Gardenia Passion

Gardenia Passion can be a bit misleading, because other than the fact that Fragrantica has some notes missing (tomato leaf, myrrh) it's an extension of Goutal's Passion which was released earlier and is a floral chypre. Gardenia Passion takes the base and intensifies the floral heart with added gardenia and tuberose. Frankly if you own one out of the two you don't need the other unless you're a white floral junkie. That said, Gardenia Passion varies on different skin chemistries. Some people get more tuberose while others get more of the gardenia part. I get a cheesy gardenia that's still covered with earth. I've been looking for a dirty or animalic gardenia, something more carnal than your average white floral, and while this isn't animalic it is definitely fleshy and carnal, the scent of hot skin. Gardenia Passion opens on my skin with the green bitterness of the tomato leaf, slightly similar to galbanum. It's quite astringent without being harsh. This lasts just a couple of minutes before I am immediately greated with a cheesy gardenia. The flower is wilted and it's turning brown. It's just beyond its prime but the gardenia hasn't lost its scent, it just shows it's more carnal qualities, its fleshyness if you will, like skin that is hot. The tuberose doesn't really show on me, and the jasmine adds just a touch of honeyed indole that further contributes to the carnal effect. The white florals basically form a choir that make up a quite realistic gardenia, without falling in the usual cliches. Carnal flower would be a very apt name, as it feels more apt than simply Gardenia Passion. The sillage is quite subtle, on a hot day if I'm lucky I can get it to moderate, but it never gets suffocating, even being heavy handed. Longevity is average, but I find that deeply moisturized skin enhances the longevity substantially so no complaints there. As to the comparison to other white floral powerhouses... Well I don't get any similarities neither to Fracas nor Carnal Flower, mainly because those are tuberose bombs on my skin while this is not. If you like Gardenia you will probably like this, if you love Gardenia here you have a very high quality realistic rendition of a wilting narcotic flower. Try on your skin and give it some time to evolve, warm temperatures favor it enormously. It doesn't shout so it can even be used in closed settings, and unless someone comes close, it won't announce your presence to the entire world. Me, I love it, I have my ladylike gardenia from Lauder, and my carnal one here. I'd ask for some more sillage but I'm perfectly content. Another high quality Goutal that I'm sure won't disappoint.

I've owned Gardenia Passion for a while now, and it's finally time for the review! I've never been a big fan of soliflores, especially white florals in particular as most I find cloying, or suffocating in some manner. Annick Goutal's Gardenia Passion is to my nose, the delicate scent of a hothouse gardenia bush in full bloom. I smell sensuously tactile white gardenia blossoms, including the entire plant, which I personally find delightful. Very, very, floral, but somehow so very, femininely sexual! First it was a "throwback scent" as my mother liked gardenias, but this happened to grow on me to such an extent that I'm loving it even in winter for a breath of spring! What I didn't expect was the way the composition would land right between blooms, green, and the barely there breath of vanilla to create a very delicate, balance which is both enticing, and refreshing somehow! I'd call it a very... "Nude" scent. It's uncomplicated, and seems to me to fit perfectly with soft, silken things, or nothing at all. Very well suited for delicate spring attire as well, this is no bombastic white floral like Fracas or Carnal Flower. Gardenia Passion was given a lesson in manners, and volume. Which I, for one appreciate very much. This was a blind swap for me, and after a full year of seasons change in which to explore this scent, I am deeply smitten. My sweetie finds it irresistible, it's so very feminine, and well mannered, he breathes me in deeply when I come to him smelling of creamy, dewy, delicate white blossoms on a spring breeze.. Not enough to smother, if white florals are your thing, this is the one to wear "to bed" it doesn't last all day & won't overpower, just enhance your natural scent. If you are new to gardenia, tuberose, or jasmine (which is politely, & mildly present here) this would make a great introductory to the genre for you! The price vs quality of The House of Goutal, is without question. I was sent 5 samples gratis, just for asking nicely, and I now own 5 Goutal scents, 3 in a limited edition parfum coffret! I you're curious about the house, just contact them politely! The customer service is lovely, and even the fragrances I didn't care for, at least we're of good quality. Unfortunately for me... I care for a lot of them! If you are in to exploring gardenia, this is the fresh version, and I would very highly recommend it. FB worthy for me! (And I still have to give some away over the holidays, it's made many new fans!)

