When I went to the first Artisan Fragrance Salon last July, I kept walking past one booth and meaning to stop, but I would get distracted and turned around, and never did. Fortunately, a friend who went to the second Salon in Los Angeles was able to pick up some samples for me. It still took me a while to explore them, and I’m glad I finally took the time. The line is called Artemisia, all-natural fragrances by perfumer Lisa Fong. I have selected a few scents from the line that impressed me in one way or another to introduce to you.

Apricot Tree by ARETY

Smelling Saveur de L’Abricot created one of the most vivid sense memories I have ever had. When I was a little girl, living in sunny Van Nuys, California, I had some friends who were part of an enormous family of thirteen children. I would occasionally play at their house, their poor busy mother barely noticing an extra tot. They had an apricot tree in the back yard. I vividly remember sitting either in the tree, or on a structure very near to it, that allowed me to immerse myself in the leaves and eat the fruit. Those plump, deep orange apricots, allowed to ripen fully in the California sun, have never been equaled in my life. I am disappointed time and again by even farmer’s market apricots, that have a mere whisper of that flavor. This perfume captures that moment, down to the velvet texture of the skin of the fruit. It is deep and full, sweet and earthy. It is the leaf and the bark, and the way the shade smells deep in the branches. This is one of those perfumes that I may not wear much just out and about, but will put on at night when I need to be reminded of the depths of summer.

Notes: Chinese osmanthus and apricot essence

Cupid and Psyche by Benjamin West

Perfume and sexuality go hand-in-hand. The way a person smells, naturally or enhanced, subliminally or front-and-center, plays a major part in whether or not we are attracted to them. Whether or not any particular perfume can actually make a person more attracted to you is a matter of unending theory and discourse. Eros, the Greek god of sexual love (also known as Cupid, and the root word of “erotic”) has had plenty of perfumes named after him. Ms. Fong has created a worthy entrant to the genre with her perfume simply named Eros. A perfume about sex can hardly avoid a rose note, and this perfume has one of the densest, deepest rose aromas I have encountered. Although it is not listed in the notes, I sense the snap of rose geranium at the very top. The heart becomes almost fruity, like a deep sweet fig jam, for just a short time, leading to a drydown that is rich, earthy, and, dare I say, erotic. This is definitely unisex, and I would love to snuffle a man wearing it.

Notes: Dark Bourbon Rose, vetiver, oak moss and orris root

Ondine, or In the Waves by Paul Gaugin

This year I treated myself to a few paperwhite bulbs to force for the holidays. I have enjoyed their intoxicating, almost indolic aroma the last couple of weeks, but now they are growing brittle, like bits of crumpled tissue, and are starting to smell dusty. Ondine reminds me of the last gasp of the paperwhites. The sweetness of narcissus combined with the resinous, almost dusty, smell of myrrh is balanced perfectly. There is something unusual about this scent that I can’t quite put my finger on. It has a smell that brings antiquities to mind, as if it were composed of the dust motes from an old perfume cabinet. Ms. Fong created this to be a scent reminiscent of rivers, lakes and ponds, named after the naiad Ondine, but we all have different perceptions of fragrance. This is a perfume I want my coats to smell like; worn and comfortable, but nicely scented.  

Notes: Narcissus, myrrh, sweet kewda attar

As with all natural perfumes, you won’t get hours and hours of wear out of these perfumes, but I did find the sillage good and the longevity above average for a natural. There are currently eight fragrances in the Artemisia line; all are available in 17 ml. Eau de Parfum or .25 oz. solid. Samples are also available in sets.

Lisa Fong has graciously offered a 17 ml bottle of the winner’s choice as a draw prize. Leave a comment with which scent you would want to win. Draw ends February 1, 2013.

We announce the winners only onsite and on our Facebook page, so Like CaFleureBon and use our RSS option…..or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

–Tama Blough, Senior Editor