Despite what the name of this fragrance leads to you believe, gardenia is not. To me, it consists of jasmine and a couple of other white florals (orange blossom?)... and maybe a bit of vanilla? Vanilla in the floral sense (as from an orchid).

Regardless. this is one of my favourite fragrances. It's perfect for spring and summer. It's light, sweet and refreshing. Not as heavy as one would expect from Chanel.

My only complaint (hence the reason I deducted a lippy) is that the lasting power is a bit lacking. After only a couple of hours' wear, I don't smell nothing but a VERY faint, semi-powdery odour.

Definitely for someone who adores white florals. I like it, and I would indeed purchase it again (getting ready to buy a new bottle)... but it's one of those fragrances that I tend to use only on occasion. I have to be in the mood for it. My last bottle was purchased for me in 2005, and I'm just at the end of it now.

I recieved a bottle of it as a gift. The smell is so good. Not quite like Gardenia but more like Jasmin IMO, I sprayed in on my hair, then someone ased me what perfume I used. Even though Pur Desir de Gardenia from Yves Rocher is more like Gardenia than Chanel, but I still love the smell from Chanel much better than Yves Rocher.

I am in the phase of experimenting with high end perfumes by getting samples and trying them out. Now I am beginning to understand the complexity and beauty of perfumes with many layers. With this Gardenia, if you smell it directly, you basically get the "fake gardenia" with aldehyde scent. But if you put it on and forget about it, the jasmine, the vanilla, the (berry?), and other scents waft by your nose periodically to tickle your senses. I have noticed this with the high end florals I've been trying. I just think that's wonderful. You get this delightful surprise of a certain note drifting by your nose when you least expect it. I like this scent very much and I think it's my favourite so far. But then, I am just a novice and look forward to more experimentation!

This is not worth the prize at all. I agree with the previous review that this is watered down version although I've never sniffed the old version of this. It is actually "watered down" since there's no sillage or lasting power and this shouldn't be called "Gardenia" at all cause there's nothing like the real flower. I detect the sweet and delicate jasmine with the hint of orange blossom which is quite beautiful but the drydown is something slightly fruity and sweet-plasticky, reminding me of strawberry-flavoured lollipop. I also smell the aldehyde that I detest. If you love this type of scents, try Penhaligon's Ellenisia which is quite similar with more lasing power. Ellenisia is also less plasticky and more of a fresh floral to my nose. But if you look for a heady, meaty gardenia/tuberose, you should try Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion, a very romantic white bouquet. It's not exactly gardenia blossoms but more of a tuberose scent to my nose, warm and buttery. The aroma of gardenia is very difficult to capture in perfumery. An expert told me not to believe any websites claiming that they sell 'gardenia' absolute cause there's no such thing. I think they use other white flowers to create the smell of gardenia. That's why there are so many 'imaginations of gardenia' in the market but it's really hard to find one that's true to the flower. I think the best interpretation of the living gardenia is Pur Desir de Gardenia by Yves Rocher which is also very affordable. Trust me cause I have gardenias blooming in my yard!

My mother wore Chanel Gardenia most of my life. My father bought her a HUGE bottle in France in the sixties. It was her signature scent and he loved it. Chanel discontinued this original Gardenia in the seventies but she had a carefully stored stash that lasted her til the late eighties.

The original Gardenia is VERY different from the Gardenia reintroduced in the late 90's. The original was dense with the richness of ripe, blooming gardenias, heavy and syrupy. What we would now call and "old lady scent" it was more like Annick Goutal's Gardenia. Really potent stuff. I imagine that Josephine Baker would have worn this!

The newer versions seem to have a "water scent" added, a freshness to cut the thick sweetness, and I'm guessing, make it more modern. Needless to say, my mom scoffed at the new Gardenia, claiming it was bland and extremely watered down, "That's not Gardenia!" she said. Even AG's version isn't what she hoped for.

In France we tried to find the original. Older saleswomen behind the Chanel counters smiled wistfully, "Oh Madame, there is nothing like that anymore."

The new Gardenia is a modernized version for today's market.

This is my official summer scent, fresh, sweet, just a little powdery, and elegant. Gardenia just smells heavenly! The scent has lasting power yet subtle - you sometimes almost forget you're wearing it, then as you enter a new room, it suddenly shakes up and there it is, clean, devine, unforgetable gardenia! So if you like something both floral and powdery, classic and sexy, it's your choice.

this is a great gardenia if you like a clean, white flower scent. usually gardenia perfumes smell good to me in the bottle, but i find them far too heavy when i wear them. this one is extremely light and fresh (perfect for a conservative office), and you can't really over-do it. it has pretty good staying power, but it won't trail you all around the office (yuck)! i've worn this all summer and i've really loved it!

I recieved this as a sample. I was very surprised to like this since most Chanels give ne a headache and have that perfumey scent rather than seeming like reall floral or gourmand scents. Be forewarned, Gardenia is surprisingly light for a Chanel. It is completely gone in two hours. That said it is a creamy floral, with a simple vanilla drydown and what almost seems like jasmine. As a white, creamy floral it reminds me a bit of Antica Farmacista's Casablanca, but with less pungency. I am not hugely into florals, but this is great for summer.

Chanel Gardénia is a soft jasmine, green tea, dry vanilla, gentle scent that smells like a garden in early morning; that dewy smell that emanates just as the sun begins to warm the flowers. Gardénia is extremely feminine, clean, fresh, and even though it was launched originally in the 1920's, it's perfectly at home with Modern, Post-Modern, or any other classification of scent. It transcends fashion eras, philosophy, art, and time itself, as a hauntingly beautiful perfume that's perfect for every woman at any stage of her life. Exceptionally lovely.

This is a very pleasant scent for all ages. I love it because I can wear it for any occassion and feel good about it. The scent is fresh, floral at the same time elegant and sophisticated. Great for summer!