Gardenia & Cardamom

Three words, BEAU - TI - FUL!! I honestly feel like this line offers "niche" to "high designer" quality fragrances bc it really is noticable just how great the quality of the oils and materials are in this Banana republic (Icon Line). I was afraid that the Gardenia would come off too "Grandama-ish", feminine or sharp, but that wasn't the case at all. The Gardenia is mellow and melds really well with the Cardamom, and although Musk and Neroli are NOT in the notes list, this does dry down (a little bit) Musky and that sublime subtle Cardamom spiceness, along with the OBVIOUS Neroli, help make this unisex although still leaning just a bit feminine, although I'm told that it does not smell feminine on me, (must be my skin chemestry), But, even if this did lean completely feminine.. WHO CARES! This stuff smells freakin' amazeballs!! During the far dry down, Gardenia and Cardamom really reminds me of Neroli Woods (which I love) and is in this same Icon Line, but Gardenia and Cardamom has MUCH better projection, longevity and all around better performance. I could still EASILY smell this on my clothes after waking up the following day, and could even detect it on skin as a faint skin scent. I honestly find this scent addictive and intoxicating, its an "eyes rolling in the back of my head when I take a deep whiff" kinda scent, 🫠. I give Gardenia and Cardamom an 8.5 outta 10 (high score for me). Gentlemen, give this one a shot, and if it ain't for you, believe me, someone you cherish will like this one😉. Like id mentioned, just BEAUTIFUL MAN!

When this fragrance first came out I fell in love. I have all 6 of them at that time. I only own 3 Tom Ford perfume at that time so I didn't know that this is the same as Solei Blanc. Either way I gotten 3 bottle back up or this. This has my favorite note which is Cardamon (also my favorite spice). It smells like coconut and tea is what i get from this perfume. It's not long lasting though. I would say it last only 3 hours. However, I actually layered it with Wakiki Beach Coconut Cream Moisturizer, Solid Blac Body Oil and Maison Margellan Matcha Tea. This is get plenty of compliments and last for 8 hours plus on my skin and clothes.

Wow so weird, Gardenia? Cardamom? I guess you mix those together with some ylang ylang and you get a very tropical scent. I read others comments and decided to blind buy this for $22. Great blind buy. To my nose it smell so close to TF Soleil Blanc. It even leans in the same direction as Beach Walk. Although we are going into fall I’m glad I got it. I’ll wear it next summer for sure. It’s a sharp suntan lotion vibe and I don’t mean that in a bad way I just mean it smells the same sharpness that Soleil Blanc has. Suntan lotion vibes all the way. Yeah, so all in all a happy successful blind buy.

This is what I hoped Yara Moi would smell like - a decent dupe of Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc. Yara Moi misses the mark, but Gardenia & Cardamom nails it. It’s a divine tropical floral with creamy jasmine and a soft coconut undertone that feels luxurious without the price tag. It's the perfect summer holiday scent- warm, sunny, and elegant without being too heavy. I’m genuinely impressed. For $30 this is a hidden gem that deserves way more hype.

This fragrance smells AMAZING! Also, if you just over-spray a bit it will lasts and project decently! Im getting bout 5 hours on skin and a very long time on clothes. This does lean feminine, but the OBVIOUS Neroli note which is not listed helps this lean into "Unisex" territory.. I think it rivals 78 Vintage Green if ya ask me although they are very different, both are quite beautiful and most definately smell like "Expensive Fragrances."

This is absolutely beautiful... This is one of my go to summer fragrances... I don't usually use this on its own though... it's used as a layering combo with neroli Portofino.. Layer it two to one.... for every two sprays of Néroli Portofino... add one spray of gardenia and cardamom.... This Combo is a summer banger...100% SLEPT ON... it gives "Bring me the Alfa Romeo,we are spending weekend on the yacht on Lake Como, Italy.." vibes

What a surprising love! Heavy on the gardenia and light on the warm spice with just the right touch of additional white flowers and not overly ylang ylang. Agree with others it is similar to Soleil Blanc but oodles more affordable. To me it's pretty on your skin and on your wallet a win win. Perfect 75 degree summer day wear. Feel free to spray with reckless abandon!!

Can we take a moment and appreciate how great all of the fragrances in the Banana Republic ICON collection...For the price you pay at discounters this fragrance is amazingly good! I simply fail to find better at a $25 dollar mark, can you? Other than that I think it is a very nice, warm, and cozy spring-summer scent.

