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zhe9088 – :
I thought about this for a very long time; and I believe that Island Gardenia is an acceptable dupe for Frederic Malle Carnal Flower, despite their difference in literally every note (listed). I wore one on each wrist for weeks just to be sure of this. Carnal Flower opens with more complex, cool notes that eventually bloom into a lush and tropical white floral cloud. Island Gardenia opens up in a more singular and astringent fashion, and eventually mellows itself out. But, they both dry down to EXTREMELY similar scents. On the skin, they are shockingly similar. They project scents that are slightly different in temperature, in that I feel like Island gardenia is a tad warmer. Carnal Flower is a tropical island at dusk, and Island Gardenia that same tropical island in the mid-day sun. I absolutely love them both, and they do have their differences, but for $11 (as opposed to $300 for Carnal Flower) I feel like I can use Island Gardenia with reckless abandon! I’ll save Carnal Flower for special occasions 😉
bortnic – :
The initial blast is a tad weird but once it does down about 5-10 minutes it’s actually pretty nice. I guess this is what they mean by ” creamy/ buttery” florals. It’s not complicated it’s just gardenias but it’s not bad at all for the price. In fact it reminds me of Prell shampoo. Def a summery or vacation acent, I tend to take cheapies in vacation so I don’t lose any expensive perfumes.
incubmailru – :
Unfortunately I have to agree with Sabretoothkitten on this being “overwhelmingly yellow, oddly buttery almost oily”. I don’t mind indolic florals, I adore them in fact, but this smells like greasy microwaved butter flavored popcorn with just a hint of gardenia lurking in the background. The gardenia itself is lovely but I just can’t get past the nauseating greasiness that smothers it.
With so many loving this I wonder if it’s been reformulated recently.
IHWilmopoliv – :
I really need to thank my fellow Fragranistas for recommending this so highly! I never would have even considered purchasing it otherwise. I love gardenia and have been searching for the quintessential gardenia fragrance for a while. While this may not be the one, it is truly lovely nonetheless. I actually like it better than the re-released and probably reformulated eponymous Marc Jacobs! It’s been so many years since I wore Annick Goutal’s Gardenia Passion, so I may need to hunt it down and get a decant. I plan on blind buying the Elizabeth Taylor Gardenia as well.
I assume most who own this little gem are true gardenia lovers like I. Any suggestions for other beauties?
sharuri – :
I must be in the minority here. Island Gardenia is overwhelmingly yellow, oddly buttery almost oily and indolic gardenia. Like being choked to death by giant mutated gardenias bent on destruction. There is a diesel note too. I mean…does it change a lot of you leave it on for a while? Cause I scrubbed after 3 minutes. I’m seriously sad I hated this as its so cheap and I wanted to try it. I’ve smelled room sprays that smell less cheap and more pleasant. I prefer Elizabeth Taylor Harden is 100x more.
Edit: after being around someone who likes this, AND actually retesting it on myself its definitely 100% better once it comes out of the bottle and settled in skin.It’s actually not bad but the first few minutes can be chemically.
iloni – :
Not all the notes are listed
Top: Coconut and Peach
Mid: Tuberose, Jasmine and Gardenia
Base: Vanilla and Civit
I have the Elizabeth Taylor Gardenia as well, they are both great inexpensive Gardenia Perfumes. The Elizabeth Taylor is much more green, as the Island Gardenia does give you a dose of the tropics. The creamy coconut in the top and the vanilla in the base give it that “sitting next to the beach at a resort with a pina coloda in your hand” feel. Elizabeth Taylors gardenia is more of a “stroll through my lovely garden in my crisp white floral cotton dress”.
Our gardenia has been fussy this year! How fortunate to have an inexpensive Jovan that blooms whenever I hit the spray : )
spirin.alesha2012 – :
This is incredibly lovely. Buttery gardenia and white flowers with a little bit of coconut and musk. It smells like being next to a gardenia bush on a muggy summer night. Great projection and slightly above average longevity. I am very surprised by how elegant this is for a $10 bottle from the drugstore! Definitely a new summer favorite.
метролог – :
Jovan Island Gardenia Fragrance Notes
Jovan Island Gardenia captures the singular simplicity and rich floral beauty of a dew drenched soft gardenia warmed by the morning sun.
