Cruel Desires ~Cruel Gardenia by Guerlain: fragrance review

Leafing through Colette's book “Flowers and Fruit” I stumble upon this quote from “A Gardenia's Monologue”:

"That flower boasts of its heady scent [...]throwing the ignorant girl into a science I have taught her . . . and the round world reckons one more night of folly."

She then goes on to compare the heady aroma to orange blossoms and raw mushrooms, alluding to the flower's dirty underside that evokes the sweet, yet earthy decay that permeates its essence. I am wondering what she would have thought of Cruel Gardénia, the latest addition in the L’art et la Matière line by Guerlain. I had been postponing reviewing the fragrance immersed as I was in thought myself, dissecting it like an entomologist would do with a rare lepidopter for months.

Gardenias are elusive in that their heady sweetness cannot be accurately and abundantly extracted from the waxy petals. Therefore ingenious recreation should come to the play, trying to replicate the smell. Too often the compositions named "gardenia" smell anything but. Whether intentionally, like in Chanel’s paradigm ~which was actually inspired by a garden (therefore “garden-ia” and smelling of a mix of white flowers) and the decorative motif of the blossom popular in the 1920s~ or Goutal’s who driven by her dislike of gardenia despite advice that the US market asked for one went instead for rubbery tuberose in her Gardenia Passion, or unintentionally like by Floris, they pose their own enigma. Sometimes the experiment is quite successful in its photographic accuracy, such as in the budding Yves Rocher Pur désir de Gardenia or the creamy Lauder’s Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia, and other times in its tropical ambiance evoked such as in Kai.
Guerlain was faced with a dilemma: should they include a gardenia scent in their magnificent stable of exclusives? After all, gardenias with subtle clean musks backgrounds are supposedly very popular with American consumers and the fact that Cruel Gardénia in an unprecedented move launched first in the US and only some months later in Paris is quite telling in its own way. It seemed like hubris! Yet the result is exquisitely pretty and contradictory to its own name, being neither cruel, nor much gardenia-like. French wordplay on the expression l’art et la manière (=art and manner) produced fragrances that belie their baptism so far: the Rose wasn’t Barbare, Angélique was nowhere near Noire, Cuir Beluga was only imperceptibly leathery and only Bois d’Armenie was true to its name.

Perfumer Randa Hammami of Symrise worked along with art director Sylvaine Delancourt to ply damask rose, peach and neroli into this abstract gardenia accord, which is further enhanced by the popular rose-violet-orris combination that graces several powdery bestsellers of late such as Kenzo Flower or Guerlain’s own face powders in the Metéorites range and the accompanying limited edition scent. Indeed there is here the feel of an expensive makeup product along with a slightly metallic accord that rings melodiously throughout without ever being shrill. Examining the rose accord closer, I realize that it has none of the wine dregs or liqueur odor of many modern roses, such as Rose Barbare in the same line, or Stella Rose Absolute, which form the pillar of modern abstract roses in today’s perfumery.
In Cruel Gardénia this rose combination with orris is rendered powdery but not old-fashioned. It’s a beautiful white rose seen through a gossamer thin veil of fabric, its shape hazy although recognisable with a soapy latheriness that is very pleasant. There is none of the familiar dirtiness of ripe, aged cheese in the central stage, as there is no discernible gardenia in the way one is conditioned to expect it. The drydown of Cruel Gardénia has a mellow whisper of sandalwood and amber which garlands the innocent white musks lingering seductively for a long time and intensifying as time passes, reminiscent of other fragrances in the L’Art et la Matière line.

The overall intention was to render a skin veil (the "muscinade", a new Guerlain signature), a velvety soft aura that would put attention to the wearer instead of the fragrance’s profile itself. In that regard it is a departure from the classic French tradition of Guerlain and a wink to the American ideal of sensually “clean”, abstract musky florals such as Glow by J.Lopez, or contemporary clean “chypres” such as S.J Parker Lovely or Narciso Rodriguez for Her. This it does with conviction, pedigree and the air of cultured defiance to what is expected.
Cruel Gardénia is truly gorgeous, sensually feminine and ultimately a perfume that despite its lack of realistic depiction of a note or angular complexity will earn its wearer compliments on how sublime they naturally smell instead of how interestingly their perfume projects. A perfume to choose to seduce first and foremost one’s self. To quote Colette:

“a well-chosen perfume, linked to your moral person, to your physical charms, a perfume your friends love and recognize, one that surprises people you meet for the first time and that makes them dream”.

