather the notes smell to sweet. This is a subtle scent and is not well suited blasting out.
zinner – :
This is not a review so much as an observation. I had wanted this for a long time and finally ordered a gift set of Penhaligon’s miniatures which included Artemesia. Being a fan of the Italian renaissance painter Artemesia Gentileschi, I thought that this could be my perfect signature perfume.
It is not a bad perfume, however it smells EXACTLY like the apartment and person of a woman named Selma who lived in our vacation condo building in Atlantic City in the late 80s/early 90s Selma was probably in her 70s, wore spangly sweaters, smoked, had curled and set dyed hair, and always wore lots of gold jewellery. She was kind of a more refined Grandma Yetta!
This is a lovely perfume, but I cannot actually wear it without being instantly transported there and it is so vivid that I can almost taste the little foil wrapped fruit candies she had in bowls on the table. I am now trying to figure out what she could have been wearing – I wonder if, given the notes, she doused herself in Shalimar? Either way, once I realized the connection, I’ve had fun spritzing this on at home on a weekend and being taken back 25 years to old New Jersey!
BssAVast – :
A soft, powdery, slightly sweet and delicate scent, inoffensive yet not boring at all. Pale and translucent yet memorable, cozy and comforting. The violets are well desguised, and marry very well with the rest of the notes. Don’t judge it from the nozzle or the first spray, the drydown is the magic. A lower priced alternative is the perfume oil Madam X by Alkemia, which has more violets, but the same soft powder and sweetness.
EmodeScogedox – :
This did not agree with me. I would describe this fragrance as smothering, muggy and warm. There’s something about it that makes me feel carsick, nauseous. All I can smell is the vanilla, musk, amber, and sandalwood. It reminds me of Obsession by Calvin Klein.
CinaPhawn – :
Sweet, haunting and fragile. Not a fragrance for conquering towns or hearts. More of a shy, retiring violet. Pretty and mild.
mark – :
On me this smells dry and almost like a faint trail of second hand smoke. I think Its the violet. Like many other reviewers have said, its very tame. Good for business meetings or a school PTA potluck. It is not daring nor is it a risk taker. I bought this fragrance in a set from Penhaligons, I do not think I will purchase it separately.
deniska17 – :
I fell in love with Artemisia at the Penhaligon boutique and the scent stayed on my mind (one might even say I was obsessed with it) until I finally got a bottle of my own weeks later.
This fragrance is simply dreamy. It is supremely comforting, and something about it reminds me of some fond memory I can’t quite place. This is the scent of how bunnies feel, or how cream-colored Chantilly lace looks.
The fragrance is soft, little more than a whisper. The opening is sugared nectarine or peach pie a la mode, buttery-crusted and warm from the oven. This gives way to notes of creamy vanilla and powdery violet. Artemisia feels drinkable, like gently-spiced milky tea served from bone china.
I wear this to bed when I need to dream of being a princess.
denrovers – :
Soft, nice, close to skin, safe pick.
Good for a bed time or hot weather.
Kelt1301 – :
I’m happy I’m not alone together with nail polish remover!
I tested this one yesterday. I like these bottles and Penhaligon’s usually have that distinct old times aristocratic style, but bottles are not the most important thing. As soon as it hit the paper it reaked of nail polish or nail polish remover, not the aggressive acetone type rather the one flavoured with synthetic almond. I expected to see almond, at least, if not Ethyl Acetate ;-P
On my skin it gave out the same first impression then in a few minutes it mellowed down to an almondy, creamy, musky…nothingness. Not bad, apart from scary initial burst, but very faint and close to the skin.
aribiaUplib – :
Oh dear. On my skin, it smells like nail polish remover to begin with. The alcoholic and acetone-like bitterness slowly dies down a bit over time, but it lingers alongside the violet, vanilla and musk, resulting in a powdery, bittersweet drydown. The remover smell finally disappears after about an hour and a half, but that 90 minute period of smelling like fragranced nail polish remover just isn’t worth it.
I was originally very excited to test this out, as the notes appealed to me as did the name. Unfortunately it just doesn’t work on my skin.
kingvvs – :
I agree with those who say that it smells just like Cashmre Mist. The big difference is that CM smells terrible on my skin, and this is truly delightful. A little powdery, a little sweet floral musk. You can teach Sunday school in this and wear it with your cashmere and pearls.
Aerohopleneritko – :
Soft and bright floral musk with the slightest edge of violet and a creamy vanilla. Exquisitely refined, with the downside that it is a bit boring. Like all Penhaligon’s fragrances for women, this is extremely understated and appropriate for the office. Every woman should probably have one of these demure, understated fragrances in her wardrobe, because there’s always an occasion for a gentle and unchallenging floral. But just one. It’s a “nice” scent, but there is only one way to be nice – there are many ways to be interesting, and Artemisia unfortunately has none of them. I like my sample but I would not spend $60 on this, let alone over $100.
