Jovoy Paris Gardez Moi (Bertrand Duchaufour) Review + Old Hollywood Glamour Draw

June 10, 2020June 10, 2020

Jovoy Paris Gardez Moi & Joan Crawford photo books (Photo: Despina Veneti)©

“I loved gardenias. I wore gardenias everywhere. But unfortunately, I’d have to throw them away about an hour after I’d put them on. They just turned brown. Nothing you can do about it. I just have too much body heat…” – Joan Crawford in Paul Trent’s “The Image Makers: Sixty Years Of Hollywood Glamour”, 1972.

Joan Crawford with gardenias in a series of MGM publicity stills (Compilation by Despina Veneti, from her own photo archives) ©

In her 1971 book “My Way of Life”, Joan Crawford states that the fragrances she “would never want to live without” at the time were Estée Lauder Youth Dew, Lanvin Spanish Geranium and Royal Lyme, a man’s cologne; she also points out that one and only perfume cannot suit a woman for every occasion, let alone all her life. However, when Joan was in her late 20s and 30s, during her MGM heyday and at the apogee of her beauty, no other scent was as irresistible for – or as closely identified with – her as that of gardenia’s. She would keep bowls of the pearly white, swirling flowers all over her house, wear them on her hair, neck and waist, or pin them on furs, suits, gowns, even on evening purses. Fan magazines noted Miss Crawford’s “gardenia obsession”, and the studio’s publicity department even had a humoristic photo montage made, with Joan’s head as the centre of a gigantic gardenia blossom (included in the photo collage above).

“Gardenia Joan” I (Creative collage & digital effects by Despina Veneti, using a studio publicity still)©

The film-going public loved such little “intimate details” about their beloved stars being revealed, and the studio would gladly encourage any kind of clean-cut, scandal-free publicity that kept the fans happy; in this spirit, Miss Crawford’s gardenia passion was even showcased in her movies, allowing for her favorite flowers to sometimes embellish or accessorize the splendid Gilbert Adrian fashions that she wore on screen. Unfortunately, actual gardenias wouldn’t survive Joan’s body heat for more than an hour; to keep herself enveloped by the scent of a freshly cut flower the whole night through, she started wearing Tuvaché Jungle Gardenia (launched in 1932, this fragrance became an instant success in Hollywood circles, and subsequently all over USA). Although Joan had by then acquired dozens of fragrances in her collection, Jungle Gardenia was to be her signature scent for more than a decade. When she briefly returned to MGM’s Culver City studios for “Torch Song” in 1953, she was welcomed back with a (highly publicized) V.I.P. treatment. Next to the lavish gifts, there was a comparatively modest gesture of attention: the gateman would greet Miss Crawford every morning offering her a fresh gardenia – a rather touching tribute to one of the studio’s greatest, most enduring stars.

“Gardenia Joan” II (Creative collage & digital effects by Despina Veneti, using a studio publicity still)©

Smelling Jovoy Paris Gardez Moi for the first time, my mind instantly went to the young, radiant, ever-energetic Joan Crawford, and her yearning for capturing and possessing the elusive scent of a freshly-bloomed gardenia. I then learned that François Hénin, founder of the Jovoy Parfums Rares stores and creative director of the eponymous perfume brand, intended Gardez Moi to be a loving homage to some of the most faithful clients of the historic House of Jovoy: the fabulous, bold and fascinating Parisian cocottes of the roaring ’20s, whose perfumes had to be appropriately extravagant, opulent and downright seductive. The fragrance’s name, “Gardez Moi”, literally means “Keep Me” – but beyond its allusions to “kept women”, this name is to me the call of the Gardenia herself: she begs (or orders?) to be captured and safeguarded in a perfume that would do justice to her natural magnificence. Thankfully, Bertrand Duchaufour heard her call loud and clear; the great perfumer fully honoured the floral diva, composing a fragrance that highlights the gardenia’s most alluring aspects, with many other beautiful ingredients playing supporting parts to her indisputable lead.

Counter-clockwise: Founder/creative director of Jovoy Paris François Hénin, Master Perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour & Jovoy Paris Gardez Moi (Photos 1 & 2 courtesy of Jovoy, photo 3 by Despina Veneti)©

M. Duchaufour reconstructs a newly bloomed gardenia in all its creamy-white, waxen-like perfection, altogether fresh and vegetal, tropical and moist, sensual and carnal. Supported by other splendid florals (jasmine, ylang-ylang, mimosa, white lily) that do not antagonize, let alone outshine her, the gardenia of Jovoy Paris Gardez Moi starts out spectacularly green (with the modern touch of tomato leaf) and slightly fruity (a combination of a raspberry note, with the banana undertones of ylang-ylang), spiced up by a generous sprinkle of black pepper and coriander. This makes for an utterly delicious – albeit non-gourmand – opening, of the kind that only supreme-quality florals can create. In parallel, a distinctive aqueous vibe (I attribute it to cyclamen aldehyde) runs through the fragrance, providing the gardenia with that essential feeling of dewiness and humidity, while keeping the fragrance’s rich floral heart sparkling and airy. As the vanilla, oakmoss, cedarwood and musk base develops (aided by the incensey touches that Mr. Duchaufour so often loves to add), the now buttery, honeyed, almost fleshy gardenia assumes a palpably erotic character. Exhilarating like some mythical nectar, Jovoy Paris Gardez Moi lingers on the skin for hours, intoxicatingly sensuous and lush, while retaining the timeless elegance of an Art Déco creation.

Gardenia by Robert Mapplethorpe©, 1987

Jovoy Paris Gardez Moi graciously offers to the wearer a sense of otherworldly, larger-than-life glamour – of the kind that one imagines when watching a shimmering, dazzling, magnificent cinematic illusion in black and white. This could well have been the dream fragrance of a young and tireless Joan Crawford dancing the night away at the Cocoanut Grove, enveloped in the exquisite aroma of her beloved flower. Fresh and mesmerising for hours, and unbruised by her body heat, the majestic gardenia of Jovoy Paris Gardez Moi would never fail her.

Notes: Aldehydes, Coriander, Cyclamen, Tomato Leaf, Black Pepper; Gardenia, Ylang-Ylang, Egyptian Jasmine, Mimosa, White Lily; Virginia Cedarwood, Raspberry, Oakmoss, Styrax, Musk, Vanilla.

Disclaimer: I’d like to thank Jovoy Paris for my bottle of Gardez Moi. The opinions are my own.

– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor

Thanks to the generosity of François Hénin and Jovoy Paris Parfums Rares, we have a draw for a 100ml tester bottle of Jovoy Paris Gardez Moi for one registered reader in USA or Europe. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoyed most about Despina’s review of Gardez Moi, if you have a favorite fragrance by Jovoy Paris and where you live. Draw closes June 14, 2020

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our blog feed… or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

Editor’s Note: On Thursday 6/11/2020 at PM EST Editor Sebastian Jara and François Hénin are going live on @lookfeelsmellgreat Instagram