Fragrance comparison

Poppy Soma vs Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 204 ratings analysed

Poppy Soma

Parfums Quartana

4.00140 votes

Rank #10,183 AmberWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia

Tom Ford

4.5664 votes

Rank #27,489 White FloralHoney

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia takes 5 of 7 categories.

Poppy Soma
Choose it for a amber and white floral character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia
Choose it for a white floral and honey character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Poppy Soma2/7

Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia5/7

Ratings & consensus: Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia
Community sentiment: Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia
Longevity: Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia
Sillage & projection: Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia
Value for money: Poppy Soma
Versatility: Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Poppy Soma

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Poppy SomaParfums Quartana

Reserve Collection: Velvet GardeniaTom Ford

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 140 votes

Have 31%Had 8%Want 61%

4.56/ 5 · 64 votes

Have 27%Had 7%Want 66%

Category winnerReserve Collection: Velvet GardeniaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

29%Like

12%Ok

14%Dislike

1%Hate

140 votes

77%Love

14%Like

2%Ok

5%Dislike

3%Hate

64 votes

Category winnerReserve Collection: Velvet GardeniaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate89

Category winners

LongevityReserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia

SillageReserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value35

Category winnerPoppy SomaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

white floral91%

warm spicy83%

balsamic74%

musky65%

fresh spicy56%

white floral100%

honey92%

amber84%

sweet77%

animalic69%

fruity61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both white floral and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

StyraxLabdanumSichuan PepperIncenseTuberoseGardeniaRed PepperCurry TreeJasmine SambacMuskRed Rose

No top / heart / base split published

Top

GardeniaOrange

Heart

BeeswaxPlumHoneyTuberoseJasmineRoseLily-of-the-Valley

Base

IncenseLabdanum

InformationalShared notesLabdanum, Incense, Tuberose and Gardenia. Durations are only published for Poppy Soma, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring57

Summer38

Fall100

Winter100

Day55

Night100

Spring100

Summer80

Fall80

Winter73

Day100

Night100

Category winnerReserve Collection: Velvet GardeniaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex37

Women56

Men0

Unisex44

Women56

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,183

PerfumerEmilie Coppermann

Launched—

Reviews32

Overall rank#27,489

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerPoppy SomaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Poppy Soma by Parfums Quartana is an intense amber floral perfume built around smoky resins and heady white blossoms. The scent begins with a piquant burst of red pepper, sichuan pepper, and aromatic curry tree foliage before revealing a lush heart of tuberose, gardenia, jasmine sambac, and red rose. Underneath the fl…

Reviews →

Tom Ford Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia reintroduces a polarizing icon that first shocked scent enthusiasts in 2007. It opens with an uncompromised blast of gardenia that mimics the actual flower on the cusp of decay. This is not a clean, office-safe white floral. As it settles, the scent grows thick and heavy wi…

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, Poppy Soma or Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia?

Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia takes 5 of 7 categories. Poppy Soma is rated 4.00/5 from 140 votes; Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia is rated 4.56/5 from 64 votes. Choose Poppy Soma for a amber and white floral character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia for a white floral and honey character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Poppy Soma or Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia?

Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia lasts longest (Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia 81/100, Poppy Soma 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Poppy Soma or Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia?

Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia projects furthest (Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia 68/100, Poppy Soma 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Poppy Soma and Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral and amber accords. Common notes include Labdanum, Incense, Tuberose and Gardenia.

Is Poppy Soma or Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia better for summer or winter?

For summer, Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia is the stronger pick. For winter, Poppy Soma is the stronger pick. Poppy Soma suits evening wear; Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Poppy Soma and Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia?

Poppy Soma features Styrax, Labdanum, Sichuan Pepper, Incense and Tuberose. Reserve Collection: Velvet Gardenia has top notes of Gardenia and Orange, heart notes of Beeswax, Plum, Honey and Tuberose, a base of Incense and Labdanum.