Gardenia & Labdanum

[Seajewel]

No scent description.

[puellacaerulea]

This blend starts out gardenia-forward, with the labdanum giving it a heavily resinous edge that reads almost medicinal alongside the gardenia. As it wears, the labdanum overtakes the gardenia -- more dark resin with a hint of white floral than the other way around. I'm not loving the medicinal quality I'm getting from the labdanum, so this one may go to swaps.

[theseagrows]

this is a really interesting combination. the gardenia is lush and gorgeous. the labdanum is resiny and goes a bit sharp at first. later on the notes become fairly equally balanced, but gardenia wafts off the skin the most. i really like this one, as i was almost certain i would.

Edited April 10, 2022 by theseagrows

[patina]

I get strong memories of the GC Darkness, though this has no opium at all. Maybe the gardenia is just that close to narcissus. I'm also reminded of a somewhat less dirty GC Sheol, which makes sense because I believe Sheol had gardenia. Simple, sophisticated and a little ominous. The medicinal qualities appear at first but then die down. Then again that's what labdanum does on my skin.

[RoseThornAndOak]

Alright, hear me out. I was humming The Wellerman while wearing this yesterday, and the weather was balmy with some high clouds and Chesapeake heat rolling in. It was a pleasant moment, I reckon as pleasant as a commute home can be. Now, I can't get 'pirate gardenia" out of my head.

 

This is unmistakable gardenia, lush and tropical, yet heady and Southern, with labdanum lending, yes, a medicinal element, yet it's syrupy. It is described as a "sticky brown resin", and 'light tobacco and raw resin with terpenic notes". I get mostly gummy, sticky resin/light tobacco vibe, not so high on the terpenes. It has an Old World aura that I'm quite fond of, It's very evocative and nostalgic, although I'm not sure others around me would like it as much and some might find offputting and just too unusual but come on, we're all strange and usual here, so skip it.

 

The overall effect is languid pirate or New Orleans vampire chicky babe wearing gardenia and her special tonic thing she uses for whatever ailment I don't really want to know about but maybe I secretly do. Or maybe she just thinks they smell that good together, and knows the other chicky babes won't smell like her. It also makes me think of the 1940s in a way, like how a gardenia perfume may have actually smelled back then (not how they smell now after turning).

 

---the long evocation you probably don't need to read but may find amusing--- Ok you know what this really pictures for me: there's like these pirate smut chicks rovin around, they're dingy and dirty and probably get way too crunked on the ...weekend, weekday, whenever-there's-a-day, but there's that one babe that rolled up to Port Royal, somehow couldn't seem to leave, but has maintained her dignity and self respect. She probably has less fun, but way less problems. She has a pretty, yet understated cream floral calico dress on, keeps her back straight, reads the room, and knows exactly how to carry herself. Slightly intimidating because she sees right through your shit. You secretly wish you had your shit together just like she does. That being said, she knows how to relax and be breezy, she's dignified yet too down to earth for stuffy, gentile society, not really fitting in anywhere, but confident all the same. All the pirate dudes secretly want her but feel too far gone to approach her, so she's lonely most of the time. Secretly wishes that guy will show up.

 

I told you it was evocative, dude. You might start having flashbacks or write a damn book. 

 

I'm torn between cherishing my decant or getting a bottle, but knowing I'm not going to reach for it as often as other gardenias and feel bad for wasting it. Great blend. 

[zankoku_zen]

Pretty soft gardenia. Medium throw and wear length. 

[tinyvulture]

Oh that’s nice! The gardenia is a little bit overtaken by the sweet, woodsy resin that is labdanum. But I enjoy labdanum so that’s no issue, and the tropical flower is still quite lush. Makes me think of chilling on a wooden deck in Maui, enjoying a sunset, having some incense burning, maybe a cocktail. A very relaxing scent. Want a bottle.

[Ennikar]

When it's first applied, I get not-quite-soapy gardenia and semi-medicinal labdanum. They both stay present and pretty balanced throughout the wear time, but the soapy-and-medicinal vibes calm down pretty quickly in favor of a fresh, tropical gardenia and resinous (not woody or smokey, in my opinion) backing. The balance shifts back and forth with time. This isn't, like, a revolutionary take on these notes, but so long as you like both you'll probably enjoy it. The main drawback for me is just that it's pretty quiet - low throw, middling wear length.