Essence No. 2 Gardenia

+ 😘 I love this! I'm obsessed! 😘 Like all in the collection, it's well made, elegant, low sillage, and has decent longevity as a skin scent. This is a divine fragrance IF AND ONLY IF you LOVE Gardenia. The first time I sprayed it, I smiled. I smell green (stems & leaves), florals (iris & orris butter, which smells like paper in the best way possible), and sandalwood. I'm failing to smell any jasmine but that's okay with me bc this Gardenia is gorgeous on my skin. This one is fresher than the No. 9 Tuberose, which I'm also obsessed with. These essences are made for layering although they can certainly be worn alone. This Gardenia fits my style because I'm looking for beautiful skin scents that are inoffensive and easy to wear. So I recommend if you're looking for something like that...but experiences and skins vary. Trust your nose and your own skin. EDIT - I smell MUSHROOM of all things in this fragrance and I love it! But how? So interesting! I love it even more now. It's seriously the best gardenia I've ever smelled. Others come close and are beautiful (Olivine, DAME, Van Cleef), but this one just sings to me. EDIT Aug 2020 - All that said...DO NOT BLIND BUY this! It's not for everyone. You really have to love the buttery, papery, mushroomy facets of Gardenia. It's not an easy flower for everyone to love. Don't fall in love with a perfume you haven't smelled. That's a crazy thing to do... Jan2021 - reminds me Tubereuse Vertigineuse by Molinard

I love gardenias in nature, but I don't like gardenia perfumes, often finding them oppressively heavy and buttery. I can only tolerate the scent when it is blended with something else, and it isn't the focal point. Yet true to its name, here gardenia is the main feature, and it is just beautiful. This smells just like the flowers on the gardenia shrubs they sell as annuals at my local nursery. So realistic! The jasmine is not registering with me at all, yet I think is helping to contribute to the composition, giving it a sensuous aspect, yet the overall profile is slightly aquatic, light, airy, and fresh. The wood notes aren't heavy only serving to anchor and accentuate the florals and no doubt contributing to the excellent silage and longevity. I used 3 sprays this morning and late in the afternoon it is still going strong. While I only have a sample now that was included with a recent purchase, I will definitely be getting a full bottle soon. Just love this!

I debated buying this for over three months, and it's finally mine. First, the box and attention to detail is well done. Upon opening you get a small card with the information and a bottle wrapped in tissue paper with a sticker that sealed it. If this isn't there--you know it's been tampered with. It's a simple and elegant bottle with a magnetic cap. Heavy and it feels luxurious. Now on to the scent... My family has an enormous gardenia bush in their yard, so I'm very familiar with their scent when they bloom from June to August. It's intoxicating and ultra feminine. I'd say Francis Kurkdjian did a good job mimicking these flowers. I smell it deeply and then sigh, so you know it's good! He captured their green essence when they're still on the bush and a fresh bloom. It's not too sharp or harsh. It definitely doesn't smell cheap. Well done. This is going to be my go to this summer. Gardenia is my favorite of the white flowers.

My search for the perfect gardenia has ended with Elie Saab Gardenia No. 2 A super natural, soft projecting gardenia that permeates my skin and the clothes that come into contact: I can smell it well into the following day. Drydown is only slightly different with the addition of a little wood that helps ground the scent. I’ve tried at least a dozen houses that claim to be gardenia. Of course, gardenia is a flower that is next to impossible in creating natural, so most use synthetic compounds that usually smell more like a jasmine than any gardenia I’ve ever grown. And there lies the disappointment, the claim that it’s gardenia is usually so far off that it’s not believable. Not only is this the most realistic “made-in-the-lab” gardenia I’ve ever smelled, it can be had for a steal: $52 from Fragrencenet.com

I do love the gardenia scent but wearing it in a fragrance is a very different matter. I cant handle screechy white florals. This is very good. I get the orange blossom with gardenia on the opening. It's rich with a little orange blossom sweetness. I definitely get a bit of indolic jasmine. A bit of skank! It settles to leafy greenery with a touch of gardenia. There is almost a rubberiness. This a unisex scent that is pretty easy to wear and you are not in danger of overwhelming anyone nearby. If you are expecting Madonnas Truth or Dare screechy white floral then you will feel let down. This is an infinitely more wearable white floral softened with wood notes that won't give you a migraine. I get moderate sillage and longevity. I look foward to wearing on warm days.

