Mathilde Laurent

L`Heure Diaphane VIII Cartier: Les Heures de Parfum by Mathilde Laurent for Cartier 2011

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Post by TinaG

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“Alice: How long is forever?
White Rabbit: Sometimes, just one second.”
Alice in Wonderland

Hi APJ,

Life can get hectic, whether it’s as a result of factors external or internal, work, family, home life – bring too many activities together without some space between, and everything starts to get compounded. When it’s all too much, I occasionally look for the immediacy of headspace which a beautiful fragrance can bring. Often these times lie in the realms of Hermès Hermessences, but I was given two samples of Cartier’s Les Heures de Parfum by the beautiful Tara of A Bottled Rose, and I found both to be just lovely.

screen-shot-2016-10-08-at-9-08-26-pmCartier

The Les Heures de Parfum line of fragrances have been created by Cartier’s perfumer, Mathilde Laurent. I knew so little about Cartier overall that I did a bit of research into the Les Heures collection, and their slimline bottles affixed with roman numerals. The samples I had to hand were of I L’Heure Promise (that prefix is a roman numeral “I”), and VIII L’Heure Diaphane. I thought my sources were sketchy when I couldn’t locate a V, and found a XIII which you won’t see on any regular clockface…. The fragrances themselves felt delicious, specifically chosen and placed at a point in time with purpose and not simply running up numerically for the sake of completeness. I liked it. Here’s a glimpse of Diaphane for you.

L`Heure Diaphane VIII Cartier by Cartier 2011

L`Heure Diaphane VIII Cartier: Les Heures de Parfum by Mathilde Laurent

lheure-diaphane-viii-cartier-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Rose, peony, litchi

VIII L’Heure Diaphane spritzes on light and fresh, rose-centric underpinned with greenness. Uplifting and refreshing, its star attraction is a wonderful peony note. If you’ve never smelt peony, it is quite rose-like, but somewhat truncated from a full “rose” spectrum. There are some stronger pink-red rosy hints in here as well but seem selective. The notes for L’Heure Diaphane are peony, rose and lychee, simple and complimentary, but together create a fragrance which is profound and elegant. The overall effect is one of a shimmering fluid-like quality, not watery as such but has a subtle movement like spiders web in a breeze. I can detect a slight pepperiness which is most likely as aspect of the peony, and rose notes accentuate rather than overwhelm.

It makes me feel: languid, gentle, intelligent, cheeky, proud, caring, efficient – all the things which get pushed to one side to meet deadlines, deal with annoying people, get frustrated with news and world events – just for example. It might sound simplistic but it is clarity and breathing space, perfect for the workplace or a weekend at home. Almost totally linear and worn close to the skin it is both a diamond and silk all wrapped up together, which can either be shown off or held to the heart.

cartier-les-heures-de-parfum-viii-diaphane-cartier-diamond-cartierCartier

Further reading: What Men Should Smell Like and Grain de Musc
Saks Fifth Avenue has $285/75ml
Cartier stores and large department store counters also stock it.
Surrender To Chance have samples starting at $6/0.5ml

“You say, go slow…. I fall behind. The second hand unwinds….”
Cyndi Lauper

What fragrances have you found which provide an essential grounding in your daily life?

Till next time,
Tina G xx

La Panthère by Mathilde Laurent for Cartier 2014

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Post by Anne-Marie

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I first tried La Panthère in an airport hotel in Sydney. My colleague and I had missed a connecting flight to our home city. It was late, and we were tired and cross. But in the end I thought there seemed nothing for it but to relax, have a shower, order room service, and crack open a Cartier mini set I’d bought in Paris at Charles de Gaulle airport. Fun

It happened that I did not have internet access that evening, so I was testing blind.

