Fragrance comparison

Alma Nera vs Gardenia

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 15 Nov 2026 658 ratings analysed

Alma Nera

Ars Mirabile

4.006 votes

Rank #61,492 WoodyRum

Full profile Similar & dupes

10%scent match

Clearly different

2 wins

Gardenia

Penhaligon's

3.96652 votes

Rank #2,842 White FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Gardenia takes 2 of 3 categories.

Alma Nera
Choose it for a woody and rum character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Gardenia
Choose it for a white floral and green character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Alma Nera1/3

Gardenia2/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Alma Nera
Sillage & projection: Gardenia
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Gardenia

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Alma NeraArs Mirabile

GardeniaPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 11%Had 17%Want 72%

3.96/ 5 · 652 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

35%Love

49%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

554 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityAlma Nera

SillageGardenia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value40

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

woody100%

rum92%

vanilla84%

warm spicy77%

citrus69%

powdery61%

white floral100%

green83%

floral65%

tuberose48%

animalic30%

Scent match10%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

RumBergamotOrange

Heart

ClovesRoseJasmineOrange Blossom

Base

VanillaMuskAmberPrecious Woods

Top

Green NotesMagnoliaHyacinthRhuburbBergamotViolet

Heart

GardeniaTuberoseLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineOrange BlossomYlang-YlangRoseCinnamon

Base

MuskVanillaBenzoinSandalwood

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Rose, Jasmine and Orange Blossom. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter13

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men2

Unisex11

Women87

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,492

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#2,842

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews63

Category winnerGardeniaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Alma Nera by Ars Mirabile opens with a sharp splash of dark rum and cold bergamot. The boozy sting settles quickly as spicy clove and bitter orange blossom warm up in the heart. It wears thick on skin, pulling towards a heavy amber and sweet vanilla base. Precious woods stay quiet beneath the spice, giving the dry-do…

Reviews →

Penhaligon's Gardenia is a green white floral with a fresh, soapy lift rather than a thick tropical feel. The opening reads crisp and clean, then the heart turns fuller with gardenia, tuberose and jasmine, while vanilla, musk and sandalwood soften the dry-down. It suits shoppers who want an elegant floral with presenc…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Alma Nera or Gardenia?

Gardenia takes 2 of 3 categories. Alma Nera is rated 4.00/5 from 6 votes; Gardenia is rated 3.96/5 from 652 votes. Choose Alma Nera for a woody and rum character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Gardenia for a white floral and green character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Alma Nera or Gardenia?

Alma Nera lasts longest (Alma Nera 80/100, Gardenia 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Alma Nera or Gardenia?

Gardenia projects furthest (Gardenia 59/100, Alma Nera 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Alma Nera and Gardenia smell similar?

Clearly different: a 10% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Rose, Jasmine and Orange Blossom.

Is Alma Nera or Gardenia better for summer or winter?

Alma Nera suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Alma Nera and Gardenia?

Alma Nera has top notes of Rum, Bergamot and Orange, heart notes of Cloves, Rose, Jasmine and Orange Blossom, a base of Vanilla, Musk, Amber and Precious Woods. Gardenia has top notes of Green Notes, Magnolia, Hyacinth and Rhuburb, heart notes of Gardenia, Tuberose, Lily-of-the-Valley and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Vanilla, Benzoin and Sandalwood.