Hi APJers,

Long ago, my then BFF and I (we were all of 17) were exploring some woods when we rounded a corner and saw in front of us a field of wild, naturalized daffodils and narcissus. It was breathtaking! We walked into this field and were surrounded by the beauty and the scent of the flowers. I see this long lost field every time I wear today’s beautiful fragrance…

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Ondine by Lisa Fong for Artemisia Natural Perfume

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Narcissus, myrrh, floral notes

Ondine is the name of a Germanic water nymph and the Artemisia site says that this scent is meant to be the “fresh, sweet spirit of water”. I get no water at all from it, none, unless it’s the water that Narcissus looked into when he fell in love with his own image.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Narcissus, narcissus, narcissus is what Ondine is about. The first time I spritzed it on, my immediate reaction was “what a strange little perfume.” Now that I know Ondine better, this hasn’t happened again, but it always grabs my attention. The opening is very sharp with a hint of myrrh in the background. This myrrh is never strong and I lose it after about 3 or 4 minutes. The sharpness stays but mellows somewhat. There is also a delicate sweetness in the mix that stays until the end. Ondine is narcissus, both sharp and sweet until it fades away after about 4 hours, 3 in summer. It has more silage than I would expect from a natural, but I think it would be hard to offend anyone. I like that Artemisia makes it in a solid too so it’s easy to carry it with you and refresh as needed. Ondine is a perfume of springtime. It says – get up, get out, smile, life is good.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

From the Artemesia site: …100 percent natural Artemisia eau de parfums embrace the world of earth, roots and water, along with sweet floral notes. Each captures the essence of a natural, sensual experience and allows it to resonate as the perfume develops on each individual.
Ondine: Essences of narcissus and myrrh and sweet kewda attar relax the senses and unlock memories of river, lake and pond.

Ca Fleure Bon writes: 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.

Artemesia Natural Perfumes has Ondine EdP $68/17ml

This winter has been too long for many of us. What makes you think of spring and takes away the winter blues if only for a while?

Maya
xx