Dear readers, I promised you a review of Cartier’s first true soliflore, Baiser Volé-
[Cartier doesn’t wish to reveal the notes, which is its prerogative; but then, no one should be affronted if I extrapolate a bit ;-)]
Recently, a study was done regarding men’s favorite flowers-
And lily topped the list.
It has been suggested that Mathilde Laurent wished to create a lily fragrance that would entice men into stealing kisses from women wearing it.
There it is.
Creating a lily soliflore isn’t simple at all.
For one thing- the lily stubbornly refuses to yield herself up to distillation or enfleurage, so all attempts must be made to reconstruct an authentic-smelling interpretation.
Many existing lily fragrances depend on large quantities of Calone or other potentially screechy aromachemicals, in an attempt to express the limpid, watery quality of the lily.
Cartier’s does not, and THAT is unique.
It is clear that there are very fine quality materials at play in Baiser Volé, and that increases my pleasure exponentially
Cartier’s Baiser Volé is utterly pleasing, on many levels.
For example: I wore it to work, of all scent-averse places, and it was remarkable how many folk commented on its beauty.
We’re talking a wide swath – across the board – of ethnicities, gender, and chronological age.
That alone is highly unusual.
This exquisite, aquarelle-like soliflore captures several aspects of the lily: the dewy, sappy, verdant, slightly spicy, and faintly fleshy facets of the flower.
Baiser Volé opens with effervescent aldehydes and a citric fizziness which is very fleeting.
A piquant spiciness is quickly revealed, but it doesn’t linger as an overwhelming, pungent presence, it gently sighs throughout the development of the fragrance.
Very little of the potentially indolic nature of the lily enters into the aromatic picture; there are sotto voce murmurs of carnality, but they are only just inferred.
A bed of silky musks and wraithlike ambers anchor this tender veil of lily soliflore.
Baiser Volé reels you in for successive sniffs, until you find yourself caressed from behind, or above…
Stolen kisses, by any means necessary.
–Ida Meister, Senior Editor
We are giving away a full 30 ml flacon. (Disclosure EIC Michelyn Camen is providing hers sent to her by the company). Please tell us about your first kiss to qualify. Draw ends July 30, 2011