9 Best Smelling Gardenia Perfumes You Can Wear [In 2024]

Written By Lamaya Mahboob

Are you looking for gardenia floral fragrances which will boost your confidence anywhere you go?

I know it is pretty hard to find gardenia scented perfumes as there are so many options whichever store you go in.

However, to make the decision easier for you I have tested many gardenia perfumes and written in detail about the best ones.

To learn about all the 9 best gardenia perfumes in detail, please read through the end.

9 best gardenia perfumes

Most of the gardenia fragrances are for summer but I have tried my best to give as versatile options as possible. It is very hard to make floral perfumes as they can easily get out of hand and become too much to handle.

However, I have only mentioned fragrances that have intoxicating blend compositions with gardenia.

Here are the best Gardenia perfumes:

Chanel Gardenia Eau de Parfum

Top notes are Orange Blossom and Green Notes;
Middle notes are Gardenia, Tuberose, Jasmine, and Fruity Notes;
Base notes are Coconut, Vanilla, Musk, Sandalwood, Vetiver, and Patchouli.

Don’t you know the saying ‘Old is gold? Chanel Gardenia perfume is the biggest example of that saying. This beautiful gardenia perfume was in 1925 and it is still one of the best gardenia scents I have smelt.

I love the simplicity of the bottle. It is tall and has transparent juice color. Overall the bottle looks very classy.

In the opening, you can smell both orange blossoms and green notes. However, the white florals find their way to come into the spotlight, especially tuberose gardenia.

It gets a little touch of sweetness from coconut and vanilla. The sandalwood is pretty prominent in the dry down.

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WHEN TO WEAR:

This gorgeous gardenia perfume is definitely a summer scent. It is a relaxing perfume so it’s great for office space.

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THIS:

  • Gardenia blossom is prominent.
  • Elegant fragrance.
  • Light floral fragrance.

Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum

Top note is Pear Blossom;
Middle notes are Jasmine and Gardenia;
Base notes are Brown sugar and Patchouli.

Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia is a new release by Gucci. I immediately fell in love with the bottle. As I love floral prints, I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

It is definitely a sweet, floral, and fruity perfume. The juicy pear blossom makes the gardenia scent quite refreshing.

After that gardenia does not let any notes catch the attention. It rules the fragrance all alone. In the background, jasmine and patchouli give tiny support to the gardenia perfume.

The brown sugar note comes in the dry down and will remind you of Viva La Juicy Couture’s sugary sweetness.

Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia has a lasting power of 3 to 4 hours. This gardenia perfume is quite fun, therefore it is more appreciated by the younger crowd.

WHEN TO WEAR:

I would wear Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia in the daytime as I usually prefer something a tad bit stronger in the evening.

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THIS:

  • Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia is dominated by gardenia.
  • Good mix of floral and fruity notes.

Dior Pure Poison

Pure Poison Dior

Top notes are Jasmine, Orange, Bergamot, and Sicilian Mandarin;
Middle notes are Gardenia and Orange Blossom;
Base notes are Sandalwood, White Amber, Cedar, and White Musk.

Do you enjoy the scents of fruity florals? If that’s the case, you’ll enjoy this one. It is one of the most popular gardenia perfumes out there.

Citrus and orange blooms open the bottle. The scent is powdery and soapy in texture.

After the sweet flower has done its job, hard and heavy florals take over after the first 20 minutes, especially gardenia. Much later, musk and sandalwood appear.

However, they remain in the background. Once within, the white gardenia blooms and stays till the end.

It has a mature fragrance to it. I got 10-12 hours of longevity on my skin, which is fantastic. It gives a firm prediction of two hours, yet it lasts the entire day on clothes.

It’s a shower scent because of the soapy and fresh blossoms. The scent is extremely adaptable.

You may also like to read: Best Smelling Coconut Perfumes

WHEN TO WEAR:

The most enticing aspect of this perfume is that it may be used throughout the year. There is no particular weather that you prefer. It’s also appropriate for any occasion.

Isn’t it incredible? The cost is a little expensive, but it is well worth it.

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THIS:

  • High longevity.
  • Very feminine scent.

Daisy Marc Jacobs

Top notes are Violet Leaf, Blood Grapefruit, and Strawberry;
Middle notes are Violet, Gardenia, and Jasmine;
Base notes are Musk, White Woods, and Vanilla.

Marc Jacobs Daisy is one of the most well-known fragrances in the industry.

Did you know? FiFi Award Fragrance Of The Year Women’s Luxe 2008 and FiFi Awards Best Packaging Women’s Prestige 2008 were given to the playful gardenia juice when it was debuted in 2007.

Daisy’s bottle features daisies on the cap, which draws people’s attention. I was certainly one of them. As a result, they performed an outstanding job with the presentation and packing.

It starts with grapefruit and leaves my skin with a greenish tint. It has a gleaming aspect to it. You’ll want to put on a flowy dress and go for a walk in the sun right away.

I could sense florals with a powdered texture after around 30 minutes. There’s also a hint of musk and oak in the dry down. The duration is 6 to 8 hours, which is fairly reasonable.

WHEN TO WEAR:

You can wear this in-between spring and summer. Daisy will remind you of tropical and subtropical regions. The gardenia smells very natural here.

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THIS:

  • Non-offensive.
  • Feminine and light scent.
  • Easily liked by the crowd.

Gardenia & Cardamom Banana Republic

Top notes are Gardenia and Mandarin Orange;
Middle notes are Tuberose, Cardamom, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Magnolia, Rose and Carnation;
Base notes are Driftwood and Amber.

