I have not been a huge fan of the modern Robert Piguet line. I haven't tried even close to all of them, and perhaps I've skipped over the best, but those few I've tested (Douglas Hannant de Robert Piguet, Mademoiselle Piguet, Petit Fracas)1 have not bowled me over. For that matter, I'll come clean and admit that much of the resurrected classic line (Baghari, Visa & Cravache, etc.) doesn't really bowl me over either. I'm a Fracas girl, with a secondary respect and admiration for Bandit, and while I admire the care they've taken in keeping the Piguet brand alive and relevant, I'm pretty happy sticking with those two.
The newish Gardénia de Robert Piguet, though, is really pretty. I wasn't quite bowled over, but I was impressed, and I'm sorry to have to give away the bottle I was sent for review (it's already taken, sorry). Like most (all?) of the modern Piguet line, it was developed by perfumer Aurelien Guichard, and the composition walks a very fine line between what a hardcore perfumista might accept as a "gardenia" and what a modern consumer might be willing to wear to work.
The opening (the best part, and I kept re-applying to smell it again) lives up to its PR billing: "The raw scent of gardenia essence ebbs with nuances of lily and ylang ylang for a hypnotic beginning." Yep, it's heavily floral right out of the gate, and you'll notice all three floral notes mingling with some bright citrus. The gardenia, to me, is clean, but my tolerance for indoles is high so I'll wait to hear what others say on the matter. On skin, it only wears like a full-bodied white floral for a short time, which of course will either please you or it won't. As the top notes fade, it's much softer and milder, with dewy florals, still gardenia-ish but not so overtly so as in the opening, and plenty of vanilla, although not so much as to turn the corner into gourmand.
Farther on, the gardenia mostly fades, as gardenia so often does, and you're left with a musky-ambery woods with perhaps a hint of petals. There is supposed to be black leather, and while I don't think anyone will peg Gardénia as a leather scent, it does hover faintly under the ever-so-slightly powdery finish, and darkens things up a bit. Without it, Gardénia would be a woody vanilla comfort scent as much as anything else.
Verdict: Gardénia is pretty but it's no Fracas, and in the end, I (vastly) prefer Fracas. Thank you, Robert Piguet Parfums, for keeping Fracas in production, and thank you for keeping the elegant black packaging. But Fracas, let's face it, is hardly a modern fragrance. If you're after a pretty white floral, something not too heavy but not too watery, and Douglas Hannant and Petit Fracas were too modern for you, or maybe you like the idea of white florals but tend to find the real thing a bit much? Then Gardénia might be the sort of middle ground you're looking for. Worth a shot, anyway.
Have a favorite gardenia fragrance? Do comment.
Gardénia de Robert Piguet is available in 100 ml Eau de Parfum, $175. For buying information, see the listing for Robert Piguet under Perfume Houses (although as of this writing, I don't think it's widely distributed yet...your best bet in the US is Neiman Marcus; in the UK, it's at Harrods).
Note: top images via Robert Piguet at Facebook.
Coming up: a review of Tauer Sotto La Luna Gardenia, hopefully on Thursday but maybe not until next Tuesday
1. I'm pretty sure I've tried more than those three, but only quickly, on blotters, at Neiman Marcus. Do comment if you have a favorite that you think I should have given more attention.
I tried this at Sak’s a few weeks back and I agree — really (surprisingly) pretty! But not so pretty that I felt I needed it in my collection. My favorite gardenia is ELPC Tuberose Gardenia and I also like the beachy, vanilla-fied Terracotta le Parfum.
Exactly — expected another watery thing like that Douglas Hannant but this is much better. If I had a bottle I would wear it but not going to add it to the buy list (I own the EL too).
My favorite gardenia perfume is Bubblegum Chic. It’s not listed in the notes, but that’s what it smells like to me (that and a little strawberry). I am not a white floral person and I have a low tolerance for indoles.
