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Cartier is a high-end fashion house synonymous with luxury. Cartier watches, jewelry, and fragrances are exquisite, exemplifying a timelessness and savoir-faire beyond compare. The pursuit of excellence underscores the brand’s artful creations, with each iconic product a clear testament to the Parisian Maison’s relentless pursuit of perfection.
Catering for both women and men, Cartier continues to impress with its unrivaled mastery when it comes to perfume formulation. This review explores Cartier La Panthere Perfume, seeking to demystify the delightful scent.
What’s the Story Behind Cartier La Panthere Perfume?
Cartier started in 1847 with Louis-François Cartier as the founder. Elites and royalty patronized the jewelry-making company for its stunningly beautiful, flawless designs. Later, his grandsons took the company to new heights, creating dragons and lotus flowers set in precious stones, such as diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.
Enter Madame Jeanne Toussaint, who, as Louis Cartier’s (one of the grandsons) muse, dispatched designers to observe the big cats — tigers and panthers — and capture their feline power in jewel collections. The stylish Toussaint soon became known as ‘the panther,’ which then became Cartier’s symbol. This happened in the 1930s.
In the 80s, Cartier launched fragrances, starting with Must De Cartier (available on Amazon.com). Designed to adorn their wearers’ skin like “intimate precious gems,” these perfumes were genuine olfactory masterpieces, boasting the choicest premium components and housed in eye-catching flacons.
Fast forward to our perfume, the widely-acclaimed La Panthere. Cartier describes this ladies’ fragrance as a “feline floral fragrance in the trail of a captivating woman.” This is one of Cartier’s most popular scents, and understandably so. It’s divine, classy, sophisticated, and rebellious — indisputably Cartier.
La Panthere drew its inspiration from three things:
- A panther, the brand’s symbol of femininity and heritage
- Panthère original, a 1986 fragrance
- Cartier’s lover and muse, Jeanne Toussaint (“The Panther”)
Here are a few quick facts about Panthere perfume:
- It was launched in March 2014.
- It was conceived by award-winning master perfumer Mathilde Laurent.
- Key accords are gardenia and musk.
Following is an in-depth analysis of Cartier La Panthere.
Cartier La Panthere Perfume
Our Verdict of Cartier La Panthere Perfume
Presentation
Cartier Le Panther comes in a simple but luxurious-looking, golden-hued flacon. The perfume bottle is a stunner and features the sculpted face of a panther. The bottle appears to have a golden glow that meshes nicely with its contents.
Deepening the perfume’s unique presentation is model Erin Wasson, the face of the Le Panther campaign, whose cat-like countenance and distinctive boho style make her both famous and intriguing.
You can purchase Le Panther Eau de Parfum in a 30, 50, or 75 ml (1.01, 0.17, 0r 2.5 ounces) bottle.
Scent
La Pantene by Cartier is a modern take on the traditional chypre fragrance category. Sensual and bold in character, it offers an intricate balance between delicate and seductive.
This floral chypre feels somewhat green and outdoorsy and kicks off with a dry, fruity mixture that’s sweet but not overly so, as there’s an element of tartness lurking there. A quick sniff unveils a greenish-fruity blend of rhubarb, oakmoss, and fruity accords. In addition, you can pick out hints of dried fruits, apples, strawberries, and apricots as their notes waft through.
After a couple of minutes, the star of the fragrance, gardenia, starts to dominate the scent, while oakmoss and musk at the base cement the composition’s chypre vibe. The musk is decidedly soapy but blends in well, giving the perfume a clean, distinguished confidence.
As seen earlier, gardenia and musk are the chief players here. The dry down relegates the fruity accents to the background leaving musk and gardenia to reign supreme, flanked by oakmoss and touches of patchouli. The aroma is heavenly!
Fun Fact: Gardenia is a common ingredient in perfumes, candles, and body lotions. This floral note is exotic, warm, and flagrant, with earthy/green undertones. The intoxicating scent is also preferred in fragrance compositions for its freshness, femininity, and uncanny ability to wear well.
Performance
Performance-wise, Cartier La Panthere perfume is long-lasting with a strong sillage. While it’s no beast performer, expect double-digit longevity on your skin. As for projection and sillage, these are strong, though not super-heavy.
With this perfume, a couple of spritzes are all you need to get noticed. The feral floral is also guaranteed to draw out your feline essence.
Versatility
La Panthere Eau de Parfum is best for fall and winter, day or night. Nonetheless, you can wear it throughout the year, save on hot summer days.
Typically, oakmoss and musk notes lend themselves to colder weather, while gardenia and the rest of the fruity bouquet evoke memories of spring. The result? A confident, dressed-up fragrance rather than something to wear casually.
We see this as the perfect go-to scent for special events or when you desire to dress and smell extra fancy. Expect loads of compliments!
Overall
Overall, La Panthere is a fresh, refined, mature fragrance with an exciting chypre character. Simply put, it’s a grown-up scent with a youthful heart.
The experience you get from wearing this scent differs from what you get from other fruity, flower-forward compositions. This one also displays earthiness and animalism, which blend artfully with the radiant gardenia and fruit ensemble.
On trying out this gorgeous gem, you’ll agree it is beautifully done. Fascinating but unusual, yet easy to wear, not forgetting its luminous essence.
This is the elegant stuff you want to wear when seeking something enduring that can work as a great pick-me-up. Besides, the aroma is exquisite, making this a perfect signature scent. Win-win!
Top Notes: Dried fruits, Bergamot, Rhubarb, Anise, Strawberry
Middle Notes: Gardenia, Pear, Rose, Orange blossom, Ylang-ylang
Base Notes: Patchouli, Musk, Oakmoss, Leather
Pros
- A classic with fantastic staying power
- A compliment puller
- Sweet, floral, ultra-feminine
- Worth every cent
Cons
- Avoid if you don't like musky scents
Cartier La Panthere Perfume
