Fragrance Review: Delices de Cartier

The perfume branch of the famous jewelry house Cartier has produced a number of unusual fragrances, from the animalic elegance of Must de Cartier to the ambery sensuality of Panthère. With Délices, Cartier has entered the fruity-floral, gourmand domain previously underexplored by the house. As can be expected, the presentation is stunning, especially for the parfum. Inspired by one of Cartier’s Art Deco brooches from the 1920s, the dark red flacon glistens like a precious jewel in its white satin lined box.

Created by the talented Christine Nagel (who is also responsible for the crisp refinement of Eau de Cartier), the perfume is well- made; its gently ambered base balancing the fruity-floral accord, never allowing the syrupy sweetness of cherry to obscure the rest of the arrangement. Délices exists in two concentrations, the eau de toilette and the parfum. ...

The Eau de Toilette sparkles as it begins to unfold, with the pepper adding a pleasant sharpness. The luscious fruity note has a transparent sweetness that contrasts with the radiant floral accord in the heart of the composition. Even without knowing that Délices de Cartier was created by the same perfumer as Miss Dior Cherie, it is possible to grasp the similarities between these fragrances. While the crisp strawberry notes of Miss Dior Cherie crown a sheer patchouli and amber accord, the cherry in Délices de Cartier falls onto the oriental base made soft and vanillic by coumarin. The cherry is not the bittersweet cherry flavouring of cold medicine, nor is it the fresh dark fruit. The best description might be cherry jam. The violet tinged woods temper the sweetness; however, the result definitely has a candied fruit element.

The parfum amplifies the juicy sweetness of cherries, lavishly sprinkling them with pepper and melting their crimson flesh over the warm oriental base. If the EDT were a sorbet, the parfum would be the equivalent of a mousse. A ribbon of red cherry runs through its composition, and while in the EDT it is sustained as a sweet, transparent note, the cherry has more presence in the parfum. The vanillic density of tonka bean adds an opaque and creamy touch, like the remnants of red lipstick on a silk handkerchief.

Neither the EDT nor the parfum can be called heavy; although, the parfum is definitely richer, with a more beautiful harmony amongst the floral, fruity and ambery facets. The floral notes are made more voluptuous, thus restraining the cherry sweetness. In this light, my preferred concentration is the parfum, especially since the EDT has the sharp, sweet fruitiness reminiscent of Chanel Allure and Miss Dior Cherie. Overall, the fragrance presents the same ambivalence for me that I have experienced with Lancôme Hypnôse. While undeniably well-made, it is exactly the kind of fragrance that does not appeal to me personally—candy-sweet and fruity. However, the fans of fragrances like Lolita Lempicka, Miss Dior Cherie and possibly Chanel Allure will discover that Délices de Cartier might be a lovely new release. In fact, if I were in the market for a fruity-floral, I would certainly choose Délices above all others.

Notes include pink pepper, cherry, Sicilian bergamot, freesia, violet, pink, white and yellow jasmines, tonka bean, amber, sandalwood. The line includes eau de toilette, perfume, body cream, body milk, and shower gel. The fragrance is exclusive to Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Cartier boutiques at the moment, however starting in April, it will available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Sephora, Macy's and Holt Renfrew.

Comments

[Marina]

You make it sound very, very appealing, even though I also am not a fan of candy fruity sweetness (unless it's sweet and sour fruitiness of Quel Amour). I can't wait to try this one. And the bottles are gorgeous.

[violetnoir]

Gorgeous bottles, V! I don't think this will appeal to my taste, but sure can give it a try. :)

Hugs!

[Robin]

Sounds even less appealing than I thought, but still want to try it!

[parislondres]

Beautiful bottle and thank you for the lovely review! I am not a fan of fruity perfumes but do plan to test this.
Have a super weekend. :)

[Patty]

I liked this, but only in the EDP, which is very pricy for a fruity floral, unfortunately. The EDT left me cold, no depth at all.

