Roman mosaic depicting the odyssey courtesy of Getty Images

The merest mention of Homer’s Odyssey draws me in like Arachne’s web. It is my Number One Desert Island Book (in combination with Voltaire’s Candide and Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, they form the essential triumvirate of books I cannot do without). When it came to light that independent artisan perfumer Shelley Waddington had recently been awarded One of the Top Five Artisan Fragrances of 2019 by the Artisan Fragrance Salon in San Francisco, CA. for her submission En Voyage Perfumes Nepenthe (now added to Ms. Waddington’s Masterpiece Collection which includes such beauties as Zelda and Fiore di Bellagio) I was eager to experience it. Shelley was kind enough to send me a 15 ml. flacon last week; I’ve been mulling over its contents and the mists of lore which encircle the name Nepenthe…

What is Nepenthe, precisely? It’s rather difficult to be precise because opinions vary: if you take Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides (physicians and botanists both) at their word, the herb borage is identified as nepenthe, that mythical substance added to wine to help induce sweet forgetfulness and dispatch care. They firmly contended that a syrup concocted of borage’s flowers and leaves gladdened the heart and calmed the lunatic; Sir Francis Bacon agreed heartily that it chased away melancholy. More contemporary sources suggest that nepenthe was more likely to be opium: relief from anxiety and lassitude may readily be attributed to its narcotic effect (consider the populace of the Land of the Lotus-Eaters encountered in Odysseus’ travels). It is said that nepenthe was bestowed by Polydamna, wife of an Egyptian noble –  to Helen of Troy. The word itself, nē-penthes – means ‘not sorrow’ in ancient Greek – and it is held that no one, having drunk of it –  would be able to shed a tear for that day. It also released one from anger, and it was nepenthe that was added to the cup of Helen’s husband Menelaus and Odysseus’ son Telemachus.

Shelley Waddington of En Voyage Perfumes

Shelley intended to create a contemporary fragrance ‘that celebrates the victory of her discovering her peace” – to quote her commentary after first acknowledging Helen of Troy’s difficult life, despite her legendary beauty. Shelley refers to Nepenthe as a “fresh fougère”; while this perfume is wearable by anyone, I suggest that there is much more to be smelt than the classification fougère implies.

Helen of Troy by Evelyn de Morgan

I might readily describe En Voyage Perfumes Nepenthe as an aquatic floral with an extremely powerful woody/ambery/musky base. The allusion to verdant leafiness and cucumber is a clever wink to the herb borage and its cucumber nuances (if borage is the actual nepenthe). Bergamot is fleeting, a bright low molecular weight introductory top note. The ensuing floral heart tones are lovely: lavender, earthy narcissus, the ionones of silvery orris. These feel somewhat overshadowed by an intensely emotive base; at times it takes precedence over all other materials, with its driftwood-y aroma and accompanying power-woods which feel a bit scratchy and raw until a few hours later, when they eventually soften. The silver ambergris tincture utilized greatly augments woody-musky-marine facets of the other materials, and in combination with sandalwood it may bring woodiness to the foreground. I confess that incense aspects and those of moss feel seamless and take a back seat to the pronounced woody-saline-metallic presence which dominates Nepenthe. At this point the fragrance becomes all about the sea, evoking the seemingly endless voyages set in motion by the woman of whom poet/playwright Christopher Marlowe wrote: ”Was this the face that launch’d a thousand ships and burnt the topless towers of Illium?”.

Francesco Primaticcio Rape of Helen wikipedia

En Voyage Perfumes Nepenthe is without gender, has excellent longevity and potent sillage. If an oceanic woody floral is what you seek, you will find it here.

Notes: fresh leaves, cucumber, bergamot, lavender, narcissus, incense, vanilla, sandalwood, moss, orris, silver ambergris

Bottle generously provided by the perfumer; thank you, Shelley!  My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor

 

En Voyage Perfumes Nepenthe

Thanks to the kindness of Shelley Waddington of En Voyage Perfumes we have one .05 oz ($80) bottle of En Voyage Perfumes Nepenthe for one registered reader anywhere in the world. You must register here. To be eligible, please tell us what you enjoyed most in Ida’s review and where you live. Do you have a favorite En Voyage Perfumes? Draw ends 12/10/2019

Editor’s Note:  Guest Contributor Sam Berg introduced Nepenthe in her 3rd annual Portland Sniff Event report which Shelley hosted here

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