Description
Gardenia is gorgeous floral bouquet and an admirable example of talent of the great perfume creator Ernest Beaux. He created this perfume in 1925. Gardenia was relaunched in 1980-es together with other exclusive perfumes – Bois des Iles and Cuir de Russie. The reconstructed version is very similar to the original (vintage). At the time of Ernest Beaux synthetic materials technology was still undeveloped, and due to synthetic notes the new version of Gardenia is more modern and not at all that heavy and strong as expected from white flowers. The elegance of Gardenia is timeless.
Natural fragrance of gardenia can not be distillated, and in this composition it is substituted by fragrances of orange blossom, and jasmine, succored by sweet tuberose note. In the base of the composition, beside musk, there are woody notes of patchouli, vetiver and sandal. Gardenia comes as eau de parfum and eau de toilette.
SeM-1984 – :
This is a timid floral with none of the sharpness or green notes that I appreciate in a white floral. It’s sweet and light, (yet without any zing or sparkle), and it just falls flat for me.
In fact, I find it quite tropical. It’s creamy, jasmin-y banana-coconut, fruity. When I wear it, I get much more of the banana, some citrus, and coconut. It’s too sweet.
For a tropical floral, if that’s what it’s trying to be, it lacks any of the spice, woods or musk that makes beachy scents pop and linger. This has no weight. There is absolutely no sexiness in this fragrance. I actually prefer Bronze Goddess or Soleil Blanc to this if I want a beach scent. And there are many white florals I’d rather wear, including the uber-inexpensive Malachite. I’m wishing I spent the money on something else.
This stuff has such poor longevity and weak projection. It’s completely gone from my skin in an hour at most.
And of course, it’s just an approximation of Gardenia using Jasmine, Tuberose and whatever else. I don’t find it even close to real Gardenia, it’s almost all Jasmine. Blue for women by RL is a much more realistic, (and much less expensive), Gardenia to me.
I own a few Chanels, have sampled almost all of their current offerings, (Cuir de Russie is my hands down favorite from the Exclusifs). Gardenia is, to me, the lamest and least ‘Chanel’ I’ve ever tried. No strength, no longevity, no stink and no gusto. I have the EDP, and it’s as fleeting and light as a skin scent. And forgettably boring to me.
I tested it in Greece and bought it at the airport later on another trip. I regret it. It’s just not for me, and rather disappointing for a Chanel, never mind an Exclusif.
kamgen – :
I grow gardenias and have been spending time trying to find a scent that captures their beautiful aroma. Chanel’s Gardenia EDT is not it. This comes across surprisingly bright, I don’t pick up any creamy gardenia or coconut notes. It’s a very pretty white floral scent with decent performance that stays one dimensional, nothing complex. A pass for me.
crazyguns – :
The greener, classier, understated sister to Estee Lauder Tuberose Gardenia (for the record I love both.) A little soapy, clean, fresh but very floral and quite beautiful. On me it does only last a couple hours before turning into a skin scent but so worth reapplying.
val111111 – :
I was so fortunate to be gifted a bottle of this without having ever smelt it. This is such a lovely, fresh, creamy fragrance. It does smell very true to my favourite flower of all time, the Gardenia. It’s not a loud fragrance and the sillage isn’t amazing but it is elegant, ladylike and classy.
sultan_1990 – :
Oh my, well… This has to be my favorite perfume until now, and I’ve had quite a few.
Yes, it is very expensive.
Yes, it is soft.
Yes, it is not long lasting.
Yes, it is gorgeous.
One cannot have everything, nothing is perfect.
Chanel Gardènia is elegant, luxurious, yet soft and innocent. I smell gardenia all the way, until the base comes and the coconut gives it a creamier feeling to it.
I love that tuberose has a support role in this one, because it normally is the leading role of its fragrances. In CG, tuberose just helps the gardenia to stand out and lead the way.
In me it lasts a good 6 hours, with a moderate to soft sillage.
