Marc Jacobs

There is quite a story with this one... To begin with, I have never liked Marc Jacobs' scents. Daisy was just "blah" on me, and Blush is one of the worst fragrances I have ever had the "privalege" of sampling. I was first drawn to Marc Jacobs' signature scent because I was looking for a gardenia solifore. My favourite flower is gardenia and I am a floral lover. Initially I rated it as "not bad", but not really what gardenias smell like - so I crossed it off. Then, through routine perfume sampling I fell in love with Kai, the Californian boutique scent that celebrities have been going crazy over. I loved Kai very much - until one day my mum told me it smelled like acetone. What an insult! Then my sister agreed with her! I smelled it again and suddenly saw what they were getting at. Back at Fragrantica, a few negative reviews were saying things like "green bananas" and "frangipanis" and general "tropical" notes. Over time I began to smell these notes too. Now Kai only smells remotely like gardenia, and much more like acetone, bananas etc. So I had to look for a new gardenia scent. I decided I hadn't given Marc Jacobs a fair trial, since I only sampled it on paper, and didn't give it full time to develop (because of my usual disappointments from that brand). But this time I smelled it on skin, and tried to picture true gardenia as it developed. It smelled just "floral" for ten minutes - THEN it became gardenia - real gardenia. I was convinced it was the incredibly natural gardenia I had been searching for, but a very different one to Kai - more creamy and as if it had dew on it. I purchased Marc Jacobs right away. Now I have been wearing it for the better part of a week, and I am not tired of it yet. To tell the truth, now that I have become really familiar with it, I revert back to saying it doesn't smell like gardenias - it is just one note in a composition that is much more complex than Kai (you really have to use your imagination to think it's pure gardenia...) What I like about it is that it is such a light, pretty floral that fills an empty space in my perfume wardrobe. I'm sure it's similar to a lot of other florals out there - but there is nothing quite like it in my collection. It is as pretty as Flowerbomb (never thought I'd denounce my beautiful Flowerbomb), but more delicate and subtle - like Issey Miyake poured over Flowerbomb... It's just so delectable. Not too sweet, not too brash. Its colour varies between white, light pink and pink (in my head). It's flowery, feminine, and not overdone in those respects. It is a lovely composition. My only quibble is its sillage and staying power are not very good.

DISCONTINUED FRAGRANCE REVIEW NO.#13 / 10. Review No.#13. Unlucky slot. Makes sense as this is discontinued and it's a crime of outrage! *flails* I only came across this recently and COMPLETELY unexpectedly. It was being sold in my neighbourhood and I pounced on this baby like a kitten on a ball of wool! Jesus, isn't this some white floral perfection? Look, I don't want to be angry at Marc Jacobs. Company has released some of my favourite scents, but the discontinuation of this deserves jail time. I've mentioned before that I have a hard time with gardenia, but lately that has started to slowly shift and for the first time EVER, I understand the ABSOLUTE JOY that is banana-y, bubble-gummy yummy gardenia/tuberose! TBH, I don't get much of the other notes. No bergamot, no white pepper, no ginger. This is a fairly linear white floral, but it's so gorgeous, I can't even deal. It has a smooth, sweet creaminess to it that is particularly divine! This is sweet, sophisticated, feminine, flirty, intoxicating, elegant with a twist of coquettishness. The glorious "Mod Noir" by MJ is a lovely gardenia, but so much greener and fresher compared to this. "Florence" by Tocca comes close, but has that distinctive apple note. Kim Kardashian original perfume in the black bottle with...pink/purple lettering is fairly close, I find. "Gucci Bloom" is similar, but I much prefer this one. It's more understated, yet supremely elegant. Also, "Beyond Paradise" has definite similarities, but this doesn't have the same "wet dust" aspect to it. You read that right, Perfumites. Wet. Dust. Anyway, I will treasure this gem because of its white floral perfection. Yet, how not to use it up when this deserves inclusion as one of those scents I want my babies to remember me by?! Treachery: thy name is Marc Jacobs. *** Kitty rating: 10/10 (Yes! Quite!)

