La Panthère
Cartier La Panthère Eau de Parfum is named for the animal that has run through this jeweller's work for a century, and the fragrance tries to smell like it: soft fur over something that could turn.
The opening is tart and a little strange. Rhubarb is sour and green and stalky, strawberry is handled as a big, slightly jammy red fruit rather than a delicate one, and anise cuts across both with a cool liquorice sharpness that nobody expects. Bergamot keeps it bright. Gardenia is the heart and the point of the whole thing. It is a thick, creamy, almost waxy white flower with a faint mushroom like dampness buried in it, and that damp quality is what makes this fragrance feline rather than merely pretty. Rose and orange blossom are set around it for lift and sweetness, ylang ylang adds cream, and pear brings a juicy coolness that stops the flowers massing. The base is where the claws come out. Oakmoss is earthy and bitter and slightly damp, patchouli dark and cellar cool, leather dry and faintly smoky, and musk warm and skin close. Together they give a finish that is nothing like the floral opening and considerably more interesting.
Mathilde Laurent composed it in 2014. It lasts a long time and projects moderately, settling close after the first hour. It is aimed at women, it is better in cool weather, and it suits evenings and the sort of occasion where you would rather be remembered than noticed.
The house started in Paris in 1847 as a jeweller and watchmaker and opened its first salon in 1853; it is now part of Richemont. Perfume followed much later, in 1981, with Must de Cartier, and Cartier composes its own, having made Laurent its first dedicated perfumer in 2005.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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