It’s feminine, elegant, classy, pretty, and very true to itself.
niko555 – :
it was a gift from a very dear friend… when i opened the gift box and saw chanel i felt so happy but when i smelled it i was shocked… I couldn’t say anything to my friend coz i didn’t want to disappoint her as i know that she spent time to chose me the best perfume… BUT
in the beginning, you will actually find it too strong and overwhelming and even not bearable especially if you generally don’t like floral & sweety perfume, BUT
please, give it a little time to cool down and enjoy the watery green breeze after that comes out of it; it shortly turns to be animalic and earthy and quiet.
i recommend it for spring & summer time and for those who like Gardenia or Casablanca flower or white flowers in general.. it is a genuine true scent of gardenia
Lagowas – :
tried the edt on my wrist.
beautiful heavy white flowers notes, mostly jasmine and Lilly of the valley to me. No coconut, no fruits, no sandalwood. Very intense and warm, almost nose eating.
But still like it, good to have it in my collection, just to take a sniff from time to time
(Alex73) – :
This is absolutely beautiful. I have 35ml edt (flat bottle with white cap). Don’t know it’s age but it’s very strong and lasts long. It was used when I bought it, nearly full. I have never smelled edp.
I don’t think Fracas smells similar. They are totally different. Madonna’s Truth or Dare smells similar than Fracas. Though I didn’t like ToD and gave it away. It was so strong and nauseating like bubblegum or something.
Anyway, who does not like this? It’s fresh, not too much vanilla, like many Chanel does. I don’t think it annoys many people.
It has only little dislikes, and rating is high: 4.08.
Edit: I noticed that those who like edt Gardenia, like many other same fragrances than I do (for example Diorissimo, La Chasse aux Papillons and L’Heure Bleue). Those who like edp, like different fragrances.
That makes me think, would I even love edp as much as I love this. Edp doesn’t have so many notes; it lacks tuberose, jasmine, vetiver, sandalwood.. all notes that I love. Maybe it smells more vanilla, I don’t know..
sahek – :
I almost love this, the fresh gardenia/coconut combo is so nice, but the fruity notes ruin it for me and the jasmine feels out of place, even though I normally love jasmine. too much going on here.
goga2003 – :
I was quite anti-white-flowers… until I met this one.
We had gardenia bushes in the garden, which would smell strongly every time it rained, and I used to HATE it. like really really, shut-the-windows HATE it because it was just so heavy. I felt like somebody had chained weights on my heart every time I smelled it. So obviously when I first saw the name I went “NOPE!”.
Until one day my friend who I see about once a year smelled AMAZING. Like, I can’t even talk to you properly until I know what you’re wearing-AMAZING. and hey, I know my perfumes. I don’t frequently come across ones that I don’t know, but I didn’t recognize this one, and when I asked, I was STUNNED that it was “Gardenia”.
I was in such disbelief I remember trailing off mid-conversation.
So off to the chanel boutique I went. trot trot trot.. and I picked it up, (still in disbelief!) smelled it… and I have never taken out my credit card faster.
I still don’t understand why I love it so much. Jasmine, ylang ylang, gardenia, any of your usual “white flowers”.. they really shouldn’t interest me, but this one finds the loopholes in my rock-hard-brain and demands my love.
It just smells so CLEAN, ELEGANT, and EXPENSIVE. like a pristine, fully-tailored-just-to-suit-you, pure white shirt of the most luxurious cotton. The kind that everyone wants in their wardrobe but never actually manages to find…
luxurious and classy. who wouldn’t want to smell like that?!
I’m actually quite annoyed about this “find”, because now I have to go smell everything I “thought” I didn’t like, just in case I do!!!
definitely worth a sniff (and a purchase)!
Mike2030 – :
This is a beautiful, sparkling perfume, rich, grandmotherly
(Maternal, wise, mature, nurturing, feminine) high society.
dj-ser-sex – :
This is a fragrance I take out when it’s summer and I go to the beach and to the boardwalk on either my favorite beach town in the world Myrtle Beach or even up to Atlantic City New Jersey. This is a feel-good, delicious creamy dessert made up of white florals. Wearing it one forgets it’s a Chanel. Like with Chanel Beige (which I feel is a modern twist on this one) it’s a very youthful gourmand type of floral. The coconut definitely comes through and smells like sweet scented coconut water. There’s plenty of vanilla too, and fruit notes. It has a tropical air but it is not trying to be Femme Rochas or Balenciaga Rumba. It still maintains it’s composure and behaves like a lady. There’s a sun tan lotion feel to it. Smells like when you are basking in the sun flat on your stomach on the beach with the warm sun on your skin. I love how it feels on my skin how it smells and everything about it. It’s been compared to Jungle Gardenia but I think this is much better and less aromatic than Jungle Gardenia, and certainly more youthful and more of a gourmand-gardenia.
