Chasing Beauty: Scents and Scentsibilities

With all the options available to us perfume lovers, what is it that first attracts us to a perfume? For me, it can be sniffing something new and wonderful on a stranger and hunting that person down to ask what it is, or catching a glimpse of an amazing bottle on a distant perfume counter. Either way, once my interest is piqued, I’m on a mission to discover the perfume and see if it lives up to my expectations. I think we’ve all done this at one time or another, occasionally discovering a breathtakingly beautiful perfume you can’t live without and at other times being met with disappointment in a beautiful bottle. As the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover, and this is often the case with perfume. When I’m lucky enough to find a lovely bottle with amazing contents, it makes my mad dash after an unsuspecting stranger all worth it. As for those times when a beautiful bottle overcomes my better judgment? I console myself that at least the bottle looks good on my counter!

Champaca, by Ormonde Jayne
Ormonde Jayne is a London-based perfume house founded in 2002 by Linda Pilkington. Champaca is one of the early releases from the house and is named for the small, fragrant Indian Champaca flower. Listed notes are neroli, pink pepper, bamboo, champaca, freesia, basmati, myrhh, green tea, and musk. 

One of the wonderful things about the Ormonde Jayne line is that it’s such a luxurious experience from the moment you set eyes on the box. I rarely get thrilled just by looking at packaging, but the moment I opened the shipping box, I got a little frisson of excitement. Everything is elegant and out of the ordinary, from the antique, gold tissue to the beautifully made box containing the perfume. Even better, Champaca lives up to its packaging and smells divine. 

Champaca opens with a light, peppery neroli scent. Understated and not too floral, the scent gradually reveals the Champaca, which is smooth and just a bit sweet. The basmati also makes an appearance early on and complements the florals nicely. I love the smell of basmati rice, but I never would have thought of it in a perfume; however, it’s perfect and not at all “foody.” The drydown gives you hints of resin and wood and I could still smell a touch of the green tea. 

What I love about Champaca is that there’s a lot to smell, and it all fits together beautifully to create a lovely, unique fragrance. The overall impression is one of effortless style and sophistication, and you can happily wear Champaca anywhere, anytime. The lasting power is very good, but Champaca is light enough that you can refresh the scent later on in the day if you’re going out for the evening. 

The Eau de Parfum bottle is crystal with square shoulders and a crystal cap. The Parfum comes in a blown glass flacon with stopper which can be customized with your initials. If that isn’t the height of luxury, I don’t know what is! Champaca is also available in shower products, body lotion, and a scented candle. 

Ormonde Jayne is introducing a new Web site later this year where international customers will be able to order in their own currencies with competitive shipping prices. Watch here for updates. For now, Champaca is available at Ormonde Jayne and the prices are £28 to £130 ($46 to $214), plus shipping.