Gardenia

I really like this fragrance - however, I don't think it's a close dupe to Black Opium as most say. I own both fragrances. The drydown isn't drastically different but BO is slightly sweeter. Gardenia has a very, very long lasting and feminine drydown which I love. If I spray it on my clothes, I'll get whiffs of that DNA until I wash them again - so longevity is phenomenal despite sillage being moderate. It copies the YSL DNA drydown extremely well. The first spray is where you feel the most difference from BO. Gardenia is a bit more alcohol intense, more floral and lighter - less sweet overall despite still having a slight hint of coffee. If you've ever thought: "I wish there was a more daytime-focused version of Black Opium", get Gardenia because it fits that bill. I generally wear Gardenia if i want something like Black Opium during the day and the original Black Opium for nighttime. Gardenia's also office and work appropriate, I'd say. Feminine and youthful, not very jarring or as bold as BO. I'd say it can go all year-around as a signature even: I don't personally wear it in Winter because I tend to prefer more intense gourmand/darker/sweeter perfumes when it's really cold out. All of this being said, it's an amazing perfume for the price point it's at and one of Zara's most well-achieved fragrances.

So I got the shimmering leg oil because I already own Black Opium which I read this is supposed to be a dupe for when I bought this one. This really does smell like Black Opium! A teeny tiny bit of this leg oil goes a very long way for me! It is very moisturizing, and doesn't irritate my skin at all. One slight squeeze of the pump and all sides of my lower legs are very well moisturized with a tiny bit of glitter (you really have to look for it to notice which idm). I dare say I could have spread this oil to the top of my feet/ankles which get very dry and/or my thighs because this is incredibly moisturizing. I haven't been wearing this one long enough to comment on longevity yet, however. For $12.90 for 1.7 Oz of this shimmering leg oil, this is a hell of a steal though in my opinion, wow! This also gives me CH Good Girl vibes as well, but it is a much lighter/less bitter scent than that one is.

I bought one of those tiny 10ml bottles from Zara because I've heard it smells like Black Opium and wanted to see if it is true and compare both scents. It is an exact dupe! The scent is sweet-ish, you can feel the coffee and spices, vanilla too but it is not the main note in my opinion. It is definitely the sexiest perfume I own, I bought the big bottle shortly after. Gardenia is also the first perfume I've received a compliment on and this is something really importat to me as I have a pretty big scent collection at home. It is also very long lasting - I can often feel it on my skin even after a shower. Definitely worth the money, bravo Zara!

Hard grape candy with a yummy coffee caramel center--like chupa chups. (So why oh why is it called Gardenia?) The grape part is like a punch in the nose by an obnoxious tween, and the topnotes smell really cheap. I loathed it so much the first day, it was relegated to toilet spritzer. But then, the lush coffee, caramel vanilla scent comes through, and it's amazing. The WC has never smelled so good (too good--it's weirding me out). I'm tempted to give the bottle a good scrub and rescue the poor cinderella. Or look around for a gourmand that doesn't start out so offensively. I just want half of this perfume--the second half.

Gardenia, or the fake twin of Black Opium. If you do a blind test, the two fragrances are fraternal twins. They are very similar, but there are some subtle differences if you dig just a little deeper. While Black Opium is the more serious, deep and dark twin, Gardenia is the lighter, floral, and brighter one. I must admit, though, that Gardenia has the DNA of the Zara fragrances; a bit of a screechy note, but overall, Gardenia is a well-made floral coffee fragrance. Wonderful dupe and even a perfume that can stand on its own. Hats off Zara!

