Tom Ford Velvet Gardenia by Tom Ford is one of the original 12 fragrances released in the Private Blend collection. This fragrance is a floral with a dash of fruit blended with a striking, smooth incense finish. A slightly dark fragrance, but very alluring. It has now been discontinued, which is a crying shame. This is an amazing, pungent gardenia, and there are not enough of them, and now there is one less. UPDATE - it is back for a while!
From Bois de Jasmin - "By contrast, Velvet Gardenia succeeds in creating a beautiful abstract form that places it in the same category of exaggerated florals as Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle (tuberose), Fleurs d’Oranger (orange blossom) and Sarrasins (jasmine.) The backdrop against which the gardenia petals unfold is dark, balsamic, and animalic. In a sense, Velvet Gardenia captures the life of a flower—blossoming, wilting and ossifying."
From Grain de Musc - "Velvet Gardenia does have a lot in common with Black Orchid, especially the slightly upsetting truffle top note of the latter which translates, in the former, as mushroom/blue cheese. There is the same will to shock at the outset. But while Black Orchid aims at a classic orchestral feel, Velvet Gardenia sticks to its initial intent: the flower, in all its ripeness. Both compositions share a carnal density, a saturation which brings to mind the big arrogant florals of the 80s, like Poison and Amarige.
From Life in a Cold Climate - "Velvet Gardenia is not lovely nor is it boring; it is certainly beautiful, but it isn’t for everyone. If you have ever smelled a real gardenia, its smell has a slightly mushroom-y, earthy nuance that is also present in the Ford version. It doesn’t sound very appealing, but as is often the case, huge, intoxicating florals work better when there is something to add interest and to anchor them – Serge Lutens Sarrasins follows a similar formula and I adore it as well."
From the Comprehensive Review of Gardenia Perfumes - "Tom Ford Velvet Gardenia is a beauty! And I used that term “floral roquefort” like that was a bad thing!"
More information and Tom Ford Fragrance reviews can be found at:
| Perfume Name | Tom Ford Private Blend Velvet Gardenia |
| Year Introduced | 2007 |
| Perfumer | Unknown |
| Gender | Unisex |
| Strength | EDP |
| Notes | Black gardenia, orange, jasmine, rose muguet, tuberose, dark plum, honey, beeswas, incense and labdanum |
| Country of Origin | United States |
I adore Shanghai Lily, but found this Gardenia had a candied sweetness I did not care for, a note I also smell in many fragrances that mimic lilac, or heliotrope. It might also be the fruit that put me off. I wouldn't characterize this as "Dark" by any means, whereas Shanghai Lily has that sense of a lush tropical flower overwhelming you with it's presence in the dark of night (not for the timid).
I can recall that when I first sniffed it, I thought this was overblown. But with time, repeat sniffing, and repeated comparisons to the gardenias in my mother's yard, I've come to think of it as the most photorealistic gardenia perfume I've ever smelled. Ripe, lush, rich, with an undertone of return to the earth it came from. The sweetness and the fungal notes wind around each other in an amazing way.
I adore Shanghai Lily, but found this Gardenia had a candied sweetness I did not care for, a note I also smell in many fragrances that mimic lilac, or heliotrope. It might also be the fruit that put me off. I wouldn't characterize this as "Dark" by any means, whereas Shanghai Lily has that sense of a lush tropical flower overwhelming you with it's presence in the dark of night (not for the timid).
I can recall that when I first sniffed it, I thought this was overblown. But with time, repeat sniffing, and repeated comparisons to the gardenias in my mother's yard, I've come to think of it as the most photorealistic gardenia perfume I've ever smelled. Ripe, lush, rich, with an undertone of return to the earth it came from. The sweetness and the fungal notes wind around each other in an amazing way.
When it gets to the gardenia, this scent is fantastic. It's a full-blown gardenia, and the name is apt. However, I didn't enjoy the topnotes at all. They include a strange mentholated note that I get once in a while with gardenia fragrances.
