New Fragrance Review: Artemisia Natural Perfume Ozymandias + Egyptian King of Kings Draw

cafleurebon artemisia ozymandias ramesseum david roberts

"Fragments of the Great Colossi, at the Memnonium" by David Roberts 1842-49

Perfumer Lisa Fong of Artemisia Natural Perfume has just released a new fragrance, Ozymandias, homage to the mighty Pharaoh known in the western world as Ramesses II,  using aromatics that have been used for millennia in ancient perfumery. Composed of 100% natural materials and carefully hand-blended, all of Ms. Fong's artisan perfumes radiate a depth and complexity only possible with natural essences. Ms. Fong has studied with Mandy Aftel since 2002 and her eight current available fragrances represent the best of her repertoire. Much like one flower must be pulled to allow another room to grow in its place, some Artemesia scents of years past have been culled to allow others to shine. This process of creation, discontinuation and reinvention is yet another way Artemisia Natural Perfume echoes the natural order of things.

Elihu Vedder's The Questioner of the Sphinx 1863

"The Questioner of the Sphinx" by Elihu Vedder 1863

The structure of any good perfume is its framework,which is especially important in natural perfumery where there are no synthetics to anchor a fragrance. The cool incense resin and wood create a firm foundation for the aromatic tobacco, the light dry floralcy of broom, and for the lush florals and vegetal accords Ms. Fong deftly weaves as she creates a scented story of  Egyptian mystique. Accented with just the right amount of green, Ozymandias starts a bit sharp before Jasmine, enthroned like an Egyptian Queen, enters, a refined and royal consort to masculine cedarwood. Sandalwood and olibanum waft a tale of the desert that eventually fades into blissful earthy oblivion that transports us to the land where a mighty Pharaoh ruled as King of Kings.

cafleurebon artemisia ozymandias the-ramesseum-theban-necropolis-egypt-juan-bosco

"The Ramesseum Theban Necopolis, Egypt" by Juan Bosco

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

– Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1818

ozmandias

The ruins of Ozymandias, inspiration for the poem

Artemisia’s Ozymandias perfume captures both the grandeur and power of the forgotten Pharaoh while the anachronistic tobacco adds a modern touch to the fragrance. Ozymandias had never seen nor smelled tobacco while he lived and ruled but I am quite certain he would have approved of its heady aroma and sanctioned its use in a scent honoring his name. Sillage: average. Longevity: good.

Notes: Arnica, mandarin petit grain, jasmine sambac, broom, tobacco, sandalwood, frankincense, cedar wood, & mitti (soil) attar.

Disclosure: Review based on an EDP sample sent to me from Artemisia Natural Perfume.

John Reasinger, Senior Editor and Natural Perfume Editor

cafleurebon artemisia ozymandias

17 ml bottle shown, winner will receive a 5 ml bottle

Thanks to the kindness of Lisa Fong, we have a 5 ml EDP of Ozymandias to give away to one US reader. To be eligible, please leave a comment  with why you would like to try Ozymandias and your favorite Egyptian. Draw will end on May 20th, 2014.

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

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30 comments

  • Awesome!!! I love the Egyptian theme. I’ve tried kyphi perfumes from other brands but nothing has captured the essence of ancient Egypt so far. I have not tried this brand nor heard of it. I’m in US.

  • One of my favorite vacations was to Egypt. I find the place fascinating, and interesting that perfumes have been found in ancient tombs. I would love to try this representation.

  • I want to try this because of the broom note since I have no idea what that is. Favorite Egyptian – Omar Sharif

  • Elizabeth T. says:

    The notes aren’t the same, but the description reminds me slightly of Aesop Mystra, which is why I’d love to try this. Favorite Egyptian? Ancient? Nefertiti is the name that comes to mind from art history classes. Thanks for the draw!

  • I am a stickler for tobacco and incense-y notes in almost anything 🙂 My favorite Egyptian is Hatshepsut. Thank you!

