Ellen Covey

Woodcut GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Heya APJ Crew,

Another sensational GIVEAWAY comes to a close. Thanks to Azar and Ellen Covey. Do go and check out the wonderful stuff for sale at Olympic Orchids, you’ll be glad you did.
Portia xx

Woodcut GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Woodcut Olympic OrchidsPhoto Stolen Olympic Orchids

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get:
1 x 1ml sample of Woodcut by Olympic Orchids
2 x additional decants of “woody” fragrances from Azar’s collection
P&H to the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone in the world who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Leave a comment about the new Woodcut fragrance or name your favorite tree or wood smell.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: Olympic Orchids Perfume GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-3vv  

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 8th January 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by pulling names from a sunhat (maybe)
The old sunhat was getting pretty ratty looking.  As sunhats don’t sell well in the winter around here I was able to fund a nice new one for a really cheap price.

Azar New sunhat

The Woodcut winners names were drawn from my spiffy new hat!  And the winners are:

Robert Hermann

Jaybee

The winners will have till Sunday 11th January 2015 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Azar xx

Woodcut by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2014

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 60 Comments

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Post by Azar

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Hello APJ,

Happy New Year – and I am ready for it! There have been too many changes in 2014. This time last year I was dealing with emotional trauma associated with the destruction of the small forest behind our home in Issaquah, WA, “Tree City USA”. The smell of sap and tree blood was almost toxic, the whole experience brutal. After the trees were ripped out and hauled away, a monstrosity of a house was erected not far from our lot line. In an effort to mitigate the view of our neighbors’ kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms we installed 150 feet of cedar fencing, several varieties of timber bamboo, 20 cedar saplings, prayer flags and a large polycarb greenhouse. It will be several years before the bamboo and cedars obscure the up-slope action, but eventually we hope that we will no longer be a part of our neighbors’ intimate daily lives. In the meantime we have been enjoying our greenhouse and looking for peaceful retreats away from the fishbowl that is our home.

Woodcut Olympic Orchids Azar Ferry 2014Photo Donated Azar

On December 29th Ellen Covey, her husband Michael Clune, Brad and I set out over the Puget Sound to visit Troy Meyers Orchid Conservatory near Poulsbo, WA. The conservatory, residence, greenhouse, shops and guesthouse are located on several acres of beautiful cedars, hemlocks and Douglas firs. When we arrived at our destination an all too familiar smell assaulted my nose…sawn wood and tree sap! Initially I was stunned, but when I took a closer look I could see that our host had very carefully and selectively cut a few trees in order to manage the forest, preserve the buildings and allow the solar panels to continue generating electricity. This well considered stewardship of the land was a far cry from what had happened behind our home in late 2013. Visiting Troy Meyers Orchid Conservatory, staying in the lovely guest cottage and seeing how Troy and his wife Phyllis managed their sustainable and self sufficient life style was the perfect and positive ending to a year dominated by the life, death and smell of trees.

Speaking of the smell of trees: 2014 also saw the launch of Ellen Covey’s new fragrance Woodcut.

Woodcut by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2014

Woodcut Olympic OrchidsPhoto Stolen Olympic Orchids

Woodcut was released late last year and has already made it to the Cafleurebon “Best of 2014” list. The name Woodcut describes the fragrance perfectly.

My first impression of Woodcut was of a bracing, outdoor cedar board scent associated with new fences and carpentry. For me this introduction lasted, at the most, five minutes. There was no gradual transition to the next phase but simply an immediate and sudden shift to a dense and heavy sap, recalling the brooding woodcuts of American artists Leonard Baskin and Edward Gorey. Within 10 minutes or so Woodcut shifted again and a completely different personality appeared. Sugar, caramel, and vanilla surrounded the resinous balsam and created a cozy and comforting perfume that lasted for many hours. Woodcut is perhaps the first fragrance I have experienced that manifests such distinctly different and delineated personalities. The bracing cedar, the dark sap and the caramelized resin do not evolve from one to another but simply change in an instant.

