Pur Desir de Gardenia

Aaah Gardenias, the epitome of the classic lady. Creamy and fill of softness and magical sweetness...some say old lady, I say refined and elegant. At one point in time, I owned all of the Pur Desir line (in one form or another). As my collection grew, something had to give...this scent is much more feminine than I am; so, it went to a dear friend (along with the accompanying lotion and wash). When her daughter threatened to take hers, I surrendered my back-ups as well *gasps*. Somethings just go better on a woman than a man...gardenia (INHO) is one of them. The Green Book of Beauty (strangely, not released last year-2010)lists this as a "creamy airy floral"...right again, YR! This has a subtle beauty to it, and a seductive side that is at once playful and seriously sexy. As it dries completely, there is something slightly "rubbery" in there (tuberose, perhaps) but it is soft and non-invasive and adds to the overall character of the scent. The name Pur Desir de Gardenia means "pure desire" of gardenia, not PURE gardenia, so I assume there are other complementary notes as well (like almond in the Lilas). A very nice soliflore, if you go in for such things...on me the aforementioned "rubber" accord is more pronounced, on my mother it was heavenly. Perhaps, this is just nature's way of saying "No Boys Allowed!"... Sillage: good Longevity: okay Overall: 3/5 Que sera sera, as he old song goes. Whatever will be will be...PDdGardenia and I were just not meant to be, though I do really like her style...

This is one of the best perferred fragrances of my mommy, she does like white flowers (Diorissimo and Cabotine being her top favourites). I do like gardenias. And as many others have mentioned, this is to date the most realistic snd true to flower fragrance i could find. The gardenia here is waxy but very green, not mixed with any tuberose nor jasmine. Not sweet. You can feel the greenery of the gardenia bush. Its tickling your nostrils. Smells simplicity, clean, and feminine. It smells like a bush of gardenia buds. It is a truly good, mono-theme fragrance. And, who said the cheap cannot be good? Gardenia is (was) one of the best if not the best in this Pur Desir line (I have also had Lilas, Mimose, Fleur d'oranger & Pivoine). They discontinued it, much to my dismay. A must have for Gardenia collectors.

I just got a sample of this today and am surprised at how realistic it smells! This is a true gardenia scent - just like burying your face in the actual flower. There are no other flowers to take the spotlight here - gardenia is center stage! It is such a shame that it has been discontinued. If you are a fan of Pur Desir de Gardenia, then you may want to try Lulu Beauty Starlet. It smells very similar to this, but with a lot more sillage and lasting power. When I first smelled Starlet I was shocked at how much it smelled just like an actual gardenia. None of the mainstream "gardenias" smell like the real deal, so imagine my surprise when I sniffed Pur Desir de Gardenia and discovered that it smelled like a true gardenia just like my beloved Starlet. I hope Yves Rocher brings back this lovely fragrance!

This is the best gardenia fragrance I have ever smelled. It is light and true to the delicate scent of the flower (and I grew up in a tropical country where we had a gardenia bush close to my bedroom window, so I know!). It is like burying your nose into the soft white petals on a cool, pure, clean morning, when sensuality and heat are only a promise. It manages to be clean without being "green" or herbal, and never develops that puzzling coconut note that I hate, and that so many so-called gardenia fragrances are weighted down by.

My mum used to have this perfume. She got it as a gift from my uncle. I was 6 or 7 at the time... now I’m 27. I only remembered the bottle. I searched on Google just using the description of the bottle. I didn’t know the name, but the smell was — and still is — in my memory. I’m looking for a dupe, but I haven’t found it yet. Maybe one day I will, In Sha Allah. From my description, you already know how beautiful the scent was...

Really gardenia. I used to love Yves Rocher particularly the ‘Pur Desir’ line and ‘Evidence’ which was my go to perfume most days. Thanks to Brexit Yves Rocher shut down their UK website and have done hardly any advertising anyway. Such a pity. The brand needs a shot in the arm.

There is no more authentic gardenia than this. The stems, leaves, dew, petals, you can literally smell them all. YR had a masterpiece with this fragrance, like many of their others, and it's nearly impossible to find now. Someone in YR needs to be fired for incompetence.

just Pure Fresh Gardenia, nothing else. What a pity it has been discontinued...my first and last bottle was purchased in 2006 when the YR shop was on 70% sale on the other products except for perfumes, so I got it on a full price but still pretty happy I remember.

I just found a brand new, boxed, full bottle of Pur Desir de Gardenia well hidden in my backup stash! As i still have another bottle in use, i will put the brand new one up for sale; l ship Europe only. Be aware it's a rarity... PM me if interested!

Pur Desir de Gardenia is a perfect soliflore. It smells exactly like a gardenia in full bloom, nothing less, and what could be more if you adore gardenia?... Sadly it has been discontinued long ago, and I mourn over it since years.