Definitely smells like Black Opium's softer little sister! I was never a fan of the original (too sharp), but I love this one (2021). The orange blossom is not strong at all in here (thank God), and you're left with a quite tasty sweet vanilla-coffee scent. I get a hint of patchouli in here, but it might be the notes combo confusing me. Tip: pair this with Tobacco Vanille (or a dupe) to turn your arm/hair/whatever into the tastiest coffee-sprinkled smoky vanilla cake 🤤

What is this alchemy! This smells like sweet vanillic coffee in warm weather and like heady gardenia / white floral when it’s cold. Some nights when I’m craving desserts, I just spray this all over myself. Also, I remind myself I have this every time I think I need to purchase another thick and addictive vanilla fragrance. I also have BO, and Gardenia is much sweeter than that, which is ok because they cater to entirely different vibes despite sharing a DNA.

Dark beauty! Every once in a while Zara has a legit fragrance with longevity and sillage to compete with the big names. Zara Man (the blue 2012 edition) and now this. It's still going strong, projecting hours after I first applied it. When you get tired of fresh, bright, sparkling notes, this is a good segue. It's smooth but not too sweet. While it isn't boring by any means, it isn't so unfamiliar that you can't wear it casually or in the office.

I really love this fragrance, it was almost a “gateway” perfume into Black Opium before I could get it but now that I have it I find Gardenia to be... pretty different? it’s not an exact dupe at all, Black opium is a lot sweeter, spicier and heavier imo while gardenia is a lot less heavy and has a stronger.. or different coffee note I actually slightly prefer it to black opium especially in the hotter months/mornings

It smells like coffee, jasmine and a bit of vanilla. Even though jasmine wasn't on the list, it seemed that way to me. You can use it anywhere, it can be boring in summer time because it is a very sweet scent, but I use it because I like the scent in general. It's much nicer than black opium, the coffee note doesn't bore you, it's pretty nice. Consider it too sweet

Beautiful, delicious smell. To be honest, I only bought this cause it was on sale and I ended up falling in love. I just use it as an everyday perfume for uni, but it would work for night time as well. The sweet coffee and floral combination is amazing. The scents do not overpower each other; instead, they blend together perfectly. Definitely will repurchase.

Such a great blend of notes! It smells kind of sweet, but with a dark mysterious undertone. The vanilla and coffee notes are quite strong. Smells similar to YSL Black Opium. I'd say it's more suited for night-time, but I love it so much that I honestly wear it all the time. I'm also very pleasantly surprised by the longevity, as it lasts almost all day on me.

It smells like a sweet warm cup of cappuccino and I smell some white flowers in the background. It ́s the exact dupe for YSL Black Opium, the longevity and sillage is less but for the price it ́s really amazing how good it smells. I got the new bottle yesterday, it ́s not in the database yet, I posted a picture on fragram, I think it looks adorable 🖤

Not a dupe of black opium but definitely similar. A more stripped back version, not as deep and sensual. This is my everyday perfume it's perfect for every occasion and layers with other scents very well. Generally very likeable and at an amazing price- I got mine in December sales for ~£14 but I would be happy to repurchase at full price

Doesn’t smell like black opium, doesn’t smell like coffee either! My High school favorite sweet perfume! It’s sugary sweet, slightly softened by vanilla, and very floral. This might give someone a toothache. It’s very nostalgic to me. Something what made me love gardenia, but I doubt she is present in this perfume

I am blown away, this perfume is so good for what you pay. I do not smell coffee at all, which is good for me because i don't like that. Very close to opium le perfume, but gardenia is more in your face from the moment you spray, like a lot of zara perfumes are. Why even bother with the expensive brands anymore?

It’s so close to black opium but it lacks the depth of black opiums base notes. Saying that, it’s incredibly close as a dupe and lasts a lot longer than most Zara perfumes, and amazing value. Can’t wait to wear this, one of my instant new favourites.

love love this one! favorite zara perfume so far! its a classic for a reason def. beautiful and perfect for every weather. however, as predicted, the sillage and longevity is bad. 8/10

My favorite Zara perfume so far, it's a very deep, musky, sexy scent, very much a night fragrance. It does not last very long, so when I use it I always have to reapply it

LOVE IT It’s black opium and hundred silent ways’ younger sister. Absolutely beautiful fragrance, I wish they’d come out with an elixir version. It’s so pretty and sweet.