Gardénia

Chanel presents Gardénia as an olfactory representation of the camellia: a floral eau de parfum in which the gardenia accord, made of jasmine, tuberose and ylang-ylang, meets the luminous softness of orange blossom. The house publishes neither top nor base notes.

Heart

For the house, orange blossom brightens a heart that opens beside the gardenia accord. Elena Vosnaki reads in it a white floral accord, a green and fresh jasmine, a clean, cologne-like orange blossom and a touch of tuberose.

Base

The house does not detail the base. Elena Vosnaki perceives a delicate vanilla base, very light and soft, with little sweetness; in the modern version, she smells no gardenia note as such.

The original version

Elena Vosnaki describes the old Gardénia as built on a narcissus base, with a green accent of styrallyl acetate, a violet top and a woody base close to that of Bois des Îles, with a lingering touch of vetiver.

What stays out

Mimosa, green notes and fruity notes, long associated with the perfume, do not appear in the composition the house publishes. Chanel’s gardenia is not an essence but an accord, which the house composes from jasmine, tuberose and ylang-ylang.

What the label declares

The list published for the eau de parfum counts twenty-nine ingredients. After alcohol, water and fragrance come hexyl cinnamal, benzyl salicylate, linalool and hydroxycitronellal; it also names cananga, the ylang-ylang tree, rose, jasmine and lemon peel oil.

It declares neither UV filter nor colorant. It also lists vanillin, as well as eugenol and isoeugenol, two molecules smelling of clove, and methyl salicylate.