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Gardenia lovers please....

post #1 of 33
5/5/06 at 12:30pm
Thread Starter 
I am looking for a really fine and true gardenia scent. I've always loved the smell of fresh, white gardenias, but have never found their fragrance properly extracted and brought to life in a fragrance. All too often the scent is a bit too waxy or soapy, or even just stale like the blossom would smell a day after picking it. Since I recognize that odor as indicating the flower is dying, it's really not what I want to smell or smell like.

But what I'd love to find is that elusive scent if you've ever been in a hot climate near a blooming Gardenia bush, and yet can't quite find it right away around you. You follow your nose and keep turning and then finally...SUCCESS!!! And when you bury your nose into the full, thick petals, it just smells so heavenly. The flower has just opened and is so sweet! But not sweet like phony sugary scents, just so cleanly sweet and majestic.

Does anyone else here get that same feeling? Can anyone recommend some fragrances I should try? They don't have to be super strong, but I do want them to have the proper gardenia note.

Thanks.
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post #2 of 33
5/5/06 at 12:36pm
Chanel Gardenia from their exclusive line
Gardenia Passion by Annick Goutal
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post #3 of 33
5/5/06 at 2:25pm
I know exactly what you mean. I used to look for a true gardenia but I never found it. Used to drive me crazy. Actually, I was looking for something like the old, old, old (discontinued) Jungle Gardenia. Still haven't found it. Fragranceshop.com has perfume oils, dupes and blends. You can buy samples from them for $3.50 each. I thought their version of Jungle Gardenia was pretty close to what I was looking for, and they have one called "true gardenia" that is sort of close. They are very concentrated perfume oils, though, and lack that certain airiness. There is nothing like the real living blossom. There are plenty of fragrances out there claiming to be Gardenia, including Gardenia Passion which I wear and love, but they don't have that true gardenia fragrance. The quest continues! :-)
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post #4 of 33
5/5/06 at 3:05pm
I've tried

Chanel Gardenia-not true gardenia at all

Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion-own it, would swap it in a heartbeat. Too indolic.

BBW Gardenia--own it, I was very pleasantly surprised! I grant you there is a mild soapy quality and it doesn't last more than 2 hours, but NICE.

Kai oil roll-on and lotion--own it in absurd multiples, in all forms--my current obsession!! It's uber lovely, and green and fresh! PERFECT!


Jalaine's Gardenia-- own it, in all it's incredibly beautiful cut crystal glory! HAD to have it! It turns me inside out. But smells nothing like gardenia blossoms--as green as Philosykos, but slightly sweet with a hint of vanilla.


The problem with me is, I haven't smelled a real gardenia in so long!!!


I remember smelling Elizcbeth Taylor's gardenia and thinking Damn, that's just like Jungle Gardenia! A bit strong for me, as I want more fresh and airy-green ( heh, heh, like Kai!)

But boy, Jungle Gardenia can make an impression. I was in 7 or 8th grade and I VERY CLEARLY remember my older sister's tiny emerald green bottle of the pure perfume. I remember how the tiniest amount produced a mushroom cloud of nuclear gardenia! What wouldn't I give for it now!!!
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post #5 of 33
5/5/06 at 3:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shycat

Jalaine's Gardenia-- own it, in all it's incredibly beautiful cut crystal glory! Â* HAD to have it! Â* It turns me inside out. Â* But smells nothing like gardenia blossoms--as green as Philosykos, but slightly sweet with a hint of vanilla.