Giveaway lavanyasrecipesPhoto stolen lavanyasrecipes

Woodcut GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get:
1 x 1ml sample of Woodcut by Olympic Orchids
2 x additional decants of “woody” fragrances from Azar’s collection
P&H to the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone in the world who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Leave a comment about the new Woodcut fragrance or name your favorite tree or wood smell.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: Olympic Orchids Perfume GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-3vv  

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 8th January 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by pulling names from a sunhat (maybe)
The winners will have till Sunday 11th January 2015 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Azar xx

Peace – Love – Perfume by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2014

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 47 Comments

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Post by Azar

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Hi APJ!

The latest fragrances from Olympic Orchids, Peace, Love and Perfume, were created as a numbered series for the Peace – Love – Perfume Facebook group and released on August 31st of this year. Each of these new scents (each flower child) is a take on one aspect of the “Hippie” counterculture/youth movement of the 1960s and early 70’s.

Peace – Love – Perfume by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2014

Peace Olympic Orchids FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Ellen Covey describes the first in the series, Peace, as “the serious oldest child”.

Listed Notes: Frankincense, cedar, New Caledonian sandalwood, vetiver, double distilled patchouli, benzoin, vanilla, tarragon, Oregon lavender.

My Perceived Notes: Peace opens with a startling dose of tarragon and lavender quickly dissolving into woody resin, frankincense and sandalwood. This incense blend, with just a breath of patchouli, suffuses the skin with an aura of contemplation, lingers for 24 hours and finally fades to a memory of frankincense and vetiver touched with vanilla. Peace is rich, warm, resinous and comforting, perfect for blustery fall and winter evenings by the fire.

Love Olympic Orchids FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Love, “the middle flower child”, is a humid floral featuring an exotic blue lotus accord.

Listed Notes: Blue lotus, sandalwood, frankincense, benzoin, humid air, vanilla, musks, tarragon.

My Perceived Notes: Once again I am momentarily surprised by the minty, camphorous, sweet tarragon top note. A wet blue lotus, with a hint of vanilla and resin, quickly takes over the composition and remains in place throughout the long life of the fragrance. Love finishes with a suggestion of damp vanilla and musk. I would be comfortable wearing Love anytime of the year but especially in spring and early summer.

Perfume Olympic Orchids FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

The third fragrance, Perfume, is the bright “free spirited youngest child”.

Listed Notes: Cedar, benzoin, vetiver, frankincense, pine wood fraction, myrtle, airy note, Oregon lavender, pink grapefruit.

My Perceived Notes: Perfume is really a cologne with an Olympic Orchids’ twist. Instead of the ubiquitous lemon or generic citrus and herbs, this cologne opens with a combination of pink grapefruit and sweet-sour myrtle continuing into pine, cedar and lavender. Perfume does not radically change over time and fades completely from my skin at about five hours. The refreshing grapefruit/myrtle combination and the cooling effect of the pinewood are perfect for long, hot summer days.

Even though my nose doesn’t register everything, I do NOT encounter any phantom notes or the “obvious but not present” effect in any of these fragrances. In the words of Flip Wilson’s 1970’s comic character Geraldine “What you see is what you get”! Each scent has been designed by the perfumer to be worn separately or layered together for a variety of stunning effects. Peace, Love and Perfume are available at Olympic Orchids boutique website (www.orchidscents.com) individually and in two different boxed sets, perfect for holiday giving.

Peace, Love and Perfume for All!

Azar xx

Giveaway Time sassisamblogPhoto Stolen sassisamblog

Peace – Love – Perfume GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get:
1 x set of 1ml samples of Peace, Love and Perfume
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell ell us about your favorite vintage/retro scent, describe your scent memories of the 60′ and 70’s (if you were around in those days) or which Olympic Orchids fragrance do you like best?

Extra Chance?
Tweet: On The Nose: Rosa Ardiente by Kenneth Cory GIVEAWAY @KPCNose  

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 27th November 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org or some fun way
As Portia is away on Holidays we will release winners when possible, keep an eye out.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

 

Olympic Orchids by Ellen Covey – Assisting the Sorceress

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 38 Comments

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Post by Azar

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Olympic Orchids by Ellen Covey

Labor Day Reflections – Assisting the Sorceress

I have no doubt that Olympic Orchids Perfumes are magical. Ellen Covey’s success as an indie perfumer is grounded in her creative spirit and reinforced by her extensive knowledge of fragrance materials, countless hours at the perfume organ, carefully considered artistic marketing and her commitment to the time consuming and repetitive tasks associated with any successful enterprise. While I have no illusions about my ability to create a fragrance, I do know that I can handle the time consuming and repetitive. In my experience even the most glamorous jobs can dull with repetition. I have also learned that it takes a relatively high level of discipline to successfully perform the same small motor task over and over again without losing focus or precision (both lessons learned from 60 years at the piano). I am certain that my talent for the tedious could be put to good use on a fragrance sample assembly line.

