Hi all!
Today's sample was my first try of
Tom Ford Champaca Absolute.

Way to feminine for me, without the jasmine-esque indoles of Nuit de Cellophane or the pepper of Ormand Jayne's Champaca. On both Julia my co-worker and JaimeB, who tested this on the SF meet-up, the tea shined through. On me, it's billowing clouds of flowers.
Speaking of JaimeB, happy birthday! After meeting him, one main thing struck me: The further I get into perfumes, the more picky and bitchy I get (yuck, ozone! orange and vanilla together? blech!). When I sniff something new, it feels like I'm going into it searching for the negative, waiting for it to offend me. JaimeB, on the other hand, aproached new scents expecting to be wowed, focusing on the positive, which seems like a more rewarding and ultimately more fun way to aproach this hobby of ours. So hats off to a master and an unintentional mentor! When I've smelled as many fragrances as you, I hope I'm still excited and interested and haven't managed to burn myself out....