La Panthère
There are two materials in Cartier La Panthère Eau de Toilette and no more, so anyone expecting the layered animal of the eau de parfum version should know in advance that this is a far simpler proposition, and is better judged on its own terms. Gardenia is the fragrance. It is a big, creamy, slightly waxy white flower with a cool dampness underneath it, the quality that makes gardenia feel alive rather than decorative, and here it is given almost the whole stage. There is no bright opening to pass through and no dark base waiting at the end. What you smell in the first five minutes is what you will be smelling in the fourth hour, a little quieter.
Musk is the only other material, and it does what musk does: it softens the flower, blurs its edges and makes it sit on skin rather than above it. The effect is intimate and slightly powdery, and it is the reason the scent reads as comfortable rather than formal. It arrived in 2015. As an eau de toilette it is light in the air and moderate in life, which is appropriate: this is a daytime floral, good in warm weather, easy to wear in offices and close company, and aimed at women. Judge it as what it is, a clean and well made single flower, rather than as a lesser version of something larger.
Cartier opened in Paris in 1847, a jeweller and watchmaker with its first salon following in 1853, and it belongs today to the Swiss group Richemont. It entered perfumery in 1981 with Must de Cartier and develops its scents internally rather than farming the work out under licence, which is unusual for a fashion or jewellery name of its size and has been the practice since the beginning.
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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