Olympic Rainforest is a green, aromatic fragrance created by perfumer Ellen Covey. It is inspired by the mysterious, lush, mist-shrouded rainforest of the Pacific Northwest where everything is constantly green, and every surface dripping with water and covered with life in the eternal cycle of growth, decay and rebirth, all rising from the wet, leafy cradle of the forest floor. It was released 2010. Olympic Rainforest features notes of cedar leaves, green sword ferns, rhododendron, forest mushrooms, beebalm, myrtle, wildflowers, oakmoss, black spruce, balsam fir, Port Orford cedar and earthy accord. It is a parfum.
OLYMPIC ORCHIDS OLYMPIC RAINFOREST REVIEWS
Fragrantica: "First exposure is incredibly petrichor, but like rain on asphalt, and frankly the BEST capture of it I've ever smelled; it quickly changes to cedar, camphor, and wet earth. Like all of Ellen Covey's scents that I've tried, there is something so lush and organic here. Pacific botany in a bottle. I agree that it has pretty low projection after it dries down, but once it does, it gets darker and sweeter; the myrrh and flowers come through at that point. Even though it’s quite subtle by the end of the day of wearing it, I'm obsessed with the sensual thing it morphs into."
Fragrantica: "It smells like a mountain forest, but Im not sure if its a *rainforest*. Not as damp, or wet as I had hoped, but it does evoke an evergreen alpine forest with strong balsam fir and cedarwood notes. I bought it for my boyfriend who grew up in the Appalachian mountains and he absolutely loves it. Total "hiker" fragrance, verrrry wood-sy, which makes it read a bit more masculine to me, but is absolutely wearable by anyone who loves the outdoors. The entire Portland polycule probably smells like this by now lol."
Fragrantica: "I was looking for a very natural, forest like fragrance, and I can tell that this one is 100% it. It literally smells like pine forest after rain. It has a dump, earthy notes, but pine is the most noticeable."
Fragrantica: "Holy cedar. This is one of those fragrances that seems to want to jump right out of the bottle into your nose. This is jumpy, punchy; this scent bobs and weaves around you like a monkey then slinks past you like a cat. The greenness is sultry, a delightful combination I attribute to the depth of the woods and leaves. If you give in to this smell, your nose will eventually find the softer forest floor, fizzing to itself beneath the tree cover. After some time the beeswax and myrrh step forward to center the howling flora. These notes together create a narcotic effect, at least on me; when you smell deep, say "ah," and your eyes fall half-closed. Sugarcane appears on my skin here, something I have never experienced with perfume. I feel potent, powerful, even delicious. Very unexpected from this genre of perfume. Occasions I imagine this singing in: Date with the girl from the co-op, after-shower ritual before adventuring into the forest, cold seasonal wear for a witch with lush tattoos, deterring insects while attracting humans. Rituals conducted under the blue glow of Venus."
Fragrantica: "Wow I love this. Damp, deep green, musky, mossy, and genuinely fernlike. But it also smells distinctly like a perfume, an old-school mossy chypre from the 70’s or 80’s – Aromatics Elixir, Niki de Saint Phalle, Mystere, that sort of thing. Only more realistically foresty. It’s distinctly tangy too – it feels like there’s citrus in there, and after a few minutes a camphor note too. After about half an hour Olympic Rainforest is definitely a camphor scent – that medicinal smell of eucalyptus or tiger balm. It’s a controversial scent, but I’m a die-hard camphor fan so this suits me fine. Here, the eucalyptus is unsweetened and blends with realistic cedarwood and remnants of musk and moss, to give a true deep-forest feeling. The far drydown is a little bit sweet and resinous, but in a subtle way. Olympic Rainforest reminds me of the (much more elaborate and expensive) mossy-camphoraceous chypre that is Bogue Maai. It might be a decent substitute. I think it’s strictly better than Zoologist Koala, a much simpler and sweeter eucalyptus scent; I like Olympic Rainforest’s greater mossiness and complexity. Forest scents are my bag, and Olympic Rainforest is so perfect I am considering getting a full bottle one day."
Fragrantica: "Just perfect. After a few wears I’m making this a permanent addition to my wardrobe. It starts off bracing and takes me on a sunrise to sunset journey in an old growth mixed forest. If my soul had a smell it would be this. Just the most ephemeral essence of being deep in the backcountry in late March. All the winter chill has left the woods and the humid warmth of summer is still far away. Highly experiential and the polar opposite of linear. Also, completely unlike anything else I’ve ever tried. Ellen Covey is a virtuoso."
