ORMONDE JAYNE
CHAMPACA

2002

PERFUMER
Geza Schoen

Bamboo
Neroli
Pink Pepper

Champaca
Freesia
Rice

Green Tea
Musk
Myrrh

Ormonde Jayne has to be up there with the best quality of fragrances out there…and the unfortunate thing is, I haven’t liked many of their fragrances so far. As some of you might know by now, green fragrances are tricky for me and the Ormonde Jayne’s that I’ve sampled so far went in that direction. Despite them not being for me, the objective quality of their work is undeniable. I just felt the need to shine a (positive) light on the house, so I sought out a sample that was more up to my speed, and Champaca was the first one that I really enjoyed. (Later I discovered and loved Royal Elixir & Osmanthus Elixir, among others).

I have no idea what a champaca is supposed to smell like exactly (I have later smelled it in some Areej Le Dore), but Ormonde Jayne’s Champaca reminds me of a tea fragrance. Although. it also contains green tea, so maybe that’s just very prominent in the composition. Champaca opens really bright and light. It’s very clean; neroli, green tea.

There are some really interesting notes listed, like rice and bamboo, but I can’t single them out. Overall, it’s damp and I get a morning dew feeling from it that’s really uplifting. It does get musky, but not sharp, especially considering there’s also pink pepper, which can downgrade a fragrance from time to time; it’s in the opening here, but it’s not an issue. It’s very comforting; I imagine citrus and flower petals in cold water, with a crisp white linen. There is the slightest hint of sweetness, but I’m glad they kept that to a minimum.

Not that there’s anything wrong with the quality (or the performance), but this does feel like a completely different style/DNA compared to the other Ormonde Jayne’s that I’d smelled so far. So I can imagine Champaca not being a standout for fans of Ormonde Jayne, but it might be a nice entry level and safe scent for people who are a bit weary of the greener scents.