Déclaration d'Un Soir
Cartier (2012)

The entire Cartier Declaration line needs to be sampled. Based on the success of the original, there are some hidden gems here waiting to be discovered.

Declaration d'Un Soir is quite a way off from the rest of the line. It does have a good rose note that mixes really well with some other interesting notes like nutmeg and woods.

The opening feels like they threw in the whole rose bush: petals, stems, leaves, thorns, heck even some of the soil (I'm guessing that's a patchouli-like note). The whole opening feels like there are some berries in there too (raspberries perhaps?). But a lot of the greens fade away as the scent develops, almost like the rose is blossoming. It doesn't come across as 'feminine' at all, but could easily be worn by both men and women alike.

I agree with the comparisons to Paestum Rose. In fact I can see this as a 'poor man's Portrait of a Lady', given how similar the rose blends with the berry note.

All in all this is a great floral masculine that could work for both men and women in all seasons.

Having used Declaration prior, I see where this flanker is heading - elsewhere. This is wildly similar to Paestum Rose - a Rose & Incense masterpiece from Eau d'Italie by Duchaufour; with at least 60% reference, they are kissing cousins. This opens with a rather distracting and inescapable nutmeg note. I could be wrong but I smell Frankincense/church incense along with the spices and the Rose. After the upper layers have mellowed and peeled away, a mild radiating sandalwood scent is left - a scent, that for fleeting moments, reminds me of L'Air du Désert Marocain, strangely. The entire transition of d'Un Soir is upper standard. Created niche, and designer bottled. This is a pretty daring and spicy/incense rose scent, a top one to boot, by a designer house. Wake up niche-snobs, you must try this if you haven't.

Unfortunate blind buy. really like the basic scent but performance is very poor on me. Certainly a nice take on a masculine rose. Tood bad.

Not a thumbs down because what little of the scent I can smell I like.
But horrifically fleeting and no sillage on me at all.

Sampled this with high expectations. Cruelly dashed. I found it unremarkable, sugary nose not natural smelling. Hard to believe it's the same family as the incredible Declaratión Parfum. For rose, of what I've tried I much prefer Montale Black Aoud, or in a very different style Diptyque L'Ombre Dans L'Eau.

Declaration d'Un Soir

I did not see it listed in the notes anywhere, but this hits with citrus. It's fresh. More of a dry rose. The spices cardamom and cumin mixed with the sandalwood actually give me a sort of cut flower stem accord. That smells good when it hits with the rose. Smells like a freshly cut bouquet at a flower shop. It is pretty strong, projecting pretty well for the first few hours. It just continues to smell fresh to me. And not overly feminine. Pleasant dry down that is more about the spices than the rose. Solid, though not remarkable.

I bought this as a blind buy and I'm kind of "meh" on it. It smells great with the opening notes of citrus and rose but then as the drydown approaches, it begins to smell like a floral based, fabric softener. If anything, it would be wise to test a sample of this before buying it because it's a very subjective fragrance that you either like or hate.