And for our readers, a small draw: a sample of Cruel Gardenia. Leave your name in the comments if you want to participate.

Notes: rose damascena, peach, neroli, ylang ylang, violet, sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, white musks

$220 for 80 ml bottle with detachable atomiser, available in Guerlain boutique in Paris, Bergdorf Goodman in New York, and Neiman Marcus in San Francisco.
Adding: One of our readers, Kim, mentions that the Toronto boutique in Canada also carries the line.

For another take on the perfumery standpoint of it, check out Octavian's entry on 1000fragrances.

Painting Desire by Pino, courtesy of progressiveart.com

A Game of Synaesthesia

With Marian Bendeth, a conjurer of fragrances, who with sleight of hand and knowledgable intelligence guides us through the opaque landscapes of perfumery into the light of a moment of Eureka.
She reveals her associations with different fragrances for Perfume Shrine, like a puzzle of synaesthetic pieces which fall perfectly into place.


"For me, each and every scent that my nose encounters may be envisioned either as a piece of art, music, gemstone, style of dance, graphic, setting, country, fabric, shape, colour, person, character or environment. It is not easy to put in words, because it is instinctive to me but I will try to give a few examples: (I may not wear some of these particular scents but this is where they take me…)

Climat by Lancome is a Matisse water colour of a sedate Wedgewood-blue sea and sky.

Lonestar Memories by Andy Tauer is a Sioux Tribe camped out at the foot of the Grand Canyon, using hickory smoke to BBQ that day’s hunt.

Rossy de Palma by Etat Libre d’Orange is a Diva’s darkened dressing room filled to the brim with hundreds of long-stemmed red roses and amber candles to light and lift the aroma, like a garland into the air.

Sycomore by Chanel is a perforated flat wooden cedar block with holes where Walnuts and long grasses protrude through. Growing on the base of the block are warm mosses and wet earth.

Chloe is a round yellow powder puff with feathers.

Un Jardin apres la Mousson by Hermes, is an Indian immigrant fondly remembering their home by a silty brown river on a hot day, now living in a cold climate.

Lime Basil and Mandarin is a stick that splinters at the top.

First by Van Cleef and Arpels - a Mozart symphony performed in St. Petersberg.

Bois de Paradis, Del Rae is Gauguin in Tahiti at dusk.

Ralph Rocks is 60’s tangerine, red and purple psychedelic drugs.


24 Faubourg, Hermes is Beige kid leather gloves with a small brass belt clasp.

Vent Vert, Balmain is a Willow tree built on top of wet reeds. Lemons are scattered about. A rose garden is in bloom beyond as a hot wind blows through.

Mark Birley is brown, stony and equine, circa 1910.

Cruel Intentions, By Kilian are the black shadows in a Romanian forest.

Flowerbomb, Victor and Rolf is Mexican Fiestaware.

Eternity for Her is an aluminium monolith.

Chanel No. 22 is Swan Lake.

Femme by Rochas is a fur stole.

Chrome is the boardwalk in Almalfi against the Meditteranean.

Le Baiser du Dragon is an ancient Persian red and black carpet with black laquer accents".

Marian Bendeth
Global Fragrance Expert
Sixth Scents


And you, what are your associations with your own memorable fragrances?

Artwork by Henri Matisse Polynesia,The Sea (1946) Gouache on paper cut-out, courtesy of abcgallery.
Pic of Grand Canyon courtesy of nps.gov
Pucci square scarf courtesy of style.com

Clip of Pas d'action between Odette & Siegfried from Swan Lake -my most favourite part in the ballet- played by Gillian Murphy & Angel Corella with the American Ballet Theatre, originally uploaded by MyDiorella on Youtube.

