Description
This was a perfume story that I wanted to tell. Originally, I had a totally different story envisioned that was purely about a special gardenia soliflore (as a gift for Ida Meister) but when I started my Women Artist Series (and I always knew that I would feature Billie Holiday) the idea came to make this design about these TWO wonderful women artists instead of either /or. I love how they come together through time and space (and Billie’s incredibly moving song, Don’t Explain) magnified through the lens of expressing the gardenia concept that Ida and I had discussed so many years ago.
Billie’s song, Don’t Explain, is one of sadness and marital infidelity. The perfume, Don’t Explain, is a complex mixture of Billie’s glorious and seductive gardenias, Ida Meister’s passionate influence on those gardenias, and the salty tears and too many smoked cigarettes of Billie’s night awaiting her lover to return from another.
heathermariebarton1985 (verified owner) –
It smells like hay, dirt, mushrooms, and a touch of honey and gardenia. I was hoping for more blue cheese honestly but it is still a pretty and unique scent.
Kelly Moss –
Knocks my socks off!
Lots of soft gardenia flower straight away.
After about 10 mins I can get the earthy hay, dirt, mushroom quality out of the mix.
It’s really pretty.
alle11019id (verified owner) –
“Intoxicating” is an overused word in the perfume world, but here it actually fits. Don’t Explain makes me feel like I’m dining al fresco at a luxury resort, somewhere warm: Rich, thick, borderline tropical, all while slightly savory. It’s almost like a niche twist on the Bronze Goddess type genre, which I am a big fan of, yet it’s still so different from anything that I have. I didn’t need to be as nervous as I was about the earthier notes, as they primarily give the scent a buttery roundness. A stronger performer for the house, as well. Just a really great, unique perfume!
e.rose.lcsw (verified owner) –
Luxurious and floral, with a brisk green note on top, along with a snap of cigarette smoke and more earthy tones about 15 min. in, it ultimately dried a little too powdery for me. Combined at that stage with a drop of Le Smoking, it suddenly became verrry sexy in a 70’s YSL way. I wanted it to retain the smoke a little more, but everyone’s skin is different. Still a very good scent and scent combo.
Diane Loud –
This starts out as pure gardenia. After 5 minutes, it threatens to turn powdery or soapy, but then it settles and the earthier elements balance out.
Lingers pleasantly, with good throw and longevity
jackrhoehn (verified owner) –
It comes as something of a relief to find a gardenia that goes all in on its slightly savory, cheesy funk without trading in the heady elegance of a more traditional gardenia for mere shock value. On the contrary, elegance is the name of the game here: this gardenia is more mother of the bride than bridesmaid. I mean that as a compliment. I am reminded of the strange beauty of white flowers just beginning to brown. Don’t fear if that sounds like a lot — this is also a well blended, smooth and somewhat quiet perfume, not at all brash or overbearing.