Is this coming actually in a beautiful Italian cut... cristal bottle, isn't it?
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post #6 of 33
5/5/06 at 5:26pm
I got a sample of Calypso's Gardenia last week as an extra from Luckyscent and OH BOY do I love it. I never cared for gardenia til I smelled this. I don't know what real gardenia smell like but this is divine!
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post #7 of 33
5/5/06 at 7:05pm
Creative Scentualization Perfect Gardenia
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post #8 of 33
5/5/06 at 7:58pm
What about Marc Jacobs??? Thats a good gardenia scent isnt it? I need to buy another bottle of that now that i think about it.
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post #9 of 33
5/5/06 at 8:29pm
I just pulled out all of my Gardenia decants. The one you may be looking for is Molinard's Gardenia. I think of all that I just sampled it is the closest I can recall to a true Gardenia. It is very soft with not much else but the Gardenia going on in it. It's available at Aedes. I got my sample through them. I'd give it a try! 8-)
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post #10 of 33
5/5/06 at 10:02pm
Many members on the MUA fragrance board sing the praises of Yves Rocher Gardenia saying it is the truest out there. Also wonderfully affordable. Longevity may be less than great but you can afford to top up frequently at this price.

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post #11 of 33
5/7/06 at 11:46am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sherrie11

I know exactly what you mean. Â*I used to look for a true gardenia but I never found it. Â*Used to drive me crazy. Â*Actually, I was looking for something like the old, old, old (discontinued) Jungle Gardenia. Â*Still haven't found it. Â*

I have never smelled Jungle Gardenia, but then read further down on the thread:


Quote:
Originally Posted by Shycat


I remember smelling Elizcbeth Taylor's gardenia and thinking Â*Damn, that's just like Jungle Gardenia! Â* Â* A bit strong for me, as I want more fresh and airy-green ( heh, heh, like Kai!) Â* Â*

But boy, Jungle Gardenia can make an impression. Â* Â*I was in Â*7 or 8th grade and I VERY CLEARLY remember my older sister's tiny emerald green bottle of the pure perfume. Â* I remember how the tiniest amount produced a mushroom cloud of nuclear gardenia! Â* Â*What wouldn't I give for it now!!! Â*


So I was rushing past a display in a discount store this morning when suddenly, there was an open bottle of Elizabeth Taylor's Gardenia. Â*Rmembering how Shycat thought it reminded her of Jungle Gardenia (which I believe Elizabeth Taylor used to wear), I thought I should sample it, even though I'm not really a fan of other Elizabeth Taylor perfumes. Â*I still don't know what I think of it as it hasn't stopped morphing, but it's not close enough for me.

At first it was so sharp and stinging to my nose and I thought, "Oh, definitely not (and "get this off me right now&quot. Â*Then as it dried down it was a bit better, but was starting to get that soapiness I dislike. Â*Then it was getting nicer, but still not right and it started to remind me of other gardenia scents I smelled over the years. Â*I think Crabtree & Evelyn might have a gardenia scent and I know Caswell Massey does too, but I don't like CM's gardenia fragrance because it has other obvious floral notes (and the dopey picture of the Southern Belle in her antebellum dress and even dopey-er hat on the bottle is a turnoff, but the stylized lettering is attractive): Â*

http://www.caswellmassey.com/shoppin...iProductID=240


However, I used to love CM's gardenia body products like the powders and lotions, which seemed to be much truer to true gardenia than the perfume itself. Â*Unfortunately, I haven't purchased any of their gardenia stock in a while, having just finished up my old supply, and don't know if this still holds true. Â*

Anyway, back to Elizabeth Taylor Gardenia......Then as I got into the car and took a resniff of my arm, I suddenly became extremely queasy from it, but the feeling quickly passed and then the scent was sort of okay, not great, but okay again. Â*Now I'm getting a bit of waxy tuberose out of it. Â*So, not really what I'm looking for, but if you're into waxy white flowers, you might like to check it out.

Thank you for all of the gardenia suggestions so far. Â*I'm thrilled to see that others are obsessed by this flower too and that I'm not alone in my frustrating quest for a true reincarnation of the blossom into perfume. Â*I feel so sorry for anyone who's never had the opportunity to smell a real, freshly-opened gardenia. Â*What an experience they are missing! Â*
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post #12 of 33
5/7/06 at 11:55am
;D 8-) : :P ;D
I love Gardenia, my all time favorite fragance about ten bottles worth is Chanel Gardenia,
[smiley=chanel.gif] ;DAlso love Il Profume Royal Gardenia, it really lasts
Nest Penhalibions Ellenisia, wearing today, very like Chanel Gardenia
and 8-) :-? :-X
then there is Marc Jacobs and Marc Jacobs Essence, have all, love them, great gardenia smell
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post #13 of 33
5/7/06 at 12:14pm
You know, I just remembered Island Gardenia (by Jovan, I believe). It's a fairly true gardenia. I haven't worn it on my own skin so I can't make a whole-hearted recommendation. But from just sniffing the cap it smelled as true to real gardenia blossom as anything else I've sniffed. That was a couple of years ago. I wonder if it's still around.