Today I am sampling Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion and I LOVE IT. I can't believe I haven't tested this one properly before. It is a bit old-fashioned and sharp at first but then in the heart notes, 15-30 minutes later, it blooms into the most gorgeous creamy, vanillic gardenia. A bit old-fashioned definitely, I like to say 'classic,' and it's from the oakmoss. Not too much but that woody base has it there. I really like how there is no citrus in Gardenia Passion. It would often result in a white floral too fresh and zingy, but here it's just gardenia, more gardenia, tuberose, vanilla, a bit of orange blossom, more vanilla and some oakmoss and woody notes that have that certain elegant 'oomph.' Yourfoxiness noted below how it would be perfect for bedtime and I agree! It's sensual and warm - really sexy! The sillage is gentle and longevity is not great; around the 2 hour mark but I have got the EDT sample and I hope to grab a full bottle of the EDP someday. If you love gardenia, tuberose, vanilla and a touch of old-fashioned French perfumery you would love this! Best suited to colder, windier days for a breath of Spring

Wow, I finally get it. I've worn Annick Goutal fragrances since the mid to late 90's and was always struck by the creativity and out-of-the-norm frags (i.e., Passion with tomato leaf and Eau de Charlotte with cocoa). When I first learned of this one and saw how much it was going for I was stunned. I wore Tuvache Jungle Gardenia in high school (when it was cheap!) and also Jovan's Island Gardenia and loved them both (they're not alike). I scored a vintage bottle of Gardenia Passion in an online auction and just received it today. Wow! Creamy florals with gardenia and tuberose, very similar to Tuvache's. I see this one as being more creamy, a much smoother gardenia perfume. It's not at all like Elizabeth Taylor's which is gardenia with all the greenness, a combination that can be a little too biting and astringent. Longevity is short-lived. I had to smell my arm after about 30-60 mins. to be sure it was still there, and the sillage was minimal. Nonetheless, this beauty is a keeper!

The one that made me fall in love with gardenia. It's special to me, as I purchased it in Paris when I was in my 20s. From memory, it was soft and creamy, with an elusive, chewy, almost rubbery quality that I get in many well made, white florals. I can't remember if I purchased EDT or EDP, but I just purchased a used bottle of EDT on the Bay for a great price. I am curious to see how this has held up to my memory, as it was my "gateway drug" into the intoxicating world of white florals. I will update when I receive it. ========== Arrived today, and though it is a used bottle, it is in excellent condition and every bit as glorious as I remember. It's really all about the buttery gardenia, and remains so from beginning to end. Memories of Paris came flooding back, and I can't wait to share it with my mother. For lovers of white florals only, especially gardenia and tuberose. I need a backup bottle for sure, as I never want to be without this ever again!

Gardenia Passion EDP (Tester, 9277A - May 2019, USD 70) Update (on January 1, 2025) I think so far, this is the most realistic Gardenia fragrance to date. As it has nuance of Indole and Green, it is really enjoyable. The truth behind Gardenia Passion, as its downfall. That the scent collapse really fasts into Vanilla with White Floral nuance. Even, still realistic - it is almost undectable on skin. It feels like Vanilla-Lily interpretation. It's clean - powdery fragrance by now. With opening of realistic Gardenia... ================= First Impression (on June 28, 2023) Gardenia Passion is such a fine preservation of gardenia scent. Scent reminds strongly of Chanel Gardenia (EDT) that I also own. On skin, I barely reach the 5 hours. On cloth, it is still emit strongly 8 hours post wear. Score: 9/10 Projection: Moderate-Soft, become closer to skin after 1.5 hours Longevity : 4-5 hours on skin Classification: Femme leaning

there is something so lovely about this scent.Madonna always wore it, and I think that says something about personalities correlating to perfume, as it used to be my mom's favorite scent.I was so heartbroken when she discontinued using it that I bought her a bottle.I wanted to wear it, but it is my mom's scent I couldn't steal it. Annick Goutal is an olfactory genius.She just is I cannot explain it as I am not an expert.Her scents fade quickly, but who cares?One pure heavenly whiff implants itself in my mind forever, why do I need it to be long lasting?It is worth it. Gardenia Passion will always be my favorite that I will never wear, but always melt with inoxication at.Sparkley,floral,warm,delicate,sophisticated,elegant,pure,sensual,womanly...perfect.

