Guerlain • Cruel Gardenia • Fragrances

Where To Buy?

debrsl on 10/24/2012 2:54:00 PM more reviews by debrsl

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

The second time I wore this (and put on much more of the fragrance), I could really smell the gardenia. It was a cold gardenia, if that makes sense, which is why they named it "cruel", I guess. I really liked this the second time around. The first time, it seemed like the gardenia was lost in a swirl of other notes.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

mrsminniver on 4/4/2011 9:11:00 AM more reviews by mrsminniver

Age: 44-55   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Black    

I love this perfume so much. Had the lovely opportunity to go to La Maison Guerlain after much internal debating (it'll be so embarrassing if I found I had to leave should I not be able to afford such beautiful things). But I bit the bullet and entered because I know, either way, it'll be an unforgettable experience. When I saw the price lists of their house fragrances, I was a little less intimated and decided to check out their exclusive collecion. The lady rep was so lovely and patient when I told her "no" about 5 times to each scent she presented. However, Cruel Gardenia made it's way to us and I knew it was my scent. I was seduced and would have gladly parted with my left arm should they have asked for it. It's light floral presence is not as heady as Chanel 5 which I found heavier. It's perfect for daywear...it's perfect for me. Being in the House of Guerlain was just priceless...I'm a very lucky woman.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

fima17 on 10/25/2010 5:09:00 PM more reviews by fima17

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

Oh sooo lovely!

This is the first and only time gardenia has worked on me. Anytime I try to wear Michael Kors or Marc Jacobs I am overwhelmed. However, this has a barely-there whisper scent of the gardenia.

When the Saks fragrance rep sprayed this on me, I felt an instant connection. The scent it soft but persistent. The fragrance does not scream, instead it carries itself like a lady, demurely yet not. I envision a woman of understated charms and wealth easily wearing this.

This has couture written all over it.

I do enjoy the lovely bed of white flowers which this rests on. Lasting power is pretty good but I will have to spray this on again to gage that.

Do I want this one? Yes! Do I want to pay $250 for it? I'm putting it on my Christmas wish list for now.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* msm4slm on 4/5/2010 9:05:00 PM more reviews by msm4slm

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Cruel? It's a white floral on a bed of white musk, sweet as they come. Nothing dark, threatening, or even particularly sultry here. Gardenia? I don't think so! What this seems like to me is jasmine-orange blossom type floral over a bed of white musk--no Guerlain vanilla either. I can detect the rose and violet but really it's the white florals which dominate. Cruel Gardenia is,an elegant white floral that is very wearable. It reminds me of Secrets de Sophie, another Guerlain collectible, also a white floral. Still trying to decide if I like it enough to save up $235/bottle (my husband says that is where the "cruel" comes in)!. While this is not classically "Guerlain", I don't agree that it is more like a Chanel. There is a strong family resemblance to Secrets de Sophie and even to a lesser degree Iris Ganache with the white musk in the base. Perhaps "this" is the new classic Guerlain floral base.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

chrystelica on 3/1/2010 8:30:00 AM more reviews by chrystelica

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Although, I admit, for the right person, this would be a beautiful fragrance, it is not my favorite. I have to agree with the people who felt this fragrance is aldehydic and more reminiscent of a Chanel than a Guerlain.

My grandmother wore the entire Chanel EdP collection, so as you can imagine, everything Chanel reminds me of her. It is very well blended, and a great fragrance if aldehydes and fruity florals are your thing... and it helps if you like Chanel, in my opinion...

I was hoping for a creamier, headier gardenia, but I'm not sure if I even like gardenia as a perfume in particular... However, this is definitely an old-fashioned, aldehydic floral if ever there were one. I'm not getting specifically any jasmine, peach, rose, they are all so mixed with powdery scent that I can't discern any particular fragrance notes, they are blended together completely in a radiant envelopment of powder. After awhile this fragrance really got to me and I found it quite unpleasant, especially the next day, after taking a shower and scrubbing it all off, and I woke up still smelling like it...

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* condesadepitimini on 1/12/2009 6:58:00 AM more reviews by condesadepitimini

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Fine   Eyes: Green    

... meh. I love Gardenia as a flower and as an essence. Cruel Gardenia stats with a whiff of the flower.. but do not expect anything lush and creamy as you won't get it here.
It is a strange fragrance, where the white flower morphs into a very weird mushroom note - not very pleasnat... probably some adheides play this trick to my nose.
It is neither sexy nor unforgettable. Not worth buying.
Indeed, forget it soon....(very low staying power)
If you want a real stunning, heady gardenia try EL Prvate Collection Tuberose Gardenia... it is way more close to the real thing.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Tovah on 6/28/2008 10:09:00 PM more reviews by Tovah

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Olive, Warm   Hair: Red, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Maybe the problem is that I don't get ANY gardenia, and I wanted gardenia. The "cruel" thing about this gardenia, is its absence. It's as though the base of the scent shows up, but the heart never appears. Cruel Gardenia reminds me of vintage face powder, Coty Airspun, maybe? I smell aldehydes, powder, musk, and aluminum. I don't know how to classify this fragrance in my mind...it's not a floral...it's not a chypre...and it's not sweet...It's subtle, and musky, and talcum-y, and metallic. If it's supposed to give the "impression" of gardenia, rather than the scent of it, it misses the mark by a mile for me. With a dramatic name like Cruel Gardenia I thought this fragrance might be, at the very least, interesting. On me, it's subtle, and it smells unfinished.