My criticisms are the same as for every perfume by this house: it’s so quiet that it is essentially mute, and it wears so close to the skin that I ought to start charging it rent. When you get so little projection that you forget you’re wearing the fragrance even when it’s slathered all over your neck, you have to start to wonder why you’re paying such a high price for the product. Penhaligon’s can surely afford not to skimp on the raw materials…
With regard to Artemisia Gentileschi, this Judith did not behead Holofernes. She did his laundry.
urik.1990 – :
I wear this often without too much thought as it is safe and appropriate to wear anytime. The Vanilla is warm and comfortable without being too sweet; The Tea makes it fresh and clean, and somewhat proper, and the Musk is subtle making it innocently sexy. Both my spouse and kids love this one on me.
seodwnwdj – :
Artemisia is one of those delicate soothing scents I use at night. I love its calming effect it has on me. Its subtlety, powdery whispers, softness. It is a perfume which allows you to forget about you hectic day, unwind and relax. Enter Artemisia spa!
meezoo – :
Artemisia is a scent that I tried a long time ago, when I was just entering the world of fragrance; I dismissed it as nice but nothing special.
Recently, I tried it again, and discovered a subtle beauty in it I had previously missed. This is a lovely musky, herby, faintly floral scent. To my nose, it’s more like an aromatic fougere than an oriental. I can definitely smell the tea, the oak-moss and the apple as well as the musk and florals. It makes for a scent that is somehow really fresh and comforting at the same time. I think it’s growing into a love.
(((SHUHER))) – :
I like to think of myself as a bit of a “nose” but on an off day, I reach for something powdery, and Artemisia is always the one. Got a lovely selection of niche samples lately which included Amouage Lyric which struck me as a rosed-up Artemisia. Used to have a bit of a snooty problem with Penhaligon’s, don’t know why, they have some great and unique scents.
nik – :
The opening of Penhaligon’s Artemisia on me seems to have a strong presence of alcohol, but it unfolds beautifully once calmed down. The gently spiced violet peeks through during the first hour. The fragrance then settles down into a velvety vanilla and musk with a rounded woody undertone, which shares some similarities with the red bean paste effect in Kenzo Madly, but warmer, smoother and more approachable.
The sillage is moderate to soft and the longevity is around 8 hours. Artemisia is quite abstract in nature. It feels like applying a nourishing cream on the skin, clean and comforting, yet so different from the conventional ‘clean’ ‘fresh’ type of fragrances. I’d definitely recommend it as a versatile yet unusual skin scent.
rrq866Diobtetty – :
Artemisia is powdery, lightly floral, woody and clean. All qualities feel like they have a warmth to them as well. It teeters between natural and man-made (the word “synthetic” suggests a sharpness and this doesn’t have that, it’s very soft).
This gives me two distinct impressions:
1. Going for a nature walk on a warm, yet slightly humid Spring day.
2. A woman that has recently stepped out of the shower, applied body powder and is now styling her hair.
It could read either way to me, although I’d say it leans a little more to 2 because of the quality that reads “clean” (musk).
Sillage is soft, at less than arms length (this was applied from a dauber and not a spray) and longevity is about 4-6 hours on dry skin in a dry climate. Good for Spring or Fall daytime wear.
Very pretty fragrance with a soft spoken beauty. Will certainly be appreciated by admirers of subtlety.
Koly4ka29 – :
I was looking for something ghostly and ethereal if that makes sense, which is why I tried this because it was recommended to me and even has been referred to as a haunting fragrance. It was nearly perfect, it smelt to me like being in a graveyard overgrown with moss and white flowers, it even has some smokiness about it but is still very feminine, I nearly went back and purchased a whole bottle of it but something just wasn’t quite right to me, it reminded me of something that I didn’t like but couldn’t quite put my finger on, maybe the fragrance Gingham by Innoxa that I can’t stand, which is a green, baby powder type perfume, or the muskiness in the dry down was just too sickly and overpowering, it’s a shame because I thought I had found the perfect scent I was looking for but I guess not.
Pro-100-Sanek – :
Love this – soft, fresh, floral but not sweet. It has a musky undertone which gives it a bit of gravitas.
It lasted a long time on my skin and settled down to a warm powdery, musky pleasantness.
Very nice.
achun – :
This just arrived in the mail. Another blind buy…. I really need to stop doing that with scents that are at this price point. But, I found a decent price and took the plunge.
It is a very delicate smelling scent. It starts out smelling a bit musky and I can detect nectarines in it. There is a sharp note in it and I don’t know if it’s the green notes, the tea note or the lily of the valley. I can’t smell it when my nose is up close but I can in the air around me. It then turns a bit soapy and it is powdery when I put my nose up to my skin. As I type this out, it has now turned to a skin scent of soapy powder and musk.
I’ll have to revisit this when it gets warmer outside. I bought this for the summer months and it is cold and stormy outside at the moment.
So far, it’s ok.
