In 1998, Cartier launched Déclaration which tied in nicely with the waters that were of popularity. It had a heart of oriental notes (pepper, ginger and cardamom) with a base of wood, top notes of zesty fruits percolating at the top. While the Cartier Déclaration has gone through several iterations over the years — 2001’s Essence that was a citrus aromatic, 2012’s woody-musk d’Un Soir and the return of zesty-woodiness with 2018’s Fraiche — its 2022’s version brings it back to basics.
A simple blend of three ingredients — a bitter citrus leaf, spicy cardamom and warm cedar — that makes it a beautiful bouquet of green, earthiness that has some airy depth to it.
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The thing about three-ingredient perfumes is that one often gets the most potent formula of each ingredient in a fragrance. Think of it in a rudimentary way: when a fragrance comprises of multiple ingredients, each often comes in a percentage that varies according to the sum of its bottle. This often leads to the strength of certain ingredients peeking through despite it lying at the top, heart or base and of course, is dependant on one’s skin chemistry.
With Cartier Déclaration however, each of its notes — citrus leaf, cardamom and cedar — has an equal opportunity to shine in this water. The freshness of citrus versus its tangy bitterness or the warmth of cedarwood versus its heat. Even cardamom, so spicy and fiery can become sweet if one gives it some time to flourish.
Brimming with sap owing to the cedar, unveiling some freshness with the cardamom and the soft delicateness of citrus leafs, if one has an appropriate body chemistry, the fragrance provides a “dirty but dressed up” scent if he’s lucky.
Once you’re done with this story about Cartier Déclaration, click here to catch up with our April 2022 issue!