Blackbird celebrates the dry season and the warm, peaceful days of summer in the Pacific Northwest, when walking anywhere from a country road to a city greenspace brings the powerful scent of tawny dry grass, fir and cedar trees baking in the sun releasing their sharp, incense-like resins, and juicy ripe blackberries tempting us and the blackbirds with their jammy, musky sweetness. Inspired by nature, it was a finalist for the 2014 Art and Olfaction Awards. Created by Ellen Covey and released in 2013, Blackbird features notes of Himalayan blackberry fruit, dry grass and leaves, elemi, cedar wood and resin, woody-amber accord, fir balsam absolute and musk. Blackbird is a parfum.
OLYMPIC ORCHIDS BLACKBIRD REVIEWS
Fragrantica: "When I was a child, my father would often drop me off on the plot of forested farmland he owned and let me pick blackberries (when they were in season, of course). My hands would stain with juice as I sat underneath forest canopies, enjoying the fruits of my labor. Blackbird is a phenomenal fragrance, and shifts this childhood memory into something with a little more depth and intrigue. Blackbird is cheery and fun, but there is a mysterious allure within its profile... it's a little sour! It's a little tart! It's like if berries and pine were crushed together in a little sangria offered by a forest fairy. As the fragrance dries down, I find that the woody cedar/balsam fir notes make themselves more known, but it doesn't overpower the berry! I could understand how this might morph into a cough syrup-like scent to some, but for me, the tartness keeps this fragrance from falling into that territory. I can’t stop sniffing my wrist. This is really fun. I like it a lot!!! I might even love it!!! Overall rating: 8.5/10"
Fragrantica: "Quick update on this one, not a fan of the opening, it is quite abrasive and overpowering. However, after 10 minutes, the intense dark fruit notes begin to settle down, and form a good blend of the woody and green notes, I get a slight mint as well. Beautiful scent of great longevity, highly recommend."
Fragrantica: "Winey, piney, and dark, I can understand why Dr. Covey won a, well deserved, art and olfaction award for this. Being upfront, whether you enjoy Blackbird's bold in-your-face fruitiness or not will absolutely make or break this fragrace for you. As, that sweet-tart blackberry dominates the opening and contributes a piquant grapey character to the entire composition. However, Blackbird has to be the most complex and realistic blackberry/ black currant that I've ever smelled. The littlest bit of hay absolue adding rich plummy sweetness to the berry accord. More subtle in comparison, the fir and elemi give a photorealistic woody camphorous quality to the blackberry, while also adding herbal and fresh nuances of their own that balance the fruitiness. Blackbird's seamless mix of wood, resins, and berries really showcases Dr. Covey's talent for perfumery and knowledge of scent chemistry. This doesn't project for more than a few hours on me but it does last all day as a skin scent, so the performance is more than strong enough for most. Hard recommend for sour berry lovers. Though, do be careful of stains when wearing light fabrics."
Fragrantica: "This is a Covey masterwork - it is perfectly balanced and cheerful while mysterious. I’m taken somewhere else when I put it on, and while some say forest, I imagine a state park picnic area with a few freshly picked berries and dark green leaves around the wooden canopy. I think this is a safe gift and would be incredibly sexy worn by a man, if you’re not put off by a realistically tart blackberry sweetness that stays from first spray to dry down. Gorgeous and made me smile at first spray."
Fragrantica: "A hot summer day, walking by yourself on gravel roads on a family member's farmland. Your dogs follow, sniffing curiously at everything and you sit on an old rusty tractor in the shade by a bunch of blackberry bushes. With family back at the farmhouse, this walk was to escape the busyness of multiple people cooking dinner in the kitchen or loudly talking in every other room. Outside, it's peaceful with a nice breeze, happy canine company, and ripe blackberries to hold you over until dinner is ready. This fragrance lasts awhile and can be intense. Just a few sprays will do so you're not making people cough around you."
Fragrantica: "This is probably in my top 2 fragrances from Olympic Orchids. I’ve never quite found a berry/jammy fragrance that I’ve loved on myself, any time I try they end up being given to my mom. This one I’m hoarding even though she likes it too. This opens with a very boozy berry, almost wine like scent. The dry down has it becoming a more slightly tart but photorealistic blackberry scent with a background of spicy green balsam fir. I can see this fragrance being worn in any season, as a beautiful summer berry with green notes or to be worn in the winter because of the combo of a sweet berry wine and fir."