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* drvogue on 4/12/2008 4:12:00 PM more reviews by drvogue

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

The name is very misleading. There is hardly anything cruel about this one. Except maybe a cruel surprise for those who think they will get a lot of gardenia from this one. If Michael Kors is a scream, Marc Jacobs a loud voice, Chanel Gardenia a normal tone; then Guerlain's Cruel Gardenia is a whisper. I personally prefer it to all of the above, mainly because I can't do gardenia.

I disagree with the other posters and the blogs about the Chanel resemblance. This one still manages to identify itself as pure Guerlain to me. They have toned down the powder factor but it's still there. And no aldehydes that I can detect, as mentioned below. This last factor is enough to make it non-Chanelesque for me.

At any rate, this is the most wearable Gardenia perfume I have ever come across. It's very creamy and fresh at the same time. Nothing cloying here but does border on banality at times. The packaging is gorgeous. If you would like to collect all the limited editions, don't skip this one. Otherwise, a sample or decant should be fine.

8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

crystaltear on 4/6/2008 12:59:00 PM more reviews by crystaltear

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

Lovely! Absolutely a heaven! It is one of a few of gardenia scents that do not give me headache! Normally I cannot stand gardenia scent even from the real flower because I get cloyed with its intense scent easily. But not this one! To me it is basically composed by clean white musk, light peach, and mild rose with only a hint of soft gardenia that never quite takes the center stage. I do not detect Aldehyde. But if it is there, then it is hardly noticeable. The whole composition is bright, enchanting, and understated, more an imaginative gardenia scent than true-to-life. I don’t find any affinity with Chanel even though the famous Guerlinade is rather indistinct in this composition. I love Chanel Gardenia, too. But they are too different. To me Chanel Gardenia is a lush white floral orchestra with some green notes while Cruel Gardenia is just an abstract, soft bouquet in a white reverie. I do not know if it is strong enough to appear to serious white floral fan but it has a truly gorgeous charm that should appear to women of any age. I think whoever tries this will find it is so lovable and easy-to-wear.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

maurak1203 on 3/2/2008 1:55:00 AM more reviews by maurak1203

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I can't agree more with the blogs that have already noted that this smells more of a classic Chanel than a Guerlain. Initially, that comparison scared me as I'm one of the unfortunate fragaholics that can't handle aldehydes which result in an instant headache. Cruel Gardenia is luckily sans aldehydes and utterly gorgeous! It opens with a slightly cool violet and powdery rose and is clean from the hint of white musk. This isn't a lush, tropical or heady scent, but rather a softer, well-composed clear fragrance. A few hours into the scent... gardenia appears as well as the tonka giving it more substance but it never becomes creamy or rich and manages to retain it's clarity. This is neither sweet nor dry. I find it unique and so wearable. I'll happily wear this any season and any occasion.

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

perfumegirl on 2/13/2008 9:09:00 PM more reviews by perfumegirl

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Cruel Gardenija is one of the fragrances of Guerlain's L'Art et La Matière collection, and as the people of the Guerlain house say, it is 'on the verge of cruelty' and 'stuns with its diabolical power'.
It was launched and presented in 2008 together with fragrance for men, L'Âme d'Un Héros. It was created by two noses, Randa Hammami and Sylvaine Delacourte. It is designed in a way that its notes 'sunny, silky, smooth and lingering...can become an obsession'.

Unlike the usual tradition, the creators of this fragrance did not strive towards the richness of notes that gardenia creates when combined with the precious light musk which would give velvety soft aura... In the contrary, Cruel Gardenia is like an arrow that aims directly at the heart and stays there forever.

The magic starts with the notes of mouthwatering peach, Damask rose and neroli. The heart of Cruel Gardenia bursts of floral notes, revealing the fusion of violet and wafts of ylang-ylang, touched by light musk. The base notes follow with the accords of Tonka beans, light musk, vanilla and sandal wood.

The fragrance comes in luxurious elegant 75ml (2.5 oz.fl) bottle. It is available at four La Maison Guerlain in the world – Bergdorf Goodman in New York-u, Neiman Marcus in San Francisco, The Breakers - Palm Beach, and French Pavilion at Epcot.
Copied from some place, this is really expensive, had a sample, I ADORE THIS FRAGRANCE, IT IS THE BEST, for some reason the stores only got 25 bottles and then an emergency shipment. Bergdorf seems to be the only store that has it. I LOVE IT and got compliments, Taking very good care of the bottle. It comes with an atomizer and spray, Love it so much--♥♥♫♫

13 out of 18 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No