Description
Champaca is a variety of magnolia with fragrant yellow flowers, widely cultivated and highly valued in India. Its creamy, sweet aromas inspired Linda to create this elegant, intimate scent with notes of aromatic rice and green tea.
Neroli, pink pepper and airy bamboo open the composition and lead to the heart where Champaca absolute reigns. Its fragile beauty is accentuated by fragrant Basmati rice notes and freesia. The base features myrrh, musk and green tea.
The fragrance is available in eau de parfum or Made to Measure Parfum for which the customer selects the concentration, bath and body products and candles.
Champaca was launched in 2002. The nose behind this fragrance is Geza Schoen.
vikynka_95 – :
I used to grow Michelia champaca before I moved, but I didn’t care for the fragrance of the yellow flowers as it was very strong. This perfume smells nothing like it and is soft and lovely. I currently grow the white flowered version, Michelia x alba, which is a amazing fragrance, which I would love to see captured in a perfume. This is nice but not full bottle worthy to me. The longevity isn’t great as I could barely smell anything on my skin a couple of hours after applying.
Peawbakecaw – :
This has an awesome scent like true to life daffodils. I suppose champaca smells like that. It smells like you’re smelling the flower itself. However, sillage is weak while longevity is only moderate. Also, it leans very feminine.
3.5/5
nze523JeomiWogkig – :
I am surprised at the negative reviews. This is hands down my favorite perfume and I could just bathe in it…It is a unique combination of fragrance that I have never smelled anywhere else before. Also, I am very sensitive to most popular commercial perfumes and sharp smells, and get headaches easily, which means I can’t wear most perfumes for more than an hour. This one is just divine.
It has a warm, creamy, well rounded floral / fruity feel, with a fresh scent of pepper / bamboo thrown in somewhere to pep things up, but is definitely not too sweet or cloying. It is a bit of a warmer, heavier perfume for me, so I tend to wear it in the winter or in the evenings. Sophisticated, layered, lasts a long time.
Other perfumes I enjoy and can tolerate are Il Bacio by Borghese, Chloe (though the powdery finish is a little too old for me) and my day to day favorite, Versace Pour Femme – which is also a warm rounded fruity floral, but on the lighter, elegant side, so I wear that to work.
edmon49 – :
This is a calming, comfort scent to me and I truly love it and douse myself in it on hot days. Primarily it smells like a toasted nutty rice tea, with a citrus twist. The floral aspects don’t really stand out to me on their own, but may act more as a watery floral tea essence. It’s soft and light but lasts quite a long time on my skin. I’m so curious about the Cacharel Noa Perle now! Too bad it was discontinued because I’d blind buy it just to compare.
mensAFpolop – :
Don’t believe the votes; it’s more like a (bamboo heavy) minty tea.
demo16 – :
Champaca has been my go to scent for a very long time. This perfume suits all occasions. Somehow this manages to be mildly sweet, but green and refreshing floral with good lasting power. I love this and also Frangipani from the OJ line.
jsf344speagoessenda – :
Agree with other reviewers who have noted this as a safe scent. I don’t find safe to be disagreeable though. I love this one for springtime, and quiet or low-key events like a friend of a friend’s house party or memorial service. Something were I want to wear scent, and want to keep it light, pretty and unique. I haven’t smelled much else like it. I find it to be one of the more ethereal fragrances in my collection.
I do agree that the pink pepper can be intense, but I have not experienced this every time, just once when I wore it to work (maybe it had strange interference with the HVAC system? who knows with these things!).
Nikolai197931 – :
I love champaca, frangipani and ylang ylang but these are demanding, loud hothouse divas that need to be handled with care. I think I can say with some confidence that this exists here in OJs olfactory translation of this potent note. The myrrh and tea really compliment this diva by taming her with a touch of smokiness and dryness so she doesnt holler too loudly. Once again pepper, neroli and freesia add the pepperiness the act like accents to this three dominating notes. Towards the end the myrhh and tea stay to the end of the performance. Its very nice but again weak like many of the OJs creations on me.
Elmo – :
I’ve had a 10 ml decant that has lasted forever because it never made me want to reach for it. It’s nice. That’s about it. I want something that I want to waft every once in awhile…that I adore. This isn’t it.
