Men: do you have a party shirt — a shirt you throw on to fancy up your jeans and sneakers for a night out? Autumn and winter party shirts often have a sheen; silk, satin and velvet are popular cool-weather party-shirt fabrics. To make a party shirt 'sexy' (too many) men unbutton them to the area halfway between the pecs and navel. You can buy party shirts at Target, Macy's...or Dolce & Gabbana, where party shirts abound. Check out (wear sunglasses) warm-weather party shirts at Robert Graham; the shirts have all the hallmarks of summery party tops: chest-showcasing fabrics (part cotton/part polyester), bold patterns (!flowers!, graffiti) and contrasting fabrics on upturned cuffs and collars.
Cartier's new Déclaration Parfum is the fragrance equivalent of a party shirt: an easy, but "seductive" and "dressy," men's perfume (made to elevate your outfit and turn people on). Yawn.
I've reviewed Déclaration Eau de Toilette, Essence, Cologne and Déclaration d'un Soir; even Déclaration's flankers smelled good and carefully considered. Right now, only original Déclaration Eau de Toilette, Essence and Déclaration Parfum are in production.
Déclaration Parfum starts with rough cedar/cumin (yes, the "sweat" note from original Déclaration Eau de Toilette is present, but this time it's not floating in citrus but used as a marinade over the woody notes). If you love the scent of pencil shavings, there's a minute or two of that evocative aroma mixing with a sandalwood-ish scent. In mid-development, Déclaration Parfum adds some pungent bigarade, a dollop of sweetness (fig?) and what smells like coriander seed. Surrounding everything, there's ubiquitous cardamom and Iso E Super. Déclaration Parfum's base contains leather-and-cumin-tinged musk, with a curlicue of bitter orange peel thrown in...before the extreme dry down of Iso E Super and sweet, woody amber wraps up this unimaginative déclaration.
Déclaration Parfum has great lasting power (if you love it that's good news; for me, I tired of its cloying nature halfway through a day of wear).
A friend (who I regularly give handfuls of perfume samples to) said: "Why do all the samples you give me smell like wood and incense?" I guess the majority of men's scents, both "mainstream" and "niche" (those terms sound dated, don't they?) are full of woods, Cashmeran, Iso E Super, benzoin, amber. Déclaration Parfum falls into this over-represented category of men's perfume; it's the dullest (and least necessary) addition to the Déclaration line.
Cartier Déclaration Parfum was developed by perfumer Mathilde Laurent. It is available in 50 and 100 ml.
Great review Kevin! I have to say though, that sweat marinated over woody notes can smell like perfection on the right guy? or, more likely, the wrong guy, lol!
lillyjo: haha! Maybe sweat’n’citrus draws a better crowd?
Well, that’s a bit disappointing. With a gun to my head, I’d probably have to declare Déclaration my “signature scent” – I’ve had it in my collection for almost 10 years and can’t imagine being without a bottle. It’s like some kind of fragrance baseline for me, a reset button for my nose when I’m sick of, or overwhelmed by, everything else. The flankers have been hit or miss for me, but I was looking forward to trying this one. The notes and accords sound right up my alley, but your description of an olfactory “party shirt” – an unimaginative one, at that – is NOT promising. Would you say it’s worth sampling, at least, or is it a total “don’t bother”?
Subhuman: you should sample it just to see what it’s about; and it may fall off the Declaration line-up as many have.
PS: and it would be great to know what a long-time fan of Declaration thinks of it!
Are there any clubs in one of the Trump Towers across the world?
I don’t see this as a club fragrance at all. If anything, this is the awkward guy standing in the corner of a club that’s very reserved and has anxiety being there.
I can see this more as a formal dinner fragrance to show character in a positive perspective.
Comparing it to a club fragrance, it makes me think of this character to be the smooth talking arrogant individual that brought you over to the penthouse, pouring you a glass of champagne that he dismisses its year and has it just to have it, and doesn’t want to hear the word no from who he brings over; he just wants things his way.
I know it’s not what you were referring to, but I keep thinking of Seinfeld’s puffy shirt! ?