MARC JACOBS WOMAN-EDP, by Marc Jacobs Opens as a ravishingly gorgeous aquatic-white-floral with citric bergamot flourishes. Develops into a headily-sweet, creamy-fresh, cool-dewy, crisp-green and pristinely beautiful non-indolic jasmine/honeysuckle accord. Everything is swirled through and through with delicately spiced peppery-ginger which provides a touch of exquisite piquant complexity and depth to the intoxicatingly heady white floral “gardenia” core. On my skin this perfume is a perfect balance between the cold-dewy-green-freshness of the jasmine/honeysuckle accords and the zesty-dry-warm-spiciness of the peppery ginger accord in tandem with the tender cedarwood base. The enchanting tropical green vegetation melds seamlessly into the sultry-sweet florals, and remains consistent throughout the development. This is without question one of the most ravishingly beautiful rainforest-fresh-florals I have ever tested on my skin. A clean and unobtrusively elegant and smooth cedar dry down, with the barest hint of an anchoring white musk finishes this blissful olfactory experience. With this scent, visions abound of pristine tropical rainforest vegetation and the most stunningly exotic dewy fresh-flora imaginable. Never too sweet, never cloying. Never sour or bitter. No harsh edges. Everything blended to seamless, silken-smooth perfection. No overdone heaviness in the base to sully or detract from the perfection of the celestial white floral mélange. This is stunningly beautiful to me, and on me. Thank you forever from the bottom of my heart to Steve Demercado and Loc Dong.

Smells like a classy young Upper-East-Side twentysomething with a trust-fund: super feminine and youthful, but mature for her age. Wears her mother's Chanel tweed jacket with jeans to class on campus. Probably gets hit on by rich men twice her age who think she's 30 instead of 19, but she knows how to use that power for more than just jewelry and cars. Think Blair Waldorf, not Paris Hilton. This is the consummate white-floral perfume. Obvious comparisons to Fracas but more complex to my nose (probably because it has the gardenia, jasmine and a hint of spice from the ginger too - this isn't just a tuberose grenade like Fracas). Pretty heavy sillage at first so go easy - I'd spray it an hour before leaving the house just to let it settle and dry down first, so it doesn't overwhelm people who sit next to you. Save this one for a date when you want something to linger on the pillow when you leave his place in the morning ;-) UPDATE: I just figured out with the first wear that the smell actually makes me depressed! I love the scent on me, hence why I bought it, but if I am smelling it constantly for a few hours (which you will because the EDP lasts - on me it was more than 12 hours before I had to scrub it off!) it makes me lethargic and I actually feel like crying, and not from happiness! I'm keeping it still because I love it so much, but instead of wearing it during the day I'm using it before bed to help me sleep. Works like a charm, and far less dangerous than a sleeping pill. Plus my bedsheets are smelling great now!

I take forever and a day to get through my fragrances, because I rarely spray liberally—I’m sensitive to too much fragrance so I spray/dab just a little every other day or so. I finally ran out of this (and to be honest, it had turned ever so slightly), one of my favorite scents; I casually went to look for a new bottle, expecting to find it easily as it strikes me as their flagship scent. Imagine my horror when I discovered it was discontinued! It’s crazy! It’s a crime! It’s a crazy crime!!! Pardon me, but I’m apoplectic! Also in a bit of a haze, realizing that I really don’t keep up with the times anymore, ha ha, and this iconic scent slipped away when I wasn’t looking. When I first smelled Marc Jacobs, it felt like it was made just for me. Just heavenly, and reminded me a bit of my dear vintage Anne Klein, but a gardenia more sensual and softened. I also had the solid fragrance compact, which was a misty, wispy version, and even though it felt like a little brick in my evening bag (that sucker was heavy!), I always took it with me when I went out back in the day. This comment ended up longer than I meant it to be. I hope they’ll bring it back, and not reformulated beyond recognition. Ach. So sad. Just...all the sad emojis and gifs. Update: I snagged a couple of dabber minis. It will have to do.

When I first smelled it, it didn't impress me too much, I found it quite overbearing to be honest, but when I smelled the men version of it, I immediately made the connection with this one, and after the next sniff of Marc Jacobs, I was totally into it! OK, maybe not really after the next one, but anyway! I think to some of us it takes a little time till we get to understand this scent and be familiar with it, so my advice for those who find it too strong and maybe a bit repulsive is to give it one more chance, you may really start liking it. To me, this is one of the best fragrances I've ever tried or had! It's SO Marc Jacobs! I've never smelled a gardenia flower in my entire life, never smelled tuberose either so I can't figure out which is which! I imagine gardenias smell like this. It's such a rich floral smell, and it's long lasting. I have the perfume version, when I wear it I can still feel the scent the next day. I find it somewhat similar to it's brother, Blush, they have some similar notes. No wonder they both were created by Steve Demercado. Marc Jacobs smells more elegant and mature to me than Blush, who happens to be my favourite (at the moment, at least). If I had to describe it in one word, I'd go for "romantic".