I agree with @mevans review. It is a great fragrance!!!! I love cardamom mixed with the florals, just lovely and you can wear this in the fall and winter!!!! Love it and I am over spraying it too. All over my clothes and hair so it doesn’t fade that quickly. LOVE it! 11/10 Banana Republic has some great offerings.

This is one of the best affordable summer light fragrance! It does resemble a bit Neroli orchid by Loccitanne but this is not so powdery at the dry down but rather Green flowers and a lil bit powdery. Overall a very good summer wear!!

ATTENTION !!️ This perfume reminds me of Marc Jacobs Mod Noir. A beautiful spring scent that was discontinued back in 2018. Banana Republic is killing the game!

beachy white floral that lacks any sort of sweet backbone that is ever prevalent to the genre. the result is a cooler tonality, slightly sheer & transparent, perhaps a more lotion-esque direction than say sunscreeny or oily. there's a facet here that really reminds me of the smell that a new magazine has when you open it. sounds silly but it literally gives the effect of it smelling glossy or laminated or something like that. the driftwood accord is a decently present woody background, I can confirm it's nondescript and pretty much what the scent dries down to in the late stages. I struggle to find anything overtly femme about this yet I find it equally difficult to call it 'unisex'. definite femme lean that I feel most dudes could pull off/look past if they're into white florals or beach scents. projection is more on the transparent & airy side but is still certainly noticeable, longevity is a solid half-day wear (probably around 6hrs). for sure a warm weather scent. good value at discounters. I found a 30 ml at my local Burlington for $15, definitely check anywhere like that local to you.

Ok so last night I wore this straight out of the shower for the first time... and if I’m honest, the opening was way, too sharp /spicy for me.... But not long after that settled down, and it did dry down to a more creamy floral scent, which I quite enjoyed . To be honest, I don’t think this is a bedtime appropriate fragrance like I thought it would be by looking at the notes. I would say this is probably more suited for pub garden evenings in the summer. Longevity, I cannot comment on as I wore this to bed however, I can imagine this probably wouldn’t last more than a few hours due to it, becoming quite close to the skin within maybe about an hour before I went to bed. I mean for 20 quid right now, I don’t think I’ll go wrong it has higher end quality is to it and is quite complex and is quite interesting I don’t think this would be a safe Blindbuy due to it being completely different to what I thought it was going to be from looking at the notes. However, I am someone who is quite open to many types of fragrances. Unisex??? I’d say, definitely lanes, more feminine

Starts off with a lovely orange citrus and gardenia(esque) accord that rapidly, as in within five minutes, transitions into a tuberose and jasmine bouquet with just the slightest whisper of green cardamom seed tying it all together. Two hours later and the jasmine has stolen the show, proving to be very creamy/sweet and reminiscent of Vanilla Fields, although far better in both the materials used and the execution. This floral suntan vibe carries on for a few more hours before fading away gently. It's clear by smelling this that Kuczinski worked with a limited budget and drew on the wisdom of W.A. Poucher's textbook gardenia accord to craft a cozy and very straightforward white floral, with a few minutes of a commendably lucid gardenia. A terrific little fragrance, and gets even more points for eschewing the trashy candies and chemical musks of its contemporaries.

Oh, this is so good. I think it's the cardamom that runs the show and makes it all work so well. The gardenia is fairly prominent but mixed with that cardamom, wow! The rest of the florals blend well in the background. It's warm and sweet, it has a savoury kind of spice and almost an incense quality, a little balsamic too. I find it more on the feminine side with the strong floral element, but it's not some dainty sweet floral. It's a heavier, more serious floral. Just like the other two I have so far from this line, I'm completely impressed. Very creative and something you'd expect from a niche house. The only issue I have is that it's all but gone in around 3 hours, and I'm a massive over-sprayer. It's so good though, I can forgive and just bring the bottle with me.

Creamy, warm, floral, summery and somewhat sour. It smells fresh and clean. I think the cardamom makes it uplifting and not as indolic as other white floral forwad scents. Perfect for everday. Great for layering. Can be very versatile. When I want it to be more tropical, I combine it with solar scents and make it warmer such as Sunkissed Hibiscus by Nest. However, when I want it to be greener, I combine it with zesty green tea scents such as The Yulong by Giorgio Armani. When I want to bring out the spiciness, I combine it with Crystal Noir by Versace. And when I want it to be cleaner, I combine it with muskier scents such as Glow by Jlo. Unisex but feminine leaning. I like that it has a lot of sillage and longevity and that it's very affordable too.