Questions and Answers with a Fragrance Expert: Marian Bendeth of Sixth Scents

Marian Bendeth is a global fragrance expert and owner of the consulting firm Sixth Scents based in Toronto, Canada. She provides a multitude of services for consumers; retailers, fragrance vendors, perfumers and the media. She has been featured in numerous media over the years and has herself written several superb articles, such as The magnificent proboscis , a profile on Laurent Assoulen and Scentimental France on Basenotes or Find your best scent on Best Health mag.
She also happens to be a fan of Perfume Shrine, has been gloriously generous in her communication with me and she did us the honour of sitting to a questionnaire on assorted perfume matters. Here it is, with a second part following shortly!

~Perfume Shrine: First of all: Is perfume art? And how can it be defined as such? For instance, in typically acclaimed as such arts, ie. painting or music, there is a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of any creation based on what seems a standard set of “rules” devised over the years: the brushwork, the technique of shading and light, the respect of proportion or its -perhaps intentional- distortion, the sequence of leitmotifs or not and the adherence to a form such as the sonata or the fugue etc. What could be comparable in perfumery?

Marian Bendeth: I believe the creation of perfumery and perfumers are born of sheer artisanship. Two hundred years ago and up to the middle of the twentieth century, certain houses created distinctive signature styles that claimed their identity as a Fragrance House. Names such as: Guerlain (who had the Guerlinade signature accord running through their scents), Houbigant, Yardley’s, Coty, Penhaligon’s, E. Coudray, Chanel, Jean Patou and Dior come to mind. There was a distinctive theme or accord that was instantaneously recognizable.
For the majority of modern releases today, these thematic scents have taken a backseat to original and distinctive launches under the umbrella of a particular name.
What makes a blend distinctive though, is the way a scent unfolds upon first sniff to the last embers of the drydown. The quality in accords, the way a fragrance unfolds can be part of the defining factors of what I call the Comet theory, where a scent may be top heavy for the first few minutes and then fades just as quickly. The blend should be seamless on the skin taking the nose in a wonderfully fluid direction with surprises along the way. Think of a gymnast dropping a ball or a drummer who is drumming offbeat to the other players. Cohesiveness and continuity are two words to look for. Longevity is a must for the wearer and must be considered before purchase.
True artistry in perfumery is the marriage of notes that may juxtapose each other but become harmonious in a blend. Born of pure creativity and an astounding knowledge of literally thousands of synthetics and hundreds of Essential oils, they must possess the ability to marry disparate and conjugal notes into a harmonious blend.

~There are two distinct theories of wearing fragrance: one is having a signature scent, the other a fragrance wardrobe or even collection for serious perfumeholics. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. I remember myself falling madly in love with Opium as a young teenager: I always fantasized that it would be my calling card and the memento of me that I would leave to my loved ones after I had ceased to exist on this plane of life. I still love it to bits, but even then I also enjoyed wearing other things too. What’s your advice on how can people reconcile the two: keeping the best bits of each world?

I am not a believer of only wearing one signature scent at all. It is passé and reveals a stagnant personality who, believing their association with a particular scent as one who is frightened of change. The concept of fragrance wardrobing is not unlike our varied tastes in other pastimes such as colours and fabrics in fashion, reading, food tastes and routine. Each scent we pick for ourselves reveals a different slice of our personalities. For those who wear uniforms to work, there can be a deep frustration in not being able to reveal their colour choices, thus, self expression and this will ultimately reflect on one’s psyche.
The key to enjoying a fragrance purchase is to hold back and not exhaust it. I recommend wearing a scent for two days and going back and re-experiencing your new scent as you would a lover! Anything in overdose mode is not good for you – perfume included. In fact, those who wear a signature scent tend to put on far too much due to olfactory fatigue and the rest of us have to smell copious doses of it as our noses are not desensitized.
I recommend holding onto those scents you love but variety is the spice of life as well.

~Is having a signature scent the only way to make your olfactory mark on someone’s memory? And how would one choose something unique in a market that is saturated with similar offerings?

