Fragrance comparison

Ayako vs Gardenia

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 667 ratings analysed

Ayako

Marc de la Morandiere

4.1315 votes

Rank #40,030 White FloralTuberose

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Gardenia

Penhaligon's

3.96652 votes

Rank #2,609 White FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Gardenia takes 4 of 4 categories.

Ayako
Choose it for a white floral and tuberose character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Gardenia
Choose it for a white floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Ayako0/4

Gardenia4/4

Ratings & consensus: Gardenia
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Gardenia
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

AyakoMarc de la Morandiere

GardeniaPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 35%Had 23%Want 42%

3.96/ 5 · 652 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerGardeniaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

47%Like

0%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

15 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

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityGardenia

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 · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

tuberose83%

rose65%

marine48%

floral30%

white floral100%

green83%

floral65%

tuberose48%

animalic30%

Scent match56%Closely related · both white floral, tuberose and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

JasmineLily-of-the-ValleySea Notes

Heart2-4 hrs

TuberoseRoseYlang-Ylang

Base6-8 hrs

MuskSandalwoodBenzoin

Top

Green NotesMagnoliaHyacinthRhuburbBergamotViolet

Heart

GardeniaTuberoseLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineOrange BlossomYlang-YlangRoseCinnamon

Base

MuskVanillaBenzoinSandalwood

InformationalShared notesJasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley, Tuberose and Rose. Durations are only published for Ayako, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer33

Fall67

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter13

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Casual 32%Work 30%Date 26%Party 12%

Men2

Unisex11

Women87

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#40,030

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#2,609

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews63

Category winnerGardeniaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc de la Morandiere Ayako opens with crisp lily of the valley, buoyant jasmine, and airy sea notes that feel like an ocean breeze across a coastal garden. The scent quickly deepens as rich tuberose and velvety rose take center stage, backed by sunny ylang-ylang. On the drydown, smooth sandalwood, clean white musk, a…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Ayako or Gardenia?

Gardenia takes 4 of 4 categories. Ayako is rated 4.13/5 from 15 votes; Gardenia is rated 3.96/5 from 652 votes. Choose Ayako for a white floral and tuberose character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Gardenia for a white floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Ayako or Gardenia?

Gardenia lasts longest (Gardenia 68/100, Ayako 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ayako or Gardenia?

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

Do Ayako and Gardenia smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, tuberose and floral accords. Common notes include Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley, Tuberose and Rose.

Is Ayako or Gardenia better for summer or winter?

Ayako suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ayako and Gardenia?

Ayako has top notes of Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Sea Notes, heart notes of Tuberose, Rose and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Musk, Sandalwood and Benzoin. 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.