Flora Gorgeous Magnolia Gucci 2023

I've spent far longer on this review than it really merits, because I keep trying to figure out what my problem with this scent is. The thing is, I feel a bit cynical about the whole Flora Gorgeous line, and I'm really not sure why. It's not like I need fragrances to be high-concept or anything— some of my favorite perfumes are of the unfocused, as-long-as-it-smells-good variety, and the names promise white florals, which are an easy way into my heart. Just something about these fragrances in particular seems directionless, like they came up with the (admittedly, beautiful) bottle first and then cast about desperately for something to fill it with. Magnolia in particular feels very perfunctory. Fruit, check, florals, check, pick a color for the bottle and call it a day.

Maybe I'm not being fair. This is not a bad scent. It doesn't smell bad. But to me at least, it fails to cohere. The fruity top notes seem stapled-on, like they have nothing to do with the florals they're supposed to prelude. The florals themselves feel thin and textureless. The most interesting thing about this is the patchouli, which, placed in this particular context, does genuinely conjure up for me the scent-memory of a magnolia leaf— grassy, sort of spicy. In a better world, this could be the core that the rest of the fragrance was built around. But this feels like an outfit comprised of individually beautiful pieces, put together by someone with no sense of style.

I annihilate perfume and for some reason this bottle just will not empty. I simply hate opaque bottles where I can’t see exactly how much fragrance is left. Even though, yeah, they protect the juice better. Bah.

Anyway, this reminds me so much of CH Good Girl. This Magnolia has that same warm, hazy, vanilla/coconut/powder vibe. It’s nice and cozy. I like to wear it after a long day and a shower, before bed. When I try to wear this during the day it fades incredibly quick. Being outside kills it within minutes. Gentle sillage but moderately decent longevity on clothes. Simply doesn’t exist on my skin.

It’s pretty and soft and enjoyable, especially for having a strong patchouli base. Clean, floral, cozy. I have found I really like it in the fall.

It smells like freshly washed laundry with fragrant flowers in it. I feel it as floral, sweet, fruity. I don't smell the coconut at all. I was surprised when I saw it listed among the notes. Anyway, I don't necessarily want to smell coconut. I recommend you at least test it! It's worth smelling at least once. At the moment, it hasn't convinced me to buy it in a larger quantity. I have a miniature of it. It's part of an advent calendar I received as a gift from Sephora with a larger purchase made around the end of February this year and today the time has come to wear it. Before, I only smelled it from the bottle and it seemed banal to me. I decided to wear it today because of a review someone made of a perfume from this range, on this site. I'll be content with its miniature and that's it. If I buy it, I'll probably update this review. It has medium persistence and very weak aftertaste. It's for women. I would wear it in any season but I don't think it's summer. The price seems a bit high to me even though it smells expensive. Rating: 8.5/10

I did not like the original Gucci Flora or Gorgeous Gardenia, but I do like Gorgeous Jasmine. I've also been on a hunt to find magnolia focused fragrances that work for me, so while I admittedly did not need another coconut fragrance, I ultimately couldn't resist trying this and purchased a 30 ml bottle after testing it a few times in store. It's a newer addition (a month or so) in my collection so these are really all first impressions:

1. Unique? No. But it is however good at what it sets out to be and I don't believe every perfume has to be some olfactory masterpiece. Easy, pretty, light, feminine. Great daily scent for places like work, bed or even just to feel clean.
2. The longevity is good and I get about 5 hours of wear but I find this is a very intimate fragrance that sits very close to the skin. I'm also fine with this because I'm not someone who thinks every perfume has to be in beast mode.
3. This is a very creamy almost waxy smell. I wouldn't say it quite crosses the line into wax soap territory but there is a hint towards it in the notes. This makes sense given it's a Magnolia centered fragrance. Even with the berry and coconut, I personally do not think it leans particularly tropical and the magnolia is still the primary center focus of this fragrance.
4. Because it is so light, it struggles a bit more in the cool mornings so I think this may be one that comes more to life much more in the spring and summer but it could still totally be worn year round if you just want a skin scent.
5. I really like the way Gucci does patchouli. It's not a dirty patchouli at all and in this blend really helps ground the fragrance in a pleasant way.
6. I know it is the juice that matters most, but I really love this bottle and the atomizer on this line. Gucci did a stellar job on the packaging.

Good scent and excited to really see how this performs in warmer months. If I continue to like my small bottle this much, it may be worth investing in a larger bottle when I run out.

Eta: Updating my rating as this perfume has been absolutely beautiful the past few spring months. I stand by it being a good easy reach, daily scent but I've come to really love it. Wearing it alongside the blooming magnolias in my city has been truly a delight.

Sweet and the coconut adds a bit of creaminess, but overall it’s quite sharp and musky on me. The jasmine is wayyyy too intense and I sadly don’t get any dewberry. The patchouli isn’t too strong and the blonde woods only comes through after a few hours. Has minimal sillage and projects for about 3 hours before remaining as a skin scent for another 3 hours. I saw that this was compared to Versace pour Femme Dylan Purple Eau de Parfum and Cloud Eau de Parfum but I disagree. Dylan Purple is much fruitier with much less intense florals and Cloud is sweeter and more powdery.