This pulls very citrusy and bright on me. It’s almost like a refreshing cardamom lemonade on a summer morning, the air is laced with fresh, creamy gardenias with youthful, dewy petals. It invokes the sense of freedom of strolling down a hill at pace in the countryside, carefree and with the best company. I really enjoy the green accent from the subtle cardamom, that further adds to the summery character. The tuberose pops in the dry down but it’s a very transparent and diluted version. It’s very refreshing but I wouldn’t expect too much from it. Highly likeable, easy reach, day time pick me up. Good for running errands and a mood boost. I concur with the sun tan vibe, mostly because of the creamy texture that contrasts against the sharp citruses.

I blind bought Gardenia & Cardamom by Banana Republic as a gift for my grandma and I was actually surprised by how good it smells. Scent and Notes: The scent is floral, smooth, and elegant, clearly leaning more feminine. Sillage and Performance: Performance is decent, t lasts around 5 hours on skin, with soft to moderate projection. Personal Experience and Final Thoughts: This turned out to be a very good blind buy, especially as a gift. It smells elegant, feminine, and easy to wear, and the price makes it an excellent value. If you’re looking for a floral fragrance that’s classy, gentle, and budget-friendly, this is definitely worth considering.

Male perspective: This is freaking great. For only $16 at discounter stores (Ross, TJ Maxx, etc) it's an outstanding value. Yes, it does lean slightly feminine IMO, but a male can pull this off no problem. Main olfactory notes I smell are gardenia and tuberose as the main dominant players, and the cardamom is noticable slightly under it just to warm it all up without actually smelling spicy. The woody undertone isn't quite understandable, as it's a generic smelling "woodyness". I do see the similarities to TF Eau Soieli Blanc, this one just isn't as tropical Beachy. But the floral bouquet is very very similar.

I get the cardamom at first, and a kind of fresh white floral. This then is quickly outshone by tuberose, who could outshine anything really. The cardamom can’t compete with the sweet tuberose, and there’s also some heady jasmine in the mix. Smells of any creamy, jasmine and tuberose heavy, white floral, with a hint of saltiness as it dries. No, it’s not original, but the salty note makes it at least a bit different to your usual floral offerings. And for £25 it’s a cracking fragrance with decent projection and longevity if heady white florals are your thing.

This is a quintessential creamy summer scent. It does mildly remind me of the scent of sunscreen, but in a good way! It's beachy, it's a white floral, and it has a smooth nuttiness that gives me the impression of coconut, but that might just be the cardamon. I like it best when I first spray it, it's just a little blast of femininity. As it dries down, I wish it stayed longer on the skin, but it's lasts on average around 4-5 hours. It makes me think of wearing a white dress at the beach; it's classy and non offensive. Dare I say mildly sexy?

To my nose, this is an almost linear gardenia perfume. However, it’s a light fragrance that tends to linger around rather than bombard the senses. Later on, during the dry down, I felt this turned into an aquatic gardenia. This could be the type of perfume one wears on a tropical vacation. It has that light white floral aquatic vibe that is cheerful and summery. Upon first spray I was unsure about it but it becomes more complex and likable with time. In terms of spillage, it’s very pleasant and subtle. I can’t imagine anyone disliking this.

This is a lovely scent. It reminds me of Velvet Gardenia by Tom Ford though this is way less intense and sophisticated. It’s like a younger cousin of the Ford masterpiece. It starts with a burst of orange and gardenia and then the cardamom comes through to warm up the floral scent and make it interesting. It doesn’t last very long and can lean powdery on occasion (or maybe my tastes have changed since I bought it). I think it’s definitely worth a smell because it’s an interesting combination.

BR really hit it out of the park with this little gem. I mostly get a sparkling, natural feeling mandarin, a blend of white florals (although I read more tuberose and jasmine than the titular gardenia), a salty, woody accord and a transparent amber (not ambergris). It’s not a big scent, nor should one expect it to last the entire day. For what it cost, we shouldn’t expect it to. For its cost, it’s surprisingly well put together and more than presentable.

Creamy gardenia with a light spiced cardamom. I also can detect the ylang ylang and the citrus. Has a beachy sunshine kind of vibe to me. Reminds me of Soleil Blanc a bit but more airy and light...also cozy and warm. Note I said reminds me of. Its def not a dupe or anything but in the same family. For the price I found this for ($22) it's a keeper. Sits close to skin after a couple hrs though but I don't mind reapplying.

