Vintage Gardenia was released last year to celebrate the Jo Malone brand's 10th anniversary. The fragrance notes include gardenia, tuberose, cardamom, incense, myrrh, and sandalwood.

Vintage Gardenia starts with, obviously, gardenia, but just as Chanel Gardenia starts true to its name and ends up mostly jasmine, so the Jo Malone version goes, but in this case tuberose is the main floral note. It is a big, lush, tuberose only for a very short time, after that, it is very restrained.

Once it calms, the sandalwood and myrrh are as prominent as the tuberose, and there is a subdued, slightly dusty hint of spice. I can't really smell the cardamom in particular, just something spicy, and I can't make out the incense either.

Do not be scared off by the "vintage" in the title, this does not smell in the least old fashioned, and while it is very feminine, it does not scream white floral. Nor is it an oriental, as you might assume from the notes. It is a very soft and smooth fragrance, just lightly sweet, and it stays close to the skin.

I have to admit that many of the Jo Malones do not work for me, although I do like Black Vetyver Cafe and French Lime Blossom. The Vintage Gardenia is by far my favorite of the line so far. The lasting power is reasonable given the cologne concentration. There is a 30 ml bottle available for $48, and a 100 ml bottle for $80.

Jo Malone encourages fragrance layering, and you can find a number of suggested combinations on her website. For Vintage Gardenia, she recommends Black Vetyver Cafe, Wild Fig & Cassis, and Grapefruit.