Gardénia
Guerlain (1935)

Guerlain's take on Gardenia takes on darker approach compared to others, specifically the one from Chanel. The opening had some tart bergamot that added a brief moment of brightness before plunging into the deep. The gardenia note soon appears and receives support from other florals. I'm sensing some of the skanky jasmine and deep rose notes in the heart which contributes to the darkness in Gardenia. The florals are met with even darker notes in the base. Present are the notes of civet and musk which contribute to the animalistic qualities, vanilla which adds a minimal amount of sweetness, and wood notes which adds a supporting backbone to the base. The gardenia florals never fully disappear but is blended by the other notes present in the drydown. Performance for Gardenia is good. It's fairly strong early on before staying closer to the skin in the later stages of the scent. For those who enjoy gardenia this is one worth trying.

The opening is a complex experience, with bergamot and neroli in the fore but their freshness is attenuated a tad by an input of orange blossoms.

Soon the complexity is increased, when the actual gardenia arrives - rich and intense, but not at all sweet floral cheeriness - there is a herbal, vegetal and slightly somber undertone, whiffs of tuberose and lilac combining with notes of roses and ylang-ylang. The rose is light and more garnish than main component here, and the ylang-ylang adds depth and a touch of sweetness, without being thick or creamy - this is a slimmer version of it.

The base adds a vanilla foundation, again more on the dry and less on the fat and creamy side, together with a restrained sandalwood and touches of dark musk and of a smidgeon of civet. Towards the end a light and airy powderiness is present, which is neither heavy nor musty.

I get moderate sillage, very good projection and a splendid eleven hours on my skin.

This beautiful scent for cooler spring evening is of a rich intensity that truly is if perfume strength. It is a creation of confidence, beautiful texture and is more a pensive edgy than a sweet and girly floral; a soliflore with originality. 4/5.

Guerlain – Gardenia (1935)

Guerlain's soliflore Gardenia was first created in 1828, relaunched in 1902 and again in 1935.

It is the most intense Gardenia I have yet experienced, dark, rich, voluptuous and sensual. This is not the bright Gardenia of my personal favorite thus far, the Chanel. It is as if all other Gardenia scents were eau de colognes in sweetness and brightness, compared to which the Guerlain smells like pure oils without alcohol yet mixed in.

The oddity of the gardenia plant is that although the flower exudes (along with lily and tuberose) the most intense animalic floral pheromones in the floral world, its essential oil is without scent at all. Thus gardenia needs to be “invented” in the perfumer's laboratory, by a mixture of essential oils that “suggest” the scent of gardenia, most usually a mixture of jasmine and tuberose, with assists from lily, rose and ylang ylang.

The perfume market has always been flooded with gardenia scents, the most popular of which has been Jungle Gardenia by Tuvache/Coty. These always smelled cheap to my nose, the sort of thing Sadie Thompson, Maisie or Torchy Blane might have worn.

Guerlain has created yet another masterpiece with its Gardenia. The sweetness of orange blossom and neroli are restrained. The jasmine, rose, ylang and lilac of the heart notes rich, deep and powerful. The civet, musk and vanilla in the base support and expand the animalic voluptuousness.

Finally, a gardenia that crosses the unisex barrier and can be worn by both men and women, granted in very small quantities.

Top notes: Orange Blossom, Neroli, Bergamot
Heart notes: Gardenia, Jasmine, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Lilac
Base notes: Vanilla, Musk, Sandalwood, Civet

An amazing scent, truly mind-boggling. Luckily, vintage is still available from on line sellers. A must experience for all lovers of the flower itself.