Mezgu139InsuffBooni – :
I bought 5 samples from Oromonde Jayne and this is my least favourite of them. It’s not an unpleasant perfume – in fact it’s very nice – but it’s just so boring. I struggled to have any kind of reaction to it at all.
It opens with a blast of pink pepper, then it becomes a fruity floral with a nice touch of bamboo. It’s hard to say what the florals really are. It’s more just an approximation of “floral”, like you get in many mainstream perfumes.
The bamboo is nice, it offers a lovely greenness to the composition.
I can’t say I really get anything in the way of champaca or freesia. To me, this is orange, pepper, ‘floral’ and a hint of bamboo.
It’s nice, it’s safe and it’s not in any danger of offending anyone, but it smells like every other mainstream fruity floral out there, except it costs twice as much.
It’s a great crowd pleaser, it would make a great celebrity perfume. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that because there isn’t at all. It’s just the price that’s the problem. Niche comes with an unspoken promise of something a bit different. We’re told we’re paying for the higher quality ingredients, and that may be true (but let’s face it, often isn’t), but what we’re really shelling out for is to not smell like everyone else. We want something a bit different to what’s readily available from mainstream perfumes. This fails to offer that.
Soft sillage and 8 hours longevity.
Perfectly nice, but you could easily find something that does the same thing at half the price.
Encactapype – :
First, I must admit that I know nothing about the scent of champaca- but one thing is for sure-someone used a really heavy hand with the pink pepper shaker on this one- to the point where any easily discernible floral notes are almost completely obliterated- although I think I smell some freesia, maybe…
I get some sour citrus notes here, too- reminiscent of Serge Lutens’ Nuit de Cellophane
Fortunately, the scent softens a little as it enters the heart phase, and the longevity is admirable for a niche scent
weu178Bessinepome – :
CHAMPACA = ECLAT D’ARPAGE (Lanvin) + PEPPER + NUTMEG??
Upon first spray, i was immediately reminded of Eclat d’Arpege. You know, that creamy & crisp sweet lilac + green tea combo. This impression lasts for about 5 minutes then i get a whiff of bright sparkling pink pepper.
Then I detect a sweet jammy pear with nutmeg and soft incense notes. At one point in time I get a really beautiful orange blossom note peeking through, but not quite strong enough to throw off the sweetness. One hour later I get fresh figs, soft suede leather, peppercorn and stewed fruit. At this stage it reminds me of a fruity pipe tobacco (perhaps my favourite part of this perfume, unfortunately this phase is rarther short-lived). The changes are subtle and the perfume stays linear and close to the skin. The main theme is a slightly spiced Eclat d’Arpege.
CHAMPACA is very soft and never harsh, with average longevity and low sillage. It is not bad but certainly isn’t FB worthy. While being finely balanced, it lacks the inspiring and intriguing qualities which are often expected from niche perfumes.
tada – :
Doc Elly called it, “the elevator music of the perfume world.” Much like elevator music, it is well-produced for what it is. Despite the lack of engaging content, the producers made an effort to create a high-quality professional sound. Ormonde knew what to do in the studio, and expenses weren’t spared.
It’s always good to have a “safe” perfume – but shouldn’t a safe perfume also have something remarkable about the content, rather than being just a polished production? Aesthetically and philosophically, it’s often supposed that simplicity and sophistication are related, except that this perfume isn’t simple – champaca can be a difficult flower. Much like the vibraphone can be a difficult instrument: to play, to record, to sample, to edit, to integrate, to enjoy…. and yet vibes are ubiquitous in elevator music.
I’m surprised that some reviewers find it creamy, while others are saying “sour” and “green tea”. I suppose some types of high-qaulity green tea, like Kukicha, give a slightly creamlike impression? Please just give me a cup of Kukicha with a teaspoon of cream, or Annick Goutal’s Songes (a creamy version of a difficult flower, tiare).
USB_ZVER – :
This is yet one more OJ that has been my safe choice for days when it is difficult to decide what to wear. It is pleasant and not obtrusive, just as Doc Elly said in her review. The opening is a bit more floral than OJs usually are, somehow softer too.
There are some odd moments during the first two hours, I got strange discordant sour whiffs every now and then, but the drydown is pleasant soft musky floral with some warm resins. Nothing extraordinary but very nice.