Unfortunately, many of today’s independent perfumers and niche fragrance houses cannot be bothered to offer samples. The labor and expense involved in filling, labeling, packaging and posting the samples is not seen as cost effective. These guys rely on their websites, social media and the blogging community to sell their perfumes. Why go to all the trouble of offering samples when new customers can be so easily manipulated into blind, full bottle buys. I have succumbed to this strategy more often than I care to admit. As a result I have come to appreciate and support the perfumers who offer their customers a sniff.

Azar with samples 2-1Photo Donated Ellen Covey

About a month ago I visited my friend Ellen with the express purpose of putting together samples. Before we began she took me on a tour of her bamboo grove, orchard and gardens. She opened and shared some newly arrived absolutes and then we headed upstairs to the atelier where we tested (and Ellen tweeked) several soon to be released fragrances. After all the fun we finally set to work putting together samples of California Chocolate.

I am no stranger to decanting and labeling but have had no previous experience with the solo assembly line. Ellen gave me the simple tasks of labeling tiny plastic bags, labeling and filling vials and packaging the samples in the bags. She monitored my progress and gave me helpful suggestions along the way. A pipette gun with disposable tips and a rack for vials made working the line a lot easier. My first adventure in serious sample production was rather slow and clumsy but I know, that with practice, my speed and precision will improve. As a reward for the work both Brad and I were treated to a fabulous salmon dinner prepared by Ellen and Michael followed by an amazing dessert of ice cream, guava sauce, whipped cream and figs freshly picked from Ellen’s garden. “Nice work if you can get it…Emoji”.

Azar xx

Giveaway myprettypaintsPhoto Stolen myprettypaints

Sample Selection GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 Winner who will get:

The draw includes a VM Hedonist sample, an Elektra sample, at least one Amouge carded sample and more good stuff.  I’m not trying to unload things I don’t like, not used or rejected samples but new packaged and carded samples and a few fresh decants, I just want to give away duplicates!
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to US RESIDENTS ONLY who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Reveal, if possible, approximately how many samples you have laying around your house, place of business, in your car, purse wherever. Have you developed a workable plan to store your samples? Let us hear about it!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: APJ Sample Selection GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-38D  

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 11th September 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will probably be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Sunday 14th September 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Olympic Orchids GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Hello APJ!

What a super response to the Olympic Orchids Giveaway! Of course you all know how excellent the Olympic Orchids stuff is so no surprise. I do hope you go and grab a couple of their gist boxes for yourself and friends.

Olympic Orchids 2013 DELUXE Gift SetPhoto Stolen Olympic Orchids

Olympic Orchids GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:

1 x 1ml sample of Olympic Orchids Tropic of Capricorn
1 x 1ml sample of Olympic Orchids Seattle Chocolate
1 x 1 mystery sample or decant
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

To be eligible for the draw just mention how you follow APJ. Here are a couple of questions: Do you ever split gift boxes? Have you tried Olympic Orchids Patchouli Lovers Soap or the Amber-Labdanum All Purpose Oil? Comment on either of these questions and be eligible to win

Azar Freaky Hazmat

HOUSEKEEPING (Beekeeping?)

Entries Closed Thursday 28th November 2013 10pm Australian EDST
Winners will be chosen by random.org
None of my furry or feathered friends wanted to help me draw the winner so I recruited Captain America (dressed in what appears to be a hazmat suit) to do the job.
Wearing those heavy gloves limited the dexterity of this local man of mystery. As a result he grabbed two names instead of one. The first one I saw was

NEMO

Congratulations Nemo! I hope you enjoy the samples of Olympic Orchids Tropic of Capricorn, Seattle Chocolate and the mystery frag.