The top of this fragrance radiates with a natural floral freshness; notes of seductive gardenia, rose, ylang-ylang and fresh green notes blended with fruity accents of green apple, peach, mandarin and a hint of coconut.
The heart of the fragrance, a floral bouquet, is composed of tuberose, mimosa, muguet, orange flower, jasmine, rosewood and marigold.
To complete the seduction, the mysterious aura of sandalwood and cedarwood come into harmony with the sensuality of vetiver and patchouli, nicely balanced with the magical qualities of warm musk notes and vanilla.
Conclusion:
I like my gardenia simple and direct to the point, I will stick to my Elizabeth Taylor, truly a queen gardenia, that conquers all!
Nightingale87 – :
This is, as others have eloquently noted, an accessible and enchanting delight.
Sweet, creamy, and fresh—a sun drenched floral with a slight tropical nuance. Sure, the note breakdown lists only gardenia, but we know that’s not the truth. I think there are floral accords, musk accords (it’s a Jovan. . .) and a wee bit of happy, light creamy coconut accord.
The end result, for me, is pure sweet floral delight. Every time I spray this, I wonder why I don’t wear it more often.
If you know you like white florals, and aren’t picky about exclusivity, I think this will be the best $10-$15 value you can buy.
Xeroxexynp – :
Goodness, I love this! I read down all the reviews and by the time I grabbed a bottle on Amazon I was so intrigued. Scent is so subjective and so many of you mentioned a buttery popcorn kind of note- I hoped I would pick up on it but was prepared to give it an honest chance even if I never caught that layer of the scent.
But you were all right! It’s very fresh, clean gardenia and then that salty, butter note that keeps the gardenia from going into screechy territory (even in Iowa in the winter it isn’t screeching at me!).
This will be a definite go to in the spring and summer- and I actually think it might be perfect for any season, any weather.
And 10 dollars! This is the perfume equivalent of a gorgeous dress that just so happens to have pockets too.
For me, this is a new love!
Hepo – :
Island Gardenia is a true diamond in the rough. It’s gardenia through and through, and I was told the bottle I received in a swap from a kind Fragrantician has had time to develop its aroma from when it was first sprayed and now has this wonderful salty, buttery popcorn note that smells like sun kissed skin on a sandy beach. I love that this fragrance transports me to a far away island, and makes me feel happy. For a cologne it’s rather strong as well, a couple sprays goes a long way. Definitely give this one a shot if you love white florals!
428 – :
So…. I needed something “summery and tropical” for my honeymoon AND couldn’t see paying the hefty price tag for a vintage Jungle Gardenia on something I knew I wouldn’t wear very often. I am not a “floral” lady so $10 was something I could feel good about.
I am soooo happy I purchased this! It couldn’t have been more perfect for hot, humid, and balmy caribbean weather!
There isn’t much to this cologne, but there doesn’t need to be. It is very straight forward and what you see is what you get, straight up Gardenia that lasts until the ocean washed it away. During the day, 1/2 a spritz will do it since this is VERY strong. At night, a full spritz or 2.
I never thought i’d say my Honeymoon Perfume was a drugstore cheapie, but now I say with confidence, My Honeymoon perfume was a drugstore gem!
muhinn – :
My first perfume bottle, purchased at Walmart. I like that it’s fresh and sweet, but not too sweet, and last quite long for a cheap bottle. I’m having one bottle just for car freshener.
amirani – :
I really love this one.
As a big fanatic of beauty and fragrance, I am really interested in the idea of everyday glamour. I like the idea of a readily available fragrance that a woman can grab for very little money and from an innocuous little plastic bottle of clear juice be transported somewhere glamorous. That is exactly what you get with Island Gardenia.
Upon initial spray you are absolutely covered with velvety white flowers. It’s a little overpowering, but oh so sensual. There is something very “boudoir” about it. In a few hours, the scent really starts to settle into the skin, smelling a little more powdery. Like your skin is just naturally clean and flowery. Freshly bathed and very comforting.
Island Gardenia is an inexpensive, everyday luxury. Something that may not look like much, but when you spritz it on you will be transported somewhere elegant.
Sanredokop – :
I finally got to revisit this one. And, it’s exactly as I remembered it. Nothing but gardenia, and to me at least, it’s a true realistic gardenia. We had huge gardenia bushes at the house I grew up in, and this fragrance smells exactly like the scent I remember hanging in the air on humid warm nights. It’s got decent staying power on my skin, and enough projection that wearing it makes me think I’m near gardenia bushes in bloom. A ten buck treasure if you love gardenia.
