From House of Matriarch's website: Orca began over a century ago when a chunk of natural grey ambergris washed onto a New Zealand shore and was discovered by a shrewd beachcomber. Here you will find the timeless magic of the ocean - sparkling, exotic and effervescent. Exalting notes construct a pedestal upon which this rare vintage ambergris is featured. Resins lend an exotic warmth and regal goodness to the amber accord. Natural honey adds a liquid gold note, enhancing the spicy and leathery qualities offered by the natural ambergris. Dancing between the fresh cleanness and the salty patina of ocean-kissed skin, this fragrance is an intimate experience, washing you with nuanced waves. Subtle by design. Animalic and erogenous, yet cruelty free. Orca improves in the bottle like a fine wine since organic grape spirits comprise the base of this perfume. Now decanting the 2015 vintage which boasts the bonafide 1800s vintage ambergris mentioned above. Orca features top notes of spices, amber and benzoin; middle notes of honey, precious woods and choya loban; and base notes of ambergris and labdanum. It is an extrait de parfum and is 100% natural.
Created by founder and perfumer Christi Meshell, House of Matriarch's fragrances are made using the highest quality, certified kosher, natural ethanol distilled in Washington (from organic apples and grapes) so they will continue to smell better and better with time. Halal approved.
HOUSE OF MATRIARCH ORCA REVIEWS
Fragrantica: Spicy sweet ambergris with a touch of amber. A beautiful balanced spicy ambergris with doses of olibanum, chili, cloves, and touched by honey to eliminate the overly spiced up notes. Laudanum and benzoin are there. A beautiful combination made perfection. Sweet spicy ambergris. Charming beauty.
Fragrantica: This is similar to LADDM by Andy Tauer, took me a few wearings to truly appreciate. They share some similarities but are not at all the same. If I had to describe to someone who hasn’t smelt Orca, I would make this reference due to the leathery, incense vibe of both. I love this fragrance. The amber, the way it interacts with everything is to die for. I will always have this in my collection.
Fragrantica: My favorite from House of Matriarch, a salty ambergris and amber, musky, lightly sweetened with honey, touches of leather. It isn’t overly woody or smoky like some others from HOM, which are kinda difficult for me, it’s smoother and easier to wear. Orca is really super soft on me after an hour but I don’t need beast mode, I prefer beauty more than the beast and Orca is a beauty.
Fragrantica: Composed of honey and ambergris, Orca seems to aspire to embody amber in all of its greatness, and in that respect, I find that it succeeds, showing the creamy and sweet sides of amber as well as the dull animalic side of it that makes the accord so alluring. Orca is certainly slightly saltier at the opening, but quickly dries down into the rich amber / honey combination that constitutes the listed notes of the fragrance according to the HOM website. Like most amber-centric fragrances, it's functionally unisex and cold-weather leaning. Orca is nevertheless bold and long-lasting but not loud in terms of projection a sign of a high concentration of natural ingredients.
Fragrantica: Orca is a great sweet amber and ambergris scent. The opening is very strong with ambergris, but once it dries down you get loads of sweet amber and honey with a hint of spices. Interestingly enough, when smelled up close I smell semolina porridge, reminds me of childhood. As for longevity and projection, well... it does last a moderate amount of time, 5-6h, but the projection is close to the skin, a bit too modest for me. In any case, this is a definite must-try, I really do enjoy this one.
Fragrantica: This is one of the best fragrances I have ever smelled. It's an ambery, smokey, vanillic, and a little spicy all at once. Quite linear on me but that is completely fine. If I had to compare it to anything I think Calling All Angels by April Aromatics would be the only thing I could think of. The quality is so much better with this one. Steep but well worth it. This is super sexy and I believe would smell just as good on a woman as it does on me. Projection and longevity are excellent as well. I think this may be my favorite from the line so far. Absolutely amazing and even at its price point I would recommend any/all of these fragrances. Uniqueness-8.5/10, Performance-10/10, Smell-10/10 and Quality-10/10.
Fragrantica: Testing this was a joy for me.. One of the most beautiful fragrances I've tried this year. Very impressed, I get a rich authentic ambergris note for most of the longevity of the scent, with soft warming spices, hints of spikenard, with just a dab of honey, not enough to make it particular sweet, and most definitely never sickly. It adds a richness and fullness to the amber accord with an almost soft leathery quality at certain times, with a dry spiced feeling through out, blended perfectly with the salty ambergris. It has a cooling freshness that feels to me like frankincense. Rich beautiful, elegant and subtle, Perfectly unisex, between 8 to 12 hours on my skin.