It is a very literal Gardenia perfume, smells just like the flower. Feels like you are burying your face into the flower except the smell is magnified and enhanced by 1000x (extra zeros for exaggeration). I normally can't smell perfumes after a couple hours, but this one lasts beyond 7 hours. This perfume reminds me closest to Chanel Les Exclusifs Gardenia perfume, both perfumes captured the waxy/milky nature of the flower but Elie Saab is so much louder at a fraction of the cost. Chanel on the other hand is more reserved, slightly sullen, and chic - true to its French brand image. I don't completely agree with the votes for Van Cleef Arpel (I have a full bottle), which in my opinion smells much greener with linden blossoms.

Elie Saab’s Essence No.2 Gardenia is a fan favourite in this genre. Indeed, it is a great designer perfume that is super enjoyable to wear of different occasions. I find it strong and confident, with sharper jasmine and tea notes than the other perfumes, such as VC&A Gardenia Petale or Estee Lauder TG. To my nose it was a strange scent at first that grew more intriguing after several wears. Unique enough to have in your collection if you’re a fan of woody florals.

A beautiful controlled Gardenia. Its almost a soliflore but supported gently with jasmine, sandalwood and a faint sweet wood note in the background. I can say the Gardenia isnt too sharp and the blue cheese nuance is controlled and balanced close to perfection. It never gets uncomfortable. Its solidly a floral so those that want a richer experience, layer with the Ambre from the line. I bought 2 bottles. Its a beautiful delicate Gardenia

@Rosemary14 The drydown of both are on the same powder level (not excessively powdery). I also have and love Gucci Bloom. I just sprayed them side by side. Bloom is sweeter in the opening and more soapy in the drydown than Saab Gardenia, which is more woody, iris/orris, and green. Sometimes Saab Gardenia even smells mushroomy to me depending on the weather. I hope this helps! Definitely try before you buy if you can. Cheers!

Another gorgeous perfume that works great in transitional seasons. I get all the woods and creamy notes when I wear Elie Saab Gardenia in the fall. I was not impressed with this perfume in the summer because it had no performance. But now, at 72F, it's blooming amazingly. Thank goodness I was patient. It's rewarding me handsomely. Also, this perfume has lasted greater than 24 hrs on my clothing and still smells lovely.

very soft and linear, I have to spray 5 spritz to achieve an impact (layering it with almond oil) which makes it much more expensive even though I got the bottle for $66. Still!! But the smell is unique, calming, and very long lasting. A perfectly realistic gardenia. We had a tree in our garden and I remember the imposing smell of its white flowers from my child-hood. I do not regret buying it.

A beautiful creamy creation. I also have J'adore Absolu and yes they could be sisters, but this one is a bit more creamy and a bit less sweet. I don't find this one unisex at all, this is a female fragrance. Totally. Great warm Gardenia, jasmin & Woody mix. Not to its best hot days, but I will wear this almost year around.

Gorgeous gardenia that smells as if it has been spritzed with saltwater and dusted by cedar. Extremely realistic yet it brings out the salty woody aspects in addition to the mushroomy intoxicating power of that little white flower.