Kesyoperoutty – :
Opening spray is rich and lush. Dries down to something synthetic but still agreeable. Nice, easy perfume for a hot summer day. Can’t beat it for $10!
shulinski – :
I just got a bottle and to me Island Gardenia smells like waking up on a Spring/Summer morning after leavening your windows open overnight. Very nice indeed!
dead2209 – :
This is nice; sweet gardenia with a slight, fresh greenness. My only complaint is its poor longevity. But, for $10, I can’t complain too much.
ivankusleev – :
My Gardenia bushes have been abloom and have them all over the house so of course it’s spiked my cravings for the same fragrance. I went to Walmart, specifically, to buy Jovan Island Gardenia and it’s not agreeing with my skin’s chemistry. I’m picking up a strong musk of sorts but not much of a gardenia scent. Perhaps, layering it with Elizabeth Taylor’s Gardenia will add some of the airy gardenia lightness I’m looking for and give E.L’s depth.
I’m kinda on the fence with this one and may have to return it. *sigh
P.S. I just read raw-umber’s description of this and she’s spot on! It’s a combo of (plastic) tuberose and movie popcorn butter.
win7 – :
This is a very nice, sweet, fresh, simple gardenia scent with a touch of greenness to it. It’s surprisingly sexy …lovely for warm spring days and hot summer nights. Very wearable, long-lasting, great price!
zatoka – :
I had this in the 90’s and I remember it being intense. Very strong, and definitely an 80’s perfume. I have not smelled it recently so I cannot tell if it’s been reformulated or “watered down”, but I hope not. It’s a very simple and affordable gardenia.
martiniice – :
This was my first introduction to the perfume world and I really love it! It maybe a little out of my age range as my grandmother wore this perfume but I really like it! The smell last long and is not overwhelming. Good quality for something so inexpensive!
yrw210elipseskism – :
Ah! So sweet and creamy it almost smells like bananas! A lovely very true gardenia, and hard to beat at $10. Not sharp, not indolic, all the cleanliness and radiance and softness of a blooming gardenia flower. A tiny whisper of green and a nod to honey. Like dozing off under a flower bush in high summer. Indeed I could go to sleep all wrapped up in the creamy sweetness of this.
ovods – :
A tropical bouquet of full blown beauty in an affordable cologne!
I was brand new to fragrance upon first discovering Island Gardenia over 7 years ago. Perhaps not the ‘right’ scent for my age range, but who cares! I’m elated to have obtained a scent so purely floral, so effervescent and ‘real’ smelling. Gardenia comes in many forms, many of which (I’m looking at YOU, Kim Kardashian and Michael Kors!) turn vile on me, artificial and high pitched. This gardenia? Ahhhhh…
Imagine, if you will, an Island Paradise. You are standing by massive Gardenia blossoms, waxy petaled and radiantly framed by glossy leaves. In the distance, faint whiffs of other tropical blooms (tuberose etc) waft into the air and you distinctly smell that touch of coconut oil on your wavy, salt kissed locks.
THAT is Island Gardenia. On the right skin, you will smell the perfect melding of waxy flowers with coconut and hints of the island… Simple?
Yes, simple Genius!
I wouldn’t change it for worlds. <3
lca082speagoessenda – :
My first impression was like of a perfume from a new age/hippie type of shop. Like an essential oil.
It also have a sort of shampoo undertone, like J&J baby shampoo.
But the price is unbeatable, and even though it can smell at times like an outdated fragrance, it’s still attractive in its beachy-white Floral heart. Yes, it smells like vacations on the beach.
Again, for the price I say go for it.
DARKWOLF999 – :
BEWARE: Vintage bottles of this do NOT smell better!
I bought a vintage 1979 unused bottle on eBay last week– goy it today and sprayed it on– totally sour / spoiled muck. Oh well– at least the newly made ones smell DIVINE !
Adrenalin15 – :
FUN TIP:
The bottle to Island Gardenia is a tad chintzy looking. If you wanna spruce it up try this:
The transparent gardenia cap from Elizabeth Taylor’s Gardenia …. fits perfectly on the Island Gardenia bottle (if you have the smaller 1.7 oz of ET’s G ). Looks pretty!
