Gucci has become one of the most interesting brands because over the last four years the creative director of the brand Alessandro Michele has taken an active hand. This is not the normal way among designer perfumes. It is one reason the brand has drawn my undivided attention. It also does not guarantee a uniform quality. Over the past four years Sig. Michele has had hits and misses. Which makes every new release something to anticipate. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum (EdP) is the latest.
Alessandro Michele
Flora Gorgeous Gardenia EdP is the fourth flanker of 2012’s original. Most of them were before Sig. Michele’s tenure at the brand. They were typical fruity florals with nothing to recommend them. Last year Sig. Michele and original perfumer Honorine Blanc-Hattab made an attempt under the new aesthetic. It was better but was still lacking. There has been a lushness to the recent releases that I was hoping for. This year’s version gives me that.
Honorine Blanc-Hattab
Pear has been a part of the formula from the start. This time it is fuller. The reason is mandarin is used to complement instead of the berries used in past iterations. It makes the pear juicier. There also seems to be a change in the source of gardenia. In the new version it is creamier, but it also retains a more noticeable green along with it. The jasmine creates a floral accord which harmonizes with the pear. This forms the liveliest version of this accord of any of the family.
One of the things which intruded on previous versions was the use of brown sugar to make pseudo-gourmand base accords. It never fit in the previous ones. It remains but it is used as a hint of extra sweetness to the florals instead of a clashing candy crush.
Flora Gorgeous Gardenia EdP has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.
This time it feels as if Sig. Michele and Mme Blanc-Hattab are finally on the same page. Which leads to the best of the Flora Gorgeous Gardenias.
Disclosure: this review is based on a sample provided by Sephora.
–Mark Behnke
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