Champaca (2002)
by Ormonde Jayne

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.

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 and 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 to wear in 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 darker scents.

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.

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

The exotic, tea-like champaca notes remain true to the original throughout the composition. Accompanied by basmati rice, the champaca-basmati-tea accord is prominent throughout the fragrance evolution.
It starts off with a hint of fruity citrus freshness that is backed up strongly by the champaca and basmati notes. These are warm, enveloping and comforting (just like a bowl of whole-grain basmati rice in a beautiful and fragrant Zen-inspired restaurant).
It is a gourmand scent (the basmati and green tea notes are very apparent!), but in a sophisticated way which makes it smell actually woody. It reminds one of the beauty of mundane aromatics and pours a different light on them...

Top notes: Neroli, Pink Pepper, Bamboo
Heart notes: Champaca, Freesia absolute, Basmati Rice
Base notes: Myrrh, Green Tea, Musk