Creating memories through fragrance can be by chance or predetermined. It is the impact of fragrance on the wearer’s psyche that should be foremost in one’s mind before application. Discernment and etiquette for choosing the appropriate scents in a given environment reflects a particular savvy which gets lost on the masses.
Although the end stories, after purchase are truly fascinating to me, it is also the impact a particular scent or scents may have on an individual which can be the most intriguing. If a scent can enhance one’s self esteem, confidence, sexuality or bring out one’s humour, patience or adrenalin then the job of the Perfumer is done. It is also extremely key to the purchase and wearing of fragrances.. It should not always be about emulating a person or lifestyle but rather bringing out the best in who we are and allowing the scents to speak for us subliminally; now that can be very sexy indeed.

~Working as a fragrance consultant expert presents its challenges. One of them should be that after a while one might become a bit formulaic, typifying people in distinct groups: do they fall indeed into some classic patterns and how do you avoid being repetitive or is every new consultation different?

Although I do work with the media who would love for me to pigeon-hole and blanket statement fragrances, these kind of profiles do make me a tad uncomfortable because everyone is so unique and can wear the same scent in a totally different way. What is fascinating though, are the thread of commonalities between disparate groups of people from all walks of life, different ethnicities, religious, cultures and ages based on their tastes and lifestyles. Each fragrance and classification may typify particular personality traits but when combined with other fragrances from other classifications, reveal more of the personality of the wearer. I like to say, fragrance is your walking biography.
Yes, every single person I consult with is totally unique and different. Some have a lot in common based on tastes, others are polar opposites. Although most tend to stick with two or three classifications but then they might become another classification based on their own personal body chemistry. I have just made it a Science.

~Do you recall a particularly difficult client? What was the challenge? Tell us an anecdote!

The worst kind of client is one who is closed down emotionally and who is scared of scent. In order to fully appreciate and respect testing and wearing fragrance, one has to go places that are emotional and many are literally petrified of going there.
The hardest are those who have preconceived ideas about fragrance or particular notes whereby negative comments come out before I even recommend anything. I recall one woman saying she”hated” every single fragrance on the market because: she had allergies, couldn’t stand any kind of florals, hated the smell of woods, loathed anything sweet, powdery, green (because that meant sneezing) light, dark, woody, citrus, couldn’t wear Essentials, couldn’t wear synthetics, hated foody notes, spices gave her headaches, resulted in stomach cramps, her eyes and limbs hurt, you name it, she suffered it like a true victim and wrote off all scent!
I later found out in the conversation, she lost her husband to a younger woman who wore sophisticated scents that permeated his shirts! It was finally revealed, the association was too much to bear and her self-esteem had plummeted; she had subliminally positioned fragrance as the ultimate villain in pain, betrayal and sexuality.
I convinced her to at least test two on the inner wrists. She ended up loving them on herself after learning which notes her body picked up. The transformation of negativity to absolute exaltation was breathtaking. It took about two hours but it was a wonderfully rewarding investment of time. Her worst “enemy” was now her best friend in self esteem and renewal for someone new! I loved that.

~Personal chemistry is a controversial topic: some experts argue that no such thing exists and that perfumes smell about the same on anyone; others -among whom many consumers- believe that factors such as diet, hormones, medicine and skin Ph influence the performance of perfume on skin. Others still, like Dr.Bloch, go as far as to suggest there is an inherent difference of personal smell according to race! How is it possible to monitor such reactions, if at all, when giving recommendations?

I have dedicated most of my formative years and in the fragrance industry for the past twenty-five years as a Fragrance Expert, ascertaining the differences in body chemistry. This is my specialty and I am a pioneer in this field. Anyone who denies body chemistry isn’t realistic and I must confess,those comments make me laugh a little. That is like saying all blue eyes are the same shade or everyone tastes in food are the same. What is one man’s bread is another man’s poison! One thing is for sure, everyone of us is unique!

