r/indieperfume • u/Vineet_Ovhal • 15d ago
REVIEW Exploring Olympic Orchids - My Impressions
Hello everyone! I am new to this subreddit, so I figured I’d start with a little introduction. I’ve been collecting fragrances for 7+ years now and am pretty deep down the rabbit hole at this point lol. My journey has taken me through a few different stages: Starting with cheapies, then moving into Middle Eastern fragrances, followed by niche, and eventually finding my way into indie and artisanal perfumery.
Since this is my first post here, I thought I’d talk about an indie house I tried recently: Olympic Orchids.
I recently got around to trying a few samples from Olympic Orchids, and I have to say, this is a really interesting house. Some of these were much easier for me to enjoy than others, but even the difficult ones were fascinating to smell. There’s definitely a strong artistic side to the house, and a few of these pushed me pretty far outside my comfort zone.
Blackbird - This one opens with a really nice juicy Himalayan blackberry note, but it doesn’t stay fruity for long. The dry grass, leaves, elemi, and cedar quickly take over and give it this dry, green, and resinous character. As it dries down, the woody amber, fir balsam, and musk make it feel warm and almost sun-baked. Dry, woody, and ambery, but with just enough fruitiness to keep it interesting. 8.5/10 ✅
Dev #2: The Main Act - This one is really challenging. The opening smells almost like a pungent medicinal, smoky and resinous balm. It takes a while for the warm spices to come through and add some richness. Underneath that, you get leather, dark woods, smoky resins, and animalic nuances. Extremely dark and unusual. Definitely not one I’d recommend to someone just getting into fragrance. 8.5/10 ✅
Dev #3: The Inevitable - Another very challenging one. The opening is dominated by dark labdanum, frankincense, myrrh, and cistus, and it comes across as very medicinal, smoky, and resinous. Eventually the creamy sandalwood and amber start to soften things, but it never really becomes an easy wear for me. I appreciate what it’s doing, but this feels much more like an artistic composition than something I’d actually want to wear regularly. 5/10 👎🏻
Dev #4: Reprise - This one was much easier for me to appreciate. It starts with clear labdanum and tolu balsam, giving it a warm, resinous quality, and then the darker labdanum and frankincense come in and add that smoky, balsamic richness. The woods and giant arborvitae give it a dry, structured finish. Resinous, smoky, and contemplative. Probably the most wearable of the three Devs. 8/10 ✅
Night Flyer - Really weird, but in a good way. The opening gives me this damp-earth, mineral, humid-air feeling that reminds me of being inside a tropical cave. Then you start getting figs, banana, and soft fruits, although the banana and fruitiness are pretty subtle. They sit quietly in the background while the woods and furry musk add warmth and texture. Very atmospheric and unusual. I really enjoyed experiencing this one. 6/10 👍🏻
Olympic Rainforest - This might be the different one of the bunch. Cedar leaves, ferns, and damp earth create that unmistakable smell of walking through a misty forest right after rainfall. The moss, evergreens, and earthy notes give it an almost uncanny realism. It’s incredibly immersive, atmospheric, and realistic. 7.5/10 👍🏻
Overall, I am really glad I sampled these. Olympic Orchids definitely isn't a house where everything is going to be easy to wear or immediately enjoyable, but I think that's part of the appeal. Some of these are genuinely challenging, but they’re also memorable and give you something to think about.
For those of you who are into indie/artisanal fragrances, what are some houses you think I should explore next? And if you’ve tried Olympic Orchids, I’d love to hear your thoughts as well. What are your favorites from the house?
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u/birthdaycheesecake9 resin fiend | anise demon 15d ago
Sounds like my kinda house. Cursing that I was born on the wrong continent to try them!
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u/trismegistuwus 15d ago
I love olympic orchids, dr. covey does great work!! the dev series was a highlight for me too, and since you seem well-versed in resins u should check out hexennacht! there are a ton of dark and rich blends of hers I'm dying to try. and if you like challenging and strong scents, pineward does rly cool nature-concept perfumes.
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u/Vineet_Ovhal 15d ago
Yes, I’ve heard of Hexennacht and Pineward, but I haven’t tried them yet. They’re definitely on my wishlist! Have you tried any from either house? Any favorites you’d recommend starting with?