Wonderful, refreshing gardenia that surrounds you without becoming overwhelming. In the first hour this is almost watery (may I even suggest aquatic?), then little by little turns a bit sweeter and, surprisingly, starts projecting more. This is a really delicate, elegant perfume; never too heavy if applied carefully, well-blended and quite safe. It might come across as being a bit linear for some people, as it evolves in the first two hours but then does not come up with new nuances any more, but who needs any evolution when you love it as it is? As for the best season to use this, I would say it is the epitome of a spring perfume, but it might be a good option in colder temperatures too. In the summer heat I suppose it could become sort of cloying, though. 10/10. All in all this exudes class, distinction and sophistication; it is at the other end of the line of sweeter, stronger white florals like Truth or Dare (Madonna) or Terracotta (Guerlain), which are not my cup of tea at all. If I had to compare this with any other white floral, I would choose vintage pre-reformulation "Michael" (by Michael Kors); but that one is a bit creamier and also colder than this one.

Pure gardenia on me and while it took a little getting used to because it overwhelmed me when I first started wearing it, I ended up LOVING it!! I tossed my empty bottle of MJ in the recycle bin about a month ago and I miss it! I used to pull gardenias from the bush in our yard and float them in little glasses all around our house so the house would smell like gardenias and that is what this smells like to my nose. It's a rich, heady scent and a little goes a long way. I spritzed some on my wrists and a spritz in the air, walked through the cloud and that was perfect for my 10 hour work day without choking those around me. I don't know if I will purchase it again since there are so many other scents I want to purchase. I promise myself a new scent for each bottle I finish in its entirety. I may get around to it again and even if not, if ever I want a familiar gardenia this is one I know works for me. Overall, IMO, it's a great scent one if you like a pure, white floral scent.

This is a lush, full, fresh white floral that always makes me feel pretty and beautiful. I find it extremely feminine without being too innocent, it's good for anyone but the very young. Very authentic and delicious rendering of the tuberose, lily of the valley and gardenia, maybe stephanotis - never too green or sharp, never too cloying or loud. Probably my favorite floral ever. To compare other florals I like, Jessica McClintock is a white bouquet as well but softer & sweeter, cheaper (in every way) and flirtier. Diorissimo and Annick Goutal La Muguet are both excellent lily of the valley soliflores, but I find Goutal's very crisp and green and it vanishes within an hour; Diorissimo lacks staying power as well but it's round, full, mellowed and intense - worth re-spraying all day. Stella McCartney Stella is a unique and lovely wilted sort of rose floral but I'm not familiar with the many variations and annual updates... Fracas is also related to Marc Jacobs to my nose.

I love this perfume, that's why I bought it. I am also stunned at how extremely low the staying power is in my case: even 30 minutes after applying it, I can't smell it on my skin! It must be my body chemistry. 2 weeks ago I bought 1.7 oz (50 ml) of Eau de Parfum and the bottle is half empty already - even though I have used other scents as well during the last 2 weeks. When I use it I reapply throughout the day and even in the first 30 minutes after applying I can only smell it faintly if I put my nose right on my skin I had the Marc Jacobs Gardenia Splash (300 ml) before and think they both smell very similar. Surprisingly, the splash, which is a body mist, lasted much, much longer on my skin (several hours) than the perfume. Has anyone else experienced this? I find this very odd and have never encountered anything like it with any of the other perfumes I had over the years.

This fragrance is very round, very soft, very light. I found it doesn't really last on my skin, but if I add a spritz to my hair, I can still smell it the next morning. It's really a pretty,classy fragrance, but it has no edge at all. I'm not really a soft, pretty person and I prefer my white florals to have just a little sharpness to them. I can see this working as an every day fragrance for a lot of people, but I'll probably only wear it occassionally. I haven't tried it yet in the really warm summer weather I get where I live, so maybe it will grow on me. ETA: We've had a couple of days in the 90s now, and this perfume really blooms in the heat. It is cool and milky and really lovely. The ginger comes out more stongly as well, which adds a little bite to the gardenia. Marc Jacobs won't work for me most of the year, but on those super hot days--gorgeous!

I love it when I reach for a bottle at the store on a whim and end up pleasantly surprised! This is a lovely creamy, clean white floral that feels like wearing a fine cotton white shirt - simple and feminine. It will make you feel beautifull and refreshed without overbaring you in any way. The green notes and the ginger peep in every now and then to make it more interesting. This is how Miss Dior Cherie L'Eau would smell, if she accidentally landed her ballons on the balcony of some handsome young man and decided she migh even go Mrs one day. Marc Jacobs reminds me a lot (both packaging and scent) of Cherie l'eau, just a tad more mature and serene. This is one of those perfumes that combines good staying power with close sillage. Stylish but never dead-serious and versatile enough for any occasion.

