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Gardenia flowers are known to be as soft as velvet, as white as snow, and as beautiful as a seashell in their unique buds.
Forget about rose, jasmine, and all the overused floral ingredients. If there is any flower that represents purity, solidity and freshness then it’s the Gardenia flower.
Gardenias or “jasminoides” have been blooming around the world forever and are known in western society as white wedding flowers, but to us at Scent Selective, they mean so much more!
Native to tropical geographical regions such as South Africa and southeast Asia, ask any gardener about this flower, and they’ll tell you that its magnificent white petals and pointy green shrubs are worth all the hype.
Aside from the wonderful aesthetic, the magnificent flower is used in aromatherapy all over the world- helping people with anxiety and sleep issues, earning its reputation as one of the most demanded essential oils next to lavender and rose.
Peaking in popularity after the most iconic brands and celebrities incorporated this flower in their latest releases such as Gucci Gorgeous Gardenia, Kim Kardashian Crystal Gardenia.
Although almost every luxury brand has its take on the powdery white scent, only very few were able to master it. In this article, we present only the hottest and pay homage to brands who managed to hit the right notes at the right time in our ultimate list of best gardenia perfumes.
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How to choose the right Gardenia fragrance for you
The Gardenia flower is a soft creamy scent that enjoys an uplifting aurora and is difficult to combine with other ingredients.
Over the years we’ve seen so many brands fail to accurately represent the wonders of Gardenia in their formula, that it has become very rare that we come across perfumes with just the perfect amount of Gardenia.
But worry no more, scent selective has collaborated with the best perfume enthusiasts from around the world to bring to you the finest collection of perfumes with gardenia as a main ingredient.
Although our list of the best gardenia fragrances is based on the finest compositions of today’s perfumes and a bit of personal preference.
We give you three essential points to look for in your next best smelling Gardenia perfume.
- Concentration: Look for concentrated long-lasting notes, most fragrances in today’s market are just a quick whiff of freshness.
- The rhythm of notes: Ingredients such as Musk and orange blossoms are none to work best with the Gardenia flower and create a smooth rhythmic flow.
- Versatility: When we say versatility, we don’t just mean the occasions you can wear your perfume on, look for a fragrance that you can layer with other floral and woody scents.
Read Our In Depth Reviews
Chanel Gardenia Parfum
Chanel Gardenia Parfum Review
Our top pick as the best Gardenia fragrance, Chanel Gardenia Parfum is perfect for layering and mixing with other floral and woody fragrances.
A pure, silky, and sweet fragrance that is extremely feminine in its nature ranks as our number one Gardenia perfume.
This historical classic depicts endless acres of Gardenia accompanying a summer breeze of lavender and jasmine. Owning its status as the single best Gardenia perfume on our list of the modern-day best smelling gardenia scents.
Launched in 1925, Chanel Gardenia Parfum is a classic scent created to resemble Coco Chanel’s admiration for the seductive white flower. Instead of using Gardenia as an ingredient, Coco Chanel based a whole fragrance around Gardenia’s outstanding characteristics.
Top Notes: Gardenia, Orange blossoms
Middle Notes: Green grassy notes
Base Notes: Patchouli, Musk
What we liked
- A strictly natural scent
- Light and expressive
- Perfect for layering
Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia
Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Review
Gorgeous Gardenia is the perfect mystical infusion of Gardenia and is very well-admired by fragrance lovers around the world. It was introduced in 2021 as an enhanced formula of the original Flora.
Although this scent is overhyped, it is only fair we honor it for its romantic sweet notes. Gucci took the original fragrance and added a twist of fruity notes and an intensified touch of Gardenia flower, to create the sweetest light spring fragrance.
Advertised by Miley Cyrus as the perfect scent for classy young ladies, we previously ranked Gorgeous gardenia as the number one Scent for teenage girls.
As gorgeous as the gardenia may be, we rank this scent lower on this list due to its airy consistency. Known to last anywhere from 3 to 6 hours this is an excellent introduction to sweet floral fragrances, but to rank higher on our list, it has to have longer-lasting qualities or a stronger concentration.
The packaging features a new take on the House’s distinctive Flora pattern first created by artist and illustrator Vittorio Accornero for Gucci in 1966
Top Notes: Gardenia flower, Pear
Middle Notes: Amber
Base Notes: Fruity musk
What we liked
- The airy spring ambiance
- Musky floral mix
- Longevity of the base notes
Tom Ford Velvet Gardenia
Tom Ford Velvet Gardenia Review
Nothing says Tom Ford like the woody signature notes intertwined with a hint of smokiness, the Tom Ford Signature touch to every release.
Smelling this fragrance in action is such a unique experience due to its unusual inclusion of Cedarwood and French Labdanum. Like any other Tom ford perfume velvet, Gardenia has an extremely intense opening and offers a stretched journey through its settling process.
An opening that symbolizes the brand’s obsession with extreme ingredients that might lose your interest at first. But there is no sexiness without depth so give hold on to your thoughts and prepare to be amazed.
Leave it a few hours before first giving it a smell and you’ll slowly start to comprehend each note and are guaranteed a one-of-a-kind aromatic journey.
Designed in 2007, the scent is an extension of the private blend collection, marketed as a premium-grade fragrance with incredibly elegant packaging and a dabbing lid.
Aside from this fragrance being one of the best Gardenia perfumes, it is one of Tom Ford’s best-selling perfumes.