Dosent1984 – :
Smells very cheap on first application (well, it is). But give it about five minutes and you get a fresh gardenia with barely a touch of coconut.
Good for the price but not spectacular.
kot24-12 – :
Overwhelmingly thick gardenia, downright waxy. The scent is completely linear; the scent that first sprays is the exact same scent that is still surrounding me 7ish hours later as it’s fading off of my skin. The entirety of the perfume is heavy, warm and smothering. The aroma, if it weren’t so darn thick, is actually quite pretty. It seems just too creamy to be a true natural gardenia, I’d call it Gardenia Butter.
nikulyak1980 – :
Unfortunately this fragrance does not work for me, though it was worth a try. It smells like a nice gardenia when first sprayed, but within minutes turns into a synthetic, sweet mess on me, something like cheap grocery store sugar cookies. I’m glad so many people do enjoy it.
zaharik – :
Island Gardenia by Jovan is one of those fragrances I wish I would have gotten sooner considering my love for gardenias and how affordable it is! Simple yet not synthetic smelling! I love the bottle and it’s great to take on-the-go to freshen up!
Ingusto86 – :
Jovan Island Gardenia smells like a tuberose soliflore drizzled with movie theater popcorn butter. I don’t get coconut, animalic, any other flowers etc. All I get is: TUBEROSE + SALTY BUTTER.
That said, I love it. I did the tuberose test to make sure that it was tuberose I was detecting and not a similar white floral like say, gardenia (not that there’s a huge difference in this instance).
Tuberose is my boyfriend’s absolute favorite scent on me. Whenever I’m wearing a perfume that contains the note, he makes sure that I know, that he knows I’m wearing it.
I put on a few sprays of Island Gardenia and he just manifested in front of me out of no where, telling me I smelled good. so yeah, if you like bold white flowers and movie corn… you know what to do.
Kelldantviell – :
I picked this one as my sunny, summery, Sunday morning scent. My husband immediately complained saying it smelled cheap and stinky. I removed some of it and replaced it with Angel Eau Sucree which he loves. I discovered that the two scents together, however, are delicious together, especially on a hot day. I will have to save Island Gardenia for when he is not around because I really like it. But I am really enjoying how the notes in both compliment each other so well. Both linger and last a long while also.
abram777 – :
If you like Gardenia, tuberose, or other creamy white florals then this is a must have, especially for $10.00. The first spray on my skin blooms into something spicy.. something reminiscent of cinnamon or clove. That fades away fairly fast and you’re left with pure buttery, creamy, slightly dusty gardenia with just the right amount of that zesty, blue, classic gardenia bite. Jovan actually paints a pretty realistic painting of gardenia. This is really pretty and I wouldn’t even question this if it was released in a fancier bottle by a more expensive perfume house.
manchester_glory – :
Fragrance Review For Island Gardenia Jovan
Notes Gardenia
My mother adores this cheapie but goodie fragrance. We found it while fragrance shopping together in NYC. She loves white flowers and her favorite fragrance is White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor. I would not compare this to White Diamonds but if you do like white floral scents and have worn White Diamonds this is an easy perfume to wear. There is a maturity to it as I associate with my mother. She wears this very well. This is a sweet softer Jungle Gardenia by Tuvache and similar to Sand & Sable by Coty. I prefer Sand and Sable because of the peach scent. To me this smelled of gardenia and the facets of it’s fragrance. It smells floral, sweet, strong, vanillic, creamy and green. It’s a very flowery smell like putting your nose right on that gardenia. However it’s enjoyable because it’s soft and not a headache inducer. It’s great to wear in spring and summer, a great vacation and beach scent or to wear on a cruise. It has a definite tropical air, like the scent of white flowers in the Caribbean islands at a distance. You might pick up on other white scents that are in the background and not listed as notes: jasmine and plumeria/tiare. It’s a gorgeous tropical gardenia. Highly recommended. I borrow it from my mother from time to time. We are both such fragrance hoarders LOL
DJsKap – :
Little Update: The best $10.00 frag sold at Wal*Mart that smells like a $129.00 frag from Creed or Bond No. 9 ! Incredible.
yahooo_90 – :
It’s a lovely gardenia. I now understand the gardenia note of the old Crystal Noir, and why the coconut compliments it so well.
neoix – :
Beautiful pure gardenia smell. Love it. dries down to gardenia and vanilla ice cream smell. Not as sharp as the old BBW Gardenia , very creamy.
tarasov8989 – :
Sometimes I just wish to smell clean and fresh, uncomplicated and natural. Yes this is not a natural fragrance, but it does give the impression of one. A whisper of gardenia on a cool evening breeze in a gentle summer rain. Simple yet the best thing for a stifling, hot and humid summer day, so cooling and refreshing.
