Fragrance comparison

Gardenia vs Rosa Bulgara

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 688 ratings analysed

5 wins

Gardenia

Penhaligon's

3.96652 votes

Rank #2,581 White FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

Rosa Bulgara

Zara

3.7236 votes

Rank #36,061 FloralRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Gardenia takes 5 of 7 categories.

Gardenia
Choose it for a white floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.
Rosa Bulgara
Choose it for a floral and rose character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Gardenia5/7

Rosa Bulgara2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

GardeniaPenhaligon's

Rosa BulgaraZara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 652 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

3.72/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 30%Had 33%Want 38%

Category winnerGardeniaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

35%Love

49%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

554 votes

14%Love

64%Like

3%Ok

19%Dislike

0%Hate

36 votes

Category winnerGardeniaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityGardenia

SillageGardenia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value40

¤ Price value63

Category winnerRosa BulgaraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

green83%

floral65%

tuberose48%

animalic30%

floral100%

rose86%

woody72%

citrus58%

powdery44%

warm spicy30%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Green NotesMagnoliaHyacinthRhuburbBergamotViolet

Heart

GardeniaTuberoseLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineOrange BlossomYlang-YlangRoseCinnamon

Base

MuskVanillaBenzoinSandalwood

Top

Magnolia

Heart

Rose

Base

Sandalwood

InformationalShared notesMagnolia, Rose and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter13

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer17

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night9

Category winnerRosa BulgaraMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex11

Women87

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,581

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews63

Overall rank#36,061

PerfumerPuig

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerGardeniaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Zara's Rosa Bulgara opens with a clean, dewy magnolia note before turning into a fresh, slightly sharp rose. A base of sandalwood gives this floral composition a dry, woody grounding. It is an uncomplicated everyday fragrance that suits casual spring mornings and office environments where you want to smell clean witho…

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, Gardenia or Rosa Bulgara?

Gardenia takes 5 of 7 categories. Gardenia is rated 3.96/5 from 652 votes; Rosa Bulgara is rated 3.72/5 from 36 votes. Choose Gardenia for a white floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Rosa Bulgara for a floral and rose character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Gardenia or Rosa Bulgara?

Gardenia lasts longest (Gardenia 68/100, Rosa Bulgara 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Gardenia or Rosa Bulgara?

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

Do Gardenia and Rosa Bulgara smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral accords. Common notes include Magnolia, Rose and Sandalwood.

Is Gardenia or Rosa Bulgara better for summer or winter?

For summer, Rosa Bulgara is the stronger pick. For winter, Rosa Bulgara is the stronger pick. Rosa Bulgara suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Gardenia and Rosa Bulgara?

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. Rosa Bulgara has top notes of Magnolia, heart notes of Rose, a base of Sandalwood.