Argh, I cannot remember if I tried that Heeley trio or not. There are too many perfumes, and my memory is too crappy.
I am not a Fracas kind of bloke but I love that they still make it for all the connoisseurs. I’m reminded now of Malle’s recent interview you posted. 🙂
I’d be willing to try this; my local Neiman Marcus carries everything BUT Bandit, the only one I think about buying. Oh well. I’ll have to stop by.
I don’t think it’s at my local store either, but you can find it at decent prices at the discounters.
Sounds worth a try. I like Fracas but I’ve only tried a spritz here and there.. I need to get a decant and give it a proper wearing.
I’ve never tried Bandit.. as Coumarin mentioned, our NM doesn’t carry it. There was a perfume shop in an weird little corner of the Galleria that did, but it closed (and that section of the mall is torn down and being renovated).
As for Gardenias, my favorite is Arquiste Boutonniere No. 7.
Bandit might be even less “modern” than Fracas (?) It’s an odd scent, & would guess does not sell as much as Fracas.
Piguet had announced that in 2014 they’d be reformulating Bandit to comply with the IFRA devil, so maybe there is just no stock until the soulless changeling arrives in store?
Ah, did not know that. Thanks.
I do love EL Tuberose Gardenia, Isabey Gardenia and for cheap thrills, I thought the Jennifer Aniston perfume was pretty and well made. I remember being curious to try Piguit Gardenia when you first wrote about it here, Robin. It is definitely on the sample/small decant list for me.
Isabey Gardenia is so pretty….wonder if it still smells the same? I probably haven’t smelled it in about (gulp) 10 years.
It’s still fabulous- at least to my nose. Enough so that I bought a FB of it in March of 2014 from Luckyscent- a mere 2 months after having bought a FB of Isabey’s Fleur Nocturne. The pure parfum (the “Perle” line) of Isabey Gardenia is significantly richer & more floral than the EdP. If you haven’t tried it, you should. I like Isabey but I was very disappointed with Lys Noir (not very noir, more like Lys Gourmande).
I didn’t care for Lys Noir either.
I still want to try this. I waffle on Fracas – it’s not so much that it is heavy and thick and extremely floral, because I LIKE that, aspect. It’s that it’s heavily weighted toward orange blossom, almost (almost) as much OB on my skin as it is tuberose. And what OB does on my skin is go very very creamy Dove soap, verging on old-school cold cream territory.
Which bores me senseless. I might be one of the very few people in the world who are bored (yes, bored, I admit it, please don’t throw fruit) by Fracas.
Did NOT like Petit Fracas because of the chocolate. Did like the cast of Douglas Hannant but found it a little thin. I’m still not sure why I don’t love ELPC TG, except that it goes a bit threadbare in the drydown, to this chemical-y jasminoid thing that I’ve noticed in quite a few inexpensive white floral fragrances and which works my nerves. Did not get on with Une Voix Noire (too caramelly/smoky/boozy for my tastes).
I do like Andy’s Sotto La Luna Gardenia, but it is rich and heavy as well, and I imagine it would be too much for summer. Favorite gardenia might be the white-floral blend of the original Kate Spade fragrance, which I have only sampled but found just about perfect.
(Whoops, should not be a comma before the word “aspect.” I’m guessing people can read it just fine but my grammar OCD is showing.)
I never throw fruit 🙂
“A little thin” is being too kind to DH, though. Gosh. Pear in Fracas water.
I’m going to assume you’re not a fan of La Chasse?
Well, I didn’t mind the pear. And for some reason the orange-blossom soap was damped down a great deal in DH, so I was pleased with that.
La Chasse is, unfortunately, toilet cleanser on me, very harsh and scratchy. But I often find perfumery linden notes to have that Comet cleanser effect on my skin. Absolutely could not bear Tauer Zeta on me – but it was lovely on someone else.