La Panthère by Cartier 2014

La Panthère by Mathilde Laurent

La Panthere Cartier FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Rhubarb, strawberry, dried fruits, anise, bergamot
Heart: Gardenia, orange blossom, pear, rose, ylang ylang
Base: Musk, oakmoss, patchouli, leather

In the absence of this information I panicked a bit because the opening of La Panthère seemed strident, almost screechy. It reminded me of fragrances I dislike including Dior’s J’Adore and Miss Dior Cherie, and Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle. I thought I’d made a mistake. But during the night as I woke up momentarily here and there I was delighted in a drowsy way with what I could smell: a very intimate scent of warm contented skin, not animalic, but sexy as hell.

IMG_0239Photo Stolen Flickr

Gardenia is not something I know well, either as a flower or a perfume note so I can’t comment much on its use here except that I like it. And what saves La Panthère for me in particular is its chypre-like character. A lot of reviewers find it a chic, elegant, intelligent fragrance and I agree. Fruity chypre it may be, but La Panthère is too vivid and modern to really stand comparison with classical greats like Guerlain’s Mitsouko or Rochas’ Femme. It’s cleaner than YSL’s Yvresse and more supple than Badgely Mischka, which seems lugubrious next to La Panthère.

That brightness stays all the way through the life of the fragrance on my skin, and a few generous dabs from a mini lasts me ALL DAY. I could be extra-sensitive to notes like strawberry, rhubarb and pear – normally I hate them – and that’s maybe why La Panthère won’t quite leave me alone. I like it very much but by the end of the day I’m often rather tired of it.

La Panthere Cartier High Heels William Murphy FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Showering it off is like kicking off a pair of gorgeous but tight little shoes. Ahhh, that’s better. Looking back, I’m surprised I slept so well that first night I wore La Panthère . Like the shoes, La Panthère is wonderful to put on and wonderful to take off.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Perfume Posse
FragranceNet has $83/50ml before Coupon
My Perfume Samples has $3/ml to $9/5ml

Do you have a ‘chic little shoe’ fragrance?

Until next time, keep spritzing!
Anne-Marie xx

Cartier – La Panthère, the feminine fragrance

L'Heure Convoiteé II by Mathilde Laurent for Cartier 2011

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Hi there Fragrance Fiends,

Every time I wear this beauty I am transported to Prague in winter where I bought it with Jin. You would think it a summer only fragrance but it was wonderful in the super cold too. For some reason I never got to Prague when I lived in London in the 1990s, even though my mates would go there often, it was always on the bucket list and going there with Jin made it extra special. Even if L’Heure Convoiteé II smelled like shit, which it most definitely does not, I would still love it for the memories it conjures.

L’Heure Convoiteé II by Mathilde Laurent for Cartier 2011

Les Heures de Cartier

L'Heure Convoiteé II Cartier FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Carnation, iris, powdery notes

Cool, stark, crystaline and beautiful. The opening of L’Heure Convoiteé II would be the perfect fragrance for the cold girl from Frozen, ever since I saw the film every time I spritz the song Let It Go runs through my head. People compare it to Bellodgia by Caron and while they are cousins L’Heure Convoiteé II is cooler, less spicy and hot. They are carnations done in opposite directions for me, Bellodgia is thick, rich and nuanced with warmth and spice burning fiercely inside but L’Heure Convoiteé II is stark, linear, sharp and poised, a crystal Queen on the outside that becomes less intimidating as she makes her way through the story.

L'Heure Convoiteé II Cartier Prague_charles_bridge WikiCommonsPhoto Stolen WikiCommons

Clove holds the heart of L’Heure Convoiteé II, clove and iris sharp and earthy, an interesting dichotomy and though it’s not mentioned I think the musk is a lot of what feels fluffy but not human, clean and clear like an washing machine with a brand new rug thrown in for its welcome wash before you add detergents. L’Heure Convoiteé II is the clean lines of modern buildings like Howard Roark’s designs in the Fountainhead or the Brutalist beauty of the Seidler House in Sydney.

