What does Artemisia smell like?
Artemisia smells like scrubland after rain, or grey leaves crushed at the side of a path. The opening is camphoraceous and openly bitter, close to sage and thyme. A rounder, faintly fruity side follows, depending on the species. There is nothing sweet about it. On skin it fades within an hour or so, leaving a dry trail that toughens lavender and moss. It is there to bite.
Origin and production
The Artemisia genus counts several hundred species. Common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) grows across Europe, but perfumery mostly relies on white wormwood (Artemisia herba-alba) distilled in Morocco. The oil is steam-distilled from the aerial parts of the plant. The family is wide. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) gave absinthe its name, tarragon belongs to the genus, and so does Indian davana (Artemisia pallens).
How perfumers use it
In a fougère, artemisia bridges the citrus top and the lavender and oakmoss core. It also gets along with basil, sage and leather. Ralph Lauren Polo, composed by Carlos Benaïm in 1978, uses it in a very green opening. Three years later Pierre Bourdon's Kouros for Yves Saint Laurent mixed it with aldehydes and animalic honey. Jazz, also from Saint Laurent, revisited the formula in 1988. Cartier Déclaration (1998) pairs it with cumin and bitter orange.
How to wear it
Artemisia suits spring and autumn and works better with an open-collar shirt than a sharp suit. Kouros stays loud on warm skin, so one spray on the neck is enough.