Zara Gardenia 2017

MY SIGNATURE SCENT >>> BLACK OPIUM I never was into fragrance and Zara Gardenia was my safe place for the last 4/5 years. I bought bottle after bottle and never got bored, never disliked it if not with 40° in summer. This has been my signature scent and that's what I can say about it. 1. It's strong and you don't need to overspray; 2. On clothes it lasts for days; 3. Even if it's not in the 2017 version I still smell rum; 4. Everyone asks me if I'm wearing Black Opium; 5. On me BO doesn't last for more than 10 mins, this lasts for 5-6 hours; 6. On me it's sweet, amazingly sweet. WHAT I SMELL: In opening I smell bergamot, lemon, coffee and rum, a bit of Gardenia. But this is not a Gardenia smell. This is a gourmand smell for me. With time Bergamot, Lemon go away and leave space to coffee, rum and vanilla. I don't smell the floral honestly. After a one hour I smell the patchouli too. WHEN DO I WEAR IT: Every season except summer. Day time just a few spray. Night time a few more sprays. WHERE DO I WEAR IT: Everywhere. Even in the office. WOULD I BUY IT AGAIN: Yes. Even if I'm testing better brands now I don't know if I can not buy this. For its price it's incredible! DO I GET COMPLIMENTS: Always. People ask me if I'm wearing YSL BO.

I currently own this perfume and i love it dearly. For a relatively affordable price, the quality of this perfume is really good IMO. To me, i mostly get the combination of white floral and vanilla scents. This perfume is feminine, sweet, creamy and a little bit powdery. But it's definitely not "girly girl" scent. However, i don't get the coffee note like many have mentioned, though. The longevity on my skin is pretty moderate—although, it depends on when i'm wearing it. The scent tends to stay longer in a cooler climate and i'd say it'd stay on my skin for good 6 hours at most i that condition. On a warmer climate, 4 to 5 hours. The sillage is moderate. It's safe enough to be worn on the daily basis. I also noticed a lot of people comparing this perfume to YSL Black Opium, but since i never got to sniff that one, i can't really say much. However, i once meeting up with some friends and one of them actually said that i must've had been wearing YSL Black Opium that night when in fact i wasn't, so work it out for yourself. I also would like to mention how i'd gotten quite a few compliments while wearing this perfume.

I love this scent on my wife. It's not a Gardenia Bomb meaning that does not behave like a beastie fragrance. Its sillage and longevity are a bit above average and it projects quite heavily during the first hour. It opens very fresh with berries and mandarin as the main notes. The heart is tottaly dominated by white flowers (mainly gardenia of course, but a bit of jasmin and other sweet white flowers - orange blossom?). The dry down is really gourmand and pleasant with dominant vanilla and cashmere wood. Although it has a vibe of Black Opium, I really think that this fragrance is preety close from Dior Addict Eau de Parfum, although I do not consider it a clone. Considering the price (my wife paid €17.50 for 200 ml EDP) you can respray freely and make it last a lot longer. It also helps if you spray clothes or hair. Bearing in mind all that matters most in a perfume (scent, performance, cost and compliments), I would rate this EDP as a very clear 9.0/10.0. I hope other men will have the chance to scent it on their loved ones as well. It's really a magnificent EDP.

The notes listed here are different from those listed on the Zara site. The Gardenia at the time of this review (May 2019) is a very good dupe for Black Opium. The Zara site says,"Eastern-inspired eau de parfum. Fragrance pyramid includes notes of orange blossom, coffee and vanilla. A feminine, intense and modern fragrance." I'm delighted with it. I've seen some reviews that mention they don't smell the coffee note. I definitely do, and that's one of the things I love about it.

Love at first sniffff!! I didn't have the time to read all your comments in the shop, I only read the notes, and, I'm so glad I decided to grab this little gem. My little 30ml edp fits perfect in my tiny hand, and it smells perfect, just as you described it, it is a nice dupe for Opium (I havn't got it myself, but it / they smells so very good), my little "Gardenia" will make me very happy, very very happy !!!