If you are looking for a unisex gardenia perfume, Gardenia & Cardamon is one of the best picks. In the very opening, you will get gardenia and mandarin.

It is a floral fragrance with lots of gardenia and tuberose. Cardamom creates a hot environment for this gardenia perfume. And this is the main reason I love this fragrance so much. The combination of floral and spice takes my breath away.

In the end, the amber is all wrapped around in woody notes. A little bit of aquatic touch is received from driftwood as well.

The warmth of the dry down is beautiful as well. It gives a great conclusion to the journey of Gardenia & Cardamon.

WHEN TO WEAR:

Such a white floral scent is made more for summer and spring. Gardenia & Cardamon is filled with gardenia petals and I am not complaining about it.

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THIS:

  • Floral woody scent.
  • Unisex fragrance.

Jo Loves Gardenia

Top notes are Gardenia and Bergamot;
Middle notes are Gardenia, Jasmine Sambac, Ylang-Ylang, Narcissus, and Coumarin;
Base notes are Musk and Heliotrope.

Gardenia Jo Loves was released in 2011. In the whole range, Gardenia is the most floral one. As you could tell by the name, it smells like a pure gardenia scent.

You will get a big hit from gardenia. Aside from gardenia, it has other florals like jasmine, ylang-ylang, and narcissus.

This gardenia fragrance gives you to carry yourself with a lot of confidence. When you enter a room, you won’t be unnoticed so prepare yourself to get compliments from the people around you.

Musk holds all the florals together. Unfortunately, the lasting power is very weak. It only stays for 1 to 2 hours on your skin.

Also, check out our separate post: Top 7 Incredible Honey Perfumes You Must Try

WHEN TO WEAR:

It is a light summer scent to wear when you are in a pretty dress. As it smells classy you can wear it to evening parties as well.

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THIS:

  • Best gardenia perfume.
  • Signature scent.

Tom Ford Velvet Gardenia

Top notes are Gardenia and Orange;
Middle notes are Beeswax, Tuberose, Plum, Honey, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Rose;
Base notes are Incense and French labdanum.

Do you like the floral vibe but are wrapped with a little bit of darkness? Then Velvet Gardenia is the best gardenia perfume for you.

The gloominess of the bottle will tell you that there is something mysterious about this gardenia scent. Yes, this is not like any other floral scent. Except for the blooming gardenia, it contains incense which gives this scent a modern twist.

The notes of gardenia are so well balanced with the incense that people will be forced to give you compliments.

Honey makes this a slightly sweet scent with all the white florals. Plum comes through as well. However, white gardenia flower and incense are always the stars of the show.

WHEN TO WEAR:

The darkness of the incense in this gardenia perfume makes it appropriate for fall and winter. It is pretty unique.

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THIS:

  • Mixture of white gardenia and incense.
  • A perfect fall/summer perfume.
  • Sexy scent.

Elizabeth Taylor Gardenia Eau de Parfum

Top notes are Green Leaves and Lily-of-the-Valley;
Middle notes are Gardenia, Peony, and Orchid;
Base notes are Musk and Carnation.

As I love classic perfumes, Gardenia by Elizabeth Taylor has to be on this list. It was released in 2003. And I have been loving it ever since.

It has a special place in my heart because it was my mother’s signature scent when I was little. So, this brings back my childhood memories.

Nothing can go wrong with this gardenia perfume. You can pull it off easily.

This one does not only have a lot of gardenia but is also filled with lily-of-the-valley. It turns the gardenia perfume more traditional.

Follow our guide Best Smelling Gourmand Perfumes You Must Try

WHEN TO WEAR:

When the warm sun is out and green leaves are on the tree, take out your Gardenia Elizabeth Taylor and make it your signature scent. It is such a summery scent.

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THIS:

  • Signature scent.
  • The perfume bottle is classic.
  • Gardenia flower blooms all the way.

Narciso for Woman By Narciso Rodriguez

Top notes are Gardenia and White Rose;
Middle note is Musk;
Base notes are Cedar, White Cedar Extract, and Vetiver.

Let’s chat about Narciso by Narciso Rodriguez. It’s a line’s pillar perfume. After that, many of its flankers were released.

It contains a hint of green from the flower gardenia and vetiver. Their distinct scent is always present. It will make you feel as if you are wandering through a garden while wearing a musky aroma.

This fragrance has a gentle, musky, feminine tone to it. It’s also powdered, but not to an excessive degree. It has a slight sharpness to it, making it edgy. The dry down is very stunning.

It’s still musky in the dry down, but the greenness adds sharpness and freshness to this gardenia perfume. This concoction will keep for 10 to 12 hours.

WHEN TO WEAR:

Narciso is wearable for all seasons. It is a classic scent. It is perfect for the office. You can use this white gardenia perfume-based scent as your regular wear as well.

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT:

  • A unique gardenia fragrance with lovely green notes.
  • You can enjoy it in the office.

Final Thoughts

I know floral scents are not popular for modern days as they can remind you of your grandmother’s smell. It’s great for nostalgia but, let’s be honest, you don’t want to smell like your grandmother.

Nonetheless, unlike other florals, gardenia makes the scent creamy, airy, and slightly sweet which tends to attract people towards them till now. So, choose which gardenia fragrance you want to add to your vanity from my list and I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

If you have any further queries, please feel free to ask them in the comment section, and I would be happy to answer them.

About The Author
Perfume has always been Lamaya's passion as she grew up smelling all the perfumes her mother had. And sometimes she would spray them on her secretly. Lamaya likes doing doodling art as well. If you ever see her in person, you can request a doodle art. You might get one. She wants to be an Environmental & Animal rights activist in the future.

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