Madrone Trees Live and dead photo Dr Ellen Covey

Dr. Ellen Covey of Olympic Orchids, a Seattle-based artisan perfume company has just released Woodcut. A perfumed call to arms, an anthem for the awareness of deforestation on national and global levels. “Ecology and natural perfumery go hand in hand. As a perfumer who uses a lot of natural materials, I like to know how they are obtained, and try to avoid ones that are endangered or clearly being over-harvested in the wild.” Dr. Covey goes on to explain the inspiration behind the ecological manifesto, “We live in an area where there's a lot of new development and clear cutting of old growth trees, so I'm constantly reminded of how quickly the natural environment is being destroyed. The Pacific Northwest is one of the areas where there is still quite a bit of intact land in its natural state, so I think many people here are highly aware that the environment needs to be respected and protected. Unfortunately, not everyone feels this way.”

The Wood Sawyers Jean-François Millet

Bracing and enveloping, the opening is exactly what one might expect from an eco-themed perfume: instantly recognizable shavings of cedarwood. Quickly joined by a beautiful pine distillate- the woods are warm, with an appearance of resin heated by the spinning saw blades. A caramel laced burnt sugar note provides the olfactive hallucination of heated bark and smokey pitch as logs are cut, piled and left to sit in aromatic forest piles. Dr. Covey has suggested the scent is like life essence spilled on the ground- a fitting description for the liquid rests on the skin, stained with sugar coated cedars is as beautiful in its insistent longevity as it is in the urgency of its message.

Vanilla Orchid II painting for sale by Helen Klebesdal who is best known for environmental and women centered watercolors

Radical in its seeming simplicity, Woodcut marries the majesty of cedar and pine with the gourmand coziness of vanilla as poetry only Olympic Orchids could recite. Orchids play well with Ellen and it shows- this is the most exquisite vanilla I have ever inhaled. Woodcut is also radical in its approachability– art which invites everyone to engage in its message; at once alarming in theory and appeasing in application. Approximately 80% natural, Woodcut captures a perfect balance between natural raw material honesty with the science of modern perfumery. Metaphor for the need to artificially manage and regrow forests- both the natural world and the science of forestry working together to benefit all.

Painting Wood Bottle Sergei Kostarev

So is this wooden sweetness a harbinger of a world deforested, without the lungs of trees we need to be able breath? A beauty which belies the horror of what we are slowly doing to ourselves? Dr. Covey suggests, “The message should be of both warning and hope. One can only hope that the warning will be heeded. If not, the world is in for a major crisis.” Certainly the perfume itself suggests there is harmony to be found between the needs of the forest and the needs of humanity. My message to you; if you are a fan of wood fragrances you should experience Woodcut, as it is a worthy addition to any perfume collection.

Notes: Fractional distillations of pine and cedar, oakwood absolute, tolu balsam, olibanum, caramel, burnt sugar, vanilla.

Disclosure: I received my sample from Olympic Orchids Artisan Perfumes

–Einsof, Natural Perfumes and West Coast Contributor

Thanks to Dr. Ellen Covey we have a world wide draw as follows: For our USA readers we have  a 30 ml edp spray of WoodCut and for our International readers we have a 5 ml travel spray. To be eligible please  leave a comment with what appealed to you in Einsof's review,where you live and if you have a favorite Olympic Orchids Perfume. Draw closes 12/25/2014.

We announce the winners on our site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize wil be just spilled perfume