It doesn’t last 10 minutes on the skin of course, but it is cheap and can be layered over other fragrances. I like to use a dupe of Tom Ford Velvet Gardenia oil and spray this over it, or a very good gardenia oil I buy at the Renaissance Festival (Planetary Perfumes). Gardenia is my #1 favorite flower scent and it is so pleasing to have a bit of its magic on the cheap.
I like this much better than just about any more expensive fragrance that purports to be gardenia. Most of those put bitter green notes in that I cannot take and are not necessary to the composition. While this is not 100% bona fide gardenia, it is deeply satisfying all the same and I love it.
серафима1964 – :
Last summer I layered Island Gardenia with coconut scented lotions and oils to much success…everyone said AHHH as if I were the girl from Ipanema.
Island Gardenia, at least the version that has been available for the last five years or so, is in my top two favorite gardenias of all time because it is, to my nose, so close to the real flower.
This is quite an accomplishment as it is surely a synthetic. Yet, it lacks the metallic or some would say, aquatic note that exists in Marc Jacobs. It also lacks the green and tropical floral notes in Touvache’s Jungle Gardenia. It is richer than Elizabeth Taylor’s Gardenia (my third favorite), yet not as rich as Sand & Sable (my second favorite but reserved for winter due to its strength and its tuberose and amber notes).
Believe it or not you can usually find this scent at larger Wal-Mart locations but hurry before it’s gone.
120RYSLAN120 – :
Best buttery gardenia for summer. Little green and coconutty around the edges. A true gem.I’m going to layer it with pink sugar gold or comptoir sud pacific vanille coco to add a more tropical sugar vibe. Love this.
This is more along the lines of a lighter fracas than jungle gardenia.
djsaw – :
Lovely pure gardenia fragrance. This is such a 70’s scent for me…it’s the 4th Of July, the Caribbean, a soft warm ocean breeze. It’s a tall blonde, wearing a cream evening gown with a high slit, two-piece halter Cher style. She is wearing gold dangle pyramid earrings with a matching necklace. Long hair, straight and parted down the middle…one side she keeps behind her ear. Walking along the beach barefoot at sunset. Then she sees him…the date she made at 10pm at the cabana.
A beautiful fragrance for pennies.Transports you to a Caribbean vacation. Wears lovely on the skin…This is Summer in a bottle!
romaspartak – :
A simple and gorgeous white bloom which lends its tropical warmth and creamy fragrance to the wearer’s skin. A bride in white with a gardenia tucked behind her dark curls creating a pure and heavenly-sweet aura around her. A humid night in Maui in a lush hotel garden. Bliss for a dozen dollars!
Jackan – :
Like it, very strong though. Have to be in a mood to wear it, I often layer it w/ Coty Skin Musk which tones it down a bit. Very reasonably priced and good longetivity on my skin.
Alexannddeerr – :
saw this shopping…since ive become an avid parfum combiner….this will be a beautifull touch to my personal concoctions…as for the smell…it is quite delightfull and very floral…and is fairly potent…fairly inexpensive…have added it already to a blend and im loving it….a great ingredient for your mystery fragrances…its also lovey by itself…im a guy btw…happy whiffs n sniffzs…IMO its a decent 7.4 out of 10
sadoved – :
This is my favorite perfume to sleep in or lounge around in–so soft, comforting and pretty. Plus, the price is right, although this does not smell cheap to me at all. Beautiful, classic gardenia fragrance!
dogha – :
How tricky the skin can be!
I love gardenias,my mom love them too!
I had Island Gardenia and considered it great cause of the realistic interpretation of the flower.I swapped it through the time,because smelled on me like a vase of died-for-so-long -time-ago poor gardenias!!!
Now I bought another bottle for my mom.
My mom is 75 years old,look like in her 40s!
(I m in my 40s, thank God not looking like I am at my 70s!)