Somehow the remind of button doesn't work on my phone. Therefore I have to say in the review: it smells so similar to Estee Lauder private collection gardenia tuberose!!! Utterly madness to discontinue this one!!!

Can't believe Rocher has D/C'd this. To my mind, it is the most authentic, natural, transparent gardenia perfume I have ever smelled... All the facets are there: lemon, santal, milk, pollen, frangipani, dewdrops.

Before this was discontinued, it was the best cheap thrill. Ever. It's startlingly realistic and smells just like fresh gardenias. Transparent; powerful. And the bath & body care in it was to die for!

The smell of paradise. There's nothing more true gardenia than this scent. Impossible to find today, a true beautiful hot summer intoxicating gardenia perfume.

Just like everyone else says...really beautiful, incredibly true. Dreamy, creamy gardenia. Perfection.

heavenly creamy sweet fresh gardenia...so real and natural...

A memory from the past. I love this perfume.

There are some fragrances which feature one single note and Gardenia is one of them. And it that fragrance does it well. It smells just like gardenia flowers - sweet, powdery, a bit bitter and grassy. I couldn't find any other notes. I don't know whether these days it is fashionable to smell this way. And I doubt if people other than gardenia fans would wear it. The true is that you may find its simplicity either repulsive or attractive. Personally I liked this fragrance when I was wearing it. It made me smell unique and, perhaps, a bit old-fashioned.

What you smell is pure gardenia!! Very creamy and also plus side is, it is not a juicy aquatic fresh gardenia, it is thick, strong and feminine. Yes it is one sided but does not feel like an air-freshener, quite lovely floral. It has also incredible staying power, I taken out a dress that I wore last winter from my wardrobe and cannot believe that I still smell the perfume, after one year.. I also have the Pur Desir de Lilas, it is also good but not as strong as Gardenia version..

Sorry to hear it's discontinued, as it was surely a fabulous perfume bargain. Yes, it's one-sided, but it isn't synthetic feeling or unpleasant, and it gives a really nice soft bang for the buck. It's not a fave for me, but it's a nice pick-me-up as I drift off to sleep, or if I just want to reach and grab something on the run. I'm surprised that Fragrantica's blurb mentions fruity in this scent. I usually despise fruity scents, but I've never noticed anything fruity in this.

This is surprisingly good - a more accurate and balanced evocation of the flower than a lot of other, more expensive (and pretentious) attempts. I think it works best on a warm night, with a white shirt and tanned skin. Lovely.

I had this several times. Unfortunately it has been discontinued. I like the pure smell of it. It's a good office scent and nice for daytime wear.

As a yong girl I used to leve this one. Pure Gardenia. ^___^

Category: White floral, earthy Notes: As someone deeply unfamiliar with gardenia I’d describe this as a mildly spicy, sweeter and deeply earthy version of lily-of-the-valley. Reading the note description I can tell you I definitely get the mushroom thing as it grows increasingly more mushroomy with time. Vibe: Fairy ring. Button mushrooms. Minecraft dark oak biome. White chocolate. Mycelium. Snowdrops. Charm bracelet. Yodeling. Mountain goats. Soil. Deciduous forest. A humid day in early September. Salamander. Lichen. Tadpoles. Sillage: 5/10. Just enough. No massive sillage, but also definitely not a skin scent. You will catch whiffs of it leaning in for a hug or passing by. Longevity: 5/10. Decent longevity on all Pur Desir fragrances, this one will last you anywhere between 3-7 hours depending on weather and body heat. Wear: I would say this is very much a spring perfume, maybe summer too. Quite feminine but could work on a guy with a bit of a mystical aura. In my opinion suitable for any age range but perfect for 30-45. Definitely office approved as it is in no way loud or offensive, just unique. Overall rating: 5.5/10. I seriously don’t know how to feel about this one. From the nozzle of the bottle this smells gorgeous, fresh and sweet, and for the first 10 minutes on skin that’s what you get. A sweeter lily-of-the-valley with an earthy depth that feels almost ethereal. But the longer it stays on, the more that earthiness develops and deepens, to a point where it indeed leans sort of mushroom-y, as gardenia is sometimes described. It’s that mushroominess that I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around, and an even harder time deciding if I love it or hate it. It is certainly unique, unlike anything I’ve ever smelled before and that includes other fragrances that supposedly have prominent gardenia in the mix. No gardenia forward scent that I’ve tested before has really lived up to the idea of “earthy mushroom”. Would I say this is green? Not particularly. While I can see why people would like to call this scent lactonic or creamy, I would say it’s neither - it’s a third, secret thing, which if I was forced to describe with a gun against my head would call buttery with a touch of almond. It is smooth, dense, almost fatty but not quite. Genuinely such a difficult note to describe. Ultimately, I don’t think this is for me, but I do admit that this is just one of those scents you have to try out a few times to get a better grasp of, and so I will. Will report back in the future with an update on what my conclusion comes to be. Who would wear it?: Tilda Swinton. For men, this is yet another Joe Black in Meet Joe Black (1998) kind of fragrance.

