Cha-Cha-Chamade

The other day I spent a day with Chamade, a 1969 perfume by one of my favorite perfume houses. On one of the forums Chamade was listed as a perfume that would suit someone who wore Arpege by Lanvin. At first sniff of this tiny little bottle I knew it was love. It was at once rich and bright. According to basenotes.net, the top notes are hyacinth and jasmine. This Ylang-Ylang, Blackcurrent buds, and Galbanum. The basenotes are vanilla, woody notes, and balsamic notes. Fragrantica says it has, "The main notes are Turkish rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine, lilac, blackcurrant buds, lily of the valley, galbanum, sandalwood, vetiver, musk, amber, iris, and Tonka bean." Perfume Shrine confirms the Lily of the Valley (Lily of the Valley which I love in Diorissimo). There is nothing that isn't absolutely lovely about the fragrance and it is true that the real magic happens about an hour in. One feels like wearing jazzy silk in a chaise lounge in a Parisian apartment boudroir with the sun beaming in. It also seemed so right to hum the Greatful Dead -- maybe because it was born at the height of the sixties. It is my happy place scent. At work I brought my tiny little bottle and the bottle fell from the co-worker's hand and it spilt so the entire office area was infused. While reduced what little I had, it was a blessing as the smell just made me feel incredibly lucky. Lucky is being able to share the scent and turn the area I worked into this amazing scent. It was sunshine. It was named after a fast, drum beat. There was a flutter, an undulation to the fragrance that made my heart flutter. It is considered a green floral with a warmth. As it dried down my co-worker thought it was powery in a good way like a newborn smells. To me, Chamade was a journey and a long one because the perfume lasted for almost the entire day. It was a beautiful trip.