The second name was

POODLE

who will receive a sample of Olympic Orchids Tropic of Capricorn, another OO sample (TBD) and a mystery scent as well. I will get these out to both of you as soon as I can. (Next time I won’t ask this guy to draw from the sunhat!)

 

The winners will have till Tuesday 3rd December 2013 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Azar xx

Olympic Orchids 2013 Gift Set

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 75 Comments

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Post by Azar

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Olympic Orchids 2013

How to Give a Gift Set

Giving chocolate, red roses or wreaths of evergreen boughs are popular ways to celebrate the holiday season. This year Olympic Orchids perfumer Ellen Covey has put together her 2013 Holiday Sets featuring fragrances that are reminiscent of these traditional gifts.

Olympic Orchids 2013 Gift SetPhoto Stolen Olympic Orchids

The Standard Olympic Orchids Gift Set includes three of her most popular 5 ml parfum sprays: California Chocolate, Ballets Rouge and Olympic Rainforest. The Deluxe Set comes with these fragrances as well as 1 oz. of Amber-Labdanum All Purpose Oil, a bar of hand made Patchouli Lovers Soap and a $25 coupon good toward the purchase of any 30ml parfum in the new packaging. The Standard Set is priced at $35 (easily a $45 value) and the Deluxe Gift Box at $45 (in my estimation worth at least $100).

Olympic Orchids 2013 DELUXE Gift SetPhoto Stolen Olympic Orchids

I’m always bargain hunting, especially during the holidays. The Standard Set would make a wonderful surprise for a special individual or couple but I have other plans for the deluxe version. Please don’t think me “cheap”, but I could solve several gifting dilemmas, stuff a few stockings or be ready for any unexpected guests by simply breaking the larger set up into individual gifts. Here is my plan for Olympic Orchids‘s Deluxe Gift Set:

Olympic Rainforest might be for the brother who sails the San Juan Islands and works near the Olympic Rainforest.

California Chocolate would be much appreciated by an adult student, a total chocoholic.

Ballets Rouge could make a lovely gift for the sister with the rose garden.

Patchouli Lovers Soap is a “can’t miss” for my old (my age) activist, hippie friend.

Amber-Labdanum All Purpose Oil is perfect for the son who has totally fallen for the scent of this product.

And the $25 coupon? Well, maybe I’ll just give that one to myself! (I bet you saw that one coming.)

giveaway kbairdPhoto Stolen kbaird

Olympic Orchids GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:

1 x 1ml sample of Olympic Orchids Tropic of Capricorn
1 x 1ml sample of Olympic Orchids Seattle Chocolate
1 x 1 mystery sample or decant
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

To be eligible for the draw just mention how you follow APJ. Here are a couple of questions: Do you ever split gift boxes? Have you tried Olympic Orchids Patchouli Lovers Soap or the Amber-Labdanum All Purpose Oil? Comment on either of these questions and be eligible to win my (Azar’s) last give-away for 2013.

Extra Chances?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Olympic Orchids GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2ex #Giveaway #Perfume @EllenCovey1

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 28th November 2013 10pm Australian EDST and winners will be announced in a separate post
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Sunday 1st December 2013 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Happy Holidays!
Azar xx

Red Cattleyea by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 34 Comments

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Post by Poodle

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When I was first married my in-laws told me I’d have a hard time cooking for my husband because he was so picky. I knew this but since I had persuaded him to try different foods while we were dating I knew I’d come up with a plan so I could cook what I wanted and not have him go hungry. I figured out that it was almost like cooking for a child (no offense, my love, if you’re reading this).

If he knew a dish had certain ingredients he wouldn’t try it. He was convinced he didn’t like certain things, even things I knew he’d eaten in the past and loved. The catch was that those times he hadn’t seen what was going into the pot. He came home and it was already prepared and waiting for him. I stopped telling him the ingredients or I told him what was in a dish after it was in his stomach. It worked, and cooking is much easier.

How does this relate to perfume? There are times when I think too much information is a bad thing. Sometimes I think knowing the notes before smelling can alter one’s opinion of it. If something smelled awful on me before or has a lot of notes I dislike I shouldn’t waste my time with it…or so I thought.

