Champaca (2002)
by Ormonde Jayne

A good ,standard ,floral fragrance but I do actually find it a little boring. Neroli and fressia - sweet ,gourmand ,pretty sheer and airy to me. Not very heavy on the champaca - needs more punch if it's going to be called 'Champaca' . Not for me but its beauty is appreciated .

5th July, 2010.

What Vibert said. I am wearing this on one wrist, and Chanel Chance on the other. And maybe I'm crazy, but this seems to be what Chance was trying to be. (Official notes not similar....but I feel a structural resemblance.) This is much much nicer. It's bright. It's sweet. It's has a understory of woodiness. It doesn't add up to the oriental poetry the notes suggest..but is a light dance in springtime florals. I wear when I head out into the garden...currently it's May on the West Coast of Canada. Like others have mentioned, it is a simple affair. It's not compelling, but is easy going.

8th May, 2010.

I've worn the odd, sweet/tart, fruity/floral champaca in scents like Ayala Moriel's Rebellius and Mandy Aftel's Tango, where it is backed by strong, smoky leather. Ormonde Jayne serves it simply, without the smoke or the hide, on a bed of sweet amber and woods. The effect is both exotic and refreshing, but also relativelly bright, and I can see wearing this scent if you're looking for something sweet for the summer. On the other hand, Champaca doesn't do much to excite me, and if I'm looking for the distinctive tang of its star ingredient, I'm going to turn to more complex and nuanced scents.

12nd December, 2009.

This is what a gourmand should be - an elegant floral with a hint of something edible, in this case Kheer.

I have boycotted Space NK since they shamelessly copied this.

6th September, 2009.

This is a wonderfully warm, happy floral that is not in the least heavy or cloying. It does have a bit of a gourmand feel, but is not heavy like many gourmand fragrances can be. It wears well in fall and spring; I think of it as a protective, comforting scent for when it's too warm to pull out the cashmere-woods-vanilla-spices big guns.

23rd February, 2009.

Champaca a well–blended delicate fragrance from which I could detect notes of orange blossom, pepper, tea and amber with an overlay of wood. It seems very cozy, elegant and warm, and is the olfactory equivalent of wearing a favorite cashmere sweater while going antiquing on a cool Saturday afternoon in the fall. I think someone who likes Mona di Orio’s Amyitis or Robert Piguet’s Visa would enjoy wearing Champaca

1st May, 2008. (Last Edited: 4th May, 2008.)