Taire by Tama Blough

Gardenia has long been a fragrance note that has been elusive in natural perfumery. The big, bosomy flower we pin to our clothing, wear in our hair, or float in a bowl to fragrance the air around us, the gardenia jasminoidus, is almost impossible to extract a usable distillation from. Perfumers have been able to approximate the heady aroma by creating blends of other white flowers, but capturing the waxy, overblown smell of a real gardenia is a bit elusive. The only type of gardenia that has been successfully captured for perfumery is the variety also known as Tiare (gardenia taetensis). Tiare flowers have been used historically to make monoi tiare, a simple enfleurage* using coconut oil and used as part of a beauty regimen, but a purer, more intense absolute for perfume use has been a rarity. Perfumer Mandy Aftel of Aftelier Perfumes found a grower who painstakingly distills his tiare flowers to create an exquisite absolute, and used it to create her newest fragrance, Cuir de Gardenia.

Saints on the Bayou by George Rodrigue

I have a penchant for what I term “corrupt” florals. These are scents that capture the extraordinary last gasp of a fragrant bloom just before it dies, and often have a slight undercurrent of decay. I love these dark, mysterious aromas, because they send me right into the deepest parts of my imagination. I see with my mind’s eye the once-beautiful bouquet withering on the grave, the wetly green decadence of a tropical jungle, the magic-laden Southern swamplands. Cuir de Gardenia is the perfect capture of peak beauty and near-corruption.

EP cover art, Elephant, Mouthful of Flowers

Ms. Aftel did an unusual thing when she created this perfume: she decided to allow the gardenia to burst forth immediately, so didn’t add any of the usual, more sprightly top notes that generally open a perfume. Cuir de Gardenia puts your nose deep into the bloom the second you apply it. Heady doesn’t begin to describe it; it is more opulent, nearly narcotic. Wet and deep, this is a floral perfume for stormy days and sultry nights. The animalic, slightly sweet notes in the base add the leathery aromas, surrounding the flower in decadence.

Gardenia in Landscape by Suppharat Ratcharin

Wearing Cuir de Gardenia is quite extraordinary. I have both versions that are available for purchase, parfum extrait and solid. Each offers a different experience, and I truly cannot decide which I prefer. The solid is one of the best I have ever tried; normally I have to scrape a chunk of wax out of the container and smear it on to even smell anything, but the concentration of perfume in this is wonderful. A little swipe of my finger on the surface and applied to skin is sufficient for several hours. The parfum has a bit more oomph up top, and seems a bit more pungent and green, whereas the solid is a bit smoother, with a more animalic feel. The differences are subtle, and both are lovely. Longevity for both is quite decent for natural pefumes.

Notes:

Middle: tiare (gardenia) absolute, jasmine grandiflorum absolute, benzyl acetate (natural isolate).
Base: castoreum, ethyl phenyl acetate (natural isolate), maltol (natural isolate).

Cuir de Gardenia is available on the Aftelier website, in 7.5 ml solid perfume ($240, shown at top of article) and 2 ml extrait mini ($55 shown above). Due to the scarce nature of the raw mateials for this perfume, it is of potentially limited availability.

I received my samples from Aftelier Perfumes.

Tama Blough, Senior Editor

Thanks to the generosity of Ms. Aftel and Aftelier Perfumes, we have a draw for any reader worldwide for a sample set that includes both solid and extrait. Leave a comment about what appeals to you about this scent, and if you have a favorite Aftelier perfume. Draw ends January 10, 2014.

*Note: for the story of enfleurage, read contributor and perfumer David Falsberg's article here.