Red Cattleyea by Olympic Orchids 2010

Red Cattleya box smallPhoto Stolen Olympic Orchids

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Citrus, peach, apricot, melon, hyacinth, gardenia, violets, lilac, musk, woods, vanilla

I asked for the Olympic Orchids Just Orchids sampler set for Christmas. I didn’t see many reviews and I didn’t really study the note lists prior to trying the perfumes.

When I tried Red Cattleyea it was juicy and tropical and a great counterpoint to the chill in the air at the time. Since it is named after a flower I was expecting it to be a floral, but there was more, something sweet yet wonderful…then it hit me. Fruit! Yes, the dreaded fruity floral. This was nothing like the mainstream fruity scents, this was a fruity floral with personality. My first impression was favorable so I just kept enjoying my perfume, sniffing happily at my wrist now and then.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPhoto Stolen MorgueFile

When I looked at the notes I was horrified. This has multiple notes that usually turn ugly on me. Citrus, peach, and melon can make me run from the fragrance counter. Had I read the notes first I may have never sprayed but Ellen Covey worked some magic here.

Red Cattleyea opens sweet and fruity, more candied citrus than kitchen cleaner. Then there’s peach, on my skin peach usually smells like, well, let’s just say it’s not how I want to smell. But not this time. The peach is blended with apricot and it’s more jammy and sun warmed than fresh. Alongside this is a bouquet of gardenia and lilac. Hints of wood and vanilla keep peeking through and there’s an undercurrent of spice to my nose. As the fruit subsides the gardenia becomes fleshy and rich before fading. I don’t find the musk very strong, rather it holds everything together and gives the perfume warmth as well. On my extreme scent eating skin I could smell it easily for hours and ended up with the most wonderfully warm vanilla base.

Red Cattleyea Peaches Flickr Brett SpanglerPhoto Stolen Flickr Brett Spangler

This isn’t a light skin scent, it’s got some kick to it, I’d say that if applied with a light touch it would be office friendly. I’ve worn Red Cattleyea to work and gotten compliments. If you work with fragrance-phobes, perhaps it might be a little too bold.

Further reading: The Alembicated Genie and Hortus Conclusus
Olympic Orchids has $40/30ml EdP, isn’t that the best deal EVER?
Olympic Orchids $15/5ml Parfum

So Red Cattleyea’s fruity and sweet and peachy. On paper I shouldn’t like it yet I absolutely love wearing Red Cattleyea and there aren’t many fruity florals I can say that about.
Have you tried it?

Poodle. x

Blackbird by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

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Post by Azar

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“BLACKBIRD” AT BLACKBIRD

Hello Perfume Junkies and Indie Lovers,

Today I have news about a wonderful new fragrance debut here in the Pacific Northwest.  On Saturday, July 13th, at the Blackbird Apothecary (in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle) Ellen Covey celebrated the third anniversary of Olympic Orchids Artisan Perfumes and introduced her latest fragrance “Blackbird”.

Outside of the Blackbird Apothecary the Ballard Seafood Fest was in full swing.  Inside, happy perfumistas enjoyed a cool and fragrant haven.  Ellen’s line of fragrances were tastefully displayed along the walls.  Blooming orchids decorated the tables set with cheeses, wines and champagne.

As soon as I walked through the doors I headed straight for the new “Blackbird” fragrance.  Ellen sprayed the perfume glass and I generously doused my upper arm with the cabernet colored 25% concentrated elixir.

Blackbird MorgueFilePhoto Stolen MorgueFile

The following notes are listed on Olympic Orchids website,
Himalayan blackberry fruit, dry grass and leaves, elemi, cedar wood and resin, amber, fir balsam absolute, musk.

The first notes on my skin were a combination of very ripe blackberries and sweet, dry grass.  Ellen used real Himalayan blackberries to create “Blackbird”.  These same Himalayan blackberries (Rubus armeniacus) are everywhere in the PNW and, despite their delicious fruit, are considered noxious weeds, perhaps because they have overtaken the even tastier native Pacific blackberries (Rubus ursinus). The blackberry and grass top notes combined with amber to create an almost gourmand and seasonal scent of place, summertime in Seattle.

