Artemisia

Artemisia is a genus of aromatic plants that includes wormwood and mugwort, and perfumers draw on their leaves and flowering tops. The smell is bitter, green and herbal, slightly camphor-like, with a dry, silvery edge that recalls fresh-cut stems. It is not a sweet or flowery note. Its value lies in contrast: bitterness keeps citrus crisp, gives lavender and fresh spice a cool backbone, and stops woody notes from feeling flat. Because it is so distinctive, a small amount is enough to give a fresh fragrance an aromatic, outdoor character.

Artemisia mostly opens the fragrances here, with a few holding it in the heart, where its bitter, silvery green edge keeps citrus and woods crisp.