Today I thought I'd do a comparison of two niche gardenia fragrances - Michael Storer's Stephanie and Ayala Moriel's Gigi.
Originally it was going to be three, but I've misplaced my Kai sample. Probably for the best really - I've tried all three before and Kai was by far my least favorite of the three ( I have only tried the EdT, but if the oil smells anything like it, it's really not my thing - and not gardenia ).
Gardenia is my favorite flower. I had one as a houseplant for ages until it died an unfortunate death while I was away for my grandfather's funeral. To both my surprise and my satisfaction, it reliably bloomed in my dark bedroom every year.
I am a very harsh judge when it comes to fragrance accuracy, and gardenia is a note that has often disappointed me. Neither of these fragrance attain the hyper-realism of the rose in Sa Majeste La Rose with their gardenia note. Now, to be fair it must be said there is no gardenia absolute available, but then, there isn't a lilac absolute available either, and that didn't stop Olivia Giacobetti from making the true to nature En Passant.
Stephanie goes on aquatic and green, a sharp pepper note emerging a few seconds after it's applied. Soon after the florals take over, a green floral accord that my nose perceives as a mixture - maybe hybrid between - lilac, muguet and tuberose. Through the heart the florals gradually lose their power, and in the base disappear entirely, leaving a rather synthetic watery green accord. This fragrance has one of those "circular developments" I've seen people speak of, where, excluding the pepper, the top and base smell the same but the heart varies.
It's quite pleasant overall, though it's hard for me not to be slightly biased against it because of a general distaste for aquatics. It's certainly not gardenia to me, but rather an aquatic green floral. It's not for me, but if you like this I highly recommend checking out Eau D'Italie's Magnolia Romana, a rather more complex and interesting take on the aquatic green floral theme.
Gigi and me get along better. It's not quite gardenia either, though in the top notes it comes closer than the aforementioned. The top is a very piquant and creamy white floral accord - I smell tuberose matched with a slightly spiciness probably attributable to the cardamom, though cinnamon is what first came to mind. As this unfolds the sandalwood and vanilla becomes more prominent, pushing it towards a more oriental genre.
I've been informed by its creator that both this and my favorite Ayala Moriel, Razala, share an accord of tuberose, jasmine and myrrh, so I guess I'm just a sucker for this combination. Funnily enough, even though I've worn this before, I never noticed the myrrh until it was pointed out to me. It's covered by the florals in the top, but in the base it's definitely there. It would be quite misleading to say this is like her Razala though. Razala is a spicy oriental with all sorts of things going on, where as this is more of a floral with an oriental touch.
Unlike some of the Ayala Moriel's I've tried, both the sillage and longevity are very good.
If it weren't for the cost, I'd be thinking of picking up a bottle, as this is a limited edition. As it is, I appreciate its quality and I'm glad I had a chance to try this beauty before it exists in name alone.
I have Ava Luxe's Gardenia coming in the mail - I'm intrigued as to how it'll compare to the above two. I also may be getting a sample of Tom Ford's Velvet Gardenia, a fragrance I'm totally hyped about!
Originally it was going to be three, but I've misplaced my Kai sample. Probably for the best really - I've tried all three before and Kai was by far my least favorite of the three ( I have only tried the EdT, but if the oil smells anything like it, it's really not my thing - and not gardenia ).
Gardenia is my favorite flower. I had one as a houseplant for ages until it died an unfortunate death while I was away for my grandfather's funeral. To both my surprise and my satisfaction, it reliably bloomed in my dark bedroom every year.
I am a very harsh judge when it comes to fragrance accuracy, and gardenia is a note that has often disappointed me. Neither of these fragrance attain the hyper-realism of the rose in Sa Majeste La Rose with their gardenia note. Now, to be fair it must be said there is no gardenia absolute available, but then, there isn't a lilac absolute available either, and that didn't stop Olivia Giacobetti from making the true to nature En Passant.
Stephanie goes on aquatic and green, a sharp pepper note emerging a few seconds after it's applied. Soon after the florals take over, a green floral accord that my nose perceives as a mixture - maybe hybrid between - lilac, muguet and tuberose. Through the heart the florals gradually lose their power, and in the base disappear entirely, leaving a rather synthetic watery green accord. This fragrance has one of those "circular developments" I've seen people speak of, where, excluding the pepper, the top and base smell the same but the heart varies.
It's quite pleasant overall, though it's hard for me not to be slightly biased against it because of a general distaste for aquatics. It's certainly not gardenia to me, but rather an aquatic green floral. It's not for me, but if you like this I highly recommend checking out Eau D'Italie's Magnolia Romana, a rather more complex and interesting take on the aquatic green floral theme.
Gigi and me get along better. It's not quite gardenia either, though in the top notes it comes closer than the aforementioned. The top is a very piquant and creamy white floral accord - I smell tuberose matched with a slightly spiciness probably attributable to the cardamom, though cinnamon is what first came to mind. As this unfolds the sandalwood and vanilla becomes more prominent, pushing it towards a more oriental genre.
I've been informed by its creator that both this and my favorite Ayala Moriel, Razala, share an accord of tuberose, jasmine and myrrh, so I guess I'm just a sucker for this combination. Funnily enough, even though I've worn this before, I never noticed the myrrh until it was pointed out to me. It's covered by the florals in the top, but in the base it's definitely there. It would be quite misleading to say this is like her Razala though. Razala is a spicy oriental with all sorts of things going on, where as this is more of a floral with an oriental touch.
Unlike some of the Ayala Moriel's I've tried, both the sillage and longevity are very good.
If it weren't for the cost, I'd be thinking of picking up a bottle, as this is a limited edition. As it is, I appreciate its quality and I'm glad I had a chance to try this beauty before it exists in name alone.
I have Ava Luxe's Gardenia coming in the mail - I'm intrigued as to how it'll compare to the above two. I also may be getting a sample of Tom Ford's Velvet Gardenia, a fragrance I'm totally hyped about!
