In May of 2018, the East Rift Zone of Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii began a major eruption that lasted for months. It started in a quiet residential neighborhood when a little bit of hot lava oozed up from cracks in the road, but it rapidly escalated when a string of major fissures opened up, some turning into lava fountains that projected molten lava more than 50 meters into the air and created a glowing lava river that ran all the way into the ocean, destroying houses and farms, jungles, beaches, and tide pools, all the while creating new land. The process of destruction and creation happened against a backdrop of lush tropical vegetation, blooming with lightly-scented flowers of pikake, plumeria and yellow ginger. The vog (volcanic smog) was so thick that you could smell it all the way on the other side of the island. This scent mixes the smell of smoke, lava, live flowers, green and burning vegetation, and the unpredictable earth that gives rise to it all. After the eruption is over and the lava has dried and crumbled, there will sooner or later be the sweet, resinous scent of the seeds that will sprout and bring life back to the black desert. Created by Ellen Covey, it features notes of plumeria, pikake, ginger lily, mimosa, bergamot, sandalwood, myrrh, vanilla, styrax, benzoin and lava accord. Kilauea is a parfum.
OLYMPIC ORCHIDS KILAUEA REVIEWS
Fragrantica: "Kilauea is bizarre, let's just be straight about that. But it's bizarre in the most evocative way. This truly does smell of extinguished torches mixed with rock and minerals. I'm not even sure how one would one would accomplish that, but somehow Ellen really did make an utterly convincing "lava" accord - and I've been nowhere near lava ever, BUT this is exactly how I'd anticipate it to smell. It opens with rich, intense warmth and something that is burnt. It's notably naturalistic, and unrefined (in the best way). Ginger lily is an essential oil that I own and use often, and it's gorgeous alongside the heated stone smell. This smells as if she used the real oil, but it's always hard to be positive with such things. As this mellows I smell driftwood and resins, and some floral sweetness (I'm not sure I could decidedly detect frangipani/plumeria or the mimosa, it's just lightly floral). This has some beastly components, but remains less than "beast mode" (I'm weary of that term), and actually isn't engulfing or smothering...as you'd presume a lava flow to be. It's not a scent that I feel suits me, but that is nothing against it's composition or quality. It's not very wearable for me, but the concept is genius, and in a world where many perfumes fail to impress an accurate experience to the user according to their specific descriptions, this actually feels and smells like Kilauea might in one's imagination. Well executed!"
Fragrantica: "Absolutely transportative. This is lush without a hint of green and vivacious in the smoothest way. It is tropical in the way that Hawaii really is. No aquatics, no synthetic creamy florals, no coconut. It is glowing lava during the sunrise, it is damp colorful blooms, it is humid warmth."
Fragrantica: "Love this so much. Spicy, sexy floral amber. You get the humid, mineral smell that I’m sure is supposed to represent lava at the opening, but it dries down to a spicy, earthy amber-vanilla. It’s incredibly warm— almost hot. It borders on *almost* too sweet on the dry down, but the earthier notes balance it well. Very ~bohemian~ to my nose. Looking forward to a larger bottle and experiencing further."
Fragrantica: "Terrific. Floral, mineralic, wet stone, with an incense and amber backing. I can’t say I know what lava smells like, but I could see it. I have a hyper specific memory this smell unlocks, on a trip to Eureka Springs, AR, I stayed in an Airbnb that had a planted, real stone wall, with running water on it. Especially at night it emitted a wonderful damp, fresh, and crisp scent, this perfume transports me back to that cold, humid, yet inviting living room."
Fragrantica: "A magical blend. Spicy amber tropical flowers fragrance. This is the idea. Do not expect a typical clean frangipani scent. This one is savage and unpredictable just like a real tropical forest. Like stated in some reviews below the mineral note in this one does give the idea of rain dripping on scorching hot stones during Summer. We all know that mineral warm scent after a violent thunderstorm. I cannot confirm if it smells like lava for real though. The dry-down is more gourmand with some noticeable vanilla and sweetness. It's definitely more tame than the opening. The vanilla is dry and smells like fresh vanilla pods. And beware, if you wear it be sure you like it. I can still smell this one in my hair after a shampoo... A spectacular fragrance for those looking for a different tropical scent."
