Best Champaca Absolute by Tom Ford Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

Perfumer: Hamid Merati-Kashani

Inebriated with desire, mmmmm! Red berries in a sparkling swirl of aromatic juniper, clary sage and ginger, spiked with cognac and cardamom, infused with fragrant woods and resins. One sniff leads to another, and another, and another…

Anna's blends are more like smell experiences or perfume escapes, pure fun for connoisseurs looking for something beyond perfumes created with the help of modern synthetic materials.

For Second Skin we wish to invent a verb “to indulce”, a mix ‘indulge’ and ‘dolce (sweet)’. The flowers in the heart (ylang-ylang, jasmine and tuberose) have been ‘indulced’ in cognac, immortelle, ambery resins and indeed sweet cloves.

Being natural only blends, Anna's perfumes have a very peculiar projection: close to skin, quiet but excitingly complex upon a closer sniff.

Please be aware that natural perfumery has to be patch tested before continual wear.

Important notice:

Anna Zworykina’s blends are olfactive smellscapes (but neither aromatherapy, nor ‘spray-and-go’ perfumes). Her blends are sensory experiences, closer to works of art created in the scented plane (rather than, say, visual or audio).

Certain essential oils and absolutes that are used in her 100% natural perfumes may potentially cause allergies in some people. Please spray Anna Zworykina’s blends on fabric (on sleeves, scarves, etc.). This said, Anna Zworykina has acquired a huge fan base over many years and people interacted with her blends for quite a while now. We are not aware of any reports of any skin reactions so far.

However, Anna advises that those who are prone to allergic reactions, pregnant and nursing women, as well as people with chronic illnesses to be extra careful. Before trying natural blends, study the list of ingredients and consult with a doctor if you are not sure or a had a history of allergies. If you do decide to put these blends on your skin (unable to resist the temptation) always test the blend on the inside part of your elbow first and wait.

Do not spray these blends liberally as a cloud in the way you would spray a conventional perfume. Anna’s smellscapes need to be… carefully applied and experienced. Be mindful that some oils can also make your skin hyper-sensitive to UV.

I was inspired while visiting Kew Gardens in London in May. Every May there are hundreds of blooming magnolia trees in different sorts, sizes, scents and colours. Usually it is a very rainy season and my inspiration was to create a scent of the water and rain on magnolia trees.  

The symbol of this modern perfume is an American modern dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis. She is not only a very talented performer, but also very feminine. 

Divine Dancer is an ethereal, watercoloured, light, fresh, feminine floral perfume. It is modern and vivacious fruity floral scent .

The Divine Dancer perfume is dedicated to one of the first American modern dance and ballet performers Ruth St. Denis.

Her vibrant and spirited art of dance, influenced by the East and South Asia, her divine body move and incredible costumes made Ruth St. Denis a worldwide well known star. Her body projects as Temple of femininity. 

When the dancer emerged from the darkness of the stage, her presence was immediately captivating, the air suddenly fragrant with her appearance. Adorned in jewels from head to toe, radiant in a special gold sari, her hair crowned in jasmine, she is an embodiment of divine feminine, mirroring the images of goddesses of Lakshmi and Saraswati but with the talented Ruth St. Denis touch of modern dance and ballet movement.

In the muggy shade of a tropical rainforest, an orchid sways seductively. Its glistening petals tremble in anticipation, inviting a passing butterfly to consummate the intimate act of pollination. Succumbing to the allure of the silken flower, the butterfly eagerly flits forward. But as it prepares to alight, the exotic bloom abruptly transforms. Delicate leaves contort into dagger-like forelegs, seizing the bug’s fragile wings. Before the butterfly can comprehend its fate, its head is devoured, crushed between the powerful jaws of the stealthy orchid mantis.

Orchid Mantis lures you into a fragrant illusion. Juicy pear, rich rose and heady jasmine entwine with basil and ylang to suggest the intense scent of orchids. This vintage style is set against the backdrop of a humid rainforest evoked by patchouli, moss, sandalwood and vetiver. An enduring musk serves as a reminder that beauty can also be beastly.

A snapshot of a sensual night for two on a veranda overlooking a tangled garden. Cognac is shared, its boozy intimations amping the intoxicating amber scent lifting off warm skin. Earthy patchouli adds grit to the grace.

PERFUMER
HONORINE BLANC

Inspired by the weightlessness of a day without plans or obligations. Effervescent top notes of ripe peach and bergamot levitate over wild orchid, crisp linen and sequoia wood. Aldehydes swirl airy musk in a cloud around you.

A happy explosion of clean and pretty flowers, with oodles of petals fluttering down from the heavens. Rose and peony team up with their syrupy richness, with a ruffle of freesia, orchid and mandarin tree flower intensifying the effect. Maison Matine devised Poom Poom as a carefree ode to life.

Delirium is a voluptuous bouquet of tropical abandon: decadent gardenia, heady jasmine, honeyed champaca, ripe narcissus, creamy frangipani and delicate white lotus. Blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, every breath is an addictive journey into the blissful unknown. With Delirium, the wearer becomes the dreamer and the dream, lost in a world where anything is possible.

The moment when the night draws in close, hugging the deliciousness of the evening towards you. Cognac, crème brûlée and coffee blur into guaiac wood and oak, releasing vanilla-tinged smoke in a haze of pleasure. An echo of warmth in the darkness.

A moreish blend of dark, syrupy prunes soaked in cognac and cinnamon. The boozy richness is offset with tobacco. Interesting and smart.

Perfumer for 902: Karine Dubreuil-Sereni.