For me this is a spicy sophisticate tuberosey-gardenia. Not too much or too little kick but just enough to make this beauty interesting with changeling layers. Mostly fresh live tuberose with a fleeting touch of warm night air gardenia and a touch of soft vanilla beneath. By way of white florals, this one is lighter and easier on the nose than some. Wearable in close quarters and at the office, less potent than CF or Blonde or SLTC. A hit in my wardrobe, Gardenia Passion is worn on regular rotation these days. EDT fades in a flash. EDP on clothing tends to last and last! Ultra feminine, love it.

Wow, do I miss this one. Until the day I die I suspect I'll always be a little bit DIY punk rock/edgy and a little rough around the edges, but this always made me feel like a proper refined lady when I wore it. It felt like I was carrying a fresh bouquet and had an almost meditative effect on me. I see others have described it as buttery and I have to say it is exactly what I think of when I hear that word associated with fragrance. It feels like a classy, timeless manicure and designer clothing with no need for outward labels.

Scent of Gardenia jasminoides is complex : jasmine + butter + sweetnes of candied mandarine peel + something dark, autumnal, earthy - radish / champignon / fallen leaves. Rather a sad scent (as for me). Gardenia Passion smells at first somewhat like banana (I do agree with peppermoon), after a while I can scent orange blossom and sweet, honeyed "pink" scent of Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum). There is also the sad note of dry leaves or walnuts. It's "happier" than gardenia flower realy is. I like it.

Love, love, love it. Better than Chanel's. Captures the sweetnes of a true gardenia and with the same hint of bitterness. I will always associate this fragrance with my beautiful young mother in St. Mark's Square, Venice when her much-in-love husband (this was her second marriage) brought her a gardenia crosage--no babysitter for me although it was her honeymoon. This is a strong perfume. So unless like the song says in the buckboard bounce and you don't want to rock the room, go lightly.

This is rather a tuberose than gardenia. In fact, I still haven't found any realistic gardenia scents yet. Most of the time I get tuberoses in fragrances that are named gardenia. That said, Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion is a lovely tuberose. It's not the type of heady white flower scents that makes you think of an older lady. It's soft, innocent and naive smelling, like a little girl. I usually wear it in the spring time when the snow just starts to melt.

I remember buying this back in the day on E Bay, over 20 years ago. It was love at first gorgeous smell. I still love it after all of the years. Somehow I was quite lucky to find it last year on E Bay, in the newly designed bottle. It has not changed one bit. It's very soft and buttery smooth with the creamy scent of the white floral combination. I would love to find the perfect musk to wear as a base before adding this beauty of a fragrance..

This is the kind of scent I'd love to wear to my best-friend wedding; a wedding in late May, where the smell is sweet with jazmin and linden tree. An open air wedding in a garden, early morning, when the sun is still not strong enough to cloy the air and you need a shawl over your shoulders. Gardenia passion amplifies all the white flowers around you. Bridie and Osteara connections too (in the Celtic wheel of the year, see Kathy Jones work).

The opening is promising but there is absolutely no creamy feeling that I associate with gardenias. Also, it doesn't really last long and needs constant touch up. Not easy at this price! I think perfume makers -- particularly those whose scent bottles are in this price range -- should be forced to supply a FREE 2 or 4 ml. miniature with every 50 ml bottle otherwise how is one supposed to carry it everywhere?

I'm not sure I should be leaving this review here, since I only knew the original version. It was gifted to me ages ago and was my signature scent throughout my early 20's. It had a lovely fruitiness, such a sweet, fresh and youthful take on gardenia. No idea if the new version is as good, but I'll update my comment if I get around to testing it someday.

This is luscious, I'm not sure if it will develop into a passion...but it's already more than just friends. Deep,thick,fleshy white blooms, sunwarmed & sexual. I still don't know what that elusive celery seed smell is (I also get it in 'Sables') but it adds a needed green freshness. One of the better Gardenias, beautifully evocative & long lasting.

