Charisma vs Cruel Gardénia
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
50%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Charisma takes 4 of 7 categories.
CharismaChoose it for a floral and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Cruel GardéniaChoose it for a powdery and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Charisma4/7
Cruel Gardénia3/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Cruel Gardénia
- Community sentiment
- Cruel Gardénia
- Longevity
- Charisma
- Sillage & projection
- Charisma
- Value for money
- Charisma
- Versatility
- Cruel Gardénia
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Charisma
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
CharismaAvonCruel GardéniaGuerlainWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.77/ 5 · 425 votes
Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%
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 hate26%Love
49%Like
5%Ok
16%Dislike
3%Hate
391 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
Category winners
LongevityCharisma
SillageCharisma
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerCharismaBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothfloral100%
powdery92%
musky84%
white floral77%
fresh69%
amber61%
powdery100%
white floral92%
musky84%
sweet77%
violet69%
woody61%
Scent match50%Some overlap · both powdery, white floral and musky
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
AldehydesCorianderHyacinthNeroliPeachBergamot
Heart
CarnationRoseYlang-YlangLily-of-the-ValleyNarcissusJasmineOrris Root
Base
CivettaMuskStyraxSandalwoodAmberTonka BeanVanille
Top30 to 45 minutes
NeroliRosePeach
Heart2 to 3 hours
GardeniaVioletYlang-Ylang
Base3 to 4 hours
MuskTonka BeanSandalwoodVanille
InformationalShared notesNeroli, Peach, Rose 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 seasonSpring89
Summer54
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring100
Summer66
Fall57
Winter22
Day100
Night30
Category winnerCruel GardéniaMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#5,459
PerfumerNot listed
Launched1968
Reviews62
Overall rank#5,656
PerfumerRanda Hammami, Sylvaine Delacourte
Launched—
Reviews93
Category winnerCharismaHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotCharisma is a classic 1968 vintage floral that opens with a bright, soapy blast of aldehydes, bergamot, and neroli. The heart reveals powdery iris, carnation, and white florals, eventually settling into a warm, musky, amber-rich base. It is a nostalgic, clean-scented staple for those who appreciate traditional, aldehy…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Charisma or Cruel Gardénia?
Charisma takes 4 of 7 categories. Charisma is rated 3.77/5 from 425 votes; Cruel Gardénia is rated 4.11/5 from 1,424 votes. Choose Charisma for a floral and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. 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, Charisma or Cruel Gardénia?
They last about the same: Charisma 63/100, Cruel Gardénia 62/100 for longevity in community votes.
Which projects more, Charisma or Cruel Gardénia?
Charisma projects furthest (Charisma 60/100, Cruel Gardénia 56/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Charisma and Cruel Gardénia smell similar?
Some overlap: a 50% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, white floral and musky accords. Common notes include Neroli, Peach, Rose and Ylang-Ylang.
Is Charisma or Cruel Gardénia better for summer or winter?
For summer, Cruel Gardénia is the stronger pick. For winter, Charisma is the stronger pick. Cruel Gardénia suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Charisma and Cruel Gardénia?
Charisma has top notes of Aldehydes, Coriander, Hyacinth and Neroli, heart notes of Carnation, Rose, Ylang-Ylang and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Civetta, Musk, Styrax and Sandalwood. 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.
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