To me, Tauer fragrances can be polarizing, I don't believe there is a medium for them - you either appreciate their complexity and artistry or you dismiss them all together. The latter is what happened to me until I retried his second creation L`Air du Desert Marocain, with its warm summer wind of amber, wafts of vanilla, spices, and dry incense. I couldn't believe that I had neglected and passed over this creation. With time, I decided I needed LDDM in my collection because I felt without it, my collection would be missing this great gem of a perfume art. Later on, I added Orange Star and Incense Rose, both of which to me mirror each other but differentiate in only orange or rose additions.
With his recent release, I was curious what Mr. Tauer had been creating and when I found out MiN New York had it in stock I knew I had to try it out. Before my initial spray, the only thing I knew about the fragrance was that it was named Gardenia, which made me pause for a moment to think if I can even recall what a real Gardenia smells like. I was drawing a blank, until I remembered that the only Gardenia in a fragrance that I may have smelled was in Amouage Journey Man that I had tried and enjoyed.
Upon application on skin, the scent blooms to life with a very beautiful floral aspect that sparkles, as if pollen had been tossed in the sky and it slowly falls down to earth and lands gently on your skin. Although it is difficult for me to pinpoint what type of floral notes that are in this scent, their blending is very well composed in a symphonic harmony with one another. As the fragrances progresses, those familiar with Tauer fragrances will unmistakably recognize the Tauer signature that exists in his creations. Its as if he uses a canvas, the base, upon which he paints and creates the composition. Sweetness emerges rather quickly as the fragrance progresses and evolves on my skin, with a slightly incense note lurking in the background. I wish I was more familiar with the Gardenia note, because I would be able to specify how it is in this fragrance. Overall, the fragrance is very reminiscent of Tauer Incense Rose for me, which I adore. Performance on my skin is amazing, the scent holds a very noticeable aroma around you and projects nicely. I would consider this to be a perfect Autumn and Spring time scent, which can be worn in the nighttime by either sexes.
I highly recommend trying this scent for yourself and especially those that enjoyed Orange Star and Incense Rose.
Gardenia is part of Tauer perfumes newest collection called Sotto La Luna. According to Tauer, the notes for the fragrance are described as "The green floral delicacy of gardenia in full bloom with a gentle rose." followed by "The powdery mossiness of ripe gardenia with a hint of jasmine, in a bed of sandalwood, tonka and vanilla."
I did not pick up on rose, sandalwood, or even tonka and vanilla which are all my favorite notes in the fragrance; I can see why I made the connection with Incense Rose. The blending of these notes is remarkable that Tauer was able to achieve, by not making one not overpowering others.
Gardenia is available at MiN New York comes in a 50ml for $145 at minnewyork.com