Review of Gardénia Supercritique by Olga Steinfeld

This fragrance surprised me. It opens with an unexpected rose note, but not a soft, delicate, or sweet one. Instead, it is rich and full-bodied, with thick, leathery petals. When the raspberry accord appears, it brings neither sweetness nor juiciness, only the scent of tart berries. Then comes what surprised me the most. I expected to encounter a creamy, delicate gardenia. Instead, paired with jasmine, it blooms into a tropical flower, releasing its intoxicating scent into the air on a hot, humid night while crickets sing in the darkness. That impression lingers until the very end: deep, earthy patchouli and saffron, evoking dark, dense leather, accentuate the gardenia's damp, wild facets. Gardénia Supercritique smells like a fine classic fragrance, perhaps even a vintage one. I imagine it on a European lady in colonial Burma, wearing pearls and smoking through an ivory cigarette holder. Whenever I wear it, I feel as though I've been transported to a secluded bungalow hidden deep in the tropical jungle.