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Gardenia
by Zara
This fragrance is a sweet, warm gourmand with dominant vanilla and coffee notes, accented by orange blossom and white floral tones. It evokes a smooth, coffee-vanilla-sweet profile with a subtle spicy undertone, creating a cozy, ambient scent that feels both familiar and slightly synthetic. While it's not an exact dupe of YSL Black Opium, many find it to be a lighter, less aggressive version—more suitable for daytime wear and cooler seasons. Its performance is generally inconsistent: some users report it lasting all day on clothing, while others find it fades quickly after a few hours, lasting mainly on fabric. The sillage is moderate to intimate, and projection is weak to moderate, making it a subtle, skin-level scent. Despite the name Gardenia, floral presence is minor—many note it as more vanilla-coffee-sweet than floral.
Pros
- +A tailor-made dupe for Black Opium, offering a gentler, sweeter, and less overpowering alternative for those who love that scent
- +Good value for the price, with some users reporting surprisingly long lasting performance on clothing
- +A subtle, warm gourmand scent suitable for everyday wear, especially in colder months
Cons
- −Not a true Gardenia scent—it shares little in common with the flower, leading to widespread criticism of the name
- −Highly inconsistent longevity; often fades quickly or lingers only on clothing
- −Strongly synthetic notes may trigger headaches or discomfort for sensitive users