Hi there APJ Family,
One of my fragrant highlights has been to meet and speak with Joe Garces, ex top man at Robert Piguet. Basically, he’s the guy that resurrected the Robert Piguet line and added a slew of fabulous new fragrances. Many of them instant modern classics like his riff on Fracas, Petit Fracas: where he oversaw the adding of an enormous juicy fruit note at the top and sliding in a dry cacao not into the base creating a super floral gourmand, Bois Noir: the Piguet answer to the deep, dark, woods experience and Alameda: their stunning lily, rose and animal extravaganza only available in very limited outlets worldwide.
Today we have the last of Joe Garces overseen fragrance releases. I wonder if Piguet will now sink back into the shadows or if it can continue creating masterpieces?
Gardenia by Aurelien Guichard for Robert Piguet 2014
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Gardenia, lily, ylang ylang
Heart: Madagascar vanilla
Base: Black leather, cashmeran, spice, woods
I was lucky enough to sample Gardenia at Libertine Parfumerie pre release, Nick was so freaking excited and it was infectious. The sample he gave me leaked in my bag so I still have gorgeous remnants of it still wafting around in there but I never got it on my skin. Shame because I love Gardenia scents and I have a definite favourite, the Gardenia by Skincare & Perfume Co here in Australia.
So, how does Piguet’s Gardenia measure up? My first impressions are creamy, vanilla and ylang. Warm, sensual and inviting. TOTALLY tropical and I’m surprised that there is no coconut note listed. A warm tropical night on some remote island, I love this kind of fragrance, heavy and hefty but filled with the memory of sunshine and maintaining a lovely, vibrant, comfortable heat. What is maintained throughout is a delicate, soft and alluring vanilla that is like fresh skin, or the dreamiest fresh, healthy skin you could ever imagine.
Photo Stolen Pixabay
The woods arrive and basically I get very pretty and completely wearable vanilla woods with the softest and cleanest hint of gardenia till the fragrance fades from my ability to smell anything other than a warm wash at around the 4-5 hour mark.
Lovely. Gardenia is enchanting and lovely. Not really a gardenia on my skin so if the idea of the note scares you then this could be a perfect gateway for you. A lovely sketch of a gardenia perhaps? Also if applied sparingly I think it could be a sensational work scent.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
(Funny but disgusting aside: I went to the toilet while wearing this and suddenly I had the most perfect and beautiful gardenia scent, it was a profoundly extraordinary olfactory moment)
Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon and Fragrantica
Libertine Parfumerie has $239/100ml
Harrods has £150/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $7/ml
This would make a perfect gift buy. The fragrance is lovely but not challenging, bottle is excellent and that black glass will keep the juice fresh for years longer than clear glass.
Portia xx
Gardenia GIVEAWAY
WHAT CAN YOU WIN?
This week we will have 1 Winner who will get:
1 x 2ml Gardenia by Robert Piguet decant (nearly full remnants from my sample)
P&H to the USA
HOW DO YOU WIN?
Open to everyone WORLDWIDE who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.
You must tell me how you follow APJ
and
Please comment on Gardenia: it’s is a hard one to replicate, what are your favourite gardenia fragranes and why?
Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Gardenia by Robert Piguet GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-3dG #Perfume #Giveaway @LibertineParfum
HOUSEKEEPING
Entries Close Sundayday 28th September 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org or a fun other way
The winners will have till Thursday 2nd October 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.


