Rosa Gardenia Santa Maria Novella 2021

Rosa Gardenia lives true to its name: roses, check!, gardenias, check! Both are detectable, sweet, noble, maybe even a touch snotty, but that snootiness is mitigated by the sweetness of the flowers. This rose is Italian: the squeeze of bergamot says that. But me thinks it grew in a French garden, somewhere at Versailles, because the gardenias make it seem so powdery, like a giant puff of white powder that was applied to Marie Antoinette`s rosy cheeks and wigs. This is only slightly vintage, I think the Marie Antoinette I`m thinking of is young, in her prime, so the perfume is still innocent and pure.

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.

The union of rose and gardenia is exquisitely romantic. A classically feminine composition, sweet with elegant florals. It evokes images of a summer garden at a country estate, pastel dresses, and the novels of Jane Austen. The subtle sillage quickly settles into a charming, slightly woody, sweet skin scent that wraps the wearer in a refined, understated way. At this stage, it is no longer a garden, but rather dried flowers pressed between the pages of a book. A beautiful composition.

ugh, rosa gardenia my beloved! i loved the body oil with the same scent, so i immediately got a bottle of the fragrance (rookie mistake, i know). the initial spray of the fragrance is just like the oil— the rose and gardenia blend so nicely together. unfortunately, after 10 minutes, it turns a little suburban grandma for me. the scent dried down quite powdery. i wish it didn't do that and stayed that fresh floral, but it's still very pleasant. the sillage is extremely intimate.

it's a beautiful smell that may become a little more mature throughout the day. i might make this my signature scent when i become a grandma myself.

... then it probably smells like Rosa Gardenia.

The boutique's window magically drew me in... and the store itself upon entering! Like a fairy tale, worth a visit, whether you find something or not.
I tested various fragrances with the help of the saleswoman... all quite beautiful and special. But somehow nothing that brought a smile to my face (except the special editions in their beautiful bottles, nestled in a romantic book-perfume box! What an experience for the eyes & nose)
I also found Tabacco Toscano Eau de Cologne quite wonderful, but unfortunately my boyfriend vehemently vetoed it - at least it’s available in the sample kit :)

Then came Rosa Gardenia! And yes, it was love at first sniff! I smiled when I smelled the fragrance for the first time and even half an hour later, just before I took it home with me...

THE FRAGRANCE:
Is sweet. Initially synthetic. But somehow it immediately captures the "princess" feeling that the boutique has been conveying to me the whole time.
Romantic, sweet, young... all seen through dreamy rose-colored glasses.
Over time, it develops into the absolutely most beautiful floral scent... a sea of flowers and roses. The synthetic notes fade away, leaving only natural flowers. Without being intrusive. Romantic, feminine, noble.
One of my favorite Diptyque candles is "Geranium Rosa"... the candle is a bit more floral-fresh without the slight powdery sweetness that remains in the perfume. In the drydown, the base notes come through. Time and again accompanied by a hint of rose. The longevity is really decent! I can smell it throughout the day. My surroundings have positively commented on the scent several times.

For me, the fragrance is 0.0 unisex. It’s a women's fragrance to my nose
(and also to the noses around me ;) )

I own Delina Exclusif, and Rosa Gardenia is - for me(!) the perfect addition to my collection
(The two fragrances cannot be compared!, but they are for rose scent fans), Rosa Gardenia is lighter, somewhat synthetic, powdery, floral... I simply love it! In terms of complexity, it cannot compete with Delina Exclusif, but it doesn’t have to, considering the price range of both fragrances.
I see it as a light fragrance for spring and summer.

As a Christmas wish, the matching shower gel for the perfume is on the list.

Whether my opinion is objective, I don’t know; the visit to the boutique was a full-circle moment complete with butterflies in my stomach... a wonderful city, a beautiful window and boutique, great service, emotions that the fragrance awakened in me at first sniff... all these emotions and now also Florence memories come alive when I wear Rosa Gardenia.