Well, he at least doesn’t approve of it when Joel Cairo scents his visiting card with it- and yes, I would bet that Joel would have a visiting card. Nothing as tacky as a business card for him.
As for the rest of us- gardenia isn’t exactly the manliest scent out there. It’s sort of the flip side of tuberose (which may be why it’s so often paired with it) Still heady but not as, shall we just say lush as tuberose? Gardenia is sweet and slightly coconutty with some blue-cheese skank to it (when done right) while tuberose has that slight undercurrent of rot and that in-you-face glottal creaminess that give some people the fantods but I love. Back in the day March did a (then, I am sure there are more now) thorough look at gardenia perfumes, but I was noodling around Surrender to Chance and decided that I would choose three, since I rarely wear the note myself. Sit down Joel Cairo- there’s a new Visiting Card in town..
Guerlain Cruel Gardenia is hardly cruel and it’s not really gardenia that I can smell. If there’s anything cruel about it it’s the way it sort of skirts being gardenia- just when you think it’s going to actually get there is titters to itself and runs off in a different direction. It’s very pretty, powdery, and quite piercing. Joel would have loved it.
Hermes Jour d’Hermes Gardenia is gardenia, tuberose, and rose filtered through Hermes-colored glasses. That is, a light touch. Were I in a bad mood I might type “watered down” but what is there is such a happy little thing with it’s undertones of citrus and stemmy greenness that I can’t fault it skipping over some of the lusher aspects of the white flowers. Of the three this one is the one I would likely buy, but I can’t see it at the Hermes website (discontinued?) and I don’t love it enough to go on safari for it.
Evyan White Shoulders is vintage and smells it- in a very good way. It’s not very gardenia- that’s in there but I smell more roses. It’s also sweet- like one of those rose jelly candies you could get from some of the more twee confectioners in the 80’s. As the candy bright portion of the program fades it becomes more powdery, with the flowers becoming more and more chaste- but don’t let that fool you. While these aren’t the white flowers of Fracas, there’s a “still waters” thing going on there. If this were the movie “Mogambo” Fracas would be what Ava Gardner’s Honey Bear wore while Grace Kelly’s Linda IS White Shoulders. While I prefer the former for it’s frank indolence (and insolence) I can certainly see the allure of the latter.
What are your favorite gardenia scents? Let is know in the comments
Images: My iPhone, Wikimedia, Pexels. My samples came from Surrender to Chance.
Thanks for making me smile reading about these scents. My mom wore White Shoulders for years. My aunt wore Jungle Gardenia (over a heavy smoker’s base). I feel lucky to have smelled JARdenia in NY with an elaborate presentation…
But the most photorealistic (scent realistic?) gardenia fragrance I know is Perfect Gardenia by Sarah Horowitz Perfumes. It’s stunning…and at $75, a steal. My bottle is several years old and has held up well.
Be well.
OMG! YOU’RE ON HERE! HI!
And I totally agree with you on your choices – including the Jungle Gardenia/Smoker combo – what was it about that perfume? Or was it just the era when, if you breathed, you smoked!?
Hi! Long time, dear lady! I lurk most times, and escape quotidian drear as I read Posse posts. I’m on holiday in the stunning state of Maine, and Tom inspired me with his thoughts on gardenia. Mwah!
I’m glad you came out to comment!
Everybody smoked. I did.
Ooh! Thank you for this. I grew up in Florida with real gardenias and love them. I used to pick just one and bring it to my cramped, overflowing with books and papers office, and it was heavenly. I’ve been disappointed with Gardena perfumes – most give me a headache. I need to try Perfect Gardenia!
I hope you enjoy Perfect Gardenia. Just recently Sarah Horowitz’ work was mentioned in the blogs and I rejoiced. She has several I wear all the time. That’s saying something in my erm, diverse collection.
Be well.
And she’s even based in SoCal..
I think I need to as well..
Sarah Horowitz is a genius. I need to get some of her scents again.
Tom,
Do you remember Jeffrey Dame? He did Soliflore Gardenia by Dame Perfumery. Though I’ve not smelled it, some people with noses I respect have raved about it.
Portia xx
I remember Jeffrey Dame and that is the ONLY one of his scents I remember – and it was magical. Iirc, he did a recreation of the original Jungle Gardenia (I believe he owned/owns the marque) – perhaps that was either the inspiration… or the actual scent?
Now you’re starting to ring a (n old, rust) bell. Must investigate.
I don’t think I ever heard of it..
When I smelled an actual gardenia, I didn’t get any kind of blue cheese but instead smelled mushrooms. Tocca Florence does a nice gardenia. Granted that Florence is squeaky clean, it’s still pretty and somewhat affordable.
It’s been so long since I smelled an actual gardenia I can’t tell you.
I’m all for affordable, even when it’s somewhat.
Evyan’s White Shoulders was one of my “gateway” scents when I was a pre-teen. Have not sniffed it in decades. Do not have any gardenia scents currently. I prefer the real thing. Nothing perfumes a room like a gardenia blossom floating in a bowl.
