Tropical Gardenia

While staying in Charleston last weekend I came across this fragrance in the old home of a mutual friend. Tropical Gardenia by Aloha Beauty is a drugstore fragrance made in Hawaii, but don't knock it till you try it. This is a gorgeous white floral fragrance. It has some mysterious notes that are hard to identify. Of course it's a gardenia so if you are already familiar with that distinctive gardenia scent, and you know it releases an unapologetic aroma of perfumy showiness, then you shouldn't have a problem with this fragrance. It comes in an Eau de Parfum spray bottle. The Aloha Beauty line also released a body lotion. They sell on ebay and Amazon.com It's a mega size gardenia so apply with a light touch. It does not remind me of any other well-known and better composed gardenias like Jungle Gardenia by Tuvache Island Gardenia by Jovan even Sand & Sable by Coty. However it does have that same 'drugstore' vibe. Yes they are cheap aroma-chemicals in it that come off as a big gardenia, but it's enjoyable in the spring and summer when you want to smell of gardenia, especially at a tropical beach or at your hotel pool in Miami! The other notes I can detect seem to be vanilla and musk. Typically vanilla and musk are there in the white gardenia perfumes. This is also rather dark towards the end, evoking a type of steam or incense. It smells like floral incense and it's no wonder that there is also an Aloha Beauty floral incense. This smells like it's best worn in the night time as a cologne because of it's heavy notes: gardenia, musk and incense. A perfume of tropical beaches, Caribbean islands, and gardenia bushes welcoming you into her fragrant folds. I love this fragrance and how cheap it is! When you're on a budget it's nice to know where to look for well-crafted affordable fragrances like this one.