Baiser Volé
Few flowers are harder to render than lily, and Cartier Baiser Volé Eau de Parfum 100ml is the fragrance most often held up as proof that it can be done properly.
The composition runs to four materials. Galbanum does the opening and it is not a friendly material: green, bitter, resinous, with the smell of a stem snapped in half. It makes the first minutes cool and sharp. Lily then unfolds through the middle, and the version here is powdery and creamy with a dusty, pollen heavy quality, not the clean white flower of soap and detergent. Rose supports it quietly. Vanilla sits underneath at low volume, giving the base a soft warmth that keeps the flower from feeling cold. Rose is used as support here rather than as a subject, which is the right decision in a fragrance of this kind.
Mathilde Laurent is credited with it and the release dates from 2011. Her approach is recognisable in the restraint: nothing has been added to make the scent easier to like. There is no fruit in it anywhere, which was rare even when it appeared.
The eau de parfum concentration carries it for most of a day, with the galbanum fading within the hour and the lily holding for far longer. It is a fragrance for women who prefer flowers to fruit and are not looking for sweetness, and it is as appropriate at a wedding or an office as it is at dinner. It is also one of the few fragrances that suits somebody in their twenties and somebody in their sixties equally well.
Founded in Paris in 1847, Cartier sold jewellery and watches before anything else, opened its first salon in 1853 and belongs today to Richemont of Switzerland. Its fragrances are developed in house, which has been the case since the house took on its own perfumer in 2005. Making its own perfume is unusual for a house better known for other things.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
Similar Notes
The Scent Vault
Join thousands earning on every order
Earn points as you shop, redeem for money off, and unlock member perks.
Find out more
The Scent Vault Gift Cards
Give the gift of choice
One card, every scent. Let them pick the fragrance that is truly them. Send it instantly by email, or schedule it for a future date with a message of your own.
Shop gift cards