This is so nice. I wasnt not expecting much because I was disappointed by dark cherry and amber and peony and peppercorn. It does smell very beachy and perfect for hot weather. well see how long it lasts though update: decluttered as I never reached for. I had other sunscreen type perfumes that last longer

Misleading name but pleasant scent despite the hardly there cardamon. Overall, a round soft white floral where gardenia, tuberose and magnolia take center. The initial profile is nice however, as it settles it gains an oddly placed sweet-sweat/mildew character. To overcome this some layering is needed.

This reminds me of vacationing in the Caribbean, Nice flowy dress, salty sun kissed skin with sun screen. I get a salty sunscreen smell. Not bad at all. I’ve always liked how sunscreen skin smells like.

Clean semi-sweet white floral fragrance. Excellent for the price and the scent experience it offers. But You’d have to OVERSPRAY this to get any longevity otherwise it’s barely noticeable.

This fragrance is beautiful. It's classy and cozy, a very calming scent that reminds me of an expensive body lotion, but mixed with something slightly tropical.

I would say it’s a safe lovely one, great for spring, Fall.

I had time to span prior to an appointment, so I went into a local Ross Stores and browsed perfumes. I found Banana Republic "Gardenia & Cardamom" for $18.00 and decided to purchase it, give it a try. The listed notes tricked me into thinking Gardenia & Cardamom would be a beastly, heady, mixed white-floral fragrance. I had to check and re-check the bottle to confirm I purchased an edp and not a toilette, or a cologne. Essentially, I detect very little fragrance with this perfume. I adore cardamom as a perfume note but this perfume offers zero detectable cardamom. If gardenia is present, it is gentle, ephemeral and fleeting. To my nose, there is zero evidence of mixed florals. And after a few minutes, I detected a slightly off-putting, sour note in the fragrance's dry-down. Actually, I had zero expectations with the purchase as I've never owned, worn, or sampled a Banana Republic fragrance. But from what I can tell, this perfume matches the BR aesthetic...white. I won't even bother trying to re-sell this. It will get donated to Goodwill, or gifted away.

This is deceptively strong. When I first applied it, I could barely smell anything, but as my body temp heated it up on my skin it started to release its fragrance. At first it smelled like shaving cream but then evolved to a lovely cardamon laced white floral with gardenia and jasmine the most dominant and the ylang giving it a tropical, beachy feel. I like how it creates a little cloud of fragrance around me and leaves a nice trail. Unfortunately, my enjoyment was short lived as it barely lasted an hour before becoming a skin scent. I did get this for a really great price, so it won't break the bank to touch up. But with all that touching up this 1oz. bottle will be finished in no time. I won't replace it when it is.

#893 in my "Tour de Fragrance" Well this certainly isn't unisex. Similar to Tom Ford "Soleil Blanc" except no coconut. Probably closer to Woods Collection "Twilight", which is roughly the same price and performance as this. So if you like this scent just pick one. I think it's okay, but nothing out of the ordinary or memorable. Not the grandma scent I expected though, which is positive. More huggable, non-aggressive than a lot of floral scents with these notes, also a positive. To me it's nice, but not sexy at all and not something I'd buy for woman.

It's fresh white floral. The opening is fresh gardenia, pretty and not chemical at all. Then jasmine becomes just a tiny bit prominent in the background. I detect no cardamom at all, I was looking forward to it so I'm a bit disappointed. Overall the fragrance is pretty but very basic and linear. I agree it being unisex as it's fairly realistic fresh florals and some greens, with no sweetness at all. Good for layering or an office scent.

339 This is a very light scent with a gentle gardenia(no mothballs) and ghostly cardamom. Both disappeared rather fast and settled down into a watery floral note(magnolia?). It would be amazing if it was a strong gardenia with a strong cardamom. Interesting combination. 6/10-it’s okay, weak

Its ok. I was really hoping for TF SB. Its not. Last 4 hours or so. First 20 minutes aren't great. Then you get around an hour of light projection. Finishing up with a couple hours of a nice skin scent.

Folks, I give you bargain Eau De Soleil Blanc.

smells like banana boat sunscreen damn its bad

It started out nice. I got the floral sunscreen scent but the dry down became really metallic smelling on my skin. Had to return it:(

