Fragrance Review: Ormonde Jayne Sampaquita

Star rating: 5 stars--outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars--very good, 3 stars--adequate, 2 stars--disappointing, 1 star--poor.

Ormonde Janye Sampaquita is as refreshin as a sip of lemonade on a hot summer day. It makes me feel rejuvenated and refreshed. The top notes are a Venetian lace of citrus notes, lychee, green leaves and white petals. Then the lemony melody softens into a floral medley. Here, water lily note is what I notice the most, paired with the spring-like brightness of freesia and the lush richness of jasmine sambac. The dry down is pleasantly earthy and musky.

Sampaguita, another name for a variety of jasmine sambac, comes from the Tagalog words "sumpa kita," which means "I promise you." It is the national flower of Phillipines, where the sampaguita is also known by a host of other names: sambac, sampagung, campopot, lumabi, kulatai, pongso, malur and manul.

Notes: Lychee, grass oil, bergamot and magnolia; sampaquita absolute, freesia, muguet, rose and water lilies; musk, vetivert, moss and ambrette seed.

Photo by willmack via flickr.