Blog post by Gwen
LUXE Champaca – rich and ethereal and divine
Photo: perfumeniche
When I go to New York, I like to stay in Chelsea, and if I’m in Chelsea, I always visit Commes des Garçons on West 22nd Street. I recall the first time I went there. I had the address, but the building looked like an auto body repair shop, and the storefront sign read ‘Heavenly Body Works.’ Hmmm. Did I have the wrong address? I wondered. When I saw people entering the shop through a tunnel, I followed suit, and there was Commes des Garçons. I love the shop and browsing for clothes and shoes, but I go there for perfume.
One of my most vivid memories of being in the shop was the first time I spritzed LUXE Champaca EDP on my wrist. Let me tell you, it was love at first sniff. I had never smelled anything like it.
Champaca is an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. Its flowers, which vary from shades of cream to yellow-orange, play an important role in Hindu worship. It’s believed their fragrance induces devotion and encourages prayer. Considered a sacred scent by Krishna, champaca trees are grown on temple grounds. That explains why LUXE Champaca smells so heavenly!
It opens with a gentle warmth from white pepper, a soft herbaceous note from angelica and a delicate spiciness from cardamom. The top notes beautifully foreshadow what’s to come – champaca. Related to magnolia, creamy champaca has a floral-fruity aspect that is gently amplified by indolic tuberose. Deftly matched, these soul mates never get all white flower screechy/scratchy; instead, they are sultry white flower divine! Champaca is also related to star anise, and that spiciness is highlighted here with the addition of a tender note of bird pepper. The champaca doesn’t dominate here so much as it glows, with tuberose and pepper enhancing it as it does. A white musk and creamy orris base is smooth and skin-like, giving the composition depth and sensuality without flattening it.
LUXE Champaca is part of the Series Luxe collection from Comme des Garçons. The ‘LUXE’ refers not only to the high quality of the ingredients used but also to the depth of the fragrance. It’s a fairly linear fragrance, that’s intense, rich and heady yet sheer and ethereal at the same time.
The best part of discovering a new fragrance is sharing it. Now, I’m sharing LUXE Champaca with you.
Check out LUXE Champaca in our Shop.