I didn't care much for Liz Taylor Gardenia. Didn't hate it, it just didn't ring any bells for me as a gardenia fragrance.
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post #14 of 33
5/7/06 at 3:02pm
I tried the single note gardenia from my 'Make your own scent' samples I got from Parfums Raffy. It's not very gardenia, IMO. There is a heavy clove top, I think, and that takes an hour or two to dissapate. The drydown is nice, but more of a pikaki jasmine than any creamy gardenia.
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post #15 of 33
5/8/06 at 8:57am
i love gardenia...i have yet to find a true gardenia smell on a frag, cause generally speaking, it's combined with other stuff that either enhances it or drowns it...i did make a arther long post on a gardenia grandiflorun essential oil that i got in france for an insane amount of money for a small vial(thanks to an frag industry friend of mine) ...i exagerrated a bit on the power of the smell per se but it's really really heady and it's like nothing i ever smelled before (other than a real gardenia garden, but times 10x!)...anyways if you can find it on that post i talked about what it smelled like.(it was posted on the male forum)
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post #16 of 33
5/8/06 at 1:05pm
Now see, I thought that that gardenias didn't yield an essential oil of their own. I don't remember where I read that. But I had it in my head that gardenia scents were always created from other essential oils such as pikaki jasmine and tuberose with fresh and green notes added.

Does anybody else know this to be true? Or know that it's wrong?



Also, HerbLady, have you tried Kai? And if so, would you comment on it, and compare it to the actual gardenia experience?
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post #17 of 33
5/8/06 at 1:53pm
well, i know what you mean, cause i thought so before but i know now that you can get an essential oil but it's horribly expensive to make cause they will need huge amounts of the flower to make just a portion of it because the amount of oil that can be extracted (via solvent extraction and/or maceration in general) is really minimal, so the industry came together to use some substitutes like Benzyl salycilate and Syvertal , both clear, colorless liquids and other synthetic liquids , to create the "sense" or the "foundation" of a gardenia flower. You know how the industry gets when it come to money saving-techniques!
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post #18 of 33
5/9/06 at 5:08pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shycat


Also, HerbLady, Â* Â*have you tried Kai? Â*And if so, would you comment on it, Â*and compare it to the actual gardenia experience?


I've never tried Kai and don't know it at all. Is Kai the manufacturer name? Where can I buy it? I'd love to try anything recommended.
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post #19 of 33
5/9/06 at 5:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by perfumegirl

;D 8-) : :P ;D
I love Gardenia, my all time favorite fragance about ten bottles worth is Chanel Gardenia,
;DAlso love Il Profume Royal Gardenia, it really lasts
Nest Penhalibions Ellenisia, wearing today, very like Chanel Gardenia
and 8-) :-? :-X
then there is Marc Jacobs and Marc Jacobs Essence, have all, love them, great gardenia smell


Hi, perfume girl. Welcome to the board. Thanks for the suggestions too. I have to tell you though that at first, I didn't know what you thought about all of them, because the full range of emoticons were really confusing (and a little difficult to read your post through all of them)! But I think you're just happy to be here, which is nice.
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post #20 of 33
5/10/06 at 3:14am
Gardenia is a blossom that is not used per se in perfumery and the reason is not just a financial one (cut of cost). It is also that any method of exctraction/maceration/enfleurage etc doesn't yield an essence that really smells of the living thing. It is more rotten in smell and ruins the effect of the real bush and the atmosphere around it when smelling it.
Therefore, perfumers use synthetic ingredients along with some natural ones from other sources ( jasmine, tuberose etc) to mimic the effect of a blooming gardenia bush.

