When I first heard of Robert Piguet Gardenia, I thought, “Oh, boy, another gardenia wannabe that probably will fall woefully short of the actual flower’s scent.” But I still had to try it, because … well, you just never know. And turns out I was way off on this one, reminding me that not everything has to be a spot-on copy of its namesake.
Piguet Gardenia is not a wannabe at all, but rather a slightly offbeat, even abstract interpretation of the flower. Yes, you can tell that that’s its inspiration, but then it takes off down a whole ‘nother path. This is a scent that’s slightly rich and golden, and seems made for cool-ish weather rather than hot, with its smooth smokiness (leather?) and a touch of the gourmand, almost as if it had a brown sugar glaze on it. Wrapped in tendrils of spicy lily and ylang-ylang, with a whispery vanillic drydown to finish, it’s like a cashmere wrap, a comforting hedge against the chill. A gentle reminder of warm weather to come, but without that in-your-face oomph that many gardenia scents have.
I had tried it when it debuted, but the other day, it popped into my head to wear it again, as it just sounded right for a late February day. And indeed it was.
If you’re looking for a different kind of comfort scent, one with golden floral tones and that doesn’t smell fresh from the bakery or candy store, Piguet Gardenia might be a nice fit.
Are you finding winter warmth unexpectedly with a certain scent? Or are you staying with your tried-and-true, familiar cozy loves to ride out the last of winter?
Notes per Fragrantica: Gardenia, ylang-ylang, lily, black leather, vanilla, cashmeran.
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