The florals include orange blossom which is detectable at the first stage, some white flowers mainly jasmine, gardenia and tuberose. These white flowers are not frightening a la Giorgio Beverly Hills when overdone. In fact they are soapy, soothing, creamy. It even matches up with skin cream skin care products that smell good. I love the gardenia in this scent. That gardenia is a proud floral queen, dipped in coconut oil and vanilla cream. The dry down is musky and green. It is slightly herbal and green but it evokes tiare plumeria bushes in Hawaii not a botanical garden. This is sporty and can be worn outdoors and in fact I recommend it to be worn outdoors in public as opposed to in bed or at home. This doesn’t always relax me. It just makes me want to go out and do something: the beach, swimming in a pool, volleyball, or having lunch al fresco. This is a real crowd pleaser and it always attracts people around me and I get compliments on it. A fine vacation fragrance to carry with you when you travel. This is mature but might be worn by younger 20 something year olds who appreciate Chanels although they might want to try wearing Beige first before this one.
Definite day wear. And like I said it’s perfect for wearing while traveling on vacation especially to tropical beaches Hawaii Caribbean and so forth. This is also one of the if not the most floral out of all the Chanel fragrances. Usually the classic Chanels are big on aldehydes and segue into citrus-floral or turn into musk. With Gardenia the white flowers are front and center and while it contains musk the whole thing turns into a very delicious almost powdery vanilla and creamy fruity kind of aroma. It’s sporty and very beautiful. It matches up with maxi dresses and sundresses. It reminds me of ladies in big hats at the beach in the 50’s. My mother would have worn this and if she did I never knew. It is a vintage but it also has a modern bent to it because it lacks aldehyde and has that creamy edible vanilla goodness to it and fruitiness. This Chanel is unfortunately one of the least commercially successful and one of the least known or talked about. Why that is I don’t know. It needs to be given more credit as a fine white floral fragrance. Ah, I love it!
Valerynka – :
I bought this fragrance years ago and never finished the bottle. I also have copious amounts of Madonna’s Truth or Dare and yesterday found a bargain bottle of Kim Kardashian, Kim Kardashian. I thought I’d have a blind test to see how they compare.
ToD is sweet, coconutty, has traces of bubblegum and generally is strong on high notes.KK is lighter, greener,leafy and fresher.
The Chanel smells the strongest on card but I get a very slight pong of the rank water smell when you get when empty a vase of wilting flowers. My bottle hasn’t gone off it has always been kept in a cool dark place. The Chanel is also the spiciest of the three.
I do like them all. Unfortunately I’ve never smelt Fracas, I’d like to test it against these three. However for the money you can’t go too wrong with the cheap fragrances. To me they certainly don’t smell that inferior.
busik72 – :
My Gran kept Chanel Gardenia for special evenings. Her most glamorous years would have been in the 1930s and 40s. I’ve sampled the edt and it is beautiful. I’m sure Gran said it would easily last all night. Today it hasn’t even made an hour!
I would pounce on a bottle if it really lasted.
This is a very wearable soft gardenia along with its leaves and stems. Lovely for a bride.
romzik_14) – :
About Vintage Chanel Gardenia
Let Me Take You Back In Time Via My Memories
1938
My mother wore this perfume in the summer time. It was a perfume I recall as being the very first perfume I smelled as a small child. It was also the fragrance that enchanted my father and drew him to my mother. It was a vacation scent, a beach perfume. My mother wore it to her honeymoon. This is rather like Jungle Gardenia by Tuvache, with a bit of the Chanel No. 22 body thrown into it. This is a white floral fragrance of sweet spiciness and deliciousness that was very different from all other Chanel fragrances which sold in the 30s. It’s color is white but it’s not as soapy or powdery as No. 22. Instead it’s a green scent with green notes including patchouli leaves. This smells exactly like putting your nose into a bush of gardenia flowers or tiare/plumeria.
The exotic scent opens with a little bit of aldehydes (not listed)and green notes. The gardenia blossoms and she is the dominant floral note. She is also aided by vanilla which is true to the actual scent of gardenias – they smell like vanilla. The scent develops into other floral notes of tuberose and jasmine. These are extraordinarily potent flowers so there’s no hiding them from anyone. They are loud and proud white flowers. The tuberose is rather like Giorgio Beverly Hills which I actually do enjoy. There is also something of La Panthere by Cartier in this scent. It’s such a diverse and complex scent.
