Hey ho Perfume Junkies,
I have a super friend called Undina from Undina’s Looking Glass, (called Undinaba because she is Bloody Amazing) which is one of the frag blogs that I read EVERY installment of. We have sent each other a couple of fragrance care packages and my most recent one arrived just this week, a veritable scent filled goldmine of things long read & heard about, pored over and pondered upon while making hasty “Can I justify/afford this?” calculations in my head. Ormonde Jayne’s Champaca is just such a one. Even the frickin box looks too posh for me. This stuff is SERIOUSLY GORGEOUS!!
I must now say that having done some looking I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the affordability of the range, well within reasonable splurge range even on a way less than CEO style financial package.
Photo Stolen fragrantica
The internet tells me that the Michelia champaca is closely related to the fragrant magnolia but the flowers are yellow and smaller but their scent stronger. It is native to South and South East Asia and some of China, and has been used for millenia in fragrance.
Fragrantica gives these main accords:
Top: Neroli, pink pepper, bamboo
Heart: Basmati rice, champaca, freesia
Base: Myrrh, musk, green tea
Photo Stolen fragrantica
That fizzy pink pepper and orange blossom opening that is so 21st century is only slightly softened by the dry light bamboo, had we not had a stand of bamboo in the back yard that we played in and around as children I would probably never have noticed its inclusion.
Basmati rice really does come through the champaca and freesia, like it’s buoying them up and they float beautifully above it. There is still a definite orange blossom through the very heart of the fragrance and still there 5 hours into my wear. I was expecting Champaca to become a skin scent much sooner than this, though the musk is making itself known. I think staying close to me rather than skin scent, Champaca doesn’t seem to need to announce itself to the room though for the first couple of hours on returning to a room I could smell I’d been there. My skin gives me no tea, everyone else raves about the green tea, I went and made myself a cup to check but to no avail, my skin drank the tea.
It’s now 8+ hours, we’ve been for dinner, watched a movie at home on TV and I’m finishing up my post, there is now a slightly musky smell but it’s a sweet sweat, the myrrh and still, amazingly, a little of that sexy neroli; but you have to be close enough to….
Photo Stolen OrmondeJayne
Above you can see pictured the ORMONDE JAYNE DISCOVERY SET 12 x 2ml for only 48 pound including postage worldwide!
If you’d rather spring for a bottle prices start at 64 pound for 4 x 10ml Travel Purse Sprays or 80 pound for 50ml EdP at the OrmondeJayne site which is a pretty good deal for such outstanding niche fragrance presented so beautifully.
I love the Olfactoria’sTravels review and BoisDeJasmin always knows the good stuff
Thank you for coming and wandering through my fragrant thoughts, I hope you have enjoyed yourself as much as I did to bring them to you.
Wishing each of you only the good stuff you wish for yourselves,
Till tomorrow,
Portia xx
This is Linda Pilkington chatting about Champaca from her Ormonde Jayne website.
Isn’t Undina a treasure? Champaca does indeed look seriously gorgeous! I love the packaging. They put some thought into that which is wonderful.
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Yes she is.
Juice & packaging are lovely.
Portia xx
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You are the first person to describe Ormande Jayne in a way that I want to pursue checking out the line!
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WOW! Thank you Scented Hound. I had thought about it but until Undina sent me a bit I was passing it over. Just goes to show…
Portia xx
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What a shame we cannot buy this line right here in Australia 😦
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Hey LadyJicky,
Sometimes living in Australia is like living in the armpit of the world. Then I look outside at weather like this mid winter and I know why I always come back and stay,
Portia xx
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I too, like reading every installment of Undina’s blog. I particulary enjoy her Entertaining Statistics (wish I had a mind that worked that way) and her Laughs, Lemmings and Leftovers.
The Ormonde Jayne Discovery Set is amazing! I just love that slide out box. Guess I have a “thing” for good or interesting packaging and/or bottles.
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I’m with you Tatiana,
But the juice here is Ah May Zing too.
Portia xx
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Aaaah apart from the magnificent Ormonde Woman which is rather ambery in the base, I splurged on Tolu this winter as part of my holy grail amber quest…
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I am about to order this sample set Marion and then I’ll be able to discuss the whole set.
Lots of people love Ormonde Jayne so I think I better find out why.
Portia xx
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Portia, lovely review of a favourite of mine for a couple of years now. I was lucky enough to receive some from Undina too, but I finally pressed the button on a full bottle just last Friday. I can’t wait to see that gorgeous packaging “in person”.
I think you’ll find a lot more to love in the Discovery Set.
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Hey Tara,
Undina rocks. I wish I was in London to go to the shop and get the full experience but I think it will be fun to get the gorgeous Sample pack too,
Enjoy your Champaca,
Portia xx
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Ormonde Woman is my one and only and the rest of the line pales a bit in comparison to her for me, but I’ll also sing the praises of that amazing discovery set: it’s so elegant, and I get a kick out of the way the two sides slide out, it’s nifty! Gorgeous enough to give as a gift to someone.
Although it’s all about the jus for me, I really appreciate packaging that goes the extra mile. (It makes my smile to hear that magnetic snap when I close my box of OW.)
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Stop it Dionne!! Temptress!! I love well packaged juice. I have 2 on my list before the discovery set. Tokyo Bloom and Un Jour d’Ete. then I can think about the discovery set. He He
Portia xx
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Pingback: Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 19 « Undina's Looking Glass
This entire range disappointed me, but thanks to your review I shall blame it on my undeveloped nose and try again. 😉
And “I went and made myself a cup to check but to no avail, my skin drank the tea” bahahahahahahaha
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He He, I’m glad to amuse you Zubi d’Nova.
Try them again next week, they change a lot each wear. At least give Champaca another go.
Portia xx
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