On my mom smells like sparkle,vivid,fresh,ready to “talk” gardenias!
I m so happy for my gift to her!
For the price,you can pick one and choose if you are the right person to wear!
If you are,you ll never regret the choice,is one of the best Gardenia’s perfumes out there!
Enjoy it,Mom!
SmemsOffece – :
Oh. Em. Gee. I only bought this because I bought a bottle of Cabochard and saw someone in the reviews for that suggest layering it with a simple gardenia fragrance, but Island Gardenia arrived today and Cabochard won’t be here until tomorrow so of course I tried it on its own… and it is GORGEOUS! It opens a very, very pure gardenia: heady, creamy, warm, sweet, luscious, narcotic, and STRONG. For me, it stays mainly linear, with just a hint of coconut in the drydown. I don’t find it artificial smelling at all, and it definitely has that carnal vibe to it that I love so much about Jovan’s White Musk. How, HOW is this available for only $10? Don’t ponder, just buy it!
EDIT: I’ve just reapplied and then gone out in the cold… I noticed that this time it has a somewhat buttery note to it… Wow. Even more beautiful!
koljn – :
*****************
When I think of the brand Jovan, I visualize a line of cheap , gaudy, generic alcohol based frags sitting on a 1983 drug store shelf collecting dust in their bland , generic looking boxes.
——————-However……..
BETTER NAME FOR THIS : Gardenia Ice Cream Sundae
Tonight, I spotted Island Gardenia at Wal*Mart for 10.99 or so. I had never seen this one for sale anywhere else. The last gardenia frag I owned–I had to give away because it was too “heady” (this was Hawaiian Gardenia made by that company in Hawaii …forgot their brand name–forgive me).
Blind Buy. Spritz. OMG……white creamy Gardenia without that “headiness” …is it musk that cradles it so nicely ? (Jovan pretty much invented musk–so perhaps?) Warm…..yummy…..intoxicating……white….. simple yet slightly complex.
Do I smell a hint of coconut? Is there Tiare in this ? That MAY be giving this that cream / coconut / fresh cotton odor ……….
This is going to be my new “pillow before bed” frag!
* This gets my rating of PNDT. (Please Never Discontinue This) ! *
WBA: Would Buy Again
WBABUB: Would Buy a Back Up Bottle
Also gets my “feels like I got an $59.99 frag from Bloomingdales for
the price of a bottle of Jean Nate” rating!
SUMMERY: Judge something for what it IS and not where it comes from.
If you like musky white florals and/or Gardenia ;
B L I N D B U Y this frag with confidence!
P.S. Should I be checking out other Jovan frags ? Hmmmmm…..
———– UPDATE—————–
I just found out that Jovan also makes a Honeysuckle; another “heady” floral that I love- but can be too “heady” for me. Thinking that they may have “tamed” the honeysuckle like they did to the gardenia here I went hunting only to find Honeysuckle discontinued with whore-vultures charging $79.99 for it online ! Damn.
UPDATE #2—————-
Just nabbed Elizabeth Taylors Gardenia from T.J. Marshalls; smells a LOT like Island Gardenia with a tiny hint of citrus in the opening.
gegam333 – :
Light watery fresh SOAPY gardenia fragrance (I don’t get any coconut in this). Not too sweet. I get ZERO fleshy heady vibe. Its not one of those roll your eyes back gardenia scents, but it is a nice scent on a shoestring budget. It does have that perfume-y drugstore quality, smells better after about 1 hour of application.
bumchaka – :
A somewhat artificial and plasticky coconutty Gardenia. Like Chopard’s Casmir in its interesting plastic toy smell, rather unique, feels like it should be a Comme Des Garcons offering because of its odd “Floral industrial” scent, I appreciate it for its unnaturalism, it’s definitely cool and lasts wonderfully, but it wasn’t my perfect gardenia because of the undercurrent of coconut.
Smodo – :
I absolutely LOVE this fragrance. Jovan’s take on gardenia reminds me amazingly of Aerin Lauder Gardenia Rattan – a tiny bit less nuanced, but equally beautiful and lush. The initial spray is an enormous blast of summer, and the drydown softens into a caress of velvety white gardenia petals lingering on your skin. It is sweet but not gourmand, animalic but not aggressive, floral but not flirty (more dominating, despite its femininity!).
