I hate to say it, but there have been occasions when I’ve avoided a scent just because people said it was too adult. When you stop and think about it, there are clearly some floral scents that people think are out of style. This is mainly because we connect scents like gardenia with our grandmothers or the fragrances that sit on the vanities and accumulate dust. But what if we flipped that idea on its head and thought of gardenia scents as having a timeless quality?
Gardenia flowers were thought to have magical qualities, therefore they were employed in elixirs and potions throughout history. I can’t say for sure if they can make your dearest wishes come true, but I love the way they smell and wear the greatest perfumes with them every day. We’re going to look closely at gardenia scents and give 12 of the best ones the flowers they deserve.
The Best Gardenia Perfumes
CASWELL-MASSEY
Gardenia Eau de Toilette
$125
Fresh floral is one of the smells in this family.
Key Notes: citrus zest, leafy green harmony, vivacious floral gardenia, white peony, and white woods
A few spritzes of a floral scent that makes me feel pleasant as I leave the house go with any outfit. This one, by Caswell-Massey, has a flowery scent of gardenia and peony on top of citrus, lush greens, and sexy white woods. When you buy something from Gardenia, you help the New York Botanical Garden with its activities in research, teaching, conservation, and horticulture.
Customer Review: “I wanted a natural gardenia aroma that reminded me of my grandmother’s garden, which had full with gardenias. “This is it!” The smell is great and stays on the skin for a long time. People have spoken nice things about it when I’ve worn it.
TOCCA
Florence Eau de Parfum
$86
Classic floral family of perfumes
The main notes include Italian bergamot, green pear, ivory gardenia, crushed violet petals, jasmine, tuberose, blond wood, and white musk.
I’m always looking for new ways to use old fragrance notes that people don’t pay enough attention to. Tocca’s Florence, for instance, has a mix of brilliant bergamot, juicy pear, and a trace of gardenia that makes you think of how elegant Paris is. If you want the aroma to remain longer, try putting this one on top of a scented body oil. I like the Oilio Sublime Profumato Scented Dry Body Oil.
A customer exclaimed, “This is divine.” The scent is very elegant and refined. I really like the heavy, old-fashioned bottle. It looks nice on my dresser, and they also have a bottle that fits in a purse. I will keep buying it. “Best for wearing every day.”
BYREDO
Night Veils Casablanca Lily Extrait de Parfum
$375
Amber floral is the scent family.
The main notes include wild gardenia, black plum, carnation, Indian tuberose, palissandre wood, and honey.
I have to mention Byredo’s Night Veils Casablanca Extrait de Parfum at least once when I talk about my fave gardenia scents. This scent is inspired by how strong flowers smell at night. It has jasmine, gardenia, tuberose, and rose mixed with juicy plum, honey, and smooth palissandre wood. It’s as magical and mysterious as the flowers that inspired the Byredo smell.
Customer Review: “This perfume smells very good. It doesn’t smell like a highly feminine flower; instead, it smells like flowers and water. It smells great all day and night, and it lasts a long time. I can’t stop sniffing my wrist when I wear it because it smells so good. Highly recommend, especially as a spring scent.
SANTA MARIA NOVELLA
Rosa Gardenia Eau de Cologne
$150
Family of scents: classic floral
Bergamot, almond blossom, orange blossom, gardenia, centifolia rose, fig leaf, jasmine, sandalwood, vanilla, and musk are some of the main notes.
The Rose Gardenia from Santa Maria Novella has a perfume that is both familiar and appealing, with the powdery freshness of rose and the creaminess of gardenia. I can’t get enough of how this one dries down to a warm, second-skin perfume that goes nicely with all of my other favorite scents. I don’t hear enough good things about this one, and I’m going to change that.
“This is such a beautiful, classy, and refreshing scent that is perfect for spring.” I like to use this after I shower. It’s not hard, and I don’t need it to be. “Fresh roses and gardenia… just wonderful.”
(Image credit: @emmanuellek_)
LE LABO
Ylang 49 Eau de Parfum
$230
Chypre floral is the scent family.
Important notes: Pua Noa Noa, ylang-ylang, patchouli, oakmoss, vetiver, sandalwood, and benjoin
This chypre flower is based on Pua Noa Noa (gardenia from Tahiti) and is mixed with ylang-ylang, patchouli, oakmoss, and vetiver to make a gardenia perfume that is nothing like “grandma vibes.” Le Labo’s Ylang 49 is the ultimate date-night scent since it has a rich floral aroma with deeper, more sensuous notes.
Customer Review: “It has a very earthy smell and is a real gem for people who like earthy scents.” Don’t be fooled by the name; ylang-ylang doesn’t smell sweet, sticky, exotic, or lush in here. This perfume has a woody, almost dry scent that is quite earthy. The flowers are only in the background, which gives the scent a little softness.
ARMANI BEAUTY
Gardénia Antigua Eau de Toilette
$195
Fruity flowery scent family
Key Notes: bergamot, Damascena rose essential, gardenia flower, grandiflorum jasmine, patchouli. When spring and summer come, I love fruity flowery smells with a hint of sea essence, like Armani Beauty’s Gardénia Antigua Eau de Toilette. This perfume is a more sophisticated take on the gardenia scents you grew up with. It mixes gardenia flower with rose, bergamot, jasmine, and a hint of patchouli.
