Gardenia by Guerlain c1857

Gardenia: Originally created around 1857, then relaunched in 1935?

L'Artiste, 1857

"Je n'entends pas par parfum tous les bouquets distillés par Guerlain, et qui exhalent la violette, la clématite, le volcaméria, la verveine, le gardenia, et toutes les brises du printemps, mais je ne sais quoi qui s'échappe d'une ravissante toilette ..."

"(I do not mean all the bouquets distilled perfume by Guerlain, and exhale purple Clematis, Volcaméria, Verbena, Gardenia, and all the breezes of spring, but I do not know what that escapes from a lovely toilette ...)"

 

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is a bouquet evoking very fresh summer flowers based on the theme of gardenia. All types of Gardenia perfumes were popular during the 19th century. Formulas for these perfumes appeared in several perfumery manuals and pharmacopeias during the period. These formulas were based on mixed blends to suggest the fresh odor of of the gardenia blossom. Natural extracts, infusions, absolutes and tinctures would have been used early on, but as the 19th century drew to a close, newly discovered synthetics and aroma compounds such as musk xylene would have been utilized. The general recipe included the following ingredients:

• Top notes: neroli, cassie, French geranium, orange, petitgrain
• Middle notes: lily of the valley, jasmine, tuberose, ylang ylang, rose, daffodil
• Base notes: musk, storax, civet, oakmoss, sandalwood, vetiver

Recently, I was able to obtain a sample from my good friend Alexandra Star, who has lots of rare antique Guerlain treasures in her etsy shop, Parfums de Paris. If you are interested in experiencing the well blended, floral sweetness of Guerlain's Gardenia, stroll on over to her shop and take a look around. I will do a proper review on this sample soon.

When first applied to the skin, I am greeted with a subtle gardenia note, with its hint of mushroom. It surprised me because, it quickly evolved into a classic "barbershop" type fragrance. Punctuated with aromatic lavender, French geranium, petitgrain, neroli and orange. Floral notes including tuberose, rose, ylang ylang blend with tender lily of the valley and daffodil to make their appearance in the heart. A touch of carnation adds a spicy effect. A dry note of grassy vetiver tempers the composition and prevents it from being too sweet and flowery. Precious Mysore sandalwood is combined with animalic notes of dirty civet and musk to  add a lasting sensuous note. The end result smells like skin freshly powdered with talc after a hot bath with precious fragrant oils. This is not your average Gardenia scent. Although the fragrance is unisex, I feel the fragrance is more on the masculine side due to the barbershop notes.

Bottles:

Presented in the Carre flacon (parfum), the quadrilobe flacon (parfum), in the Goutte flacon (eau de toilette). Gardenia was advertised in The New Yorker as being put up in new bottles in 1936 (possibly the Montre flacon for eau de cologne).

photo by drouot

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown. Still being sold in 1953.

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