ек жека – :
i love this smell when it is spray on the paper,soft and sexy scent.
on my skin, after few minutes it goes to powdery scent. i wish i can get the same smell as on the paper 🙁
nevertheless it is long lasting fragrance
Rusik_00 – :
This is extremely delicate, almost barely there.
It opens green and fresh, sharp nectarine, then soft powdery violet and delicate tea notes. Skin scent, soft…musky and fresh. No sillage unless large sprays and warm breeze I should imagine.
Lean, mean, clean musk if there ever was one. Soft, powdery and slightly soapy. Sort of bitter and woody also. Perfume minimalism at its finest. Thumbs up again Penhaligon’s.
stas12345 – :
Very feminine. There’s definitely a ‘clean laundry’ smell at the beginning. It’s soft and powdery with some violet and there’s something slightly spicy in there but it’s not bold enough to work out what it is.
Shara – :
This is a sweet, mild, elegant musk on my skin.
Expressively feminine yet tastefully restrained, this is just a tiny bit too generic for my taste. I don’t think I’ll be buying a FB, but I can see why others would. 🙂
It grows on you though – be sure to give it a few minutes (or even a few wearings) to be sure you understand it completely. The opening, which is brisk and a little bit unbalanced, is not representative of the scent as a whole.
onaw – :
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!
pigteil – :
This is a beautiful floral scent that’s not too sweet even with the lovely violety powdery dry down. It feels very grand and old fashioned to me but I like that so no complaints.
However, on me it’s so strong and lasts forever, so much so that for the first couple of hours the smell is so powerful, it’s like being hit over the head with a copper bottomed saucepan. Subtle it is not, not on me. So I have to be careful where I wear it. At home on my own, fine. In a lift, no.
Cipostarfer – :
This is a pretty scent for women who don’t do cutesy. It’s so soft and giggly, but never gets sweet, sickly or overtly fruity like so many other frags that aim for “pretty” tend to. It’s like a gentle tickle.
Penhaligons really have blending down pat (except for Bluebell). It’s nigh on impossible to pick out distinct notes in most of their fragrances and this one is no different. You get a hint of the violet throughout, but it only serves to soften the scent, it never overwhelms. I’m very impressed with this house’s use of violet in both this and Ellenisia. They seem to really understand where violet is at its most useful within a fragrance.
This is predominately powdery and musky. It’s very soft, with minimal sillage. About an hour in, I thought it was veering towards soapy, which is something I really dislike, but it snapped out of it and stayed flirty and pretty – but in a very elegant way.
Pared down, grown up pretty. I love it.
gibba – :
I was delighted this morning to receive my full bottle of Artemisia. As a newcomer to the world of fragrance appreciation I shall leave describing it to someone with more experience. What I will share is that it makes me feel as though I have walked out of an E.M. Forster novel or that I’m Julia from Brideshead Revisited. I couldn’t help but put on my favourite dress today and the heels I wouldn’t ordinarily wear.
OdoTeophofe – :
This is an intimate scent. The first spray is kind of musty, it evolves into a nice powdery vanilla-musk with a hint of violet and peach later. Soft, warm, close to skin, feminine… but no sweetness there for me.
I guess I have to try this several times yet to decide if buy it or not.
Burenko25 – :
(And Penhaligon’s is one of the dwindlingly few lines that SA’s at the high end department stores won’t give you bitch-face for lurking around the testers for an exorbitant length of time. *cough* GUERLAIN *cough* What is WITH that?)
PrIzRaK9706 – :
I agree that there is a sweet, soapy inoffensiveness to this one that is actually surprisingly charming. There is baby powder — but not a la “Love’s Baby Soft.” In other words, the sweet talcum aura it invokes is complemented by some depth and even a bit of dissonance. (I feel the same way about the “baby powder” of KM’s Loukhoum.) I don’t really get the fruit notes listed, but I do get the violet and vanilla. And I swear I smell some sweet myrrh in this — to the point that I’m reminded of Profumum’s Vanitas if somebody swapped in stevia for the sugar.
If you love sweet orientals but can’t quite stomach gourmands, this may be right up your alley.
chell434 – :
Very soft, very innocent, demure, sweet… Almost like a soft green, lightly sweetened baby powder.
This is a very pretty scent, dare I say
“school-girl-esque”?
I get a mild soapy violet/vanilla/peach combo with the drydown of a very calm woody tea.. Ever so vague if you don’t know what to look for….
Very sad that the longevity on me was only about an hour….
DrSandraVann – :
GORGEOUS!…and addictive 😉
sawa12379 – :
Very girly musk. Opens with a floral/vanilla blend that kind of reminds me of the smell of bananas. The musk is also present right from the beginning and lingers in a billowy haze of sweetness. I wish I got more of the lily of the valley and violet than I get of the fruity notes. Longevity is good- about 6 hours. Stays close to the body. Love the bottle too!
Yuriy410 – :
To me this is such a cozy sandalwood musk vanilla scent.. these are the notes I get the most. Artemisia is so easy to wear, it’s a cozy comfort skin-close scent, and yet very lady like and