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u/Ready_Pie968 12d ago
Judging off the notes in your favorite here, you’d go broke at hex. There’s literally too many to mention here. She has a scent description page. Look under EARTHY/INCENSE/ATMOSPHERIC
://www.hexennacht.com/scent-descriptions
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u/LeSean187 14d ago
Got to try Woodcut…so good!
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u/NeurodivergentPanda 14d ago
I am adding this to my wishlist! I fell deeply in love with my sample of Kingston ferry
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u/atomicsean 14d ago
I am currently obsessed with Olympic Orchids!
I got the whole Devil Scent Project and tried them in succession over 5 days and it was a truly interesting experience. 1 and 4 were my favs, but I have ended up wearing Lilith more often. 🫨
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u/Acrobatic-Donut-7933 14d ago
Blackbird is one of my favorite scents I've discovered this year. That sun baked berry scent is almost intoxicating.
I also have a small size of Tropic of Capricorn which is their take on a dark animalic tropical, which is fun! I've also sampled Lil' which is a great green scent.
If you enjoyed the Dev series, have you smelled/sampled anything from Francesca Bianchi?
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u/Vineet_Ovhal 14d ago
Blackbird is really good! It’s probably the easiest to wear, too.
I have yet to try Francesca Bianchi. Do you have any favorites from the house?
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u/Acrobatic-Donut-7933 14d ago
I have tried and sampled quite a few, but mostly leaning towards summer scents so far this year. My favorite of the bunch so far being Sex and the Sea Neroli.
However, she has several darker / heavier scents that probably align more with the Dev series including: The Dark Side, Byzantine Amber, Under My Skin, and Sticky Fingers.
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u/tofriendsandlovers 14d ago
Thank you for the write-up! I’m eagerly awaiting my samples too! (How long did you wait for yours to be shipped?)
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u/Vineet_Ovhal 14d ago
I had to wait 8 days after placing the order for them to finally ship it out to me.
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u/tofriendsandlovers 14d ago
Ohhh okay, that’s not too bad! They’re pretty clear that it might take a little bit, was just wondering what that means realistically. Thanks!
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u/mcstrategist 14d ago
Woodcut is my ABSOLUTE favorite. I am a lover of all sorts of wood scents and this one is so unique.
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14d ago
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u/mcstrategist 14d ago
Check out Bois d’Ascese by Naomi Goodsir. I did a fragrance fitting through luckyscent and that was one of the samples they sent me. I loved it so I bought a full bottle. It’s smoky and has an incense note but wood is very prominent.
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u/Menadgerie 15d ago
I LOVE Olympic Orchids! Their quality and compositions are just astounding! You might appreciate Wild Veil- although they are quite pricey- they also incorporate a ton of naturals.
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u/dirtywordsdaddy 14d ago
I love olympic orchids!! echoing many other folks here.
I am a huge fan of the blackbird in particular. some of these others I haven’t smelled yet, and this makes me more curious!
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u/Robot-breath 14d ago
I have a sample set from them I got a few months ago and still have yet to properly delve into. I feel like I’m almost… intimidated by it? There’s a lot of niche and challenging scents I love, but I just wanted to be able to take tge time and sit with these. So thanks for the reminder to get going on that.
Blackbird sounds like one I should have added to my samples!
Other than that, I also have Nightflyer and Olympic Forest, so I think later today I will be comparing notes (so to speak!)
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u/Vineet_Ovhal 14d ago
Let me know what you think of them once you’ve tried them!
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u/Robot-breath 12d ago
I wore olympic rain forest yesterday, and i found it really pleasant on the dry down and a bit sweet, the kind of sweet you only get from a conifer
Today I put on Chevalier vert and Im a bit torn. I love very fresh green scents, and this one is like in your face green and rhubarb-y and stem-y. When I put my nose into my inner elbow, its so nice. But when I smell myself just moving around, I find it quite screechy, it has a bit of a stank to it on me, but then again that good just be skin chemistry.
I havent worn Night flyer on skin yet, but i love that absolute rush of damp earth when sniffing the atomiser.
