Les Heures de Parfum - VI L'Heure Brillante
Cartier (2009)

L'Heure Brillante is a simple, linear citrus-aromatic fragrance from the mind of Mathilde Laurent, a part of Cartier's Les Heures de Parfum collection.

Classy lemony scent with a nice dose of boozy gin and crisp airiness of the aldehyde accord. Fresh and energizing while it lasts, with an exotic Amalfi lemon accord worth noting.

Wish it would last longer and had more intensity, but it is what it is; I still appreciate this as a pleasant, warmer weather wear that is closer to an invigorating mood scent than not.

It starts off with a mix of delicious-smelling juicy orange and old-fashioned bergamot, laced with candied lemon and a subtle whiff of alcohol (like a vodka drink, not the alcohol in the perfume itself). This rather quickly fades into a soft mix of orange blossom and sweet neroli over a waxy soap smell. This soapy flower mix lasts quite a while, but is fairly faint.

The topnotes are very nice, but you can say that for most traditional citrus eau's. And I didn't care much for the soapy quality of the drydown, so it gets a neutral rating from me.

The fragrance that commemorates a brand new day is appropriately invigorating, a touch of gin adding a jolt to the live-wire of a citrus. But what sets L'HEURE BRILLIANTE apart from the usual citrus colognes is Laurent's use of lush green florals to bring some rather interesting dimensions as the fragrance progresses into the second half. As short-lived as most citrus scents are wont to be, this is guaranteed to put a big smile on your face. What better way to start the day, eh? I bet you won't miss that hole in your back pocket either.

This is the lemon equivalent of Eau D'Orange Vert.
It's a slightly herbal citrus cologne with the same basic underlying structure although, with a sharper tone to it(maybe the gin?).
It also has the same poor longevity as Eau d'Orange Vert. Although, I much prefer orange to lemon and the difference in price as well.

For an expensive cologne I expected more and this leaves a lot to be desired. The scent starts off well and it's just downhill from there, which is a relatively small hill nonetheless.

Neutral but, borderline thumbs down.

This is a bright hour of a citrus cocktail perfect for a summer day. L`Heure Brillant stays green and fresh throughout the day, changing from citrus to green flowers. The opening is very fizzy and lemony, with a fresh boozy scent that would make a perfect cocktail. Then the scent morphs into a green flowery heart, where the linden flower dominates on skin. It has some similar edges to some kind of iris scents, and gives the impression of a clean flowery scented sheet. The base is a sheer musk, that goes on a subtle voice until the end of the fragrance. This seems to be a classic love, not a torrid or over sensual one. Shame it`s not an intenser and more long-lasting one...