I bought a vintage bottle secondhand and what a beauty it is! Sparkling fresh whiteflowery scent. 1 spray goes a long way for many hours. A Great scent to layer with other and I mixed this one with an ambery/woody scent and it went magic.

I adore this fragrance and always have a bottle to hand.It is expensive so I don't use it every day,but would love to if I could afford it.It lasts for quite a while on my skin,and used along with the bath products is hard to beat.

after many years I still say: this is the best perfume in the world. Simply perfect. It has everything: floral, fresh, sweet, special, unisex. For any occasion, in any season and time of day. Love. Flawless. 10 / 10

This is my fav Annick Goutal fragrance. Fresh, floral, natural! I'm a man, but I have it, i use it! It's unisex - for me. 10/10

For me it ́s a light-version of FRACAS... what a pity, that the edt is so fleeting... LOVE from LOUVE

It could be Anna Carenina’s signature if she wore perfumes.

As a perfumer and huge fan of soliflores I saw a bottle of this at a very low price on Ebay and couldn't resist picking it up knowing that based on my experience coming from Annick Goutal, it was worth having. Knowing that there is no such thing as a very complete gardenia absolute from which a gardenia soliflore accord can be based on, I was not at all surprised that this perfume is not a gardenia soliflore at all but rather a rather nice tuberose that is a bit blurred or obscured with jasmine and neroli just to make it a little less obvious. Perhaps hoping we will get confused and not recognizing it as an exact representation of tuberose will allow the name define what we're smelling as gardenia, but for those of us who are familiar with the fragrance of fresh gardenia blossoms we know it is not at all. But, it's such a nice, delightful tuberose accented by white florals we hardly feel cheated. With this said, it is available at much more affordable prices than her Tubereuse which is one of the most breathtaking tuberose perfumes on the market because it is made from Grasse tuberose absolute made using the labor intense and now seldom used method of enfleurage which yields an absolute second to none but a price as high as the quality. But back to Gardenia Passion, the sillage is quite good and it is quite intense not making anyone wearing it much of a secret from too many in the close vicinity but like its elite sister Tubereuse, it does suffer from a rather intense but short life. And this is pretty much because it is based on natural tuberose and floral absolutes which consist largely of smaller molecules which evaporate rather quickly, thus the high intensity but short life, even though they are properly fixed. So if you choose this you might want to pick up a small pocket or purse size sprayer and take some along with you to refreshen it when you feel your Gardenia Passion not being all that passionate anymore and want to make it passionate again.

For awhile there I was in love with Annick Goutal and their beautiful, natural, multi-faceted addictive fragrances. Gardenia Passion, the EDT review... On the top of this fragrance is a pleasantly bitter and alternately nutty 'gardenia' (tuberose?) accord. While I like it, it kind of falls flat. I like bitter/nutty things but this has no dimension to it. After this fades the white gardenia comes out for about a minute. It's a soft and gentle white flower but so soft as to be almost undetectable. Oakmoss base? After the brief white flower phase I smell almost nothing. Where is the long, luscious trail of white flowers? All in all this perfume lasts in its entirety 2 hours on me, sometimes less, and for the last 1 1/2 hours I need to shove my nose into my wrist to smell anything. In desperation one day, after my shower, I applyed to my pulse points and then sprayed liberally, ala body spray. Then after I dressed I sprayed a cloud of Gardenia Passion about myself to get some staying power. I succeeded in wasting about 1/6 of the bottle but little else. I won't say that I dislike this scent, but really the EDT falls flat on it's face and gets out in a hurry. AG is way too expensive to buy with staying power like this, and I think I will take a break from exploring this house as I am becoming disenchanted with them. The moral of the story is, DO NOT BUY THIS IN EDT...

This is for the EDP. This one is just photo-realistic, a bloom of flowers in dewy fragrant soil, basking in the heat. The very top notes have a scratchy note of soil, which quickly fades, leaving the gardenia swirling in a wisp of tuberose (tuberose is usually sickeningly sweet on me but here it just adds a nice dimension.) There is a woody base that isn't quite oakmoss but it's nice anyway. This is nice because of how real and almost unperfumey it smells--it smells like something you would catch in the air vs something you would be wearing. The lasting power of the EDT is garbage, spring for the EDP if you want something that actually lasts more than 30 minutes.

