NeroliOpens with
GardeniaHeart
BenzoinDries down toWill you like it? Mark a few fragrances you own or love and we'll tell you.
Santa Maria Novella · Sold as feminine
Gardenia
The quiet intimacy of a small bouquet placed on a desk, where gardenia’s creamy scent is balanced by the crisp freshness of citrus and green notes.
Full bottle: Premium tier, typically $100–250. Links open each seller's own page. We may earn a commission; it never changes the order.
GardeniaPremium · $100–250
39%Similar accords, often for lessA Scent Soleil de Neroli · Issey MiyakeMid-range tier, $40–100 · shares neroli and gardenia8 matches →How it wears
From community votes · bars are each option's shareComposition & Character
Notes Pyramid
Main Accords
When to Wear
Who Wears It
The story behind the bottle.
Gardenia by Santa Maria Novella was launched in 2006 with a composition that marries the bright freshness of citrus and green notes with the creamy richness of white florals. Perfumer Fabrizio Morgenni crafted this fragrance around gardenia, which forms the heart of the scent alongside lilac and broom. The opening is zesty thanks to neroli and bitter orange blossom, while lemongrass adds a subtle herbal edge. The base notes of benzoin lend a warm, slightly sweet finish that rounds out the overall composition.
Apply Gardenia in light layers for optimal effect — it blooms gradually over time. The top notes are bright but fleeting, so the warmth of the base will carry you through the day best when applied closer to skin rather than sprayed from afar.
Fig. 01 — Gardenia, Santa Maria Novella
Where to buy.
Wear it for a week first
A decant costs a fraction of a bottle and tells you how it lasts on your skin.
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Fabrizio Morgenni
Fabrizio Morgenni has created fragrances for the historic Florentine house Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella since 2005, including Città di Kyoto Eau de Cologne and Tabacco Toscano.
Designer Santa Maria Novella
More from the house · Italy
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Chosen from what wearers say it smells like, what its fans also love, and its notes
Love it, not the $100–250 price?
Matched by accords and notes. Sample first, then decide.
The originalGardeniaSanta Maria Novella · Premium · $100–250Issey Miyake · 2011A Scent Soleil de NeroliShares Neroli and Gardenia$40–100★ 4.08 (203)39%Match
Zara · 2019Clarity FabricShares Neroli and Gardeniaunder $40★ 4.38 (13)
With Santa Maria Novella Acqua di Sicilia
Adds woody; shares neroli and benzoin.
Suggested from accords and notes · not yet tried by wearers
What people
are saying.
Respected, if divisive: loved by 34%, disliked or hated by 15%.