Perfect dry woody realistic gardenia for spring. Everyone will love this unless they are nose challenged. 👃🏼❤️

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, and a must have for any lover of gardenia and white florals. I agree that it is similar to Gardenia Petale, which is breathtaking but just doesn't last at all on my skin. So far, this one has much better staying power. GP is creamier, and this one seems fresher and lighter. I love them both, and will try layering them to see what qualities they can lend one another. I really enjoy the woody notes here, and how they support the gardenia and jasmine. While I can detect the jasmine, it is definitely subordinate to the gardenia. I was curious to see how this compared to the tuberose essence, which I also own, and this one is definitely lighter. I would say that I love both equally, but think this one will wear nice in the heat of the summer. I get nothing indolic here. I don't mind a touch of indole, especially in my jasmine fragrances, but I am glad they are not present here, as the overall impression is one of cleanliness. I think I will really enjoy this after a shower at bedtime. I am considering purchasing others in this series, as my impression is that they are done very well and are of niche quality, but very affordable through Ebay and the discounters. PS - the presentation and bottles from this collection are amazing and a true luxury experience! EDIT 7/4/2020 - Now that the summer is here, I decided to take this baby out to see how she performs in the heat. The results are amazing. This may be the best "true" gardenia perfume I have ever tried, and the warmth really coaxes out the narcotic aspects of the flower. Yes, I know it's not real gardenia, but it is an incredible accord, complete with the subtle earthy mushroom undertone in a real gardenia. It projects much better as well - just a spray on the top of one hand and I can clearly smell it all around me. I put this up as a top 10 fragrance for me, and a top 3 white floral.

This opens with a very true and creamy gardenia. The sweetest part is at the top, and about a half hour in, it transitions to a more indolic, cheesy version of gardenia. It is really nice, as I like experiencing this aspect of the flower. About 1-2 hours in, it has developed its mushroomy facets, bringing a mellow earthiness to this phase. Sillage is low key, which I prefer as I'm a recovering survivor of an over-spraying mother. I have to go easy, and appreciate the naturalism of this scent. I am not getting woodsy so much as earthy with this. It is more true gardenia than Van Cleef & Arpels Gardenia Petale, though that's very pretty as well. I think they could pair well. I find it comforting, creamy, mellow, and fairly unisex. I think the cheese and mushroom aspect might translate to naughty-dirty; depends on your nose. Very well done fragrance and harmonious in that it feels true to nature and the flower; it is not concerned with dolling up a human as it's primary goal. So you get to experience this one for what it is, not use it to project an image. I recommend!

Skin chemistry is such a flukey thing. When I first purchased this (purchased Tuberose at the same time) I was quite pleased though I preferred the tuberose. It was a nice gardenia soliflore and the many facets of the bloom melded together beautifully. I hadn't worn it for quite some time, and when I wore it again, something changed! The perfume had not gone off, but for some reason, my skin was really amplifying a burnt rubber aspect of gardenia! It really turned me off. I am wearing it today and was hoping that the burnt rubber smell would diminish as the perfume developed. Well, I grew impatient! Thinking for a moment, I grabbed my bottle of Aerin Lauder Gardenia Rattan. I always liked it even though I found it strangely lacking in Gardenia given the name. The result was great! The GR tamed the rubber, while the Essence made the Gardenia more front and center. I'm quite pleased and will likely wear them this way going forward. I had to downgrade the Essence to a "like" from a "love" because of the issue, but I definitely love the two combined!

So, so disappointed in this one. It opens sharp and sour, smells like a broken twig which carries the gardenia that has fallen to the ground. I had such high hopes after reading the good reviews that I confidently bought a purse sized spray, hoping against hope that it would be the fresh, clean gardenia that has eluded me thus far in perfumery. It is not that. At all. I am jealous of those who smell the gardenia in this; all I'm getting is that sharp green jab of the broken twig. Why must most gardenia fragrances have that note? Why is it so hard to find one that doesn't? My cheap Elizabeth Taylor Gardenia and Avon Rare Gold come much closer than this. I'm throwing in the towel; I give up. I'm putting this up for swap or even giveaway. More's the pity for me. Sigh.