I am familiar with the real flower and have tried many gardenia perfumes in the past.

With that in mind I can tell you that the truest gardenia is Yves Rocher Pur desir de gardenia EDT. It's extremely true to the blossom , very affordable and it stays well put contrary to what you may have heard ( at least on me).

For alternatives I have those to recommend :

Kai oil : a very nice, again true and quite green budding gardenia. Second choice to YR because of the exorbitant cost (too much for such a small roll-on). You can find it at Beautyhabit on-line.

Penhaligon's Ellenisia : a soft gardenia, with not a sharp notre in sight, very wearable

Perfect Gardenia : a deeper, darker gardenia with some ambery background maybe? Nice frag.

Some tout themselves to be gardenias, yet they are nothing like it :

Chanel Gardenia is really a white floral perfume with lots of jasmine highlighted. No gardenia whatsoever. The name is misleading. I don't find it especially great and I think part of the hype is the fact that it is an exclusive and it was something to behold back in Chanel's days. Now it is reformulated of course ( what with all the restrictions about ingredients etc) and I doubt that it would be as revered if it didn't bear the Chanel logo and the exclusivity cachet.

A.Goutal Gardenia Passion is a nice frag, but it surely doesn't smell of gardenias after a rain like they say. It smells of tuberose! Compare it side by side with Fracas, Ferre, versace Blonde ,Michael Kors and Chloe ( other tuberose frags) and you will see what I mean.....

Marc Jacobs original frag is a very synthetic watery gardenia and although many like it I found it lacking in trueness. It has those dreaded cucumber watery notes ( gardenias floating in a bowl of water they said the ads) that are completely synthetic and a tad bleach-like and it ruined the frag for me....Sorry.


Hope that helped in your serach of a true gardenia. Good luck!
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post #21 of 33
5/10/06 at 4:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by helg

I am familiar with the real flower and have tried many gardenia perfumes in the past.

With that in mind I can tell you that the truest gardenia is Yves Rocher Pur desir de gardenia EDT. It's extremely true to the blossom , very affordable and it stays well put contrary to what you may have heard ( at least on me).

I have read several recommendations of Yves Rocher's gardenia fragrance but haven't tried it yet. I'm going to though. (I have much respect for Helg's fragrance knowledge and opinions.) :-)

Check this out...

http://www.yvesrocherusa.com/control...oduct_id=38370

and this...

http://www.yvesrocherusa.com/control...oduct_id=F3443

Those prices are a steal!
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post #22 of 33
5/10/06 at 5:30am
Oh helg! Thank you so much for posting! Wonderful knowledge, you are so much better than google!! :-*



And sherrie11-- thank you for the posts--I will use them as soon as they turn my credit card back on... :-[
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post #23 of 33
5/10/06 at 7:47am
Owned and wore Yves Rocher Gardenia, gave the leftovers of it to a co-worker with three daughters. Noticed that she, not the daughters, was wearing it. 8-) Thick and buttery, you can cut it with a knife almost, not overly sweet. So hot that gives you chills type. On a good day pure bliss, on a bad day -- smoked sausage.
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post #24 of 33
5/10/06 at 8:41am
The most true gardenia i know is Yves Rocher's Pur désir de Gardénia.
Just ordered it online. It's rather cheap but the staying power (on me!) is not sooo good but its all natural and so soft and tender.... wonderful.

Organza has a very nice full bloom-gardenia note in its head, too.
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post #25 of 33
5/10/06 at 7:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by helg

Gardenia is a blossom that is not used per se in perfumery and the reason is not just a financial one (cut of cost). It is also that any method of exctraction/maceration/enfleurage etc doesn't yield an essence that really smells of the living thing. It is more rotten in smell and ruins the effect of the real bush and the atmosphere around it when smelling it.
Therefore, perfumers use synthetic ingredients along with some natural ones from other sources ( jasmine, tuberose etc) to mimic the effect of a blooming gardenia bush.

