Top Notes 
Almond blossom
Orange blossom
Bergamot
Heart Notes 
Rosa centifolia
Gardenia
Jasmine
Fig leaf
Base Notes 
Musk
Vanilla
Sandalwood
itscoraline
193 Reviews
itscoraline
1
Classically Romantic
First off, see all those notes? Nope. It’s gardenia and rose, topped with a splash of almond. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean you need to be looking for a very specific scent profile to love this. With that out of the way, on to the review.
Gardenias are probably my favourite flower to smell in real life, which often makes fragrances built around that note something of an exercise in frustration, and it’s difficult to find one that truly captures their nuance (I recommend the spectacular Saskia for a photorealistic gardenia).
Unfortunately this is no exception: the gardenia here has all of the flower’s heady sweetness without the dark green balance that you get with the real thing, and the composition is left feeling weighed down. The rose is also big and heavy, blooms fully opened and just starting to droop.
Santa Maria Novella’s scents are always well made, with obvious care put into the ingredients; unfortunately I’m just not a fan of the ones they chose for this perfume. But if you’re looking for a classical floral fragrance that brings to mind marabou trimmed dressing gowns and velvet settees, this may be a good option.
Projection starts on the high end of moderate and fades to a more intimate scent after a few hours, with longevity around 7-8 hours. Progression is quite linear (which I don’t mind but I know bothers some people), and it’s very traditionally feminine coded.
Gardenias are probably my favourite flower to smell in real life, which often makes fragrances built around that note something of an exercise in frustration, and it’s difficult to find one that truly captures their nuance (I recommend the spectacular Saskia for a photorealistic gardenia).
Unfortunately this is no exception: the gardenia here has all of the flower’s heady sweetness without the dark green balance that you get with the real thing, and the composition is left feeling weighed down. The rose is also big and heavy, blooms fully opened and just starting to droop.
Santa Maria Novella’s scents are always well made, with obvious care put into the ingredients; unfortunately I’m just not a fan of the ones they chose for this perfume. But if you’re looking for a classical floral fragrance that brings to mind marabou trimmed dressing gowns and velvet settees, this may be a good option.
Projection starts on the high end of moderate and fades to a more intimate scent after a few hours, with longevity around 7-8 hours. Progression is quite linear (which I don’t mind but I know bothers some people), and it’s very traditionally feminine coded.
Updated on 01/26/2026
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