The EdP lasts really well on my skin, still detectable after 10h, but wears very close to skin after the first three hours.
isa280bedyWelty – :
sweetnspicey described it perfectly and I had the same exact experience. It smells lovely and shows lots of promise when wet, but turns dry and sour in a green sense.
sandro_ – :
I’m surprised that I feel so “blah” about this perfume. I was expecting to be wowed. It has potential when first sprayed. It smells like sweet champaca, neroli, and tea with a good dose of musk. It all too quickly turns greener, drier, and a tad too sour for my liking. It’s a fresh fragrance, and like many fresh fragrances, it’s a very weak one. It ends up smelling like a soft-spoken distant cousin of D&G Light Blue.
kloncdrom – :
My first impression was that this is strongly floral, with a lot of commercial-smelling fruity-floral sillage, not far removed from the standard celebrity scent. I did notice an odd note, more like a gap in the florals than a note per se, so this may have been the rice and/or bamboo accords that are reputed to be in the fragrance.
I put it on, got busy with things, and completely forgot about it. By the time I remembered that I had it on, it was more or less gone, so the only thing I can say is that, to me, it’s a not very memorable floral that only lasts a few hours – the perfume equivalent of elevator music. If you’re looking for a floral scent that’s not obtrusive, this might be just the thing.
vru346Unlogrere – :
Champaca is absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful, waxy yellow flowers weave throughout from top to base. Waxy, yes… I get the association with soap. Freshly floral and clean.
The rice also gives it a nice frothy feel and in combination with the hint of tea, delivers a rich, yet gentle ‘white oriental’ feel.
The drydown is warm and lightly sweet and the scent lasts easily beyond 6 hours.
Feminine, natural and endearing.
insicribe – :
Sherapop wrote about her experience with champaca soap, and I cannot get around the soapy effect of this fragrance. It reminds me of a fresh, green, tea-infused soap in the opening. Very expensive. Very rich. Yet very relaxed and natural. The slightest whiff of powder turns up midway, mingling with a sultry floral. The fragrance actually seems to change on me, becoming warmer and earthier, even a bit smoky. It’s comforting and beautiful, but for whatever reason, it does not awe me. It smells faintly of something else, but I cannot put my finger on it.
eremy41983 – :
My primary experience with champaca has been in the form of extremely potent soaps with which I was scenting my drawers (some of them may still be there, but the smell no longer wafts up everytime I walk by!) Given this experience, I donned Ormonde Jayne CHAMPACA expecting a pretty hard-hitting oriental perfume. Instead, what I have found is a soft, creamy, light floriental with a perfect dose of champaca on initial application.
CHAMPACA opens beautifully with a scrumptious melange of creamy rice, light champaca and green tea. I would adore this perfume if only this stage lasted. Alas, it fades all too quickly, leaving behind only the faintest layer after an hour or so. The composition is truly gorgeous but all too shortlived… It would be nice to try this creation in perfume concentration.
Elomoclarlili – :
I was so excited to try this as I LOVE Champaca. The Ormonde Jayne store is SO hard to find too but I did hehe.
This is slightly underwhelming for me. It’s slightly spicy to me, in the way that carnation is spicy. This has that spicy/floral this going on. It’s also fresh and slightly masculine, bit of a weird one and I wouldn’t say..beautiful..it’s spiky!
I was hoping for something more complex than this as this was the first Ormonde Jayne scent I’ve smelled. It literally lasted 10 minutes on me, it was like the entire formula was made up of top notes only. Ok..on to the next!
Dissapointed.
🙁
TIHONEC – :
This is really extraordinary scent, not too heavy, not too sparkling but full. Unfortunatelly, I can’t use it. Champaca immediately gives me a headache 🙁
ggxokqyzucw – :
post below summed it up, Love it, It’s a perfect skin scent and I could wear Everyday! Sensual and Creamy
gevor29 – :
This is my favorite perfume of the collection, creamy, rich and flowery, starts warm and intoxicating with a hints of warm peppery notes, perfectly composed, quite exotic, and charmingly sweet (not too much). Heart of the fragrance brings transparent and lighter notes, clear and harmonious, with a darker, spicier and balsamic dry down. There is accompanying presence of vibrant green and tea aromas are through the whole composition.
Great edition, unusual perfume, creamy, soft and intimate, with specific Champaca flower notes that stays long on my skin. It leads me on some exotic islands with paradise flowers:)