In addition, despite the “Island” in its name, unlike with many fragrances that aim to capture the intoxicating scent of a gardenia blossom, this scent does not overpower with coconut or aquatic elements – yet it still manages to place you outside on a hot summer evening. To me it is elegant and almost old-fashioned – Nicole Diver would wear this as she lounged by the Riviera – but also fun and modern in how unabashedly sultry and feminine it is.
I will keep this in my wardrobe forever.
Militare – :
Bought on the recommendations of numerous Fragranticans — their taste is impeccable and, once again, they did not let me down! “Island Gardenia” opens with one of the purest gardenia notes I’ve ever smelled. Very tropical, sunny, and lazy. The dry down reveals a surprise: it smells like the long discontinued and long missed “My Sin”. All at a very reasonable price. An intoxicating charmer.
icd379speagoessenda – :
I bought this because I’m on a desperate gardenia kick. This is strong! It’s definitely a little loud for awhile, which is fine by me. I don’t know if I love it, but it’s certainly curious. I’m seeing reviews saying that this one is a little naughty, and I quite agree. There is a funky little coconut dancing in the background, but it’s not very out there.
Olister – :
In India, there is a flower called Parijatham (same name for the tree too). Me and my brother decided to find out the truth behind people in my locality calling Gardenia as Parijatham. Gardenia is called Gandharajan in Kerala. Gardenia is a flower exuding a charming fragrance with intoxicating aura and it diminishes you to a dumbfounded admirer. We realized the flower they called Parijatham (in my locality) is none other than Gardenia itself. Parijatham is a different flower itself.
So the craze to find a real Gardenia flower end up in fragrantica and in noticing the Jovan Island Gardenia. I ordered it without a second thought and I got it today.
When i sprayed it, I was laughing in ecstasy,what an aura, I was kinda feeling dreamy. What a charm. This is gardenia ruling the roost. If u know Gardenia and love the smell you wont go wrong.
Its simply superb. Loved it….
zarema – :
I bought this blind and normally I really like gardenia fragrances. But to be honest, I’m not a fan of this one. Too sweet, too artificial, too headache inducing. I normally like the “strong” fragrances but not this one. I may try layering it to see if I can salvage it. But for now I’m thinking I can’t wait to jump in the shower and scrub it off.
andrej-grinberg – :
Love it…but stand back!
Lixfriquequit – :
I’m a guy and I ordered this for my Mom who was a florist in Greenwich CT. Nijole’s flowers.
I love the gardinija in one of my fav frages Halston Z-14. Gardinija adds a great note to this mysterious earthy dark fragrance. It is said to have the smell of mushrooms and sweet decay.
I think I will be stealing sprays from my Moms Gardinija island. I used to pick lily of the valleys for my mom as she used them for weddings. I enjoyed their smell also.
Rating: 7.25/10
genarek141 – :
Gardenia is one of my favourite flowers. Unfortunately this is not available in Bulgaria 🙁 Those of you who own this gem are so lucky! sigh
AlexandrSim – :
I love the heck out of this great smelling easy to wear scent.
so soft and well balanced.
do I detect a little mild coconut note in there?
anyways, a very good price for a nice fragrance.
meragorran – :
This is so pretty. It starts out with mostly GARDENIA, then slowly the coconut shows up. It’s a light/pleasant, not sweet, coconut – doesn’t scream “sunscreen”. There seems to be some other pretty flowers in this but nothing jumps out. After a few hours, the gardenia is soft & the coconut is just a hint. It’s not a complicated scent. If you don’t like gardenia, you will not like this. I am looking forward to wearing this in the dead of winter to make me think of sunshine & summer. This lasts all day on my skin but quiets down to an up-close scent after several hours – I like that. And the really strange thing…the next day, this smells VERY much like Tubereuse Criminelle on my skin without the BenGay part. There is an “herbal” quality to this – maybe it’s the type of gardenia? Maybe there is tuberose in this? Or maybe another “herbal” ingredient? It’s lovely!
Quad – :
Creamy, comforting, sweet, coconutty and lush gardenia scent that instantly transports me to the tropics. I adore white florals, read the rave reviews and couldn’t resist this $10 treat. This is heavenly! A new favorite, along with their fabulous musk oil. Mmmmm, I cannot stop smelling my wrists! A must-try if you love gar