  • The idea of the aromatic tobacco and broom together makes this scent very attractive to me. Thank you very much for this draw. My favorite Egyptian is Ramsis the 2nd. I’m in the U.S

  • I want to try this scent because I want to find out what Arnica smells like in this perfume, plus I have never heard of this brand before. My favorite Egyptian is Cleopatra. I’m in the US and thanks for the draw.

  • Lisa’s work is wonderful and I’ve smelled most of her scents but not her newest so I want to get my nose on it. I know I won’t be disappointed! I’ve never thought about a favorite Egyptian, does the Sphinx count?
    Congratulations and thanks!

  • StephenmMc says:

    http://www.faculty.ucr.edu/~legneref/botany/mummy.htm

    In response to the statement that tobacco was not known in Egypt at the time of the Pharaohs, there is some evidence that traces of nicotine and cocaine were present in the analysis of the chemical composition of the hair of sampled mummies. This would imply that Ancient Egypt had contact with the Americas long before the Vikings and the Irish!

  • StephenmMc says:

    PS, I live in Europe, so am not eligible for the draw. I just wanted to add a little to the discussion. It sounds like a wonderful perfume though!

  • leathermountain says:

    Ozymandias sounds wonderful! My favorite Egyptian is my neighbor. I’m in the US. Thanks so much for the draw.

  • The notes sound great- incense, tobacco, jasmine- all favorites! My favorite Egyptian… that’s not something I’ve ever thought about before. Maybe Ramses?

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    its interesting to see a combination of jasmine and tobacco as i am a big fan of ELDO’s Jasmin et Cigarette..hopefully this will also impress me. my fav. egyptian may be Lawrence of Arabia. i am in the US

  • Hi. I live in the us and my favorite egyptian is Ramses. I would lovr to try a perfume that uses only products uses thousands of years ago! intriguing!!

  • julesinrose says:

    This sounds like a scent that’d make me swoon! I love anything with a tobacco and/or a frankincense note. Put them together? Ah!!!

    My favorite Egyptian is Perneb. I know nothing about him, but I love his tomb that is standing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It’s one of my favorite places.

  • Jennifer witt says:

    I’d love to try this scent as Ozymandias is one of my favorite poems and the notes, as described here, seem evocative of the spirit of the piece. My favorite Egyptian is Cleopatra 🙂 I live in the US Thanks.

  • Barbara B says:

    I would like to try Oztmandias because incense and woods are my loves, and it is a great name.
    My favorite Egyptian is Omar Shariff. Doctor Zhivago is one of the first movies I remember seeing in the theater. I was too young to understand all of it, but my late uncle was Omar Shariff’s doppelganger so I loved it for that reason!

  • Mitti attar (amazing!), tobacco, broom, sandalwood, frankincense.. wow this sounds absolutely beautiful!

    Bast would be my favorite.

  • Cool draw! I am in the US and I would love to try this fragrance with Arnica and mitti attar. These notes sound so unique. My favorite egyptian is Queen Nefertiti.

  • I would love to try this since i’m always wanting to try more natural perfumes. Favorite Egyptian is difficult; Anwar el-Sadat is a modern one, but as a mathematician I have to say Diophantus.

  • I want this fragrance to transport me to Egypt- who knows if it will be my only chance. My favorite Egyptian goddess is Isis. I am in the U.S.

  • Very interested in trying a 100% natural tobacco scent. For the Egyptian, I’ll say it’s Tara Emad.

  • Cynthia Richardson says:

    Shelly’s poem Ozymandias is a meditation on the inevitable decay of power by the forces of time. Interpreting the fragrance Ozymandias to interpret that journey of time, from it’s lively beginning to its earthly finale, sounds interesting.

  • Joe Tetelman says:

    I would love to win this perfume! It sounds fantastic. Thanks for the opportunity

  • I love deftly blended naturals, and I’ve never tried Ms. Fongs creations. Mitti, broom, and sambac jasmine — all enticing — plus incense! My favorite Egyptian is my friend Sherif. He loves heavy metal, swimming, the beach, Salman Rushdie and paleontology. What’s not to love?

  • This fragrance sounds so lovely. I would love to smell the interplay of the notes.
    My favorite Egyptian is Nefertiti.
    I live in the US.