BlackBerries MorgueFilePhoto Stolen MorgueFile

The blackberry, grass and a little amber stayed relatively close to my skin and were later joined by a refreshing combination of cedar and balsam fir.  “Blackbird” worked for me like a breeze through an orchard or vineyard.  The sillage, as I mentioned before, was quite intimate.  Regarding longevity:  I was enjoying “Blackbird” well into the evening.

Congratulations to Ellen Covey on her third anniversary and on this beautiful addition to her line. Olympic Orchids’ new “Blackbird” is at once dry and sweet, sensual and refreshing, an incense-jam of a fragrance, gorgeous, relaxing and intimate.

Blackbird bottle Olympic OrchidsPhoto Stolen Olympic Orchids

“Blackbird” is available for purchase on the Olympic Orchids website. A 30ml Parfum will only cost you $68. That is an amazing price.

Here are a couple of questions.  Do you have a favorite Olympic Orchids scent? And/or were you in Ballard for the Blackbird event?

Azar

Cafe V by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Wooo Hooo Fellow Fumies,

Don’t forget to enter our Anya’s Garden Giveaway <<<<<JUMP

Two lovely, new and unusual fragrances arrived and have been sitting  on my desk waiting for me to do their review since before I went to LA. Finally I have picked up the box and am getting some skin time with one of my favourite niche brands, Olympic Orchids. There’s a special 3rd BIRTHDAY Discount Code at the bottom of the page, a discount on Olympic Orchids already extremely reasonable prices. YAY!! Today you get to meet…..

CAFÉ V by Olympic Orchids 2013

Cafe V Olympic Orchids GreatCafesPhoto Stolen GreatCafes

From Ellen Covey at Olympic Orchids: Café V is … inspired by one of Seattle’s many cozy neighborhood cafes….. It’s not quite gourmand, and not quite a fragrance of place, but something in between with notes of espresso-roast coffee, dark cacao, vanilla, cream, spicy chai bursting with cardamom, leather, and well-worn wood, and just a little skank from all of the rain-drenched actors who have over the years congregated in this little café in Seattle’s Capitol Hill.

Cafe V Olympic OrchidsPhoto Stolen Olympic Orchids

Top: Cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg
Heart: Spices, dark roast coffee, cacao, cream, sarsaparilla, leather, Madagascar vanilla tincture
Base: Myrrh, cedar, vanilla, dark woods, musk

I love the strong opening like coffee beans being ground with spices and then as the coffee is made the smooth rich black liquid streaming into espresso cups, adding a spoon of demera sugar and cream. This is not just about coffee though, this story and fragrance really is about a cafe. The leather banquets and beeswaxed old, unmatching wood tables, some newspapers, magazines and books on a shelf mouldering and gathering in all the great smells of humanity, then breathing out their vanilla scented decay. There are old forgotten and fresh wet umbrellas by the door, bread and cakes on the bench under glass domes. There is a porch where five tables are set for smokers and you can smell their delicious smoke inside in gusts, or is it the remains of the open fireplace, it could be smoke from the kitchen? All around the drama of life plays out daily, celebrations, disasters, first dates, divorce proceedings, babies in prams, authors, neatly put together ladies in cashmere and camel coats, journalists, the council workers, businesswomen, teenagers, actors and harassed 40 somethings taking a well earned break. The smell of new and old handbags, leather jackets hung behind chairs, shoes, feet and fragrance. Ellen has hit the nail on the head with her CAFE V, it’s exactly what I hoped it would be but even better.

The dry down on my ski is charred wood, amber, sweat and leather. Totally sexy and very old school.  Sexy enough to wake the sleeping in our house certainly, he he he.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPhoto Stolen McGill

Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon

Available from http://orchidscents.com

Bottles/Retail price:
5 ml parfum spray ($15.00)
15 ml parfum in screw-top bottle ($25.00)
30 ml EdP spray ($40.00)

OLYMPIC ORCHIDS 3rd BIRTHDAY!!

Birthday Cake weddingnotPhoto Stolen weddingnot

THIRD ANNIVERSARY IN JULY!
It’s hard to believe that our third anniversary is coming up this year! Everything still seems so new and such a work in progress that I don’t feel like any time has passed since I first set up my website. On the other hand, we now have a regular line of about 20 fragrances as well as quite a few special editions, and wonderful customers all over the world. We’ve won awards, and received loads of recognition. I would like to send out a huge thank you to everyone who has sampled and purchased Olympic Orchids perfumes over the past three years, and to those who have reviewed and written about them in so many different venues. I appreciate it all!