The base is a potpourri of musk, vanilla bean, patchouli and vetiver. It smells herbal, aromatic, creamy, green and beige. It has a clean finish courtesy of that vetiver and smells exactly like wet grass. The scent has a sweetness and femininity that beckons you, like an island girl with white flowers in her hair. This has a body lotion or sun tan lotion type of scent as well. I’m sure that it’s because of the sweetness and creaminess of vanilla.
Atop of all the other notes of white flowers vanilla and musk, there is a fruitiness to this perfume whose mood is festive and flirty. It’s a sweet mélange of nondescript fruit including peach and citrus, or orange blossom with citrus thrown into it. At the dry down stage there is also a milky coconut. The perfume is like scented bikinis and sun tan lotion and it has a sunny and relaxed casual vibe.
Far from being elegant and formal, she is a girl who seems to only be seen in the day time. At night she is nowhere to be found, like gardenia petals closing up at night only to open up again in the light of day. It’s as beautiful a gardenia fragrance as one can conceive. I love this perfume because it was the first perfume my little nose ever smelled all those years ago. World War 2 lay ahead but when I smelled this perfume it seemed like London could never experience bombings, and my world was safe and happy. My mother loved this scent along with No. 22 which she said were similar. She adored white florals. I wore this perfume after she died as a honey moon and vacation scent as well. I wore it to Barbados, Cuba, Jamaica, Bonaire, Curacao and Tahiti. It’s an exotic island gardenia.
To my mother
dzigo – :
Strawberries and cream!
This is surprisingly gourmand on my skin, soft and ethereal, sweet. On me the fruit note is strawberry and the coconut combines with the vanilla to create a creamy chocolate note. Evokes strawberries dipped in white chocolate, served with a glass of Brut Rosé champagne. The gardenia does indeed remind me of Tuvache Jungle Gardenia in tone, but not at all in projection. Jungle Gardenia can be smelled from a satellite orbiting the earth. Chanel Gardenia EDT lasts about three hours on my skin, and then becomes an elusive skin scent.
But lovely, so lovely. A bright white light, quickly becoming faint; never sharp, nor screechy, and not predominately a white floral on me. Although the florals are very much present, and very much white, the vanilla and coconut give the gardenia a creamy gourmand feel, while the orange blossom and jasmine are sweet and feminine, not animalic; clean but not soapy.
If you are going to get this, you might as well go for the 200 ml bottle, since you may need to reapply. I find that I need four sprays applied every four hours if I want others to enjoy this as much as I.
I get little to no musk, just a little soft creamy sandalwood and a mere hint of patchouli. Not woody or spicy at all, very pure and crystalline on drydown, all vanilla and coconut. And no aldehydes! Kind of young and innocent, not at all Rubenesque or earthy, but with a definite sparkle.
I honestly wish I didn’t love it so much. Now I will be on another quest, this time for the parfum, and of course the vintage. I hear there was EDP once long ago, and what can I say? I must try it.
garryn – :
Chanel Gardenia.
Una passeggiata estiva.
Tutta la delicatezza e lo stile di Coco Chanel riversato in questo profumo.
Una gardenia che si posa delicatamente sulla tuberosa, il tutto inebriato con del cocco, adoro.