Wow, what can I say? Skin chemistry is *everything*. I adore gardenia and was stoked to find a reasonably priced one that gets raves. Unfortunately, on my skin this smells like a heavily synthetic room spray. Total scrubber for me. To be fair, it may just be the way YR formulate their stuff, because I've tried a few others from this line and all of them smell synthetic on my skin.

Currently cleaning out my perfume closet à la Marie Kondo. It's always hard throwing out fragrances because they bring you right back to a certain time in your life, which is why I'm writing this review. I want to remember how this scent made me feel (Part 4). I received Pur Gardenia as a set from an aunt, and it came with a body lotion and solid perfume in a cute flower-shaped tin. The scent takes me back to high school, where it was a welcome relief from the sickly-sweet Calgons and Victoria's Secrets that filled the hallways. True to its name, this is a pure gardenia -- buttery white petals with a hint of green. I'll forever associate it with the grey shoulder bag I had tied a floral scarf to, to make me feel more sophisticated! Thank you, Pur Gardenia, for your service, and farewell!

It is a shame that this scent is discontinued, as it is one of the few perfumes that captures all the elements of gardenia so beautifully, while still being a ‘perfume’. It is gentle like the flower and has slight hints of everything you would find with the real thing. In fact, it’s on my list as one of the best perfume interpretations of gardenia – with the addition of a touch more sweetness. The good news is that this perfume is a little similar to Estee Lauder’s Tuberose Gardenia, the latter being unfortunately quite a strong, down to business version, i.e. lacking the soft gentleness of Pur Desir de Gardenia. If you are lucky enough to ever come across a bottle of this second hand – grab it!

I really like Pur Desir de Gardenia - it smells strongly of gardenia and has a lot of staying power - especially when paired with a gardenia body lotion. The only problem I have is something that just happened for the first time today - that the first few seconds after I sprayed it on myself it smelled rotten. Maybe it's just too much Coca-Cola? Heh. But once it settled in it smelled just like it should - like a huge bouquet of gardenias. Great for winter, to remind us of the coming spring, and in the spring to bring a bit of the outdoors inside with us.

This is one of the most realistic gardenia perfumes I've tried. Lush, wet, green stemmy-gardenia petals. I'm confused as to why Yves Rocher would discontinue this? But here we are... This perfume would garner compliments from everyone, young, old, people on the street, and my hubby, who normally doesn't dig floral perfumes on me. For folks who want a realistic gardenia at a great price, I'd try Terra Nova's Gardenia perfume oil. It's a nearly exact dupe, longer lasting and still in production.

I grow gardenia. I wait for every may and june for the magnificient flowers to pop up. So i know exactly how these flowers smell and this perfume was the most genuine one from head to toe. I have tried many gardenia’s from estee to isabey, from pennies to hundred dolar worths. Search not found. Pleasee yves rocher bring it back. It was way better than any other.

Lushest, wettest, freshest, creamiest jungle gardenia. White petals and thick green leaves. That's it and it's all there. This is the most realistic gardenia fragrance. Absolutely amazing. Why in the world would Yves Rocher discontinue this?! I only have the gardenia soap bar left which I keep in my closet and treasure dearly.

I can't believe it was discontinued, this was a perfume that proved that inexpensive is not equivalent to cheap !! it was just FRESH GARDENIA, not too sweet , not too anything just like the natural beauty of the charming white flower , why was it discontinued beats me, now would someone please recommend an alternative ?

As many people have mentioned, this is a very natural gardenia. I cannot discern any other notes - just the creamy smooth and soft gardenia. I still have a bottle somewhere because I could not wear it; would gladly swap for something wood and honey.

I happened to run across a bottle of this even though it's been discontinued. Opening the lid I was SHOCKED at how realistic this scent is. It is absolutely the most realistic, pure gardenia, just like the ones that grow in my yard.

When I got Pur Desir de Gardenia I loved it. I was hooked by this unique scent and didn't stop wearing it for a week. But then the scent started irritating me by the same qualities I used to like: it's very overpowering and strong.

I think that one suits real well women who work in offices, banks, etc because smells strongly but is soft at the same time and last whole morning,women of any age but more beetwen 35 to 55

Gardenia is one of my favourite flowers. This perfume really smells like the flower itself. I do not wear this as a perfume, i use it as a "room-scent".

This scent is only for true gardenia lovers. As it is not me I don't like this scent. It does not smell good on me, kinda sour and weird.

if it were a single scent for all the spring flowers, this one would be it. a pleasant scent, refreshing yet warm

The lactonic acord is so vivid, that when I see somewhere that it also has lactonic notes I think of this scent.

Very one-sided, but for those who love the creamy gardenia flowers, it's just the right scent.

Best gardenia perfume ever.. why the hell was it discontinued .. this is so saaaaaaaaaad :(

The finest gardenia fragrance ever made.