This is a peaceful dip in a clean fragrance. Right away you get hit with Gardenia, Gardenia, and more Gardenia! Slight, faint waves of Tuberose, Jasmine, and Magnolia calm the waters, but then you get more and more Gardenia waves! I start panicking! When I think I can't smell anything except for Gardenia... what is that? Carnation? Amber? Definitely some Rose..... I think something is coming to save me..... then BOOM! A sharp Gardenia wave hits you in the face! I choke on the Gardenia waters a bit.... Then some nice Amber so I can breathe. Driftwood is a great smell imo but it's so overused by stores I can't help but associate it with retail and fluorescent lights. The driftwood can't keep me floating for long. We're both weak. I get a sudden feeling of doom. Then after struggling and gasping for air in the strong Gardenia waters, you finally realize you have no way out and you decide that going out on your own accord is better going out in denial and agony, drowning in the deep grandma soap ocean. My asphyxiated corpse will lay next to O. Henry's corpse on the bottom of those cold and deceitful Gardenia waters, forever disappointed. Our spiteful souls will haunt the cold souls of the suburban moms who keep Banana Republic afloat. Not a bad perfume but it just smells like a store at a luxury mall. Would never wear this again.

I was hoping for a scent that was more gardenia-centric...silly me. Instead the powers that be decide to make this scent as confusing as possible by using all three big white florals. Many ppl mistake Gardenia for Tubereuse and vice versa, and many ppl mistake Jasmine for Gardenia and tubereuse. Together they make up the infamous core three "White Florals". I dont understand the usage of all three as it makes it generic. Keeping the white florals company are cardamom which adds spice and driftwood which adds a woody saltiness to the mix, but their task is just too much at hand. They cant pull this fragrance up from being a lesser-than knockoff of Nuit De Tubereuse or Essence N°9 from Elie Saab. Still, this fragrance isnt bad IMPO...its just not original nor as good as those two aforementioned fragrances since I smelled those first. Given the brand and affordability maybe thats what this fragrance was supposed to be.

Clean, ephemeral, white floral with a whisper of spice (and maybe salt?). No one note really stands out to me and it certainly doesn't paint any kind of poetic picture. It's what I put on in the morning to walk my dogs or water plants, or maybe on a Saturday full of housework or projects. It's fleeting, lasting only an hour or two, but nice to get the day started and for when you want something lightly humming in the background. I like it bc I'm a white floral lover and it's inexpensive. With BR Gardenia and Cardamom you get a simple, light, nice white floral, and don't feel bad wearing it just to stay at home.

Mature male here, saw this in a rack store on clearance, total blind buy based on how I saw in a quick look online that it was supposedly 'unisex'. Others probably describe it more thoroughly, my first impression was 'wow' - in how vibrant and clean it resonated with me, and then of a Banana Republic Neroli Woods, which I had years ago but with a nice kick of spice. It's really really hard for an inexpensive fragrance to stand out in a collection and be different - in a positive way, and this does.

Pros - Nicely presented bottle & packaging. Price point isn’t bad for 100 mls fragrance. Pleasant spring floral scent, could be good for when you need an inoffensive, simple fragrance. Cons - This one is the shortest lasting of my 3 bottles from this collection (I haven’t tried over spraying it though). I mostly get a clean gardenia note, couldn’t detect the other fragrance notes. This was on a freshly opened bottle, so perhaps after sitting a while the other notes will become stronger.

If you're a fan of Clinique's Lily of the Beach (sweet solar floral), add gardenia and you get Banana Republic's Gardenia & Cardamom. This is one of the most effortlessly beautiful fragrances in my collection. This perfume blends a beautiful solar floral, coconut and sunscreen profile with a sophisticated, natural gardenia. There's a slight jasmine and tuberose sweetness that works well, and the dry down has an interesting musky and ambery quality which is a great balance.

The name of this is so misleading. This is a tropical and sweet tuberose, which I love, but I am glad I was able to get my nose on this before purchasing or else I never would have. Gardenia tends to turn putrid on my skin, so I am happy I can't pick out any of it in this. It is very much a sunscreen/suntan oil scent, so if that's not your thing, steer clear! Projection is better than average, but longevity is poor.

I get more a lot more of Tubérose Nue by TF than Eau de Soleil Blanc. I don’t get any sunscreen profile like most others have described, instead I get a chalky tuberose for the life of the scent. Was really hoping for similarities with Eau de Soleil Blanc since I’m quite fond of the scent profile and I’m a bit disappointed.

I just received it in the post. Not bad but not groundbreaking either. A summer fragrance, it gives me a “body lotion vibe”. Definitely too cold outside to enjoy it rn so I’ll probably edit my review in summer. It isn’t too citrusy and that’s a plus for me. Tbh I was expecting more cardamom.

While I don't think this is an exact dupe for soliel blanc, I actually prefer this one. It's more feminine and sweeter, but still has the same beachy zest. Longevity is obviously less than soliel, but for the $20 I paid for it it's still pretty good