<3
max151082 – :
GARDENIA
CHANEL
GROUP FLORAL
NOTES GARDENIA GREEN NOTES JASMINE TUBEROSE ORANGE BLOSSOM FRUIT NOTES VANILLA SANDALWOOD COCONUT MUSK
SILLAGE: MODERATE RADIATES WITHIN’S ARM’S LENGTH
LONGEVITY: LONG LASTING 6 HOURS PLUS
REMINDS ME OF JUNGLE GARDENIA TUVACHE GIORGIO BEVERLY HILLS WHITE DIAMONDS ELIZABETH TAYLOR MICHAEL KORS VERY HOLLYWOOD PARIS HILTON TEASE KIM KARDASHIAN CHANEL BEIGE
Gardenia is a classic white floral fragrance. It’s all about the white flowers. It instantly reminds me of Jungle Gardenia by Tuvache which my grandmother used to wear. This was one she never wore but I have always loved on myself. This is fragrant bouquet of white flowers which consist of gardenia, tuberose, and jasmine. These gals are divas and release an aroma that is long lasting, vanillic, sweet, spicy and feminine. This was something out of the Golden Age of Hollywood and Perfume. It smells like the inside of a very expensive exclusive restaurant in Hollywood in the 20’s or 30’s with white linen tables decorated with white flowers. There was not enough white florals however as it could have had additional flowers. This is mostly gardenia, tuberose and jasmine. The sweet fruit notes and vanilla keeps this scent on the feminine and sweet side. The green notes are realistic to a garden smell. Smells a bit tropical sometimes like sun tan lotion with a white floral Hawaiian tiare flower type of smell and coconut. It’s perfect to wear to the beach or on a cruise or on vacation. Smells of summer. It reminds me of super white floral scents we all have come across before: White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor and Giorgio Beverly Hills not to mention the other perfumes I listed. If you like white flowers and you’re used to gardenia perfumes, check this out.
PrIzRaK_8333 – :
Fragrance Review For Gardenia Chanel
Top Notes: Orange Blossom Green Notes
Middle Notes: Fruit Tuberose Jasmine Gardenia
Base Notes: Sandalwood Patchouli Musk Vetiver Coconut Vanilla
This is a beautiful white floral fragrance and very different from any of the Chanel fragrances. This was originally released after the success of Chanel No. 5 and No. 22. I was surprised that this frag lacks aldehydes and even a citrus neroli opening. The opening is definitely green. It has a sweet scent of synthetic fruit scents that I can’t quite make out. It is mostly a bouquet of beautiful white flowers: gardenia, tuberose and jasmine. The gardenia is itself a very strong scent and smells similar to vanilla so it was no surprise to identify a separate matching vanilla scent. The base has all the ingredients I enjoy in perfumery: sandalwood, patchouli, musk and vetiver. The whole thing is aromatic, green, and at the same time a classic white floral. It has a lot in common with fragrances like Jungle Gardenia by Tuvache. The coconut is also a nice touch. I could have done without the fruit notes or the vanilla but it’s a really sweet and lovely spring and summer gardenia scent. If you like floral fragrances and especially white florals this is what you want. Spring is here and so I crave flowers.
makar666 – :
Wow. This one is a heavy hitting gardenia with a lot of other stuff. This frag has it going on! I smelled something green at first possibly the patchouli reaching up from the base and up to my nose. There is also some sweet fruit notes, nothing I can make out clearly other than citrus and possibly a peach. There is a ton of gardenia petals on this thing and it’s as perfumy and strong as any gardenia power perfume I’ve come across. Gardenias actually smell like vanilla bean so it makes sense that this has as much vanilla as it has gardenia. The two notes match up. This is a vanilla and gardenia scent not terribly realistic but still very beautiful and very powerful. It’s appropriate for day time spring and summer wear. I even associate this scent with the beach or having a day near/at the beach by the strand/marina, a scent to wear while sailing or to get a tan by a pool. Very sexy, strong, white floral, and vanillic. Delicious.
bruidly – :
While I understand the concerns about longevity, I personally prefer the softer tones of this fragrance. It lasts fine for me. I like the fact that one has to be “up close & personal” to get the full effect of this.
yura-zzz – :
Although not a heavy hitting gardenia, and far from smelling like real gardenias I’ve picked up and smelled, this is a beautifully formulated synthetic floral perfume from the ever classy house of Chanel. I have never smelled the vintage which was apparently not a big seller. The reformulated version from the 80’s is what appears to be selling today. There is no way the old vintage formula contained notes of fruit, coconut and vanilla. These notes were added for the reformulation because they conform to today’s standards and tastes in perfume. Gardenia is strong here but it’s not the only showy flower as it’s singing a duet with the tuberose. Ever smell gardenia and tuberoses together in one bouquet? Powerful stuff. Jasmine is there but it takes a backseat. The white floral scent is lovely, feminine, enchanting and dreamy. The vanilla and coconut scents are sweet. I couldn’t detect any patchouli but I was able to smell sandalwood. I do love the reformulation and have both the EDP and EDT. EDP you get more of the fruit notes but the EDT is purely floral. The aldehydes in this fragrance are over really quickly as it turns into more of a green scent like it was lily of the valley and instead of a citric opening it has orange blossom. Flowers that last forever. This stuff was on me for two days even after showering. Divine.
kotik.ua91 – :
This is a perfect Gardenia scent. My search is over and I’ve realized that I don’t really like gardenia. But still, this is exquisitely done.
