Here’s a sad story Posse. One we know all too well. I’ve long had this virtually unused 15ml bottle of Gardenia Passion by Annick Goutal. For some reason I got the urge to read gardenias and Patty had it in her Gardenia Best Of post. So I went and scouted it out. Fortunately I know where my Annich Goutal box is and it was right at the front. Yes, I still call it Annick Goutal. The new age, first name stealers give me gas. I will never buy an Yves Saint Laurent garment or an Annick Goutal fragrance without the first name of its founder and inspiration. Fortunately YSL Beauty still bears the Yves. OK rant over.
Don’t go looking for it. Gardenia Passion has gone the way of the dodo. Sadly, there is no sign of it at Goutal Paris. Sometimes it’s nice to reminisce though.
Gardenia Passion by Annick Goutal 1989
Featured accords:
Top: Gardenia, Jasmine
Heart: Tuberose, Orange Blossom
Base: Vanilla
Opening is crazy gardenia, fresh off the bush. That dark bleu cheese creaminess is front and center. Within moments though Gardenia Passion turns totally tuberose. It’s a similar vein, still quite breathy and full of sensual flesh but without the gritty gasp of real gardenia.
The heart is a vanilla white floral, it’s very alluring and lasts for hours in stasis. There are even whispered wafts of citrus weaving throughout. Gardenia Passion is all light, beautiful sunshiny gorgeousness. Hefty but with an ethereal feeling.
I’m surprised at Gardenia Passion’s longevity. My memory of the fragrance was that it had a fabulous opening and then collapsed. The dry down is a very lovely creamy vanilla with still hints of white floral. Even whispers of coconut and ylang style tropical night wear. So very feminine that EVERY man should add it to their armory, a little subversive twist to the ultra masculine.
Didv you ever love, wear or loathe Gardenia Passion?
Portia xx
I’m devastated they discontinued Gardenia Passion. It has been my favorite perfume since I was 15. To me, it is a scent that epitomizes love. I still have half a bottle from the last time I bought it. I will use it sparingly from now on.
Portia, I remember you writing about the name change, and I said it’s ok as long as we still have the fragrances-you were so right, and I was so wrong. This is my favourite perfume house by far. I saw the original fragrances start to disappear from their website and I started trying to collect the oder fragrances that I would wear-Passion, Ce Soir, Rose Absolue, and now GP. I still have body creams of this one and it’s beautiful. I once wore GP in the summer and got caught in a sun shower-i remember the smell of hot summer, concrete, and this gorgeous fragrance.
All the AG fragrances were astonishing to me-so innovative, sometimes weird or challenging, but always wearable. Why Bois de Hadrien didn’t catch on is beyond me. But I know where I can find a bottle of GP online, and so I’m off to push some buttons and see if I can enjoy one last bottle of this.
Thanks for the post-brought back loads of good memories for me:)
Heya Carole,
Yeah, I’m pretty sensitive to names and really wish they’d stop truncating them after the original has gone. At least DIOR was often callee that before he took a dirt nap.
Annick Goutal was such an important house that influenced my love for niche. I’m so glad you’re a fan too.
Portia x
I remember that one!! I wasn’t much into gardenia then, so passed it by
More’s the pity …..
B U M Musette. It’s so beautiful
I was late to Annick Goutal. Her perfumes were lovely and I hope some/many still are. Gardenia Passion sounds wonderful. I don’t think I ever sniffed it though. I have Songes in the moon bottle – the clear one, not the blue painted one. I’d almost forgotten about it but will bring it out today. Thanks for the reminder!
Hey Maya,
Songes is SO GOOD! I rarely wear mine now too. Is the Moon Bottle the round, special one?
Portia xx
Yes, it’s clear and round and the stopper is the moon.
So lucky! They’re unbelievably gorgeous.
Nice to read an Annick Goutal fragrance review. I have a lot of AG fragrances, but not Gardenia Passion. I think it already had gone the way of the dodo when I became seriously interested in perfume. AG has/had a lot of great scents, many of them would easily pass the ‘niche’ test now I think, e.g. Sables, Songes, Eau de Camille, Mandragore and Mon parfum cheri, par Camille..if ever there was a patchouli bomb! I read somewhere AG has changed owners again, and that the new owner would re-release all AG scents. We’ll see.
Yes, it will be interesting to se how Interparfums treats AG Hamamelis. Amorepacific never really seemed to understand the brand.
Portia xx
Oh, goodness. Gardenia Passion holds a special place in my heart — I had a friend who wore it in the 90s (before I got “into” perfume) and I used to sneak a spritz when visiting her. THEN when I’d fallen down the rabbit hole in the early 2000s I went to AG in Paris and bought one, along with other goodies. AG is a brand very close to my heart; I have most of the older ones.
There used to be an AG shop near the Louvre March, we spent hours in there a few times.
I bet you smelt so glorious in Gardenia Passion.
Portia xx
I haven’t tried that one, Portia, and now I’m doubly sad because it has reminded me of my trip to Paris last fall and our failure to find the AG boutique. It was on the list of places I really wanted to visit and sniff because it’s near impossible to find brick & mortar stores that carry AG scents it the USA — I don’t think any (?) have an import licensing agreement. SO, we went to where the store was supposed to be and found a building under renovation. Waaaa! I own a bottle of AG Heure Exquise, which is like a warm and fuzzy No. 19. It’s great, and I wore it just recently. The gardenia/tuberose one was actually on my short list of things I wanted to sniff. Someday when I go back — right?!?
Bummer DinaC,
Jin and I first went to Paris together in 2013. Guerlain Champs Elysees was slated for a full afternoon on our last day. We wandered past it a few times and the excitement built. Arrived on our last day to do a big shop and sniff everything and it was in rubble. It was the first day of the full interior renovation.
So I know your feelings.
In 2014 the Caron shop disappeared. So sad.
Portia x
Thanks for sharing your story Portia! Sending you commisserations.
Goutal Eau d’Hadrien was one of my entries into niche decades ago. But much as I tried (most of the line) Goutal just didn’t sit right on my chemistry. People were so fulsome on the perfumes it made me a bit sad.
B U M! What a shame Cinnamon. So much good scent.
Portia xx
Are slightly salty, jasmine/ white florals your thing? Songes is wonderful
Many, many years ago, when I bought my first bottle of Arabie, the SA on the “niche” section at Harvey Nics had a furtle in her sample drawers & came out with a makeup bag FULL of every AG sample available at the time. Those were the days!!
It felt very special as she told me “You will absolutely adore Annick Goutal”, one fragrance freak to another.
She was right, I already wore L’Eau d’Hadrien & fell for a few others including Gardenia Passion, yet never bought her.
Oh yes, the days of generous GWP are long gone Alityke. Even a 200ml DIOR Prive will only get you one sample nowadays.
Portia xx
I loved it but never bought it. Much to my regret. So many gorgeous AG scents gone by the wayside. But I’m glad we have the ones we do. Now I’m going to put on some Sables.
Sables is a horse of a different colour Tom! What a stunner. I have two vint-ish bottles from just before Amore Pacific (?) bought them.
Portia xx