The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Aaron Way designed Broken Glass in 2015, creating a fragrance that fractures expectations rather than following them. The name references the way light behaves when it passes through broken glass: suddenly vivid, suddenly shifting depending on the angle. Rather than a linear floral, Broken Glass opens green and sharp, warming into something almost medicinal, then settles into a resinous embrace. The composition moves through distinct phases, each one revealing a different facet of its complex character, with notes that seem to refract and shift as the fragrance develops on the skin.
What makes Broken Glass unusual is the combination of chamomile and davana in the heart. Chamomile appears in aromatherapy contexts, but here it takes on a different character within the perfume structure. Davana brings a distinctive presence with its sweet-anise quality that can read differently depending on the individual wearing it and the concentration of the note. Blackbird paired these with geranium's crisp green and jasmine's warm floral body, then anchored everything in opoponax, a resinous material that provides depth and complexity to the composition.
The evolution
The opening hits bright and green, geranium's sharpness first, then violet leaf cutting in like cold air. The chamomile emerges with its characteristic sweet, almost honeyed quality alongside davana's distinctive bitter edge. The combination reads as floral-herbal and slightly unconventional, carrying an unusual quality that distinguishes it from more familiar fragrance trajectories. The jasmine and rose arrive as the green notes soften, adding warmth while maintaining that herbal undertone. The resins take over as the heart notes develop, with opoponax and amyris creating something close and warm. Pink pepper and cardamom linger in the background, providing subtle spice that never becomes dominant. A quiet wood-resin drydown remains, faint and intimate, present for those standing close enough to notice.
Cultural impact
Broken Glass uses a chamomile-davana combination that sits outside mainstream fragrance conventions. This pairing appeals to those who seek unconventional olfactory experiences and appreciate fragrances that reward close attention. The composition invites wearers to discover its nuances rather than projecting loudly into a room.