The coconut does a wonderful job tempering the harshness of the gardenia so it’s a bit creamier and more gentle than the real thing. But still very true to the flower itself.
As with Jersey and Beige, the Chanel musk accord turns to cheap shampoo on me. Even so, I can’t miss how lovely this scent is.
It is very fleeting however, lasting only about five hours on someone who seems to get better longevity then most out of fragrances.
marishka.888 – :
If I could describe this perfume in one word, it would be “lovely.” It is so extremely feminine and elegant. The gardenia isn’t a heavy or particularly creamy one. In fact, I sense a note that is somewhere along the lines of linden here. Definitely white floral, a little bit fresh, but a lot more “perfume-y” than “fresh.” Keep in mind I’m writing this in winter.
The perfume opens up differently in the summertime. I had the pleasure of smelling it at the Chanel boutique in Hawaii last summer, and there, in the heat and humidity, it came off as lush, tropical and refreshing at the same time.
If you spray the back of the neck or ears, the scent will travel up to the hair and stay longer.
Like so many others have said before me, it is very feminine and very befitting Chanel’s elegance.
sailor7 – :
I loved the way the sample smelled but did not order it because after a few minutes it’s basically like a musk oil… HARD TO DAMN FIND. it’s gone
starts off as a spicy ginger like gardenia then transitions into a creamy sweet tuberose… lovely fragrance but will turn into Casper the Friendly Ghost on you real quickly
honestly if you like this try Very Hollywood by Michael Kors… this to me is a softer version of that
andyr – :
just ordered me a sample of this… will do a review afterwards
JeffersonDasok58 – :
So disappointing. Smells nice for about ten minutes. No complexity. Not up to Chanel standards.
mafioti – :
I wish the pure parfum version of this masterpiece had an own page! I have just bought it at Harrods, and it is beyond beautiful. but this is such a delicate, honest, ethereal, exciting something, like an angel would wear! To me, it is pure light. Very feminine. The pure parfum version is VERY different from the EDT! It is much softer, rounder, creamier.
s15431 – :
My first, right-out-of-the-bottle thoughts: AMAZING! This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for! A real, true gardenia smell…….not so much. One minute later it smells like sickly sweet tuberose on the skin. You have been warned.
Suslanych – :
Other than Beige, Gardenia is one of my favourites in Les exclusif range. The white florals are very noticeable. I do not detect any fruits but I get very little coconut creaminess. Soft yet long lasting. Please note, I tested this on a card, It might be better on the skin.
Online_Poster – :
This is one thing on my skin, something else in my hair, and something else on my shirt. Interesting! But not very strong? Smells like it should be strong. I like the sharp floral start and the soft kinda sweet floral vanilla drydown. No better or no worse than I expected it to be. Could be good for when you need to smell lovely and sophisticated…briefly haha. Maybe this could be Cinderella’s scent for the ball. Charm him and run before the clock strikes midnight and your scent disappears and your coach turns back into a pumpkin.
Zloelamo – :
Coco naughty smell of the acacia blossom. Luminous, lively, luring!
Definitely, no problems with buoyancy here. This Gardenia is less fragile, less attenuated than some other Les Exclusif beauties IMO, but being not so flawless makes her even more interesting, Lol!
She is a mulatto, a half-sister of Beige. Honey, you are delicious!
Long lasting exotic affair…..Certainly hot!
semenpff – :
I would never have tried this a few years ago.. I tried it a few weeks ago at the Chanel Counter. I sprayed and immediately regretted it! until a few minutes later I could not keep my nose off the top of my hand. I bought it and I’ve sprayed it 3 times a day everyday since. Beautiful!!!!!!!
Mavradaki – :
luca turin ruined this one for me, after reading his review i can not spray this one anymore without thinking of cheap wipes , is pleasant , but if you go for an exclusif of chanel go for another one , maybe beige or jersey or the powerhouses like sycamore .
SiMpAtIyA – :
Extremely feminie, almost unbearably soft and elegant:) Not my style but still appreciate its simplicity.