I have the big bottle of this perfume. It surprises me that a floral perfume is so durable but it is true, measured in time I put it on at 10 in the morning and it was 11 at night and it could still be felt on my skin, already soft, but still you could smell it. Its aroma is as is, without complications, without frills, it smells like gardenia, purely gardenia and as they very well comment, it is the purest and most natural gardenia smell that you can find. I do not feel those woody notes, for me those woods are what help this perfume last a long time. Simply pure scent of gardenia.

As Haddadi below has mentioned, this is a superlative Gardenia in the dry down, the opening can be a little confronting if you’re not sure what to expect. There’s a slight acetone note at the start, but the lush gardenia shines through. I blind bought it, partly due to the high rating in the 2018 Perfume Guide, and tried it this morning for the first time...it’s the middle of winter here, I think this one will bloom beautifully in warmer weather.

Soliflore gardenia in full bloom crushed down into a perfume, stem and all. There's some jasmine as well, but this is all about the gardenia. Gets more powdery and a touch earthy as it dries down on my skin. Lovely springtime fragrance, you have to really like gardenia to appreciate and enjoy this scent. Wears very strongly on me and leaves a trail.

Elie Saab Gardenia (2014) - blooming gardenia - my favorite range from #franciskurkdjian. Most gardenias, go heavy into white floral territory, but this remains interesting by combining gardenia, jasmine with sandalwood and woody facets. One of the most beautiful interpretations of the flower.

Gorgeous gardenia! But to me, it is too heavy gardenia. I am sure people who love Gardenia will definitely think this one is amazing!! I think it is amazing too, but just not for me. Still one of the best essence out of the essence collection (I own vetiver, neroli, tuberose, and oud)

High quality gardenia soap. Linear. One pump skin test in a winter cool room. Powerful projection.

DM me. Full Bottle available if you are interested.

So, I loved Roja Dove's Gardenia Extrait, and other scents that is Gardenia/Gardenia based, but oh, Elie Saab's Essence No. 2 Gardenia does not work for me. There is something akin to a sickly buttery note right from the spray, and hiding behind it is the Gardenia I love. I don't get the sandalwood notes, but maybe that's on the dry down (I couldn't keep it on me - had to scrub it off). It says in the notes there is Jasmine in there, I can see it a little bit. I think Elie Saab made something strong and potent, which I respect since I myself love such projectors and longevity kings, but I cannot get myself past the buttery note that I personally don't notice in other Gardenia fragrances or Gardenia flowers themselves. This will be my guesses since it was so potent I could not keep it on me: Longevity: 8/10 (is still on my skin after scrubbing it off) Silage: 7/10 Projection: 9/10 Overall: 2/10 (only because I don't care for the buttery note, and as Rory1234 on Fragrantica says, "It's strong but it ultimately is a room deodorizer..." I concur.)

For me this perfume is as much about the woods, especially the sandalwood, as the florals. I get a strong dose of woods throughout the stages of this scent, with the sandalwood becoming the prominent wood note as it dries down. The gardenia is more of the spicy kind found in the Narciso Rodriguez white cube perfume. I so wanted to love this perfume as I adore gardenia in perfumes, but honestly it's not even a like for me. I've tried it in various seasons (winter, spring, summer) and it's simply a hard "no" in my book. I prefer my floral perfumes to have the floral note(s) on the center stage...not sharing the stage with woody notes. And, unfortunately, this particular combination of florals and woods makes me queasy for the first 30 minutes or so.

Luckily I bought the miniature bottle. This is purely indolic for me, I get no creaminess, no woods, just pure indole like a wet dog smell. The benefit of me not liking this is that I will not become obsessed in having to purchase and wasting a couple of hundred dollars. Long lasting too and did not change from start to finish. My idea of a perfect gardenia perfume is Gardenia Passion by Annick Goutal.

Tested it today and it is a big let down. Watered down papery, hay-like, green lactonic nothingness. It's a flop for me. Stick to dresses, Miss Saab! Gardenia is a DIVA of a plant, so therefore a bolder attempt would have been required. Zero authenticity, nor sillage, nor longevity. -1/ 10. Yup, it is THAT bad.

