Note Pyramid
Déclaration
Cartier Declaration was Jean-Claude Ellena's breakthrough composition and it still smells unlike anything else on a counter.
The opening is extraordinary. Bitter orange, bergamot, mandarin orange and neroli supply the citrus, but caraway, birch, coriander and artemisia arrive with them, and the caraway in particular gives the first minutes a cool, bready, almost rye-like strangeness. Birch adds a thread of tar.
The heart is a spice cabinet: Guatemalan cardamom, black pepper, ginger and cinnamon, with iris, orris and jasmine softening the edges. It is hot and dry and never sweet.
Tahitian vetiver, tea, cedarwood, leather, oakmoss and amber finish it. Vetiver and leather do most of the work, giving it a dry, slightly dusty austerity, and the tea keeps it from ever becoming heavy.
How Declaration wears
It lasts a long time and projects moderately. It works in any season and suits a desk as readily as an evening, which is unusual for something this unconventional.
Cartier Declaration Eau de Toilette, created by Jean-Claude Ellena in 1998 for Cartier, the Paris jeweller founded in 1847.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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