Aromatic
Floral
Leather
Vintage/old school
Top Notescardamomcoriander
Hearthemlockjasmineviolet
Base Notesambercedarwoodsandalwoodvetiver
Style
for her
This is a one-of-a-kind mix of musky jasmine and balsamic black hemlock. It's a perfume formed of echoes: the summery echo of jasmine bouncing off cool hemlock, the smoky echo of sandalwood vibrating against spices, and many more.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a composed presence in a close conversation: green spice at the edges, dark woods beneath, jasmine softening the distance between people. It suits a quiet entrance and an unhurried exchange, with more warmth revealed as someone draws nearer.
How to wear
Start with one or two sprays on the upper chest or forearms, keeping the spicy opening measured and the woody-floral heart close. Cool to mild weather is a natural setting for its balsamic hemlock and sandalwood; in warmer conditions, apply lightly so the jasmine retains space around the darker woods.
Who it’s for
For those who prefer flowers shaded by woods rather than sweetened into a bouquet. Its green spices, balsamic hemlock and smoky sandalwood appeal to lovers of aromatic woodland scents and composed, classically structured perfumes with an unconventional centre.
Release year
2002
The nose
Geza Schoen is known for his incisive handling of woody materials and unconventional compositions, most notably through his Escentric Molecules fragrances. His work often gives a distinctive material room to define the perfume rather than burying it beneath ornament. For Ormonde Woman, he worked with Linda Pilkington to frame black hemlock with aromatic spices, flowers and warm woods.
Collaborators
Linda Pilkington, Ormonde Jayne’s founder, shaped the ingredient-led concept and selected hemlock as its starting point. Her search through suppliers’ speciality oils established the unusual woody direction she developed in collaboration with Geza Schoen.
Ormonde Jayne’s story
Ormonde Jayne brings British craftsmanship together with French perfumery and inspiration drawn from Asian cultures. Founded by Linda Pilkington, the house favours unusual ingredients, travel-led curiosity and distinctive compositions, with production in its own London laboratory. Ormonde Woman’s black-hemlock signature expresses that approach particularly clearly.
Ormonde Woman’s concept
Ormonde Woman began with Pilkington’s search for an uncommon material rather than another familiar floral theme. A supplier’s fax listing Canadian hemlock gave her the starting point: a dark, balsamic wood to set against jasmine and violet. Launched among the house’s early fragrances, it helped establish hemlock as an Ormonde Jayne signature.
Extra info
Ormonde Woman received five stars in Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez’s Perfumes: The A–Z Guide and was included in The Little Book of Perfumes: The Hundred Classics. It also won Best Classic Women’s Fragrance at the Marie Claire UK Fragrance Awards 2025. Pilkington has described its hemlock character as making her feel powerful and protected.
Top Notescardamomcoriander
Hearthemlockjasmineviolet
Base Notesambercedarwoodsandalwoodvetiver
Style
for her
This is a one-of-a-kind mix of musky jasmine and balsamic black hemlock. It's a perfume formed of echoes: the summery echo of jasmine bouncing off cool hemlock, the smoky echo of sandalwood vibrating against spices, and many more.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a composed presence in a close conversation: green spice at the edges, dark woods beneath, jasmine softening the distance between people. It suits a quiet entrance and an unhurried exchange, with more warmth revealed as someone draws nearer.
How to wear
Start with one or two sprays on the upper chest or forearms, keeping the spicy opening measured and the woody-floral heart close. Cool to mild weather is a natural setting for its balsamic hemlock and sandalwood; in warmer conditions, apply lightly so the jasmine retains space around the darker woods.
Who it’s for
For those who prefer flowers shaded by woods rather than sweetened into a bouquet. Its green spices, balsamic hemlock and smoky sandalwood appeal to lovers of aromatic woodland scents and composed, classically structured perfumes with an unconventional centre.
Release year
2002
The nose
Geza Schoen is known for his incisive handling of woody materials and unconventional compositions, most notably through his Escentric Molecules fragrances. His work often gives a distinctive material room to define the perfume rather than burying it beneath ornament. For Ormonde Woman, he worked with Linda Pilkington to frame black hemlock with aromatic spices, flowers and warm woods.
Collaborators
Linda Pilkington, Ormonde Jayne’s founder, shaped the ingredient-led concept and selected hemlock as its starting point. Her search through suppliers’ speciality oils established the unusual woody direction she developed in collaboration with Geza Schoen.
Ormonde Jayne’s story
Ormonde Jayne brings British craftsmanship together with French perfumery and inspiration drawn from Asian cultures. Founded by Linda Pilkington, the house favours unusual ingredients, travel-led curiosity and distinctive compositions, with production in its own London laboratory. Ormonde Woman’s black-hemlock signature expresses that approach particularly clearly.
Ormonde Woman’s concept
Ormonde Woman began with Pilkington’s search for an uncommon material rather than another familiar floral theme. A supplier’s fax listing Canadian hemlock gave her the starting point: a dark, balsamic wood to set against jasmine and violet. Launched among the house’s early fragrances, it helped establish hemlock as an Ormonde Jayne signature.
Extra info
Ormonde Woman received five stars in Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez’s Perfumes: The A–Z Guide and was included in The Little Book of Perfumes: The Hundred Classics. It also won Best Classic Women’s Fragrance at the Marie Claire UK Fragrance Awards 2025. Pilkington has described its hemlock character as making her feel powerful and protected.