I like gardenia and sandalwood but This 2 together, big ' NO' for me... It was a blind buy .. So if anyone would like a swap..please don't hesitate.UK

Burnt, buttered popcorn with jasmine and Off! insect repellent.

I never understood what people meant when they wrote it smells like Raid insect spray, until now! I had gardenia bushes in the front and back of my last home and the scent was intoxicating when the doors were open and the wind carried it through. Wish I could bottle that scent memory.

Bought this as a blind buy because I was feeling adventurous..... Holy mother of pearl, I was initially speechless - at first, this was a monster charging out of the bottle with head-swimming, swoony, nostril punching floral... 10 minutes in, it is still incredibly heady - super indolic jasmine sambac, immediately recognizable, flashing its naughty bits at you from your pulse points... Sandalwood? Good grief, yes it's totally THERE! it's big, its creamy. Gardenia? Yep... but I would almost term this as an oriental jasmine fragrance. It has a slightly old fashioned feel to it.... and a slightly dirty vibe that makes it feel daring, dangerous and naughty.... almost as if you WANT people to hate it. I can't stop sniffing at it.... its exhilarating. This isn't just a flirty kind of naughty... this is a hot and scantily dressed person telling you straight up, your gonna get laid, probably right here in front of all these people. 1 hour in: soapy jasmine sambac sandalwood.... has a lotion/shampoo/ mid-shower lather thing happening. Still not sure what to make of it.... it's very intense, sillage is incredible. 3 hours in: heavy expensive soap. Still heady, still projecting like Maria singing on the hill in The Sound of Music.... at this point, I'm actually a little exhausted of it. I think I would prefer to dab this sparingly, rather than spray. One spray, and for crying out loud it is in your FACE! This is a top-notch powerhouse, surely to get noticed. Its intoxicating almost to the point of being overbearing. Get a samplenif you can, this is a *must* to experience in the world of perfume. As a guy, I want to try to rock this. It is just so damn interesting, I don't know what to make of it.

This one is very woody. I think I’m backward on this one. The opening is beautiful, buttery, a little soapy, so woody it’s almost peppery. There is something slightly earthy and the white florals are almost in the background for me but still smooth and creamy. This isn’t a heady or photorealistic floral fragrance and it isn’t very sweet. There seems to be more gardenia then jasmine. But, this isn’t a “sun tan Lotion” gardenia that so many other gardenia fragrances take. This is a woody fragrance and isn’t particularly loud but I can tell the projection is probably very good. This is great for white floral lovers but probably particularly good for people who don’t like florals to be too overpowering and full of pollen. I’m a bit odd in that I like my florals to smell a little bit on the loud side compared to many people. This is rich and voluptuous but also a little bit restrained. If you're wondering if this is unisex the answer is a resounding “Yes.” Then I can’t smell it much. I think I’ve smelled too many things today fragrance wise. I’ve gone smell blind. (which is something I like to say at fragrance counters) I’ll have to report back later when my senses come back in full force. I’m wearing this again today and it still smells the same to me except my nose is in better shape. There is something deep and almost loamy like wet wood and a rich buttery smooth gardenia in a hot humid greenhouse. Smooth, silky, round, and woody sandalwood. Almost like “gardenia wood milk” if such a thing existed.

My mother had a flower shop. My two favorites were and still are lilly of the valley and gardenia. I tried buying a good gardenia fragrance before, and ended up giving it away to a lady friend, as it became too feminine for me to wear. I found this fragrance as I like MFK Kurkdijian's work. So this is not made powdery to appeal overwhelmingly to woman, but a guy can enjoy this for sure. It's very naturalistic and green with some subtle woody touches. For anyone who has smelled a real gardenia and enjoys it, this comes close. I have had Tom Ford Velvet Gardenia, but this is more indolic and a soliflore gardinia, with a little jasmine. I like Gothic III oil by Loree Rodkin, it is more like TF Velvet Gardenia. I'm glad I bought a 10 ml atomizer from Fragrance net. I will rarely wear it, but it's great to have in my collection when I'm in the mood for an indolic gardenia and woods. Rating: 7.5/10 Happy Easter. John 3:16