THIRD ANNIVERSARY DISCOUNT CODES
To celebrate our success over the past three years, I’ll be offering a 10% discount on any order of $10 or more placed between July 1 and July 7, 2013. Enter the code THREE at checkout to receive your discount.

DISCOUNT EXTENDED TO JULY 15 2013

Ellen

There you have it, Cafe V, and it is a doozy. I will be talking about the other new release very soon.
See you tomorrow,

Portia xx

Olympic Orchids Artisan Perfumes Reviews

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hi Ho Gang,

Yesterday we did an interview with one of niche perfumeries legends, Ellen Covey of Olympic Orchids Artisan Perfumes.

Ellen Covey and the Sydney Opera House

If you JUMP BACK you’ll be able to read it. I thought it important to now review some of their work. I have an admission to make; HUGE FAN. You will probably get a totally biased love fest because I’ve picked fragrances I like but I will also give you fair and true reviews. OK? Good.

Photo Stolen Olympic Orchids

BAY RUM 2012: This is a BIG fragrance. Enormous. If I put Bay Rum on in a large dose my partner can track my scent anywhere in the house or garden. Worn in more than one spritz doses it is a sillage monster, definitely not for work, dinner or enclosed spaces. If I spray and walk through the mist naked, enough gets on me to perfume me without skunking people at a 50 meter radius. For big events like performing or parties then this is a goodie, unmissable and unmistakable you will leave a coruscating vapour trail behind you like a sirens song. Ellen “took the classic formula of Jamaican bay essential oil, added a boozy rum accord that I developed, spiced it up with laurel, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and allspice berry, added some orange blossom and citrus notes, and then boosted it all to maximum volume with a woody base that includes javanol and balsams.” according to her website.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

FLEURS DE GLACE 2011: What a cool, soft, demure opening this lovely fragrance has but soon there is a warmth that thaws it out. Oh OK, so I just read the notes on Fleurs de Glace and it is Olympic Orchids only mainly synthetic scent designed as a reminiscence of flower like ice formations that appeared one day with featured notes of galbanum, black pepper, cyclamen, ozonic accord, transparent vanilla, and white musk; according to Fragrantica. When you are given the story then this perfume really makes sense and comes alive, the cool opening of the ice flowers, warming with a sense of wonder, then a comfortable, almost foodie smell of baking running underneath what I presume to be the cyclamen which has a waxy, insistent, bright floral counterpoint. This is a beautiful choice for slightly cool weather.

Ferry and seagull - Edmonds, Washington
Photo Stolen sjb4photos

KINGSTON FERRY 2010: To my nose this is a delicious and murky green opening, hay, woods and earth and almost a guano smell of seafront birdlife. An intoxicating, resinous, salty and aqueous (in the sea water sense) fragrance that gives you a real sense of waterview life. On a boat rather than the dock, where it’s cooler with the wind blowing all the bad smells of port life away, leaving fresh water, seaweed, wood and tar, salty water drenched rope; it’s all here. Later you can smell the captain too, big, burly man of captain in his cable knit jumper and windbreaker jacket and he is wearing the remnants of a manly barbershop cologne embedded in the clothes he’s worn for years. What a lovely journey, you need to try this so you can make your own story from it.

HOW TO FIND THESE GEMS?

This jump will take you to Olympic Orchid Artisan Perfumes fragrance page. You have 19 fragrances to choose from. There is an exciting new samples choice; 5 x 3ml spray sample set of three different fragrance groups and at $20 with free continental US shipping or only $5 for international. SO DAMN CHEAP!!! I have ordered the Perfumers Spray Sample Set just now. He he.

As a special deal, Ellen Covey has offered $5 off all international orders for postage and handling or $5 off product in the continental USA!! Please enter the word PERFUMEJUNKIE into the coupon code box at checkout. The offer will last through Monday, June 25. AWESOME!!

These are only 3 of the amazing range available at Olympic Orchids Artisan Perfumes. Go forth a try some, the sample set is a great way to try them.

Much love from Sydney, Australia,

Portia xx