Zeta did not work for me either…
Veering off, Zeta has Linden? I get on well with Tauerade, I will look for this one to sample…
Might be okay if ELPC TG is actually an inexpensive white floral, but EL has pushed it into the aspirational price bracket. I find it a bit annoying too.
I have issues with EL stuff in general. It smells great for two-three hours, and then something in the base tends to make me feel nauseous. Not TG, though – that one just goes chemical thin jasmine. Which would probably bother me less if a bottle were selling for $30.
Just received a sample of Gardenia (along with an order for Fracas solid perfume–seems to be going the way of the dodo & didn’t want to miss out). I get a lot of lily at the opening, and a bubblegum note.
Terracotta’s my current gardenia fave, and I’ve got a vintage mini of CSP (circa early to mid ’90s) Tiare, which smells like paradise.
OH, I’ve heard so many good things about that old version of CSP Tiare…
I have some vintage Fracas solid that still smells amazingly great.
Vintage CSP Tiare is wonderful! I could just get lost in it. And I’ve been very tempted by the ancillary (sp?) products for Fracas, especially the solid and the body cream. They need to make a knock your socks off Fracas candle. I have a smallish votive from way back, but if ever a perfume needed the luxe candle treatment, it is Fracas.
Oh and yes, Robin, I agree about the Isabey Gardenia. My tiny decant is probably a good four or so years old and while I so want a full bottle, I don’t know if it is still as lovely as my almost empty decant. I probably should order a sample from Lucky Scent before I invest and hope really intensely that it hasn’t been watered down and neutered like everything else.
That is a brilliant idea! I would buy so many Fracas candles!
What is CSP?
Comptoir Sud Pacifique.
I love the scent of a lot of fresh flowers, – roses, jasmine, calycanthus, violets, to name a few – but nothing is quite as gorgeous to me as a gardenia. Back in the day when a date showed up with a gardenia corsage he always went way up in my estimation, lol
And when I first became afflicted with ‘perfumista syndrome’ the holy grail I sought was a true gardenia in a bottle. Like most hunts for holy grails mine still continues though when I need a hit of something close to it to keep me going I reach for Olivine by Olivine Atelier (it used to be called Starlet).
I’ll look forward to your review of Tauer’s new Gardenia, because it is very close to being ‘IT’ – I will probably get a fb of it even though there is something still just missing from it making hg status. Maybe that something is there and I just haven’t worn it enough for my nose/brain to find it.
This one is nowhere near as heady as a fresh gardenia — so don’t even try it if you’re looking for “true gardenia”. Agree, it’s darned hard to find.
My favourite gardenia IS gardenia: the plant I grow in a pot, and nurture with loving care because ours is a cool climate, not suitable for gardenias really. Just a few weeks ago I spent a fortune on a special fertiliser for my gardenia – I could have bought a good sized decant of any gardenia perfume you care to name with the same money – and the demanding lady has declared she doesn’t like it. I mean, what does she want? A special conservatory with Bach cello suites played to her every hour? 🙂
As for Piguet, I adore Baghari with the only reservation that it is so beautiful that I find it hard to wear from day to day, and often settle for vintage L’Aimant, which melts into the skin a more readily.
I used to grow them outdoors in So Cal, have tried & failed several times now to keep a small bush alive indoors on the East Coast. They are picky little things. Good luck with yours!
I have yet to try this but will hopefully get around to doing so shortly. My favorite gardenia is Aftelier Cuir de Gardenia although perhaps it is really tiare and not gardenia. If tiare = gardenia, then I’ll count OJ Tiare as a favorite “gardenia”.
The Aftelier is lovely!
I looked this up when I reviewed Cuir de Gardenia. I believe there are many different flowers that are in the “gardenia” family and tiare is not the one we usually think of as gardenia, the one that doesn’t yield natural oil. Tiare, on the other hand, can be made into an enfleurage.