L'Heure Convoiteé II Cartier Seidler House Killara ModernHeritagePhoto Stolen ModernHeritage (Problem using this image, please get in touch)

The clove becomes woodsy towards the end of the L’Heure Convoiteé II ride and the rest of the notes give me a lovely spicy rose weaving through. Still cool and very classy but more welcoming, is there some very dry pepper hiding here? Oooh I like it, I think I’ll respritz and live it all again.

Further reading: Grain de Musc and Olfactoria’s Travels
Cartier stores and some large Department Stores have Les Heures de Cartier
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $6/.5ml

Do you like the Cartier Hours Collection? Have you tried any? What about other Cartier frags?
Portia xx

 

L`Heure Mysterieuse XII by Mathilde Laurent for Cartier 2009

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Hello my lovelies,

You may remember that last year in Prague I bought L’Heure Convoiteé II and at the time Jin quite liked L`Heure Brilliant VI and so I have been trying to get him a sample of it from a Cartier store for over a year now. Yes, I know I can buy a sample at Surrender To Chance but I really wanted him to have the full Cartier sample experience. In the hopes of finding a sample at the source Neela Vermeire took me to 13 Rue de la Paix, Paris on my recent visit. Sadly there were none but the gentleman who manages the store was extremely affable and gave me a couple of other samples, there was also the most gorgeous security guard I’ve ever seen, quite a movie star.

L`Heure Mysterieuse XII by Mathilde Laurent for Cartier 2009

Les Heures de Cartier

L`Heure Mysterieuse XII Cartier FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Jasmine, patchouli, coriander, elemi, incense, nutmeg

A patchouli bomb where the patchouli and nutmeg get together with everything else and make me smell bitter chocolate at the open, then the elemi and coriander take over giving me bitter, sour, green that is both intriguing and slightly disgusting, not like Secretions Magnifique but there is something mildly revolting that I can’t stop sniffing. You know when a fit and healthy person sweats at the gym? Though you know it’s sweat so kind of yucky, yet still to cuddle up with them if they’ve arrived home unshowered can be very darn sexy and it doesn’t matter if you muss them up because they are heading for the shower anyway. L`Heure Mysterieuse XII is that kind of scent, a nod to the sweetest of scents, healthy sweat. Before, during and after.

“An invitation into secrets, the scent of a whisper, heady and lascivious.” Mathilde Laurent, Cartier perfumer.

Yes, that’s what I’m getting, a breathy invitation to entanglement over coffee. This is a sexy scent that sometimes during its story can smell a bit ripe, over ripe even, humanity about to go nasty. Then not too far into the heart it changes completely, still humans in the picture but now the smell of a wood fire, the warmth and woods, smoke and cooking, the herbs & spices are playing lovely counterpoint and still this lovely sweatiness floating in and around. Do any of you get this clean skank? I would never have believed that L`Heure Mysterieuse XII was a Cartier if I didn’t get it straight from the shop in Paris. Amazing, fun and NAUGHTY! I have worn this now 3 times and every time I am astounded at the implied raunch.

L`Heure Mysterieuse XII stays pretty linear and does more of a fade than a change after it hits the smoky woods with spicy, sweaty humanity breath overtones except to add more patchouli and a hint of leather onto the pile. Lasting power is good at 9+ hours of fragrant, sillage soft and scent projection quite close but very discernible and towards the end it’s only the softest and most subtle suede, gorgeous. I think I now need to make Jin wear it to see if it has the same feral overtones on another body  that I’m not sniffing up so close to.

L`Heure Mysterieuse XII Cartier Cabin_fireplace WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: Pink Manhattan and Bois de Jasmin
Cartier stand alone stores and some Cartier counters in department stores carry the range
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $6/.5ml

I have enjoyed my L`Heure Mysterieuse XII wearings immensely and if it wasn’t so damn expensive in Australia at AUD $405 I would have rushed down to Cartier and grabbed one already, maybe next holiday.

Have you yet tried any of Les Heures de Cartier? Did you have a favourite? What about the elegant aesthetic? Would you love a bottle?
Portia xx