Argos Perfume:A Hundred Eyes, Klimt and Myths in a Bottle

A giant with a hundred eyes, a dog who waits twenty years, and paintings from Klimt to Rubens on enamelled metal plaques: every bottle from Argos tells a legend from Greek and Roman mythology. Behind it stands a man who worked as a model, actor and real estate developer before teaching himself perfumery. Meet Christian Petrovich, discover the Artist Series and find out which Argos fragrance suits you.

Who is behind Argos perfume?

A career changer with many talents. Christian Petrovich was born in the USA, and his family has Italian and Russian roots. According to Argos, he worked as a model for more than two decades, won awards as an actor and builds as a real estate developer in Dallas, Texas. He taught himself perfumery. He founded Argos in 2014, by his own account right at the start of the modern indie perfume movement.

It still did not happen overnight. Argos describes several years of formulating and reformulating before the first five fragrances were finished. For Pallas Athene and Danaë, the brand names Petrovich himself as the perfumer. His motto is on the brand's website: "Fragrance Is A Subtle Kiss That No One Sees."

Where does the name Argos come from?

From several legends at once, and that is the charm of it. On its website, Argos lists four meanings side by side: Argos Panoptes, the giant with many eyes. Argos, the loyal dog of Odysseus. The Argo, the ship of the Argonauts. And the city of Argos in the Peloponnese, believed to be the birthplace of the hero Perseus. Which one gave the house its name, the brand does not say. We think the watchman with a hundred eyes suits a perfume house best, because smelling means taking in the world with every sense.

Where are Argos fragrances made?

In France, at the heart of perfumery. Argos writes that the fragrance oils are produced in its private lab in Grasse and blended and macerated in a lab in Nice. Maceration means the finished blend rests for a while so that alcohol and fragrance oil can marry, a little like wine that needs time in the barrel.

Almost as much effort goes into the bottle. According to Argos, the glass is thick, made in Italy and polished by hand. The metal cap sits like a capital on a Greek column, and the front carries a three-dimensional metal plaque designed by Petrovich himself. It is painted by hand and set with crystals. An Argos bottle is half perfume, half miniature work of art.

What is the Argos Artist Series?

A tribute to great painters, one fragrance at a time. Each plaque draws on a famous painting or an artist who depicted the legend. According to Argos, Gustav Klimt opened the series with Pallas Athene and Danaë, and it has since reached double figures. Here are the fragrances from the series that you will find at our shop:

Which Argos fragrances can you find at our shop?

Almost the whole of mythology, from bright and cheerful to deep and dark. Above, the classics and Botticelli's spring; below, Klimt and the underworld:

Triumph of Bacchusrum, white peach, tobacco100 ml · € 245 Triumph of Bacchus Extraitdenser, creamier, close to the skin100 ml · € 355 Birth of Venuspeach, jasmine, sandalwood100 ml · € 290 La Primaveralemon, rose, heliotrope100 ml · € 355

Danaëlemon, guaiac wood, musk100 ml · € 275 Pallas Atheneberries, peony, iris100 ml · € 275 Charon's Vailrose, oud, labdanum100 ml · € 355 Midas Touchtuberose, leather, oud100 ml · € 395

Live prices from our shop for the 100 ml bottle, as of 28.10.2026. Every fragrance is also available as a 2 ml sample. The full selection is at Argos.

The feast: Triumph of Bacchus

If one Argos fragrance has cult status, it is this one. The 2019 Eau de Parfum smells like a banquet in honour of the god of wine: green apple and rum, juicy white peach, a shimmer of saffron, with tobacco, vanilla, amber and sandalwood underneath. The 2023 Extrait has the same notes but wears denser and closer to the skin. We compared both versions in detail in Triumph of Bacchus or Extrait?

The goddesses: Danaë, Pallas Athene, Birth of Venus, La Primavera

Here things turn bright and elegant. Danaë pairs Sicilian lemon with guaiac wood, cedar and musk, a golden skin aura just like Klimt's golden rain. Pallas Athene opens with berries and pink pepper over peony, violet and a powdery iris. Birth of Venus is juicy with peach and grapefruit, with jasmine and rose at its heart. La Primavera, finally, sounds like a spring morning in Florence: lemon, green leaves, rose and heliotrope.

The underworld and the gold: Charon's Vail, Midas Touch, Vulcan's Revenge

For evenings by the fire. Charon's Vail begins with an almost melancholic rose, followed by patchouli, oud, cedar, labdanum and saffron. Midas Touch is pure gold in scent form, with tuberose, osmanthus, leather and oud. And Fire & Desire: Vulcan's Revenge tells the greatest marital row on Olympus with tuberose, vanilla, amber and oud. For this one, Argos even states the concentration: Extrait de Parfum at 35 percent. What such a figure means is explained in Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum or Extrait, and you can read more about the queen of flowers in Rose in Perfume.

Romance and heroism: Love Triumphs Over War, Sacred Flame, Perseus Triumphant

Love Triumphs Over War is a lavish love letter of citrus, tuberose, raspberry, cinnamon bark and vanilla. How cinnamon found its way into perfume is told in Cinnamon in Perfume. Sacred Flame is dedicated to Prometheus and glows with ginger, clove, rose and amber. Perseus Triumphant relies on saffron, cardamom, leather and oud. If you prefer something fresher, try Neptune's Trident with mandarin, petitgrain and ambergris, or Brivido della Caccia, Artemis' hunt with juniper, maté and leather.

Smell first, then fall in love

With Argos, you shop with your nose and your eyes. Still, the legends are best discovered on your own skin. With every bottle from 30 ml we include a 2 ml sample of the same fragrance; from an order value of € 90, four further 2 ml samples of your choice, while stocks last (add your preferred scents in the order note). From an order value of € 200, standard shipping to Austria and Germany is free.

Or visit us in our boutique in Bregenz and hold a bottle in your own hands. Another house that unites art and fragrance is presented in Pantheon Roma: Raphael, the Fornarina and Fragrances from Rome.

Your 4D Outfitters team, Bregenz

Sources: Argos: About us · Argos: Story and Mythos · Argos: Pallas Athene · Argos: Danaë · Argos: La Primavera · Argos: Love Triumphs Over War · Argos: Charon's Vail · Argos: Midas Touch · Argos: Vulcan's Revenge · Wikipedia: Argus Panoptes · Wikipedia: Argos (dog) · Wikipedia: Pallas Athena (Klimt) · Wikipedia: Rottmayr · Wikipedia: Platzer · Dulwich Picture Gallery