My favorite gardenias are MDCI Nuit Andalouse, SL Une Voix Noire and Terracotta le Parfum. Haven’t smelled the Piguet yet unfortunately.
I really wanted to love the SL, but didn’t. But I should try it again.
Oh, that Nuit Andalouse WAS nice. I just didn’t think it was worth paying MDCI prices for, so I didn’t buy any.
It might be a bit late for anyone to chime in so if I need to I’ll ask again tomo, but I have a question about Perfume Legends.
Victoria’s review on BdJ mentions Bellodgia, and quotes from it, but it isn’t on ‘the list’. Are there more that have been included at different times that aren’t in the final copy?
He talks about Bellodgia in the entry for Nuit de Noel…
Robin, it’s like you took the words from my mouth – just like you I only really like Fracas & Bandit and none of the other RP scents I’ve tried have ever impressed me. Nice to hear that this is one is a ‘pleasant’ gardenia – and that it actually smells like gardenia when there are so many scents out there with ‘gardenia’ in the name that just do NOT smell like gardenia. But still I think I will pass.
I, like you, still ADORE Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardnia. And, the disco’d Velvet Gardenia by Tom Ford (may it R.I.P.)
Was surprised TF got rid of Velvet Gardenia. Maybe he’ll do another…
I’m with hajusuuri: Aftelier Cuir de Gardenia is the gardenia for me. I guess I’d also vote for Manoumalia, which isn’t exactly gardenia, but fragrea is the same botanical order as gardenia, and Manoumalia embodies that true tropical sumptuousness.
There was another new floral last year that I thought was very pretty, MDCI Nuit Andalouse, which supposedly has some gardenia. I did not spend a lot of time with it because I already have enough florals, really, but I’d recommend it to those looking for a good floral.
I haven’t liked any of the Piguets that I’ve tried, not that I’ve tried any of the new ones.
I did not spend much time with the MDCI either…it just didn’t really grab me. I should try it again.
The Non-Blonde described it as “what happens when gardenia is paired with violets and a creamy dessert” and noted that it would be a perfect wedding perfume.
It’s really beautiful in that symphonic, real perfume MDCI way, the quality of vintage perfumes with a modern lightness. This particular Nuit Andalouse is a perfect warm evening in June in the gardens of the Alhambra.
Ooo- I love Manoumalia! I have a FB. But there’s something “rotten” about it, which appeals to me of course but not to very many other people I’ve found. Manoumalia is- bar none- the one perfume I own & wear that almost everyone I know who smells it does NOT like it. Strangely enough my mother, who does not like most perfumes that I like, does like Manoumalia.
Thanks for the lovely review Robin.
Anyone can suggest a more masculine take on gardenia? I really love the gardenia note, but I still didn’t find any gardenia I feel comfortable to wear. The closer I got is Un Matin d’Orage Goutal, which I really like.
Any suggestions?
The Arquiste Boutonnière no. 7 is worth a shot, but it’s not all that gardenia-ish to me.
It would be worth trying Aftelier Cuir de Gardenia, too.
I just wanted to ask how this compares to the new Narciso?
Oh gosh, nothing like. That one is a much more stylized gardenia — this one smells more “natural” — plus it’s sweeter and louder and weirder.
Thank you so much!
De nada. Hope I was clear…it’s the NR that’s sweeter & louder & weirder.
My favorite gardenia is VC&A Gardenia Petale, which to my nose is extremely realistic. I also like Gardenia Musk by Trish McEvoy, but it is now discontinued. 🙁
Argh, I know I smelled the VCA but don’t remember it at all.
I’m probably going to be banned from NST readership but I love my rollerball of Crepe Gardenia by Gap!! Yikes, I know! It is a lush full on Gardenia scent that smells true and lasts. I’ve had it for years now and it is almost gone.
Hey, it takes more than that to get banned around here.
I do love Notes. I’m looking forward to testing this one but I’m not particularly gardenia-happy.