5822000 – :
I never tried Gardenia from Les Exclusifs line, but I had a chance to try vintage edt. I loved it so much- the smell is smooth and bright. Perfect for early spring. I ordered vintage Gardenia extrait and it’s better than edt- long lasting, strong, lovely. I think 15 ml bottle will last me very long time since you only need one dab, that’s how potent it is. Wonderful scent. My review for vintage Chanel Gardenia.
Mebfx060intitytek – :
Really nice scent but it lasts too short.
CruroZotrearf – :
I was so disappointed in this perfume. It really doesn’t smell like a gardenia at all. It’s not bad, just not gardenia. The biggest problem however is that 30 minutes after applying it, there’s no fragrance at all. It just totally disappears. When you combine the so-so fragrance with the disappointing longevity, it’s not on my list to repurchase.
frukt74 – :
If you want to try this because you think it will smell like gardenia, walk away.
If you want to try this because you’re curious about Chanel’s “interpretation” of gardenia… meh.
If perfumes that have almost zero sillage and very little longevity bother you, run away.
However, if you want to smell a perfume that manages to be sheer *and* creamy, try it.
If you like jasmine and tuberose and orange sherbet and vetiver and patchouli, come hither.
This is a very well done ~ albeit unnatural smelling ~ perfume. It’s just too expensive for how weak it is, and I can’t get over the name. Gardenias are my favorite flowers. They’re sweet sweet sweet and creamy and like nothing else. I have a bush outside of my bedroom window and I grew up with about 10 bushes at my parents’ house. Not only is there nothing in here that smells like gardenia, there’s nothing in here that gives the “feeling” of one either. It’s quite the opposite.
Still, though… I miss my bottle, and I think about it often. Weird? Yes. But it is very, very pretty. It’s on my want list again because I’m craving it. I just pretend it’s called something else, and will try hard to swap for it since I wouldn’t shell out for it. There’s something mildly addictive about it.
Oh ~ Liz Taylor’s Gardenia is like a much stronger and even more unnatural version of this, if my memory serves. Maybe it has more tuberose and fewer notes in general, but there’s something… Also, I think Chantecaille has one that’s similar but way stronger.
Still. I miss this pretty little pet peeve. Maybe that’s what I’ll call this: PP.
Also, why do companies go on and on about how you “can’t distill” gardenia and blah blah blah so they have to “recreate” the feeling with other things (tiare, jasmine, tube, etc) when I have personally owned a number of $10 gardenia roll-on oils (some from street vendors, some from grocery stores!) that smell Dead On. They smell like gardenias. Also, Illume Gardenia candle is Dead On. So, others can manage. Why can’t “niche” and “high end” perfume companies?
OksanaEgorova – :
Tried a spray on the store.
A creamy white floral, well done, not too strong. Not for me.
A bit far from my taste: an almost pure floral with no green/fresh notes nor any woody note. I wasn’t able to smell the sandalwood, nor the vetiver, nor the coconut. I did smell the jasmine, plus some denser white flower note which I couldn’t recognize. I do smell something like a hint of banana (or banana peel), which, while interesting, sometimes makes my stomach feel weird (I am very sensitive to banana notes, and only like them very rarely).
Not for me, though I do recognize it has interesting points.
spo175InsuffBooni – :
Milk of Gardenia.
Elegant48 – :
Beautiful gardenia/tuberose.
Amazingly expensive for such low sillage and longevity.
It has lasted just one hour on me. Such a fleeting beauty and I have cheaper gardenia/tuberose and much longer lasting fragrances in my wardrobe. Glad I only bought a card sample.
Loangoysdbuo – :
Completely agree with Arbre Amber’s review. This has nothing to do with the scent of a natural gardenia.
Mine is just blossoming and the scent of gardenias is deep, mushroomy, warm and hard to describe. There’s some dirt in it.
Chanel’s Gardenia interpretation is a clean soapy floral, on the light green side. It’s okay, not bad, but not good. And not what would come to my mind when I think of gardenias.
I wonder why some people say, this perfume smells like true gardenias. Did they ever smell them?
Rom4eG_007 – :
Angelic, luxe, pure, bright, soft, uber-feminine. A beautiful burst of white floral & gardenia for Coco’s favourite camellias. Authentic gardenia scent but a bit light compared to others out there.
doberman777 – :
Gardenia is warm, alluring, extremely feminine and soft. It has a musky backbone that makes it discernibly Chanel but the main note is obvious