August Perfume Post: Gardenias!

I love gardenias. I'm a tropical gal and gardenias come with my territory. But it's really hard to find a good gardenia perfume. There has been, until recently, no way to capture that elusive, transcendent, yet funky smell. I searched for years....

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Then I found it. IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances) hosts a competition each year called the Secret Smelling Event. Their top perfumers are given a few made-in-the-house ingredients from which to create an original perfume. They have a much larger budget than usual and are given total creative control. The results are amazing.

Here are my notes on Dominique Ropion's gorgeous gardenia, published this year on Basenotes:

IFF Secret Smelling, OK, it's here! I love the presentation- the perfumes are housed very securely in a black shiny box, well-made. The lab-style bottles are utilitarian but stylish. The kit comes with paper test strips and a booklet that has descriptions of each perfume, a photo and notes from each perfumer, and a glossary. I had to try Dominique Ropion's new gardenia immediately. 

 Ropion's gardenia features a trademarked "Living" gardenia, Cosmofruit, and LMR's "heart" ylang. I am in love. I have looked for a gardenia perfume that captures the real blossoms for years. Never found it. This is 90% there, and sooooo beautiful! If I sprayed this liberally, I would become a walking gardenia.  It's a soliflore and very natural. Yes, buttery, yes, indoles, yes, green notes. I feel as if I'm in my parents' garden in late spring, tending their gardenias. It's really pretty amazing. Is this a headspace molecule? Indeed it is. "Cosmofruit" is a synthetic aromachemical. There is a little ylang ylang undergirding, but I don't smell anything I'd call "Cosmofruit". Sillage is decent and longevity is very good. I've finally found my gardenia perfume. But will they ever make this commercially?? Angst!

On a gardener's note- it's been a month of drought, so I don't have much to report from my outdoor gardens- I am watering like crazy and the plants, lizards, and butterflies are clinging to life. We have a tropical blob moving in, so things may improve soon. Our river has fish again, Gaia has been kind. My indoor plants are doing well--here is some foliage from one of my mini African Violets. Lovely and pink! Have a wonderful weekend!