Just a few quick facts about the company Artek: it is a Finnish furniture design workshop founded by the architect Alvar Aalto, among others. Artek pursues the idea of a symbiosis of various art forms, stylistically drawing on many approaches from the Bauhaus, such as the very central standardization at Artek, which likely inspired the name of this fragrance. The attempt to implement typical Artek principles as a perfume results in quite amusing outcomes for the bottle and packaging; in an industry where emotionally charged terms and symbols are constantly juggled, a light gray block with the inscription "Standard" undoubtedly stands out. The packaging (a picture can be found further down) is so sober that one might almost believe they have stumbled upon a lost aftershave from Soviet times, which once gathered dust in some Siberian department store. Whether a touch of irony played a role in the design, I cannot judge.
Artek Standard is not a brightly colored teenage fragrance, that much is clear, but it is by no means as bone-dry and sober as the packaging suggests. It actually evokes the senses quite distinctly.
During the opening, a lot happens at once: the very first seconds are primarily citrusy and warm-fennel-like. This creates clarity in the mind, but not in the sense of a Cologne-like refreshment with bergamot explosions. Very soon, a mentholated tea accord emerges, which will evoke a clear association for many noses: it smells like a sauna infusion, although by no means as sharp or steamy, but much softer and quieter. Fennel, lemon, tea, and a slightly coniferous and metallic menthol accord is quite unusual, but also highly pleasant once you have gotten used to it.
Those looking for traditional patterns will find little to hold onto from the very beginning. There is certainly a lot of nature at play, as the notes do not inherently smell synthetic. On the other hand, it is also a denatured fragrance that uses clear references to our culture; in this form, one would not find the mentioned accords in nature, and yet they feel familiar, almost homely. Moreover, Artek Standard is emphasized as clean throughout its scent journey, with not a crumb of earth, no dust, no sweat to be found.
This phase lasts for a good hour or longer and brings about a wonderful clarity and balance in me that sets in quite naturally and gradually. As mentioned, Artek Standard evokes the senses, but also our spirit. This is not a fragrance one wears to attract the attention of the pretty neighbor (though that might still be a result, as this scent is noticeable); this fragrance belongs solely to the wearer. And to the wearer, as "sensual" is not meant in a libidinous sense here, Artek Standard does not concern itself with genders and certainly not with their roles or desires. I wear this fragrance with great passion, and when I wear it, those are days when I am completely indifferent to what others think of my scent.
With this, I do not want to say anything about the fragrance itself, but rather about the intention that I attribute to it. Like many fragrances from Comme des Garçons, Artek Standard is characterized by a very specific sillage. One will undoubtedly stand out with this fragrance, and this is not only due to the unusual composition. The scent cloud is not a fist, but it forms a strong and extensive aura that lingers on my skin for about six to eight hours. Rather subtle, but clearly perceptible. Negative reactions have not been provoked by this fragrance in my presence; many find it very pleasant (and, surprisingly for me, even attractive), although at first, some may be a bit taken aback. But however it may be: I like Artek Standard mainly for what it does to me.
As the wonderfully warm fennel and lemon gradually recede, two other main players come to the forefront that shape the further course until the end. Gradually, Artek Standard transforms into a strong woody scent - a typical element of many fragrances from Comme des Garçons, which here makes an uncharacteristically late appearance. Cedar is indicated as the wood type in the pyramid, but I know it to be much spicier (Lalique White is a prime example). The wood in this fragrance sometimes reminds me very much of Hinoki cypress, which Comme des Garçons brilliantly showcases in a fragrance of the same name, as a sweet element reminiscent of moss bells sneaks in, which is very typical for Hinoki - however, Hinoki is more extroverted and the slightly sweet note presents itself in Artek Standard in a more complex manner: it is rather floral and almond-like. I find it difficult to precisely outline the individual notes, as Artek Standard is a highly cohesive fragrance; even the sometimes very dominant tea-menthol note remains appropriate and never exaggerated throughout the entire scent journey - I recommend testing this fragrance on the skin, as it can appear almost clinical and cold on tester strips.
There is a very simple image that the drydown evokes in me: if one adheres to the rules, after a sauna session and a dip in the cold water pool, one lies down on a relaxation lounger, where one rests for about twenty minutes before the next round. It is precisely these twenty minutes that I find olfactorily reflected in Artek Standard: lightly floral-sweet tea infusion, wood, the metallic accord, and consequently the incomparable inner peace, purity, and balance far removed from any sense of time that one experiences on this lounger. The effect of Artek Standard on my mood is sometimes so strong that the actual scent takes a back seat.
One could ask so many questions about Artek Standard. Is this fragrance more feminine or masculine? For what occasion and season does it fit? Is it a scent for twenty-year-old Kreuzberg freaks or for spiritual old geezers? Is it art or wearable? I like that this fragrance refuses to engage with such questions and similar ones. And I especially appreciate that it does not come across as arrogant, but rather exceedingly friendly.
Great fragrance, one of a kind.
Cedarwood
Fennel
Lemon
Musk
Saffron
Ginger
Tombbb
Violett
Jeob
AmyAmy
Shamis
Achilles
Ergoproxy
Tauruscent
InGENIEur
Gaukeleya