I agree with priscillaemrich. This is way more gardenia than tuberose. Seems very linear and uncomplicated. Don't get me wrong, I adore the smell of a gardenia bush in bloom and this is probably as close as you'd ever get to that actual smell, but for the price I expected more. The vanilla dry down is lovely. Hard to explain but you know when you smell a heavy aquatic? It's not a soft smell but it's kind of transparent? That's how I would describe this vanilla base - it's not an overly sweet or powdery one. A "like" fragrance but not a love.

One of the truest gardenia fragrances I've had the pleasure of smelling. Pure clean gardenia, like a flower straight off the bush, dreamy. I wish it stayed as strong as the opening throughout but it fades to a much softer version. Still fabulous, except I feel like I need to keep putting more on so I can remain in my cloud of gardenia. Most likely though the people around me would appreciate the quieter side. Mmmmmm....

I have the EDP. After the first spray, the tuberose became apparent, followed by a meek gardenia then finished with the scent of orange blossoms that linger. This is a bold fragrance, very Oriental, suitable for someone with a strong personality but it may also annoy some people's sense of smell. I have a love and hate relationship with this perfume since sometimes I love it, then again another time, I may dislike it.

medium-bodied floral composition with a mellow green opening note that reminds me of bee's wax candles and a hint of petitgrain. The jasmine is quite nice - absolutely NO hints of fecality that can really ruin a composition with jasmine. I detect far more tuberose than gardenia, but I love tuberose so that suits me perfectly! This fragrance does not last on me, it is gone after 2-3 hours...alas!

As a white flower junkie, I must say I am glad to smell something like this. It has a clear resemblance to Fracas, but is in a way also very different. Gardenia Passion is more green and less heady. I love Fracas, but sometimes I just want some variation, and I think this is a lovely, more chic and less diva alternative. A slight autumn-y feel to this one.

This is completely unwearable on me - I get no tuberose or gardenia,or any florals at all for that matter. All I get is pure indoles with a harsh vegetal note. It smells like cat pee on top of weeds in a vacant lot after it rains. I can detect a resemblance to AG Passion in the vegetal note, but Passion is wearable while this is not.

EDT:An extremely loud, realistic gardenia belting out choir lines of buttered popcorn madness with more delicate accompanying white florals on harps. Straddles the fine line between beautiful and nauseating. Very powerful opening that peters out into nothing within a half hour. It is so wonderful though, while it lasts.

This is up my street as a white floral, but it doesn't smell of gardenia. It's a sweetish tuberose which smells so similar to Carolina Herrera Carolina Herrera that I would recommend spending the £16.00 on a bottle of that than the £60.00 on this one!!

I fully agree with the review below mine. Out of all my perfumes and everything I’ve tested, it’s the one. I’ve ONLY SMELLED THE OLD FORMULA, but as far as Gardenia goes it doesn’t get better. Flawless. 10/10

This is very sweet gardenia with an undertone that is a little herbal and medicinal (a sour sweet). That might be the oakmoss but I don't like oakmoss and chypres. This is not a chypre.

I like this. A very pleasant, flowery smell. It is quite strong at first, but then softens into a lovely bouquet.

Pretty but not for me. I get a metallic note that I don't care for. Peace

This review is for the current version of the EDP. This is a classic white floral composition with the gardenia and the slightly indolic jasmine being front and center, flanked by the creamy tuberose and the orange blossom, both adding sweetness to the scent. As it dries the tuberose dominates the other scents, with the gardenia in second place. On my skin this is a decisively sweet, borderline cloying, fragrance, missing that edge and personality that - in my opinion - are what can make white floral absolutely stunning. I would say that this is just a nice scent for those who like gardenia/tuberose mix and pretty (not big) floral fragrances. I would be surprised if anyone would find this offensive, so I'd say it's a safe scent for any occasion where you don't need to be cool :). I don't think it smells particularly expensive, either. If it lasted longer it would probably bore me, but it's gone within the hour, so there is that.

