Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery Gardenia Vintage 2

Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery Gardenia Vintage 2 courtesy of the brand

“It’s Tahitian gardenia, so it’s different from the gardenia most people know. It’s just so rich and gossamer to me. I used the last of it! So when it’s gone, it’s gone. I used to hold on to such rare essences, but I really think they need to be shared and enjoyed now.” ~ perfumer Laurie Stern, from a recent conversation.

Laurie Stern of Velvet  & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery

Sometimes you receive a rare, unexpected gift from a generous friend: it’s if it dropped from the heavens. This was the case with a package which arrived very recently from California – sent to me with no expectations of my writing about it whatsoever. It was intended purely for my pleasure. That person was artisanal natural perfumer Laurie Stern of Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery, and the perfume was Vintage Gardenia 2.

Pixabay image 

I wanted to review Vintage Gardenia 2 all the more especially when the perfumer has made it clear that they have used up almost every drop of a Tahitian gardenia absolute purchased in 2002 from White Lotus Aromatics (their shop closed in 2025 – but for 44 years they were a preferred source for rare botanical essences. Many well-known perfumers depended upon them for years. In 2002, this absolute cost $1,000/oz.!) to compose her latest perfume. Tahitian gardenia (aka tiare, gardenia taitensis) differs from the more familiar gardenia jasminoides: it’s often described as intensely sweet, exotic, possessing a coconut undertone – while gardenia is more noticeably jasmine-like and earthy. Tiare is the national flower of the Cook Islands and French Polynesia; it was introduced to these lands by aboriginal peoples – native to Melanesia and Western Polynesia –  but the flower was originally misclassified.

By now, you are already aware that perfumer Laurie Stern only utilizes the best – no compromises. When Laurie composed her original Vintage Gardenia 1 in 2004, she wanted to make her Tahitian gardenia go further – so she employed very rare ylang-ylang concrete and jasmines. This frustrated her, because the tiare kept losing its identity, and she didn’t want to waste any more of it. When push came to shove, Laurie decided that simplest was best, which is why you see only 3 components in Vintage Gardenia 2. No complex formula was required in order for  tiare to retain its unique character and shine to its best advantage.

Nature’s first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay. ~ Robert Frost, Nothing Gold Can Stay

 iStock Tiare flower

Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery Vintage Gardenia 2 opens with a zesty, light-filled zing of blood orange; you can practically taste it, the way one does when nibbling the fruit’s peel. Like all natural citruses, this is a fleeting pleasure because of their low molecular weight – but that is to be expected. What follows is a rich (but not weighty) tiare absolute: creamy, fleshy, lactonic, and exquisite. These lactones are present in jasmine and coconut, so the comparison is apt: the rare tiare absolute which Laurie employs displays floral, fruity, and satiny facets. Over time, they present as a gossamer prelude to Laurie’s 25 year old Tamil Nadu sandalwood, upon which they rest gracefully. At this stage I am reminded of the classic attar, in which flower essences are distilled into an (oil) sandalwood base; Vintage Gardenia 2 is alcohol-based, so its longevity and intensity are more short-lived (attars are extremely concentrated by their very nature), but this does not alter either its appeal or its loveliness. This spectral golden perfume lies close to the flesh – so it may not appeal to those who prefer a higher volume fragrance. Its ephemeral quality resembles a subtle form of divine protection: it is with you, but perhaps it whispers delicately to you and those close in your orbit. That alone is sufficient, for nothing gold can stay.

Notes: blood orange absolute, tiare (Tahitian gardenia) absolute, 25 year old Tamil Nadu sandalwood

Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery Gardenia Vintage 2 (Ida’s Photo)

Thanks to the largesse of natural perfumer Laurie Stern, we have a precious 2ml of Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery Gardenia Vintage 2 (there is very little left) for a registered reader in the USA. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Ida’s review and that you live in the USA. Draw closes 1/5/2026

My flacon of Vintage Gardenia 2 was a gift from the perfumer – many thanks! My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

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Laurie Stern was Michelyn’s Best Natural Perfumer of 2020

Luminous Lemurs received a 2020 top 10 Best of Scent from Ida

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