Délices de Cartier (2006)
by Cartier

Way too sweet for me! Sorry, I just have to jump over this one.

Hyper-sweet grenadine at first. I found it absolutely mouthwatering aided by the darling confection of a bottle. It would be overwhelming if it stayed like that, but thankfully it fades to a more mature, sophisticated smell as it wears on. It's warm and cozy for winter and probably also works for hazy summer evenings.

Oh, and it tags my dirty laundry as "the girl who smells good".

Délices frustrates me! I'm a bottle collector, and I want that bottle. But I haven't been able to rationalize purchasing a fragrance that bluntly refuses to be cohesive with my chemistry. (At least, in its current price range...when it gets cheaper...I'll probably cave). Aside from my attraction to the bottle, the fragrance itself is very weird for me. Upon initial spray it smells terribly familiar, but I can't call to mind what it's reminding me of. Then I get a blast of Baie Rose (pink pepper), afterwhich I get a tonka-ambery feel, and then a cherry drydown that smells similar to Grenadine...but at no time does it all blend together on my skin. The Grenadine note is odd for me, because my chemistry usually highlights deeper notes, especially tonka, therefore the cherry note winds up smelling artificial; overtly synthetic. The lasting power of Délices is mediocre, too. I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy right now, so my hormones are wreaking havoc with my scent chemsitry. I plan to try Délices in about six months, just to see if I still perceive its notes as cacaphonous. I want to like this fragrance because that bottle is really lovely.

A little heavy on the bourbon note, but that probably helps it be the womanly cherry scent it is. Dries to a soft, thick bourbon vanilla w/ tinge of cherry cordial, occasional syrupy sweetness. It's not for me tho, I'm a redhead who's more comfy in woody rose or violet perfumes, or amber/spicy. I bet this would be smashing on the right person!

The very Boozy opening makes you feel as if you are wearing Cherry Brandy (Kirsch) No surprise here as there is a note of Morello Cherry in Delices de Cartier. The Morello is not a sweet cherry, and that becomes evident once the topnotes relax and the warm floral heart mingles with the fading tart cherry note. The cherry is never an overt note due to the other topnotes, ( bergamot, pepper and violet) unless one is familiar with kirsch and can identify the morello. The heart of Delices is floral, warm and soothing, the jasmine, freesia, and orange blossom are kept slightly tart (by the addition of white peach) right down to the soft, warm musky drydown which features amber, tonka, and sandalwood. It is the tartness of the morello cherry and white peach , combined with the pepper that gives this lovely light floral that something extra.
The first time I tried it, I did not give it enough time to evolve. The topnotes last a while. This is a year round scent . Every so often you get a hint of tart booziness that is so unusual and attractive.

I would have loved this if it had been stronger. I kept spraying more on, but couldn't hardly smell it. I went from Must being too strong to this one being too faint.