OLYMPIC ORCHIDS
CALIFORNIA CHOCOLATE

2013

PERFUMER
Ellen Covey

Wild Orange
Dark Chocolate
Cognac
Grapefruit
Yuzu
Patchouli
Bourbon Vanilla
Neroli
Musk

This is an interesting one. In the first minutes I was super intrigued; it captured the scent of (dark) chocolate with orange snacks as they’re being sold here (I think originating in the UK) perfectly.

California Chocolate starts off very natural and in the air, the sense of chocolate is palpable. However, only minutes into the wear a soapiness starts to push through. It doesn’t make for an unpleasant scent, but it did throw me for a loop.

It’s very soapy and clean; taking away the gourmand vibe after several minutes in my opinion, instead turning into a sweet (maybe milkier tonka than chocolate) and slightly citrussy handsoap on my skin. I suspect the neroli and musk play a pretty big role.

When I press my nose against my skin, I get more of the chocolate and I can picture some booziness, but in the air that’s not my experience. It’s interesting, but not what I hoped based on the opening minutes. Other people seem to be getting a lot more chocolate and cognac from this, so definitely give it a shot.