Le Wild

This is far and away the best (practically only) perfume out there that captures the full beauty of gardenias. As Luca Turin points out this isn’t easy, and both I and my wallet have suffered in the search for the fragrance of my favourite flower. I tried them all - including from Dame perfumery, (close but too much plastic), Estée Lauder - (gorgeous but mainly tuberose), and so the Goldilocks search went on. The only thing that came close previously was the enfleurage from Trygve Harris’ New York store, which is gorgeous but only available as natural oil based scent and is necessarily (heartbreakingly) fleeting - but a fab addition to body products and a natural mood lifter. Le Wild nails it. It is the full gardenia experience, from start to finish, and once the initial gorgeous burst is over it settles into a beautiful skin scent with good sillage and which retains both freshness and that slight waxy, lactonic sweetness all at once. There is nothing unnecessary to detract from the full, fantastic, technicolour experience of the flower. I have at last found my signature fragrance and the perfect gardenia. Please always keep producing this jewel!

Le Wild is a beautiful gardenia fragrance and I can't smell much of anything else in it, other than some tuberose and a tiny hint of jasmine maybe. It really smells like a gardenia flower straight from the bush and it is up there with Tuberose Gardenia by Estée Lauder and Kai eau de parfum, as far as the best gardenia scents go. Le Wild has a bit of indolic skank to it, but not so much that it is overpowering. I feel very classy and sophisticated wearing this perfume, as well as wildly feminine, as if I was a woman from a Pre-Raphaelite painting, playing with my wavy tendrils on a boat on a pond near a gardenia grove. There is something very pure, simple and yet grandiose about this fragrance. Plus the bottle is just beautiful too, what with its heavy and weighted glass, fine etchings and beautiful crystal cap as well. I got a good 5 hours wear from this fragrance and an arm's length sillage, so it is a happy medium for me. You can smell it for sure, but it is not going to knock you out either. My rating for this fragrance? A perfect 10/10.

The bottom line: a gardenia version of Baiser Vole EDT by Cartier. Bearing the Chantecaille name, Le Wild comes with a hefty price tag. Le Wild attempts to distinguish itself from other gardenia scents by the use of gardenia leaves, a note that is mentioned in the official website but not here. The result? A very green, very fresh and lush white floral. It smells elegant, young, and proper. The sweetness here is very subtle. I am always reminded how soft and fragile flower petals are when I wear this. As time goes on the greenness fades and more pure floral sweetness can be detected. Now whether a green gardenia is worth spending $200 on is up to you; I got it with a 25% discount and still think it's asking a bit too much for what it offers. The scent definitely has quality, but projection is soft and longevity is within 6 hours. Should it last longer I would've been much more satisfied.

No joke, I have been looking for 15 years for a gardenia perfume that actually smells like gardenia. Growing up, we had gardenia bushes in our front yard. I could never forget that intoxicating smell, and Le Wild is absolutely IT. The pure flower. I love Chantecaille perfumes and didn't even realize they had a couple of new ones. When I saw that one was based on gardenia, I knew I had to take a risk and blind-buy it. IDK what is up with all the notes above saying, "floral notes" or "wildflowers" when it should just be a single note of gardenia. Le Wild lasts a long time on my skin. I don't need to spray much, just one or two spritzes. I only spray on my wrists, and I could smell it wafting up through my face mask for a couple of hours. If you are looking for straight-up pure, intoxicating gardenia, still white on the bush with no brown in sight, voilà! My search is officially over.

I must say I am adoring these beautiful perfumes by Chantecaille!!! And to know that they don't test on animals, and are so environmentally concerned warms my heart. I love them! And Le Wild is absolutely wonderful. Beautiful flowers!! Just totally beautiful. The most gorgeously sweet and fresh and adorable gardenia! It's TO DIE FOR!!! Truly it is. It's so lovely, and it lasts well too! A good 10 hours! And I relish spraying more on anyway, when it begins to fade, so I don't mind it not lasting forever! (forever for me is 24 hours and more! Most perfumes last a long time on my skin - lucky me! - usually more like 18!) Le Wild is absolutely feminine and so pretty, but mature and womanly. Alluring and gentle. Sensual and most attractive. Gorgeous. LOVE IT!!