My absolute favourite. Soft, creamy gardenia. If you like slightly green, white floral scents that aren't too sweet - this is it. At first it's quite sharp and 'hard candy'-like tuberose, however it soon transfers into an elegant, chic, unique scent. It's truly magical! Not too sweet and not too common so you don't have to worry too much about someone else wearing it. I feel very sophisticated when wearing it, like a young lady that I am(26years old). The dry-down is just captivating to me - creamy gardenia. Gardenia so warm I want to bury my face it in. It feels as if I'm sliding down the thick, white gardenia petals that are soft and bouncy. Wonderful. My signature scent and will be for a while. Probably works better in springtime, however I've been wearing it since last autumn. (18)

My new husband was on the road for two days and finally he returned home to impatient me. He gives me a big hug and then steps back and says in suprise: "You smell pretty". Initially I was flattered. I was wearing a delightful big, fat, creamy, coldroom, gardenia soliflore (without the usual gardenia induced headache) & feeling pretty pleased about it myself. But then as the excitement of seeing him home ebbed, I felt a thrill of anxiety - why *exactly* was he so suprised? To elicit an unsolicited compliment no less? *eyes narrowed* "Why exactly do you like it honey"? "It smells like flowers!" says my enthusiastic spouse. So there you have it. Studying notes and tracing olfactory journeys be damned - Marc Jacobs smells like 'flowers'. And it is good. Amen.

I love the drydown - all gardenia tuberose loveliness. I first bought this when it came out in early 2000, it was one of the five perfumes I bought in the first 30 years of my life. The cap breaks easily, which is annoying. Can't remember what happened to my old bottle...anyway, when I started getting into fragrance these last six months or so I bought a mini off ebay. The top notes had worn off, so all I get when I first dab is hay and a slightly off green note. I haven't been super pleased with it, and today I decided to re-test. I got annoyed that it wasn't what I remembered, so I poured my mini down the drain. Yep. Two hours later, and the drydown is soft, subtle gorgeous warm spicy floral. What was I thinking pouring this juice down the drain? Sigh.

It had been my signature scent for years until I ran out of the last bottle. This was love at first sniff. I was stopped by this amazing scent when this was launched in Nordstrom 2004. The whole department store smell gardenia and honey sucker. The perfume is sweet but airy gardenia and when you pair the perfume with the lotion together, they dried down to an amazing, feminine, mesmerising scent that was unstoppable. The projection and long lasting together was beast mode. I got compliments ALWAYS. Everyone smelt you before you even come and after you leave. I wore this to night club occasionally and trust me, the perfume smashed all the sweat, alcohol, puke possible scents around you. It was a beast but a pleasant, lovely beast in a way.

Longevity and Silage amazing. Just a quick example. I sprayed some on a tissue and put it inside of a handbag to freshen it. I got the bag out 2 months later and the perfume is still going strong. Ok so generally these are all the notes I am not fond of. Jasmin, Gardenia and Tuberose. Yet somehow they morph together into the most creamiest soft and gentle lady like perfume. This is youthful, soft yet loud at the very same time, fresh, clean and confident. I envision a spring Bride wearing this on her wedding day. It just reminds me of youth, a pretty young bride beginning her new life. I absolutely adore this. I can't imagine anyone finding it offensive but if you are not keen on florals then run Forest run.

Another white flower sample to test! After being put off by cloying florals, I'm starting to discover such wonderful gems, and this one is no exception. Marc Jacobs goes on as a clean, white floral with equal parts gardenia, jasmine and tuberose. Gardenia then steps into the spotlight with jasmine and tuberose still supporting. Bergamot and ginger keep the floral composition aromatic and bright then accompany it to meet warm, and comforting cedar. Elegantly green and creamy without the heady sweetness. Lucid yet grounding at the same time. Uber feminine and very attractive. Fantastic longevity too. Naturally magnetic and versatile making it easy to dress up or down--perfect anytime, anywhere.

I have been wanting this perfume for the longest time and was heartbroken that it was discontinued when it was, as I never got my hands on a bottle. Thankfully for me I recently found a website that was selling it for a decent price, and I prayed that it was genuine and the scent had not gone off. It arrived, it is beautiful and I am ecstatic. It is exactly how I remember it from when I was younger, it's almost a beachy scent if that makes sense? On my drive to work today it was wafting through my car and made me so happy, it made me think that this is the scent I would wear on my wedding day, because it is such a classy and beautiful fragrance. Wonder why they discontinued it...

Thing with this perfume is...not whether you love it but whether it loves you!!! I smelled it on some people and its horrid, but on others and thankfully myself its a beauty.. Feminine, refreshing, memorable and a compliment getter! It's a beautiful, very fresh and green spring/summer scent, which has moderate sillage and good longevity, around 5 hours, more as a soft skin scent. You cannot fail to be impressed by the gardenia, it's an awesome crisp, green gardenia note so you have to love gardenia! Tuberose apparent, but in a back seat, and I do get the pepper and ginger but dead subtle. Excellently blended, not sweet but remember...try it, but IT may not love you!!!