[kaie]

I tried this parfum and it was nice, but very sweet for me. I wished it would be more jasmine and less cherry.

[Donna]

I liked it ok, but I really hoped for more from Cartier. The bottle is enough to make me buy it though. LOL!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Marina, I simply adore the bottles, especially the red parfum bottle. The parfum is nicer than the EDT, although still too fruity and sweet for my tastes.

[BoisdeJasmin]

R, I think that you might like it more than I do, because your tolerance for sweetness is higher than mine. It is a really well-made fragrance, that is beyond any doubt.

[BoisdeJasmin]

R, I am curious what you think!

[BoisdeJasmin]

N, I would be tempted more if the fruitiness were more subdued. Cannot wait to hear your thoughts!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Patty, do you mean the parfum (in a red bottle)? It does not come in the EDP at this point. I also much preferred the parfum.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Kaie, I cannot agree more! I also hoped for less cherry.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Donna, the bottle is lovely! I think that the fragrance is very well-done, but it does not suit my tastes.

[Patty]

Yeah, the parfum. The clerk kept referring to it as the EDP. I thought it was very pricy for an EDP.

[Laura]

F and I tried it yesterday. It is VERY cherry, that's for sure. I think Cartier needs to rethink its fragrance line--this one and the dragon one need to be a lot more subtle, less hit you over the heady.

[Bryan]

I believe perfume is art. Simply stated, yes. Sharpness of word is often more eloquent than a paragraph. I must write that this is the first blog I have ever read. I absolutely adore your reviews and insights. Should I have a blog concerning mes parfums, it would simply be called, in gratitude to you and my own favorite flower, bois de la tubereuse.
BrYan

[linda]

I am off to try it during my lunch break. I will be back with my thoughts.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Patty, yes, for the EDP that would be too much! I liked the parfum, but I still am not sure it is my style.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Laura, I think that Cartier has selected a commercial variant. Truth be told, that is what seems to be popular these days. I would have wished for something more daring.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Bryan, thank you for a nice compliment. I am glad that you are enjoying my writing! Like you, I tend to think of perfume as art, first and foremost.

[BoisdeJasmin]

L, I cannot wait to hear them!

[Tara Cazaubon]

I thought this was fantastic - I bought the parfum. But then, I love sweet fruity stuff. What I liked most about it was it didn't come across as a teenybopper fruity scent, just a delicious red fruit smell with a touch of sweetness. I'm layering it over the sadly discontinued B&BW Red Currant & Thyme tea lotion, which works great. I despise Miss Dior Cherie BTW - this is far superior IMHO.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Tara, I would definitely agree that Delices is much more interesting than Miss Dior Cherie, especially in the parfum. BTW, Red Currant & Thyme tea lotion was excellent. Too bad it is discontinued.

[Melinda]

Am I the only one that thinks this perfume smells a lot like Burberry Brit Red? I'm tempted to spray this one on one wrist, and Burberry Brit Red on the other to see if people can tell the difference!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Melinda, I will try them side by side. I do not remember noticing obvious similarities, but I would not be surprised if they are.

[Melinda]

The Burberry Brit Red is a little "sweeter", I think. The Delices de Cartier tends to be a little stronger in my opinion.

[Marla]

Anyone out there who has the Delices De Cartier parfum, how would you describe the cherry scent, and is it a long-lasting note? Thanks for any information!

[Jill]

I just got a bottle of this and absolutely love it. It is a very sensual scent to me and it drove my husband crazy. After testing both I belive the parfum is the better of the two. It seemed to be richer and longer lasting.

[lyra]

It's sweet and sensual at the same time. Hard combination in my opinion. Also, the bottle is just like a jewel!

[shelly]

I love this scent. I just purchased it and it will be one that I wear for a years to come. It's not too fruity at all. It's very sensual and my husband loves it. I receive so many compliments when I wear it.