Customer Review: “This scent is amazing! I love gardenia scents, but this one is the best of the bunch. Good projection, but not too loud. Very long-lasting. At first, it smells a little like soap and herbs, but after a while, it smells like the most lovely gardenia. It’s really one of a kind, with just a hint of sweetness and a hint of freshness. I don’t really like flowers, but I couldn’t help but buy this one. “Very highly recommend!”
AERIN
Mediterranean Honeysuckle Eau de Parfum
$150
Family of scents: marine floral
Important Notes: jasmine sambac absolute, bergamot, mandarin, lily-of-the-valley, grapefruit, and honeysuckle
This Mediterranean-inspired perfume by Aerin has a bright grapefruit and lush gardenia scent that takes you back to pleasant days spent in salty sea air. There are hints of delicate gardenia, but the sparkling citrus and honeysuckle are what really catch my attention. I’ll be happy to wear Mediterranean Honeysuckle until I can schedule a trip to Italy.
Customer Review: “I got this as a sample and loved it right away! I ended up buying the big size. This is the best summer smell. I don’t generally like floral perfumes, but this one smells really lovely! It smells like a lovely floral scent that would be great for daytime. “It stayed on me for a long time.”
GUCCI
Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum
$135
Family of scents: classic flora
Key Notes: pear blossom, Italian mandarin, red berries, white gardenia, jasmine, frangipani flower, brown sugar, and patchouli
Want something sweet? I would grab this one right away. Gucci’s Flora Gorgeous Gardenia is based on the gardenia flower and has bright notes of solar jasmine grandiflorum, pear blossom, succulent berries, and brown sugar to satisfy your sweet need. The bottle alone is worth obsessing over because it has Gucci’s flora pattern by artist Vittorio Accornero on it.
Customer review:“I never used to wear much perfume, but in the last year or so I’ve enjoyed how scents can bring back memories and make any outfit look better.” The Gucci Flora scent is easy to wear all year round, so I’ve been using it a lot lately. The pear notes go so well with the white gardenia and brown sugar that they make a pleasant, sweet floral perfume.
VERSACE
Crystal Noir Eau de Toilette
$110
Warm floral is the scent family.
Key Notes: cardamom, pepper, ginger, gardenia, peony, orange flower, amber, sandalwood, and musk
This scent has a royal quality to it, and I’m not just talking about the beautiful deep purple container with a princess-cut cap that it comes in. Crystal Noir is both sheer and sexy. It is made by mixing fresh gardenia with vivid orange blossom, delicate peony, and warm sandalwood to create the most enticing scent suitable for a queen.
“This is my signature scent,” said one customer. For the past year, I’ve been wearing this smell. People always ask me what the aroma is when I wear it. Crystal Noir lasts a long time and smells fresh, delicate, warm, seductive, and a little woody. This is a scent I will wear for a long time.
BY ROSIE JANE
James Eau de Parfum
$75
Warm floral is the scent family.
Key Notes: amber, fig, and gardenia
By Rosie Jane’s James perfume is the perfect aroma to wear since it combines amber and fig, which remind you of the waning days of summer when the nights were cooler and the sunsets were earlier. Adding gardenia makes it warm, earthy, and classy. This is an excellent initial step if you’re not sure if you want to start wearing more earthy scents. This is another proof that gardenia smells need a lot more attention than they get.
“This is like reading a book in a comfy sweater in a bottle!” The scent of this cream fig is great for fall and winter, but I also wear it in the summer because it smells so good. Start here if you appreciate gourmet food and want to try new things. You won’t be sorry!”
DEDCOOL
Red Dakota Eau de Parfum
$90
Family of scents: citrus floral
Clementine, gardenia, forests, amber, and wild berries are the main notes.
Wearing Red Dakota is the best way to start your citrus floral scent era. It’s made with clementine, gardenia, and bergamot notes, which give it a fresh and zesty smell. Like all of DedCool’s perfumes, this one can be layered, is for both men and women, and doesn’t have any contentious ingredients. I like to think of it as the “It” girl of all the gardenia scents out there right now.
Customer Review: “I can’t get enough of this spray.” This is my new summer smell. Orange. So vibrant. So beautiful. You did a great job, DedCool. I like that it lasts all day. I can spritz it on in the morning and still smell good when I go home for dinner. It works great with my pH levels.
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
Gardenia Petale Eau de Parfum
$97
Perfume Category: timeless floral
Essential Points: citrus elements, green notes, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, musks
Are you aware that the French luxury jewelry brand Van Cleef & Arpels also offers a range of fragrances? Gardenia Petale is one of my top picks from it—a refined mix of white florals, citrus, and green elements, all revolving around gardenia. With just one spritz, it unveils a fresh note before transitioning to something more sensual as it dries down.
Customer Review: “This gardenia is a soft, lovely touch—creamy and understated. Soft enough for the day, stunning enough for the night. I’m not typically a crazy fan of gardenia scents, but I really love this one!
