Champagne

Walking through a department store in Dallas in 1983, a sales wench grabbed my arm and sprayed this perfume on me without asking permission. I was _furious_. I fumed and complained for the next hour or two shopping, very upset, and then the most remarkable thing happened: I fell in love with Champagne. The fragrance was very bright with a nice balance of the citrus with florals and ginger, yes, almost nose-tingling in a champagne sort of way. Loved this very much. Picked up a bottle of this in online auction about a year ago, and the juice is old, not the same, but there is the faintest hint of what it used to be. I don't wear it, but I can smell it and remember. I believe if this we re-issued, it would still be in my regular rotation.

It's heartbreaking that this has become a "lost" perfume: a fading memory to the generation that saw it's launch, unknown to the generation that followed. I don't know that I would call it an oriental floral. I always thought it was more citrus/fruity(Peachy. VERY peachy.) than floral. It also didn't have that warm, thick, powdery sweetness that is the hallmark of an oriental. But who cares about labels? Just call it "exquisite". A healthy dose of ginger gave it a bright, sparkling quality -- it really did tickle the nose like a glass of champagne! If any perfume deserves a relaunch, "Champagne" is it.

Today in a shop I tried on Si by Giorgio Armani, and though it's not identical or just like Champagne, I think it is faintly reminiscent. Oddly, the only accords they have in common is wood notes and vanilla, but something about that blend helps my brain remember the scent of Champagne. Oh, how I miss it! I have an old bottle that is half-full, but it is a ghost of its former self. Glad to have that, but I'd love to get a good snout-full of the fragrance again!

I found a partial bottle of the parfum at a thrift store for a couple dollars. I am wearing it now and love it. It drys down beautifully but is difficult to describe. Fresh, spicy, powdery. Not citrus or floral to me. Love it! Wish there was more left in the bottle.

This has been discontinued, and it makes me so sad. I am ALWAYS asked what I'm wearing, when I wear it. I found that World Wide Perfume Oils carries a knock-off that is exactly the same. I'm saved!