9 October 2026

Which Argos sample to try first

Argos retells a Greek or Roman myth in every perfume, often paired with a painting. Eight samples in order of Fragrantica popularity, and a map of the sandalwood and rose.

Argos is a Texan house, founded in Dallas in 2014 by the self-trained perfumer Christian Petrovich, and every one of its perfumes retells a Greek or Roman myth. The name comes from Argus Panoptes, the all-seeing giant, and from the dog Argos, who recognised Odysseus by scent; the tagline is “Be remembered”. The Artist Series pairs a myth with a painting, in thick hand-polished Italian glass with a metal plate that shows the artwork. The style is rich and layered, with rum and tobacco, roses and raspberry, citrus over cashmere wood and Mysore sandalwood, blended and macerated in France. Perfumes this layered are better met on skin, so an Argos sample is the sensible first step.

Argos: eight samples, ordered by popularity

We ordered the samples on our list by the position each perfume holds on the Fragrantica popularity list of the house, as captured by NicheGems on 7 October 2026. Popularity shows how much a perfume is discussed, not how good it is. Notes are given as the house records them.

Triumph of Bacchus (2019, Christian Petrovich) frees mortals through wine: saffron, rum, white peach and green apple, then patchouli, jasmine, tonka bean and vetiver, over tobacco, amber, Mysore sandalwood, musk and vanilla.

Argos Triumph of Bacchus sample – decant in a glass spray vial (2, 5 or 10 ml) — Argos Triumph of Bacchus Eau de Parfum · sample

Adonis Awakens (2022) follows the Waterhouse painting: bergamot, grapefruit and pink peppercorn, then Bulgarian rose, sambac jasmine, vanilla, raspberry and chestnut, over Mysore sandalwood and cashmere wood.

Argos Adonis Awakens sample – decant in a glass spray vial (2, 5 or 10 ml) — Argos Adonis Awakens Eau de Parfum · sample

Birth of Venus (2023) takes Botticelli’s painting: bergamot, peach, orange blossom and lavender, then narcissus, jasmine, rose, iris, violet and raspberry, over amber, vetiver and sandalwood.

Argos Birth of Venus sample – decant in a glass spray vial (2, 5 or 10 ml) — Argos Birth of Venus Eau de Parfum · sample

Danaë (2021, Christian Petrovich) is the dry, citrus one, from Klimt: bergamot and Sicilian lemon, pink peppercorn and guaiac, over cistus, patchouli and Mysore sandalwood.

Argos Danaë sample – decant in a glass spray vial (2, 5 or 10 ml) — Argos Danaë Eau de Parfum · sample

Fall of Phaeton (2023) is spice and resin after dark: bergamot, cardamom and ginger, then labdanum, lavender and agarwood, over leather, tonka bean and vanilla.

Argos Fall of Phaeton sample – decant in a glass spray vial (2, 5 or 10 ml) — Argos Fall of Phaeton Eau de Parfum · sample

Sacred Flame (2024) honours Prometheus with a long pyramid: citrus, ginger and clove, then rose, tuberose, cinnamon bark and orris, over amber, vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin and opoponax.

Argos Sacred Flame sample – decant in a glass spray vial (2, 5 or 10 ml) — Argos Sacred Flame Eau de Parfum · sample

Neptune’s Trident (Extrait de Parfum, 2025) shows the sea god’s calm and rising water: bergamot, mandarin and lavender, then green tea and jasmine sambac, over vetiver, musk, ambergris and sandalwood.

Argos Neptune's Trident sample – decant in a glass spray vial (2, 5 or 10 ml) — Argos Neptune's Trident Extrait de Parfum · sample

Bacio Immortale (2019, Christian Petrovich) is the immortal kiss of Eros and Psyche: raspberry and citrus, then violet and leather, over oud, birch and vanilla. Pallas Athene (peony, violet and iris) and Love Triumphs Over War (floral spice and berries over amber) complete the ten.

Argos Bacio Immortale sample – decant in a glass spray vial (2, 5 or 10 ml) — Argos Bacio Immortale Eau de Parfum · sample

The Argos note map

Sandalwood, often Mysore, sits in eight of the ten. Rose runs through Adonis Awakens, Birth of Venus, Sacred Flame, Pallas Athene and Love Triumphs Over War, and vanilla through Bacchus, Adonis Awakens, Phaeton and Bacio Immortale. Leather links Phaeton and Bacio Immortale, cardamom links Phaeton and Neptune’s Trident, and rum and tobacco belong to Bacchus. The rose samples guide places the roses among other houses.

A first order of Triumph of Bacchus, Danaë and Birth of Venus covers a gourmand, a dry citrus-wood and a floral. How to test perfume on skin gives a simple routine, and evening perfume samples suits Bacchus, Phaeton and Sacred Flame.

From Argos sample to bottle

If one holds up over several wearings, the bottle is the next step. Our vial is filled by FragranceGems from the original bottle and labelled by us; Argos is not involved and it is not a brand sample. The first perfume in full size is at Argos Triumph of Bacchus. The sample set page shows how to combine vials, and the FAQ covers filling and labels.

FAQ

Which Argos sample should I try first?

Triumph of Bacchus. It leads the Fragrantica popularity list for the house on our records by a wide margin, and its saffron, rum, white peach and apple over tobacco, amber and Mysore sandalwood is the house at its richest.

What is the Artist Series?

It pairs a myth with a painting: Gustav Klimt for Danaë and Pallas Athene, John William Waterhouse for Adonis Awakens, Johann Michael Rottmayr for Neptune’s Trident. The bottles carry a metal plate with the artwork.

Why is Neptune’s Trident an Extrait?

Newer Argos releases such as Neptune’s Trident are made as Extrait de Parfum, while most of the range is Eau de Parfum. Each sample is labelled with its concentration, so you know which you are wearing.

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From the house of FragranceGems

The sample department of FragranceGems

DecantGems is part of FragranceGems B.V. in Zoetermeer, the Netherlands. We fill every sample ourselves from the original bottle into a glass spray vial and label it ourselves. Behind it stands the same team that handles every FragranceGems order.