Jardenia by JAR

Anyone who has experienced JAR (both the fragrances and the store), knows what I'm talking about. JAR is not a perfume shop, it's a secret club. Their compositions are far beyond being just fragrances, they're more like the car crashes in Ballard's Crash. Perversely fascinating, kinda morbid and definitely out of this world. Jardenia is one of those fragrances that, unless you want to be called names, you can't say you don't like it. Well, I actually can't say that I completely like it. The opening accord is absolutely stunning in its simple complexity. A huge indolic gardenia note of immense beauty strikes as a pyrotechnical effect. It initially kisses you then shakes your head to finally leave you speechless for its unquestionable charme. Almost an hologram in it's vibrant/vivid reproduction of the real flower. The opening phase endures for almost one hour to then introduce a mushroom note that smells a whole lot like "funghi porcini". Yes, fresh cut funghi porcini. The fragrance still works and morphes into a challenging phase that's typical of many other deliveries from the house. At the three hours mark, the gardenia slightly recedes while the mushroom note slowly takes over to the point of becoming absolutely dominating for the rest of the fragrance' evolution. After ten plus hours it gets definitely exasperating and, at least to me, nausea inducing. Scrub time. Ok, Jardenia definitely makes a strong impression and it's one of those fragrances that you encounter every once in 100 years but I would wear it? No. This stuff is not for me but, if you like unique fragrances, this is something to surely check out. In the end, I loved the opening and detested the drydown. One more point: I strongly believe that in this specific case the "exclusivity aurea" of the brand plays a particularly relevant part. I'd be genuinely curious to play the blind game with Jardenia and see if most of the people who love this fragrance, would have the same impressions if they smelled this stuff blind. Don't get me wrong, the quality is there, that's unquestionable but I'd really love to know other's people reactions to a blind test... Rating: 9/10 (for the audacity) 6.5/10 (final result)

I really liked Jardenia and wish I could come up with a bunch of fancy notes and adjectives to describe it but to me, it is basically a creamy gardenia perfume with a touch of blue cheese at the beginning. Which may sound gross but it isn't. I think it actually helps frame the gardenia note and keeps it from becoming too one-dimensional. It also acts like a hook later on in the development as it keeps you coming back to see if the cheese note will suddenly re-remerge (sadly, it doesn't). Another way to explain Jardenia is that Jardenia is to gardenias what Serge Lutens' Un Lys is to lilies. Well done, Mr. Rosenthal!

After sampling this, I just had to visit the JAR store in Paris (not affiliated). The following is a brief account of my visit:

No appointments to smell the JAR perfumes at the JAR store on rue Castiglione are necessary, unlike the rules to view JARs jewelry line which is sold at a different location. Anyways, you arrive at the JAR store, ring a bell to request entrance and then are ushered by an immaculately dressed man into a silent room which has one small round table and two chairs. The room is sparsely decorated in the French ancien regime style and is painted a dark aubergine. The ceiling has an elaborate crystal chandelier and, as a touch of whimsy, a mural of a thunderous dark sky with a giant lightning bolt. Bottles of each JAR perfume sit nearby on an elevated lighted stand which seems like an untouchable shrine. I did not dare go near them. Once you are seated, you notice that on the table are a number of glass containers which look like covered petri dishes and each contain a piece of crumpled fabric doused in scent. The JAR representatives role is to silently open each glass container one at a time and hold it up to you for a sniff of the saturated fabric. He is extremely courteous even though he will ONLY tell you the name of each perfume and nothing else. JARs policy is that they do not reveal any notes or comments about their fragrances. It is all meant to be a big secret, I suppose. So there you are, sniffing the contents of each glass container and you want to have a conversation about what you smell with your companion but somehow you get the feeling that it would be uncouth to say anything in the presence of the JAR representative about the perfumes.

On the whole, the JAR fragrances are extremely idiosyncratic and very expensive (for a 30 ml bottle, they range from 220 - 530 euros), and would not appeal to the mainstream consumer. For example, I cannot imagine what the average person would think of the distinct dill pickle notes in Shadow. However, I get the impression that the weirdness and cult-like secrecy is by design. It is almost as if the JAR perfume line is a side hobby for Joel Arthur Rosenthal and he really doesnt care if his perfumes sell or not. There is certainly no pressure to buy anything but given the silence and somewhat forbidding atmosphere, you do not feel like lingering either. We thanked the JAR gentleman who graciously shook our hands and then left the strange little world of JAR perfumes.