Champaca (Ormonde Jayne)

By Thomas

I had a laugh last night as I reminisced about a scent that recently hit my door. Maybe I fell in love too quickly, perhaps this one benefits from the low bar set by its predecessors, or could indeed be something special. I refer to Champaca, one of Ormonde Jayne’s earlier releases. As fate would have it, it is a fruity floral (what, another one?). But, it is not that simple. And it is spectacular.

Of course, calling Champaca a fruity floral is a lot like calling Beethoven’s seventh symphony a song. It is a good deal more dense than the average department store fare, but avoids being cloying or heavy, which is essential for spring in these parts.

The first fifteen minutes present you with this substantial fruity floral, plus a bit of bamboo / neroli / green earthiness, and the now-ubiquitous pink pepper note. Yes, I know…pink pepper…*yawn*, but it keeps Champaca from becoming too wispy or falling into Jolly Rancher territory. More mature and balanced, if you will.

Within half an hour, though, the strangest thing happens. The card that came with Champaca talks of Indian orange blossoms, but the perfume itself actually starts to evoke Oud 27, a more floral (kinder and gentler) Oud 27. And, before you ask, it’s been at least a week since I’ve worn Oud 27 – so it’s not a matter of incomplete or hasty bathing.

I could go on and belabor the obvious, but I’ll cut to the fun part. If I wanted my wife to have her own bottle of Oud 27, but more to her womanly sensibilities, I’d get her this. And I’d borrow it. Often.

Year: 2002
Perfumer: Linda Pilkington
Notes: Neroli, pink pepper and bamboo, champaca and freesia absolutes, basmati notes, myrrh, green tea notes and musk