NEW YORK GARDENIA

The mighty, optimistic gardenia is no shy violet, nor is it just a rose by any other name. "When it comes to its scent, you either love it or you don't," says Bond No. 9 Founder Laurice Rahme of this potent, sensual floral that seduces with its sultry aromatic wiles. Like NYC itself, gardenias are strong and powerful, a fitting symbol for a city that roars for attention.

This treasured bloom has been associated with the illustrious through the ages. The legendary jazz chanteuse Billie Holiday famously wore gardenias as her piece de resistance, an elegant hair adornment that helped solidify her legacy as a singular talent and enduring style icon. In the romantic Victorian flower language, the heady gardenia symbolized a secret, passionate love affair. And Morpheus, mythological god of dreams, considered its delicate white petals as otherworldly and related to the haunting moonlight. In turn, the ancient Greeks believed that its intoxicating scent could transport one to the Elysian Fields of paradise. Such is the gardenia's epic, bewitching sorcery.

Notoriously hard to grow and challenging to distill, the gardenia is a true queen of the floral population, making its elusive scent all the more precious. Of course, at the very heart of New York Gardenia is the flower itself but it's flanked by top notes of romantic floral "bridesmaids": dreamy, exotic jasmine and soft but sparkling tuberose usher in the lady of the hour. The creamy, carnal middle conjures ecstasy, and is rounded out with earthy, viridian vetiver kissed by a touch of sensual vanilla, making for a decadent, luscious gourmand conceived in the south of France. The overall experience is indeed transformative, conveying urban dwellers from the concrete jungle to a mythic, ambrosial Elysium.