I conduct personalized fragrance consultations with over a 1,000 + fine fragrances, prestige and niche, and very rarely does any one scent smell exactly the same on two skins. Having said that, I am also horrified when I hear salespeople claim that darker skins can only wear Orientals, while Redheads can only wear florals etc. This kind of thinking smacks of racism to me and is blatantly false and very dangerous.
For example, Toronto has over 126 minorities from all over the world which is why my job is so fascinating and challenging. Cultural odours do play a big role in fragrance selection, depending on where that person is raised. For instance, if we have someone born in the West Indies, but who immigrated to Denmark, they might gravitate towards familiar spices used in cooking but conversely, might be attracted to green, wildflower or oceanic scents as well. The nose may say one thing and sometimes, the body something completely different. I am the broker between my customer’s nose and skin.

I also think it is important to note, that criticism of particular scents should never be taken at face value. One person’s assessment of a particular fragrance is just one’s opinion. Many times, I may recommend something that I personally may dislike or not wear, but that would never cloud my judgement for my customer. I may read someone slam a particular fragrance and I recall how incredible it was on a number of my clients and it saddens me to think that now, possibly someone will formulate negative attitudes based on a critique. You have to test them for yourself!
It can be so exciting too, when one can smell a fragrance that smells of perfection on the right skin. My only frustration is that the Perfumer/Perfumers are not there to smell them with me because I know this is how they wanted their scent to sit! I recommend for fragrance lovers to really dedicate the time in understanding how long particular scents may last on their skin. That information can be liquid gold to any fragrance salesperson.


~Is it possible to obliterate personal chemistry to attain a level of fragrant loveliness such as the one demonstrated by another wearing a scent we admired?

Personal body chemistry in tandem with a fine fragrance can equal a wonderful smelling wrist or neck, or not. Our natural oils are like DNA and are unique to us. They can be modified slightly by ingesting certain foods, pills, diet etc but they can never be obliterated.

~You write yourself about perfume and have conducted several successful interviews with perfumers: what are the highlights that you recall of those “meetings”? Did someone approach things in a way that was particularly memorable?

Every single person I have encountered in the industry since day one, has enriched my life and knowledge with fragrance and their personal stories! I see each and every one of them as precious jewels that fill up my treasure chest of knowledge and fascinating conversations! They may be designers, jewellers, Niche owners, receptionists, Retailers, Special Events, Beauty Editors, Raw material manufacturers, Evaluators, Marketing people or labourers and everything in between! Of course the Perfumers have to be extremely close to my heart and those individuals who make a global difference such as: Annette Green, President Emeritus of the Fragrance Foundation or Michael Edwards, Author/Expert of Fragrances of the World.
I was very fortunate to win another Best Media Editorial Award with Basenotes.net last month at the Canadian Fragrance Awards with two articles of interviews with Les Christoph’s - Christophe Laudamiel and Hornetz who created the Mugler Coffret for Perfume, the story of a Murderer. These young Perfumers are the cutting edge of where perfumery is heading: abstract, historical, environmental and eclectic scents that shake up the flower petals and bring forth intricate and brilliant bends that mimic another era that we can smell in 3D!
I dedicated the award to the all the non-scent, non-odour nay-sayers out there because without odours, positive and negative, there would not be humanity! And perfume is the very, very best of it!

Each Creative Perfumer has his or her own private formula for creation and creativity. I love the idea of the seed or birth of an idea. I don’t mean the company’s brief, which sometimes is too general or too fastidious. One can never make the claim that they know every single thing about the industry from the Sociological, Anthropological, Sciences, Flaconnage and it’s industries Marketing, Harvesting, Manufacturing, Historical, Physiology, Consumer, Retail and Technical and Perfumery areas because there are so many specialized fields that mold together to become one on the shelves.

~Finally, to inject an ancient Greek philosophical spin on things, is the notion of bad and good smells inherent, as in “avoid the rotten meat, opt for the juicy fruit” or is it nurtured as in “babies don’t get disgusted by touching their own poo” in your opinion? Please discuss.