Top Notes: Gardenia, Mandarin Orange
Middle Notes: Beeswax, Plum
Base Notes: Incense, French Labdanum
What we liked
- A spicy take on floral
- Intense and seductive
- Unique combination of ingredients
Jo malone Gardenia & Oud Absolu
Jo malone Gardenia & Oud Absolu Review
A fragrance brought to life through experiments combining the world’s most intense ingredients. Jo Malone brought the Arabian deserts to fields of vibrant white florals and made a triumph of aromas.
If you’ve been in tune with our latest reviews then you know by now that Oud is king in every list of woody fragrances. Gardenia flowers hold relatively the same level of superiority over florals as Oud does in the woody scent category.
It is amazing to witness and try on this daring creation, it is truly a mind-blowing experience. Two of the hottest ingredients are put together to create a masterpiece of intensity.
Openings of Gardenia & Oud burst loudly with a spicy complexion of Cedarwood, Cardamom and Agarwood. As the smooth opposite solar of floral notes brings a luminous white floral bouquet to the heart of the fragrance.
Top Notes: Powdery Gardenia
Middle Notes: White Florals
Base Notes: Incense, Agarwood
What we liked
- Natural aromas of intensity
- Spicy twist to powdery white
- Breezy yet stretched notes
Aerin Gardenia Rattan
Aerin Gardenia Rattan Review
Whilst the majority of fragrances on our list are known for their intensity, boldness and Gardenia supremacy, this fragrance balances out our list with a dominant breezy white floral touch.
Made by luxury designer Aerin Lauder granddaughter of Estee Lauder, Gardenia Rattan is one of the first five fragrances of the brand’s line of perfumes introduced in 2013 and the fourth-best Gardenia fragrance on our list.
A light powdery opening that emphasizes white floral is accompanied by creamy earthy nuances to give us a balance of rejuvenating notes. A touch of modernity to what we’d classify as a floral oriental.
Although the brand is fairly new to the world of fragrances, we at Scent Selective admire a sense of class and Aerin Lauder managed to inherit her grandmother’s signature of sophistication.
Top Notes: Powdery Gardenia
Middle Notes: White Florals
Base Notes: Incense , Agarwood
What we liked
- Ageless and versatile
- Light and up-lifting
- Breezy yet captivating notes
Essence No. 2 Gardenia Elie Saab
Essence No. 2 Gardenia Elie Saab Review
A smooth unisex earthy fragrance that has two faces of pure character. It’s so pure and realistic that it influences a strong gardenian illusion you’ll never get enough of.
This is a very basic perfume known to be very versatile. Born into the des Essences collection, this intensely floral fragrance is the queen of romantic floral fragrances.
The Lebanese luxury brand launched a new collection of natural inspiration in 2014. Of the collection only two floral creations were introduced, Rose Essence and Gardenia Essence.
No. 2 Gardenia is the perfect Winter/fall perfume for our woody fragrance admirers, easy to wear for him, her and them, no. 2 is easily pulled-off in the right conditions.
Top Notes: Musk, Soap
Middle Notes: Gardenia, Jasmine
Base Notes: Powdery white floral mix
What we liked
- The airy spring ambiance
- Musky floral mix
- Longevity of the base notes
Versace Crystal Noir EDT
Versace Crystal Noir EDT Review
A sweet floral perfume with just the perfect hint of spiciness, making the notes light and bouncy despite the strong concentration of perfume oils.
Between the notes of sweet and spicy ingredients are some creamy coconut streaks and a dry down of hidden vanilla notes at the very base.
Although Versace has a reputation for breezy light fragrances, the intense notes of floral sweetness will surprise you and have you craving more. Opening on notes of sweet white powdery flowers that dance around dramatically to create a spicy warm coat of cream that secures the whole aurora to place.
Coming in three different options, this fragrance comes in Eau de toilette, Eau de parfum, and in beauty sets making it the perfect gift and signature scent with the options of body lotion and shower gel.
Top Notes: Gardenia Ginger, Orange blossoms
Middle Notes: Coconut, Musk
Base Notes: Powdery white floral mix
What we liked
- Sensual warm sweetness
- Extreme Femininity
- Mystical coconut notes
Giorgio Armani Prive Gardenia Antigua EDT
Giorgio Armani Prive Gardenia Antigua EDT Review
A composition of notes that stress a highly floral structure, bringing to life confident feelings of uplifting emotions, and composure.
Based on the combination of notes Giorgio Armani Prive Gardenia Antigua is best described as a white musk dressed in flowers.
The emanation of flavors and scent notes for Armani Prive Gardenia Antigua unfurl in a whiff of citrus and spice opening top notes including mandarin orange, neroli and pink pepper.
A 2020 baby that bloomed in the wrong year, Gardenia Antigua is still undiscovered by many and has huge potential of eventually ranking with high classical status.
Gardénia Antigua is an olfactory reinterpretation of Giorgio Armani’s personal vision of the island of Antigua, the earthly paradise in which he loves to spend precious moments.
Top Notes: Mandarin Orange, Neroli, Pink Pepper
Middle Notes: Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine
Base Notes: Gardenia, Musk
What we liked
- Impressing longevity
- Modern and spicy
- Harmonically aligned
With the 2020 special from Armani, we wrap up our list of best Gardenia fragrances. It is now time for you to try these fragrances and let us know what you think!
