I had the priviledge of attending the Cartier mansion on Tuesday for a special presentation with Cartier’s perfumer, Mathilde Laurent via Skype video conference to Paris. Let me preface by saying that perfume is the one luxury item I will always invest in. Who wants to smell like something cheap? Choosing a fragrance is a very intimate decision. What I didn’t know about french perfume in particular, was the artistry behind it. This experience was unreal! It was like wine tasting!

In French, which was translated by our host at the mansion, Mathilde walked us through the creation of Cartier’s Les Heures De Parfum. The collection is made up of 13 “hours” (fragrances) that will launch over five years. So far, five have been released. During the presentation, we sampled and smelled each one as Mathilde described all the elements that went into them, along with the inspiration. Here’s a little about each one:

I: The 1st Hour – meant to capture the life of fresh early mornings and possibilities. Described as angelic, it includes hints of iris, sandalwood and fresh herbs.

VI: The 6th Hour – meant for mid-morning to early evening; energetic and delightful made with lemon and gin notes. Mathilde described this as a Gin Fizz, which in France indicates you’re “about to party.”

X: The 10th Hour – (my favorite) rich in berries, channeling the roaring 20′s. It was inspired by Cartier’s Tutti Fruit collection of jewelry. You can almost taste it when you breathe it in. More below on this one…

X11: The 12th Hour – described as the hour of mystery, it’s a more daring scent meant to be whispered in a private moment. Compared it to a cashmere shawl, jasmine is said to be one of the more prominent ingredients.

XIII: The 13th Hour – (best story) described as the fatal, impossible hour meant to embody danger and desire, fantacy and metamorphasis, trickery and seduction. It  includes a hint of smoke, which Mathilde explained represents the very origin of perfume.

Above: XII – The 12th Hour

Wow, I felt like I was in Blair Waldorf’s world taking a secret class. What a treat! She shared that the scents are meant to be worn just as comfortably by a man or woman. To close, she explained the scents are meant to be something to live with versus something to smell. If you’re looking for a romantic and special Valentine’s Day gift idea, each 2.5oz bottle can purchased for $250 at Cartier stores and Saks. It’s clearly not meant for everyone – I’d recommend it for someone who would appreciate the story behind that particular scent who also craves luxury.

Last by not least, Mathilde wrote a short poem to accompany each of the hours and because my favorite was X, I decided to include it below.

If we were playing at being fortunate, we would
dream up countless desires, longings for champagne
and appearances on the arms of the most eligible. Of course,
the world would be our oyster and we would explore it in our private
jets. We would be diamond seekers or
“Dollar Princesses”, fond of all those sought-after fruits that are rich
in carats: red (redcurrant, pink peppercorn,
GRENADINE), blue (blueberry, blackcurrant,
BLACKBERRY, violet), green (leafy notes, ivy,
boxwood, SHISO) and white (ALDEHYDES, polygonum).
They are miracle-makers for the skin and
“a girl’s best friend” – “boop boop bi doo”. Sleep in silk, live in
euphoria, take baths of champagne, go out in a convertible
and enrobe yourself in L’HEURE FOLLE in self-congratulation for
becoming the princess of your own imperial extravagance.

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