Parents don’t take the time to teach toddlers how to smell but they do impart positive and negative views that become ingrained in a child’s psyche into adulthood. In general, if a parent doesn’t wear scent, chances are, one of the children won’t either.
I would love to see smell as part of the teaching curriculum in junior kindergarten and public schools. The sad fact being, most of these schools in North American are banning scents which is to deny the best of our senses.

Marian Bendeth
Global Fragrance Expert
Sixth Scents

Please check back for a very Fun Interaction with Marian next in which she describes several scents in vivid portraits of optical, auditory and tactile media.

Pics copyrighted by Marian Bendeth and used on Perfume Shrine with her permission.

New Angel Face

According to the latest news, Naomi Watts will be the new face of Angel by Thierry Mugler, exactly at a time when the brand is repositining itself as to be more exclusive and more niche-oriented with its A travers le Mirroir series.

Source: Sev.prnewswire.com

NEW YORK, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1992, Thierry Mugler's Angel fragrance sprang from a childhood memory and the dream of a star. It created a great impact in the world of perfumery, representing the first Oriental Gourmand fragrance.

For Angel, the world's most beautiful models have embodied the image of a highly glamorous woman. After 17 successful years, its new incarnation is more star than ever...

The artiste perfumer's new angel, Naomi Watts, is an Academy Award nominated actress, who has appeared in an impressive list of films since her notable debut in David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive." Successfully steering her career and choosing her films with care, she has worked with leading directors: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu ("21 Grams"), Peter Jackson ("King Kong"), David Cronenberg ("Eastern Promises"). In 2008, she is starring in Michael Haneke's latest film, "Funny Games," and in 2009 she will star in Tom Twyker's film "The International" with Clive Owen.

Naomi Watts was the inspired choice for Thierry Mugler, over and above her beauty and her star image. Displaying a modern touch, the actress projects a personality that blends sensuality, voluptuousness and evanescence to evoke the many facets of Angel. A blond fragility, a natural tenderness, an emotional seductiveness...

Rather appropriately, it was in Los Angeles, city of the angels, and in the Hollywood Center studios, that the commercial was shot, following a scenario by Thierry Mugler and directed by director Bill Condon ("Dreamgirls"). A Hollywood fairy-tale surrounded by a profusion of Angel stars.

To immortalize this mythical moment, Thierry Mugler called on photographer Ali Mahdavi to produce the advertising visuals of his Hollywood dream. A worldwide campaign, glamorous and magical, will begin in October 2008.

Personally I like the choice: modern, expressive, not scandal-monging. Perhaps they went for a cool blonde, and an Aussie as well, the way Chanel did with Nicole Kidman for No.5 with good results in renewing the image of the fragrance. Although Chanel is rumoured of changing its No.5 face too, sometime soon, opting for gamine Audrey Tautou under the direction of enfant formidable Jean Pierre Jeunet.

So: What do you think about Naomi as face of Angel?

Scent set in 9mm

Grab the phone and communicate this exciting piece of news to your friends: The first ever Fragrance & Film Festival, organized by Vogue and The Fragrance Foundation, is happening before our eyes. On April 25 the deadline for submissions from auteurs was closed and they're now working on turning the following fragrances into little films that will try to translate what they smell like into another medium: Paris Hilton’s Can Can, Usher for Men, Usher for Women, Missoni Acqua and Gucci by Gucci.
Perhaps the choices are not every perfumeholic's wet dream. Think of the amazing possibilities: turning the wistfulness of Mitsouko, the daring of Tabac Blond or the opulence and decadence of Opium into moving image and sound...But still, it will be an interesting exercise.

The contest awards the winner $10,000 and the voting for eligible contributions will be held online by the public (so vote, vote, vote!). The winner will be proclaimed by a panel of judges including director/producer Brett Ratner (“X-Men: The Last Stand” and the “Rush Hour” series), Doug Keeve, director of fashion documentaries “Seamless” and “Unzipped”, music video director Chris Robinson and producer Lee Daniels (“Monster’s Ball,” “The Woodsman” and “Shadowboxer.”)

Thanks to Karin from Savvy Thinker and to thestylephile for the info.

Pic from JamesBond Wikipedia.