IMO, a "full frontal" gardenia. Initial blast is full on white florals....then the gardenia is almost the soliflore star,with the other notes supporting/grounding it. The magic in the drydown is worth the wait.The only thing missing in this is a dash of "peppery-ness" for me....or some other"spicy type" note to add smoothness/more balance to the all out gardenia. This one,I have to be "in the mood" to wear it. And for me this is a "guilty pleasure" sort of scent and just for me. A job well done by a great perfumer. And,IMO, this does project and is lasting on my skin. I see that another reviewer mentions layering this with the Ambre essence version....hmmmmm....that sounds like a good idea !!! EDIT: In the final drydown...I am getting IRIS underneath....???..which totally works .....so it is more complex than I thought....???? ;-)

After purchasing his rose and ambre Essence's and liking them both in the warmer weather I ordered a 5ml sample of gardenia,what a lovely surprise , on me it dries down to a lovely warm and slightly spicy smell, as for Gardenia I really don't know , my mum had something called Gardenia many years ago in a tiny dab on bottle, I remember not liking it , well this is lovely, on me I don't get floral just that lovely warm comforting smell, having said that I'm saving it for summer, it must be my skin but as with the other Essence's they stay close to me,not much projection but they last well, out of the 3 I would definitely purchase a large bottle of this one , my summer fragrance sorted .

Of all the gardenia fragrances I have tried, this smells most like the real flower to me. My yard is filled with blooming bushes right now and I have vases in the house with the cut flowers too. That doesn't necessarily translate to a fabulous perfume, but I love this and recently bought a second bottle. I had thought it was discontinued so have been using the main bottle sparingly but now am happily spraying. Average longevity, decent silage but no idea if it's a compliment getter. If that is my criteria I would wear Coco Mademoiselle and Chance Eau Tendre the rest of my life.

I have not smelt this fragrance, but just a quick note to say that there is no gardenia note here. Indeed, there is technically no way to extract the gardenia scent from the flower. Its scent is recreated by a blend of other flowers to create an "illusion" of gardenia. As per Francis Kurkdjian statement, this fragrance has been blended with the following oils: jasmine, iris, sandalwood, cedar, vetiver. (The pyramid is totally unaccurate here).

I wonder how can some people praise this perfume for being a realistic gardenia scent. To my nose it's not. If anything it's just another creative attempt to interprete a gardenia scent and Francis Kurkdjian really succeded at that. It's quite opulent with some creaminess to it. It's smooth, rounded, well blended and nothing is sharp or rough about it. Lasts all day long, especially when applied on clothes.

After sampling it, let me say this " may be its the most realistic gardenia perfume Ive ever smelled" like it or not? At first I did not like it so much I dont know why but in the second morning the drydown was amazing!!!! Iwill try it again cause I think it may be my favorite gardenia perfume that Iam still looking for?

Absolutely gorgeous and maybe my favorite gardenia but I wish it came in intense! 6 sprays on skin and clothing and 30 minutes later the person I was sitting next to could not smell it. After a little while I got up and moved around and she got a whiff but I could not smell it anymore. Such disappointment!

First off. I'm a guy. I like women's fragrances I love the boldness of this. It's strong but it ultimately is a room deodorizer. not wearable Big sillage Lasts 6 hours Who wants the bottle?

lets see the result of my favorite fashion designer Mr.Elie Saab & the creative nose Mr.Francis Koukdjian , is it a dream ?!!:)

Multiple hearings later. That first blast is divine then it falls away under my shirt the scent dies

Just got mine. Blast of floral. I'm a guy. Gonna try to rock this. Can't stop sniffing.

Not a review but if anyone has a bottle of this and wants to sell it, please PM me.

Still waiting for the ultimate gardenia scent - maybe this is finally the one?...

Love it , should be available in 30 ml and 50 ml size in india online