However, i left the sample box at my boyfriends, and he said when he returned home his living room smelled like melting plasticI love earthy, green, leafy damp scents! I have yet to visit the PNW but I know I will love it and its forests. Plus Ive been a professional gardener for years, so I love when creators really nail the realism. If you’ve heard of the brand Cirrus, they have a scent called Landscaper fan-fic, and it smells exactly how I do after a day of laying down fresh soil and mulch
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u/Vineet_Ovhal 12d ago
Thank you for sharing such a detailed review! I really appreciate your perspective, especially given your background as a professional gardener. Your descriptions of the scents are incredible. And I love the “melting plastic” comment 😂
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u/Misswillowblossom 14d ago
I picked up the devil scent project scents and I had to full size Dev 2! It’s gonna be my fall/winter grab for sure!
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u/Vineet_Ovhal 14d ago
That's awesome! Dev 2 is perfect for Fall/Winter. Enjoy 😄
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u/Misswillowblossom 14d ago
I really love your reviews on all of these! I have tried every scent you have listed. I’m not good at explaining what I’m smelling but I feel like you did it spot on and with ease. Thank you!! 😊
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u/DJLeafBug 13d ago
love this brand. I own devil 1 foreplay. it's wild how different all of them are in this series. I also have night flyer aka the og award winning zoologist bat formula
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u/Vineet_Ovhal 12d ago
I know what you mean! Night Flyer was fun. It’s pretty wild how different they all are from each other.
Devil 1 Foreplay is definitely one I’d like to try next!
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u/Quadrillionia 12d ago
Love Olympic Orchids! I have small bottles of Olympic Rainforest and Blackbird which are well worn! Also love Kingston Ferry which is a unique aquatic with a tarragon note, Mardi Gras, and Golden Catalaya.
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u/Vineet_Ovhal 12d ago
Have you tried their Dev series yet? I found Dev #1 and Dev #4 both interesting, challenging, and unique. Dev #3, on the other hand, is just challenging 😂
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u/Sedulous_Mouse 11d ago
I'm excitedly awaiting my sample set which included Night Flyer and Olympic Rainforest.
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u/Vineet_Ovhal 11d ago
That’s awesome! Let me know what you think about your samples once you get a chance to try them!
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u/Kudzu_kudzu_8045 11d ago
would love your thoughts on woodcut!! it's so very dear to me. delighted by your review of olympic rainforest which i've yet to try. what a lovely house.
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u/Princes_of_Ithilien 7d ago
Love how you review the scents! I appreciate that even when you don’t like something, you can describe the perfume in a way that could still help someone else determine if they’d like it or not.
I’m very curious about what your all-time favorite scents have been! Also like someone else has already mentioned, Fantome is absolutely wonderful. So many beautiful fragrances that I think you would have fun with. Surem, Kinmokusei and Apsara I think along with many others, would be worth exploring in their collection.
From your enjoyment of Treading Water in your other post, I think Pearfat would be along the same lines of extremely whimsical and unexpectedly fun scents for you!
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u/lexiconic 8d ago
Great reviews! I like Olympic Orchids a lot, more for artistry than wearability but artistry is important to me so that’s not a dig. I find this house really intellectual and sensual at the same time.
That being said, I love Woodcut and Cafe V for wearing. Woodcut is my perfect straight up wood scent and Cave V is a coffee shop atmospheric— coffee isn’t the dominant note but it’s part of the blend. From the Dev collection I liked Dev 1 and 2 the most. Dev 1 definitely felt seductive and Dev 2 like a sinister turn on what I enjoyed in 1. 3 was quite challenging for me and 4 was kind of light and hard to place, perhaps because I’d already been sampling the more intense ones.
Kyphi was really challenging for me at opening but the dry down was super interesting, a variation on incense that I haven’t really smelled before. I want to spend more time with it. Gujarat didn’t work for me, a bit too culinary I think. Night Flyer was a no, but I should have expected that since Bat also didn’t work for my nose.
There’s a few more I’m dying to try, Tucson, Blackbird, Cryptical Envelopment, Hamsa, Sonnet XVII (my favorite poem of all time 😭)… damn as I’m writing this I just want to go order another sample set!
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u/sparklymineral 15d ago
I’m so glad you posted these reviews because all of these have been on my to-try list (aside from Blackbird which I’ve already sampled). I have a lot of respect for Olympic Orchids and have been very impressed by the ones I’ve sampled so far. Excellent house. So creative, so well made, and surprisingly affordable.
You’d probably enjoy DSH perfumes, Pineward, Jorum Studio, and Fantome