Remember Tuvache’s Jungle Gardenia? When I was growing up in the 50s, according to the nuns at my parochial grammar school, that scent was one worn by women of “easy morals,” along with ankle bracelets. Said bracelet was a very thin gold chain, usually sporting a tiny charm like a heart or faux gemstone. According to the Sisters, that was tantamount to wearing a scarlet “A.” I recall JG as being bold and very strong with lots of heady white flowers and super nuclear staying power.
I do remember Jungle Gardenia- I could swear I wrote about it but no.. and looking at the prices on eBay it may have to stay that way. I do remember it as a “take no prisoners” kind of scent. Which I like.
I love, love love gardenia — my mother’s favorite flower, my dad would buy her one on occasion (so romantic!) Didn’t I try JARdenia in NYC with you?!? Maybe not. It was epic, very bleu cheese. If you feel like a drive with the top down, Strange Invisible in Venice Beach has a very nice gardenia (Epic Gardenia?) I have a bottle of their Lady Day which is fantastic.
Epic Gardenia is bloody EPIC! March.
It is. All of the SIP ones are. I think I was there last with you. There was a Le Labo next door at the time as well.
I didn’t with you- I did with Gaia. JARdenia was the bet thing ever until I smelled Fermez Tes Yeux. I wish I had gone into hock or sold a kidney at the time to get a bottle since I don’t think they’re at Bergdorfs anymore (or anywhere?)
Epic Gardenia is indeed epic. I never get to Venice (PITA drive and worse parking) but SIP is worth the trip.
I have Kai perfume oil, a green gardenia, which smells realistic to me, and NR Narciso in the white cube which is a powdery gardenia. It reminds me of childhood and having a sweetly powdered and perfumed lady in your life who was a teacher, or auntie, or maybe a Girl Scout leader. Finally, Pacifica made a gardenia scent that was a really good cheapie. I loved their shower gel back when they still made it. Your vintage movie references are so fun, Tom!
OK two mentions of the NR in the white cube on here today, clearly I need a bottle of that. And the Pacifica if it’s find-able! The Kai I like very much but it smells more general “big white flowers” on me, not that there’s anything wrong with that!
If you get the NR you will have to do a review!
Thank you! All those years in front of the TV paid off. Somewhat.
I wish the Pacifica Gardenia shower gel was still available. I like “definite” scents in a shower gel (that I might not wear as scent) since you get 90% of the enjoyment with only 10% of the commitment.
Agreed! And it’s such a luxe experience, with the water and the suds, etc…
I really wish I had a tub big enough for bathing in. Were I wealthy I think I’d get one of those walk in ones. Or a lap pool
I don’t generally wear BWF perfumes, but I have a bottle of Boutonnière and it is lovely.
Is that the Arquiste? I’ve never tried that but it reads lovely.
It is! The first hour is A Lot for me, but then it ends up as simply beautiful.
Tuberose hates me but gardenia kinda likes me, as long as tuberose isn’t around. I am very fond of Narciso Rodriguez Narciso Woman, referred to as White Cube on NST to differentiate among all the Narciso Rodriguez scents. It’s woodsy and pretty.
Interesting- It’s kind of hard to find gardenia where it’s not paired with tuberose. and if you hate that note, then oh boy…
I love Carnal Flower and Fracas on other people. My skin turns tuberose into Glade air freshener, the old school kind, phew.
Oh, that’s unfortunate..
It occurs to me you don’t see gardenias here. Maybe too wet? Lots of magnolias though. Love Bogie. Think I need to try the Hermes and the Guerlain — I’m sure someone in my past wore White Shoulders, but I certainly remember the ads and being able to pick it up in the drug store. I recall reading somewhere that Clark Gable had terrible breath and no one wanted to kiss him.
IDK about the wet- I think they grow in the jungle- it may be that they need that hothouse atmosphere. I don’t think they do well in SoCal.
Supposedly Gable had bad breath because of his dentures but that may be a myth. He certainly didn’t lack for women (or men, or small appliances) wanting to kiss him.
Elizabeth Taylor’s Gardenia is nice. It’s sweet and green.
I’ll have to try that. All love to Elizabeth.
I love Bogie! And I love that little Hungarian, Peter Lorre almost as much.
Another love is the glorious smell of gardenia flowers. I have tried a lot of gardenia perfumes but most are not really gardenia. I’m still looking. I do still have some PG Gardenia Soir. It’s nice and it is gardenia. I love vintage Fracas too but it’s mainly tuberose on me.
I wish we could grow gardenia trees here (how great would a street smell planted with them?) but I have read they don’t like drought or arid conditions and that’s pretty much all of SoCal
I definitely love Fracas. I have worn it off and on for nearly forty years. Also Estee Lauder Tuberose Gardinia is another favorite of mine.
I love Fracas. I know it’s too much for some people, but then again so am I. I’ll have to seek out the Esteé
when I’m in A Mood I will shower in Fracas gel, lotion up with the lotion, dust the shoulders and poitrine with the dusting powder and spritz some of the vintage perfumer.
And DARE someone to say something about it.
(which they couldn’t, anyway, since they’re too busy choking on the fumes! heh)
I think I need some Fracas bath gel..
How glorious would my bath smell after showering in that?