Gardez-Moi

The scent was originally launched by Jovoy in 1926 in a cat-shaped Baccarat crystal bottle most collectors would sell their kidney for. But if this new Gardez-moi shares a Hollywood-siren sultriness with vintage fragrances, it’s nowhere near old-school: its author Bertrand Duchaufour couldn’t do retro if he tried (well, actually, he could, but wouldn’t).

Gardenia is the main player in this white floral bouquet. Fleshy, tropical, almost fruity in its juiciness, with a mere hint of the flower’s characteristic, freshly-sliced mushroom note – neither barely blossoming nor fading, but in its full, fresh, short-lived glory. Aldehydes and jasmine conjure a faint soapiness, offset by the moist green effects of cyclamen and crushed tomato leaf.

With its volume, sillage and long-lastingness, this scent is certainly designed to trail helplessly smitten suitors in its wake – according to Jovoy owner François Hénin, gardenia was a gift offered by Parisian Jazz Age lovers to their mistresses as a plea to “keep me”. If you’re a white floral lover or a gardenia enthusiast, that’s just what Gardez-moi will whisper to your ear with a feline purr...

Eau de Parfum.