Another Notino sample: This is not good, on me. I do tend to make sour fragrances go sourer, though, so that may be why. Again, I was hoping for tuberose, but no. Goes on extremely sharp and sour and then, basically, stays there. Actually, that is not entirely true - it does become slightly less sour than the inital blast was, but not nearly enough to be pleasant. It's just, I assume, "gardenia" - whatever that may be, in reality? As it's apparently, almost always, a constructed note. ...and a little, sharp (not sweet) orange blossom. No (or very little) tuberose. No vanilla (so far, anyway). No (or very little) jasmine. It also became weaker on me, fairly quickly, after the first spray. It doesn't have much body, intensity, or sillage, which is probably a good thing, given its sourness. I don't know if that is normal, though? Given its provenance, make of that what you will... It would probably suit you, if you are someone who finds sweeter fragrances tend to become sickly sweet on your skin. Otherwise (assuming this is an authentic sample), probably best to avoid.

This is, definitely, one of the best examples of how different a scent can be from skin to skin... I love the scent of gardenias, and was very excited to try this one. It was, by far, the worst perfume I already had in my skin. Way too strong (great sillage, by the way!), very sickening, it didn't smell like gardenias in me and what I could smell was a strong note of celery, as some members had already mentioned. Yes, I smelt lots of flowers, putrefied ones. And yes, I know the indolic facet of some of the flowers that are present here, but on my skin this characteristic was beyond all the limits that someone could imagine. I have already blind-bought lots of perfumes, but I was lucky enough not to do that with this one. Don't buy it without trying! I hope you have more luck than me...

I really like big white florals and keep trying to find one that doesn't disappear or that doesn't hang so close to the skin that only I smell it. This is a white floral that could be nice, but not on me. I don't usually have issues with my chemistry conflicting with scents, but the more I try, the more it's bound to happen. It happened. fostermd had such a great reveiw, I purchased this as a blind buy. Not a good purchase for me. Although it doesn't smell bad in the bottle, my chemistry takes these flowers, kills them, rots them, then projects the smell to everyone around me. I'm sad it didn't work, but it's off of my list and I'll trade it for another something to try!

Gardenia Passion opens with an unapologetic bang of grand white flowers; definitely gardenia however predominantly tuberose, the petals of which wilted in suffocating humidity, far from the freshness of a vase bursting of newly cut, pollinous blooms. Mixed with the warmth of skin, the heavy floral is only made headier by the waft of candied jasmine. It's contradictorily soapy and dirty with a touch of gourmand. As obnoxiously as the scent begins alongside its enormous projection, it swiftly dissipates into nothingness leaving one wondering, 'did I like it?'

Gardenia Passion by Goutal, as a flanker to Passion, carries a noticeably sweeter and gentler disposition. However, the unpleasant acrid note that troubled me in Passion is still present. Much like its predecessor, Gardenia Passion fails to captivate me. It embodies a rather typical and conventionally feminine fragrance, and both the fragrance itself and the bottle design evoke memories of out-of-fashion designer fragrances that have aged poorly and are now available at heavily discounted prices.

Gardenia Passion is a big, blowsy tuberose plus a nutty, brown note; some people describe it as “walnuts”, but it could also have a coconutty nuance. I find it unpleasant. It’s savory, like a hearty stew, in a way that’s slightly stomach-turning combined with a floaty pink-white floral. There’s also a celery note, but I don’t find it as problematic as the nut note. Exhibit A for How You Can Ruin a Good Tuberose.

Intensive gardenia fragrance, reminding me Songes a lot. It reminds me a warm south night with blooming flowers. Impressive:) I like it. I also like that there is no frankincense here like in Songes, because in Songes it brings to the same south night floral blooming feeling being like in the orthodox church at the same time. Very strange feeling:)

A bright white floral with something savoury in the background, an artesan style herbed sausage? The savoury aspect only goes away after a few hours. Must revisit this sometime in the summer but until then, sorry, no.

Loved this in the store when I bought it. Got it home couldn't wear it. I love saturated florals, but this was too much. Don't even get a real sweet floral--just something between animal and bad earthy smell.

The notes look like this would smell like heaven, but sadly, it does not. Like the other reviewers, I find it sour and just weird. Thank goodness I only have a sample!

Weird smell. Like burned rubber.. I am a big fan of AG. But this one is one of the very few AG I failed to love.