Fragrance comparison

Beauté de Reine vs Cruel Gardénia

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 1,461 ratings analysed

Beauté de Reine

Reine de Saba

3.6737 votes

Rank #22,806 White FloralMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

75%scent match

Very similar

4 wins

Cruel Gardénia

Guerlain

4.111,424 votes

Rank #5,656 PowderyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cruel Gardénia takes 4 of 7 categories.

Beauté de Reine
Choose it for a white floral and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Cruel Gardénia
Choose it for a powdery and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Beauté de Reine3/7

Cruel Gardénia4/7

Ratings & consensus: Cruel Gardénia
Community sentiment: Cruel Gardénia
Longevity: Beauté de Reine
Sillage & projection: Beauté de Reine
Value for money: Beauté de Reine
Versatility: Cruel Gardénia
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Cruel Gardénia

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Beauté de ReineReine de Saba

Cruel GardéniaGuerlain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.67/ 5 · 37 votes

Have 15%Had 10%Want 75%

4.11/ 5 · 1,424 votes

Have 42%Had 16%Want 42%

Category winnerCruel GardéniaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

30%Like

27%Ok

7%Dislike

3%Hate

30 votes

42%Love

40%Like

7%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

1,424 votes

Category winnerCruel GardéniaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityBeauté de Reine

SillageBeauté de Reine

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value22

Category winnerBeauté de ReineBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

musky92%

powdery84%

woody77%

sweet69%

citrus61%

powdery100%

white floral92%

musky84%

sweet77%

violet69%

woody61%

Scent match75%Very similar · both white floral, powdery and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

NeroliPeachAlmondOrange

Heart

GardeniaYlang-YlangRose

Base

MuskSandalwoodAmber Xtreme

Top30 to 45 minutes

NeroliRosePeach

Heart2 to 3 hours

GardeniaVioletYlang-Ylang

Base3 to 4 hours

MuskTonka BeanSandalwoodVanille

InformationalShared notesNeroli, Peach, Gardenia and Ylang-Ylang. Durations are only published for Cruel Gardénia, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer73

Fall27

Winter36

Day100

Night18

Spring100

Summer66

Fall57

Winter22

Day100

Night30

Category winnerCruel GardéniaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex27

Women73

Men3

Unisex6

Women92

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,806

PerfumerMeabh McCurtin

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#5,656

PerfumerRanda Hammami, Sylvaine Delacourte

Launched—

Reviews93

Category winnerCruel GardéniaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Beauté de Reine is a classic-leaning white floral that opens with a soft citrus glow and a smooth peach and almond sweetness. On skin, the florals stay in the lead, with rose and gardenia reading most clearly for many wearers. The dry-down turns musky and gently woody, with sandalwood and a modern amber hum. It can fe…

Reviews →

Cruel Gardénia by Guerlain is a soft, powdery floral fragrance built around creamy gardenia and gentle musk. Created by perfumers Randa Hammami and Sylvaine Delacourte, it subverts expectations by presenting a clean, tender bouquet rather than a heavy or sharp white floral bomb. The scent opens with a light burst of n…

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, Beauté de Reine or Cruel Gardénia?

Cruel Gardénia takes 4 of 7 categories. Beauté de Reine is rated 3.67/5 from 37 votes; Cruel Gardénia is rated 4.11/5 from 1,424 votes. Choose Beauté de Reine for a white floral and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Cruel Gardénia for a powdery and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Beauté de Reine or Cruel Gardénia?

Beauté de Reine lasts longest (Beauté de Reine 74/100, Cruel Gardénia 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Beauté de Reine or Cruel Gardénia?

Beauté de Reine projects furthest (Beauté de Reine 64/100, Cruel Gardénia 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Beauté de Reine and Cruel Gardénia smell similar?

Very similar: a 75% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, powdery and musky accords. Common notes include Neroli, Peach, Gardenia and Ylang-Ylang.

Is Beauté de Reine or Cruel Gardénia better for summer or winter?

For summer, Beauté de Reine is the stronger pick. For winter, Beauté de Reine is the stronger pick. Beauté de Reine suits daytime wear; Cruel Gardénia suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Beauté de Reine and Cruel Gardénia?

Beauté de Reine has top notes of Neroli, Peach, Almond and Orange, heart notes of Gardenia, Ylang-Ylang and Rose, a base of Musk, Sandalwood and Amber Xtreme. Cruel Gardénia has top notes of Neroli, Rose and Peach, heart notes of Gardenia, Violet and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Musk, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood and Vanille.