Among the many perfumes present in the Chanel catalog, one is simply called Gardenia.
It was developed by perfumers Ernest Beaux and Jacques Polge in 1925 and is intended to be both wise and opulent.
As its name suggests, this one highlights gardenia, undoubtedly closer to the floral and strong scents of the 80s than to the fresh juices typical of the 20s.
Focus on this famous flower of perfumery so adored by the house of Chanel.
It has around 250 species and is native to various tropical regions of the world located in Africa, South Asia, Australia and Oceania.
Its name comes from the botanist Alexander Garden, an 18th century Scotsman.
This plant grows on shrubs ranging in size from 1 to 15 m high.
This contains leaves 5 to 50 cm long and 3 to 25 cm wide,
dark green, shiny and leathery.
The flowers are most often solitary, sometimes gathered in small groups, white or pale yellow.
The latter are divided into a multitude of lobes thus forming a very elegant assembly.
Gardenia flowering takes place from mid-spring to mid-summer.
Overall, it is a very fragrant flower and has a reputation for being quite difficult to grow.
Indeed, gardenias need high humidity to flourish while requiring acidic, well-drained soil.
In the language of flowers, gardenia is synonymous with unconfessed love and shyness.
In Japan and China it is used to dye clothing as well as as a food coloring.
In our country, it owes its salvation to Coco Chanel, a true lover of this plant and who decided to make a perfume from it.
Gardenia in perfumery
In the wild, the gardenia has very fragrant flowers.
The latter are somewhat similar to those of jasmine, which also gives them the name Cape jasmine.
Mainly used in high-end feminine creations.
Given its high cost, gardenia is often used as a floral accord and is used in the heart of essences.
It thus gives it more character while retaining a strong dose of femininity and elegance.
Likewise, its green side evokes tuberose at the same time.
However, note that perfumers do not extract gardenia essential oil from the flower itself.
Its scent is reproduced in the laboratory from other essences.
In addition, styrallyl acetate is the most widely used synthetic compound to faithfully recreate its scent.
The whole thing reveals a floral, green, fruity and even a metallic touch.
In addition to its presence in the famous Chanel perfume, gardenia also appears as an essential element in the emblematic Adieu Sagesse by Jean Patou, in Arabian Wood by Tom Ford, in Azalée by Lalique or in Azurée by Estée Lauder.