Tom Ford • Velvet Gardenia • Fragrances

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debrsl on 10/25/2012 5:15:00 PM more reviews by debrsl

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

Great full gardenia; however, the topnotes are pretty bad. They include that strange mentholated note I get once in a while with gardenia fragrances.

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*TOP REVIEWER* hollyc01 on 12/31/2011 9:49:00 AM more reviews by hollyc01

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Dry, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

If this is gardenia, it should be banned from perfumery. Yes I know all of this is, and should be, subjective, but this is vile. When I read that it had a mushroom note, which to me is earthy loamy and mellow with gardenia which to me is creamy, delicate and floral I thought "where do I get me some?" and promptly ordered a small(vile) vial from the sweet ladies at the Perfumed Court. When it arrived and I applied it, it has an intense incense that smells sharp and stale much like you would find in an old church that had wooden pews with old, old varnish. Acrid, stomach churning hideosity (yes I know it's not a word but so apt here). A sweetness that is much like my poor dog's ears when they get infected. Forgive the dreadful images here, but trust me when I say that they are mild compared with the fragrance itself. I have tried three Tom Ford fragrances and so far they have been jokes, especially for the price. I think he is a darling of the fashion industry and no one dares tell the emporer he's butt naked and his fragrances are none too pretty. Get Estee Lauder's Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia for a real beauty or Annick Goutal's Gardenia Passion for a truly buttery and gorgeous gardenia (yes I know it's built around tuberose, but many gardenia frags are. I also love, adore, and own (thanks to my beloved husband) the 6.8 oz Chanel Gardenia in the Exclusifs. When sprayed on clothes it develops over many hours and becomes more lovely by the minute, a real beauty. But run, don't walk, from this stomach churning monstrosity. -10 Lippies.

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*TOP REVIEWER* KKAI on 3/16/2010 8:02:00 AM more reviews by KKAI

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

This is an intense green/floral fragrance! The prominent notes are primarily jasmine and then gardenia but I also detect a somehow bitter note that does not really agree with me (beeswax? labdanum?). I wouldn't call it fresh or feminine but a sharp green scent.
Lasting power is OK but overall it is not a fragrance that is appealing to me. If you are looking for a gardenia scent, try Kai oil.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Melloney on 7/20/2009 5:37:00 PM more reviews by Melloney

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Blue    

Velvet gardenia - a lovely gardenia topnote that doesn't stay too long on my skin . I don't get the blue cheese note nor the mushroom note but I get plenty of incense. It's an interesting perfume but not FBW for me .

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*TOP REVIEWER* mysterious_scent on 11/18/2008 9:29:00 AM more reviews by mysterious_scent

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

A true, lush blooming gardenia. It isn’t like many other self-claimed gardenia scents that are actually tuberose, this one is so true to the real flower. It has a quite sweet opening and a little bit fruity (guess it’s plum?). Normally I don’t like fruity sweet but it is quickly settled to a lovely smell of the true flower with moderate sweetness, very comforting. It is not as green as Kai, which is also my favourite gardenia, but it’s deeper and richer. The true gardenia in this scent lingers to the very end. It smells nicer on my skin than on paper.

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*TOP REVIEWER* rosbergs3 on 10/12/2008 2:45:00 PM more reviews by rosbergs3

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

I just recently tried all of these new masterpeices in perfumery art by Tom Ford. Velvet Gardenia is defnietly my favorite of them. Velvet Gardenia is by far the best interpretation of the gardenia flower ever in a perfume. It is so extremely lush and big. It makes me think of a big, fluffy, white wedding dress with immense and countless folds to it. The folds keep cascading over each other with every step the bride takes. After a few minutes the gardenia gets replaced with the deepest most richest scent of beeswax i have ever had the pleasure of smelling before. Beeswax is a note in this fragrance and it makes its presence known in a big way on my skin. I think its the most gorgeous, thick scent i have ever smelled in a perfume before. Velvet Gardenia is quite extrodianry and is a must, must have if you are a gardenia/white floral fan.

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*TOP REVIEWER* tessture on 6/13/2008 6:27:00 PM more reviews by tessture

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Multi layered, richly developing, complex and elegant. It is tartly sweet on my skin and definitely has true Gardenia notes. However, it only gets four lippies, because I don't like it. I can't actually say anything bad about it, but in this scent I have finally realized that gardenia-tuberose scents upset me. There's an unpleasant memory connection in there somewhere that spoils it, no matter how lovely the blend.

This is a spectacular white floral, very much a velvet white flower with fruit notes and, upon drydown, a rich labdanum base. That it makes me nervous and unhappy isn't the fault of the perfume.

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islandgirl8 on 6/6/2008 12:38:00 PM more reviews by islandgirl8

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

This part of Tom Ford's Private Collection; his line of scents that he created after his split from his partnership with Estee' Lauder. This is one of the best smelling gardenia's on the market. This not a soliflor but the gardenia is definitely the top note and mostly what you smell. There is a slight twist of something else, that gives the gardenia a dark and sultry smell, but is still mostly gardenia. It is gardenia turned sensual. It is now one of my favorite gardenias although I usually like it straight as I am a big fan of the flower. In this case I like it even better. There's just enough of the "right" something else to make it interesting but it is still gardenia. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist when I first put it on. Love it!!!!!!

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*TOP REVIEWER* willemtje on 5/22/2008 4:27:00 AM more reviews by willemtje

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

Negative experiences should also be shared, I think. I tried Velvet Gardenia in Paris recently, in warm weather (about 25 degrees Celcius). I had high hopes for it as I read so many positive reviews online. But VG did not work out well at all on my skin. I only got bitterness and a strong sweat scent, I couldn't detect any florals. I think plum and tuberose are among the listed notes and I have to confess these two often don't get along with my chemistry. The beeswax (and perhaps also the honey) must have contributed to the BO experience. As usual, this is a try before you buy scent!

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*TOP REVIEWER* sherrie09 on 5/19/2008 8:28:00 AM more reviews by sherrie09

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

A gorgeous, lush, very-true-to-the-living-blossom gardenia fragrance. I also think of this as a night blooming gardenia. It's sexy, sweet, cloying, siren-like & weaves a magical spell. A fragrance for Midsummer's Night. My new No. 1 favorite gardenia fragrance. So expensive though! :-/

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*TOP REVIEWER* Lisaandtheword on 3/9/2008 2:24:00 PM more reviews by Lisaandtheword

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

My new nighttime gardenia love. It's a lil rough & harsh for a minute, w/ a lot of tuberose & jasmin in the opening, but so nice after it settles. Develops into a gorgeous gardenia, & smells like something Mae West would wear.. lush but dark & sexy. Much darker & more moody than Voile de Fleur.

EDIT- sometimes it smells too fruity, it is moody on me!.

~~ "black" gardenia, orange, jasmine, rose, muguet, tuberose, dark plum, honey, beeswax, incense, labdanum.~~

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No