Helg, this is really helpful - thank you for the explanation. Â*At least I finally understand why I've had such a hard time finding a fragrance that smelled like the actual gardenia blossom. Â*I mean, it's possible to find one that's an accurate rose, and other blossoms too, so I never understood what the problem could be with gardenias. Â*It was really starting to bug me.

I also appreciate everyone's sensitive reviews and personal takes on these scents, which is so helpful in my gardenia pursuit! I'm also truly bowled over by everyone's knowledge - what an amazing and NICE group of people!


Quote:
Originally Posted by castorpollux

i love gardenia...i have yet to find a true gardenia smell on a frag, cause generally speaking, it's combined with other stuff that either enhances it or drowns it...i did make a arther long post on a gardenia grandiflorun essential oil that i got in france for an insane amount of money for a small vial(thanks to an frag industry friend of mine) ...i exagerrated a bit on the power of the smell per se but it's really really heady and it's like nothing i ever smelled before (other than a real gardenia garden, but times 10x!)...anyways if you can find it on that post i talked about what it smelled like.(it was posted on the male forum)

I'm not sure if I saw your post before (but will look). Â*I did find an older gardenia thread the other day, sort of what we're all talking about now, and then promptly "lost" it. Â* Â* If anyone can locate it, please post the link, because I'm really annoyed with myself that I'm probably repeating here what was discussed previously on this forum! Â*
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post #26 of 33
5/10/06 at 8:18pm
Hey Herb Lady,

I love discussing things that have been discussed before---they've been discussed by other people, but not by us! [smiley=grin.gif] Besides which, people invariably change and refine their own opinions, so it's an ongoing thing!
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post #27 of 33
5/10/06 at 10:50pm
Sherrie, Shycat and Herblady ,

thanks for your kind words. I do hope I helped. Â*:-*

We all learn from each other, I like to sample things mentioned on the board all the time!



BTW, the YR Gardenia lasts about 4 hours on me, which is pretty average ( not all perfume sticks for half the day) and since it's so cheap one can re-spritz easily. Or you can spritz clothes/hair which retain the scent very well.
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post #28 of 33
5/14/06 at 7:35pm
Has anyone tested DSH Noveau Gardenia ? I noticed it today on the Hampton Court site.
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post #29 of 33
5/15/06 at 8:26am
I was just on www.dhsperfumes.com and the Nouveau Gardenia is on SALE -1oz edp spray on sale for $45 (reg. $60) and 1 dram oil pulse roller on sale for $27 (re$36). It sounds so good!!! I'm expecting 3 perfumes, plus a sample set in this week but I want this!! Sounds amazing...praying that the PERFUME GODS will give me strength to resist another unsniffed purchase.
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post #30 of 33
5/15/06 at 12:58pm
well, my Gardenia by Dana from Parfum1.com came in today. It was $6 and it smells like it cost $6!! ;D No gardenia scent at all, oh well.
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post #31 of 33
5/15/06 at 1:03pm
LOL, thanks tinker!! I came thisclose to paying full price for DSH NG yesterday at the Hampton Court site. ....On sale, did you say?

Must dash--talk to you later! ;D ;D ;D
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post #32 of 33
5/15/06 at 2:12pm
OK. Everything was 25% off. The Sweet Gardienia oil I also ordered was 60% off. Her stuff is usually soooo pricey, and still not cheap,

but I got four of her EdP's plus 1/3 oz of essential oil and didn't break $200, even after shipping. Whew, I need a cigarette.
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post #33 of 33
5/15/06 at 3:05pm
You made out pretty good!! I had my eye on her Oeillets Rouge, but it's $135 for an ounce. I wouldn't pay that much for a teeny OUNCE of perfume even if Serge Lutens hand delivered it wearing only a Speedo...well, maybe I would in that case. I do have a festering lust for Calypso's Gardenia. It's sooo good. I totally do not need it...but it's sooo good.
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