Floral

Gardenia

Note Profile

Botanical 1,621 perfumes

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Also Known As

Californian Gardenia, White Gardenia

About

Rich, creamy white floral with tropical warmth

Scent Profile

Gardenia smells thick, creamy and opaque, like warm coconut milk poured over jasmine petals. It is less indolic and less heavy than jasmine or tuberose. A green, tart opening gives way to a buttery heart with soft peach-like fruit. A faint earthy, mushroom-like tang sits under the flower. The drydown is soft, clean and faintly tropical.

ScentWheel

Breadthmedium

EnvelopeHeart · ~6h lasting

Family Floral, Sweet & Gourmand

Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.

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ScentArt

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Materials That Can Make This Note

Gardenia is usually an accord, a blend of several materials, such as:

Isoeugenol carnation · phenolic · spicy
Methyl anthranilate grape · musty · orangeflower

Smell words come from published sources.

Allergens perfumes with this note can list: Isoeugenol, Dimethyl Phenethyl Acetate

A given perfume with this note may use some of these, or something else, and may or may not contain the allergens above.

Origin

Natural gardenia absolute exists but is rare. The flower, Gardenia jasminoides, gives almost nothing to industrial extraction. So the note is usually a reconstruction. The classic build is styrallyl acetate with jasmine, rose and lily of the valley notes, given a creamy body by coconut lactones such as gamma-decalactone or aldehyde C-18. Methyl benzoate adds the heady white-flower lift. Headspace studies of the fresh flower guide modern builds. The plant is native to the subtropical and northern tropical parts of the Far East.

Usage in Perfumery

Perfumers put gardenia in the heart of white floral compositions to add opulence and creamy depth. It pairs with tuberose, jasmine, ylang-ylang and coconut-lactone accords. It is the anchor of an opaque, creamy white floral, alone in a soliflore or inside a larger bouquet.