Cartier Les Epures de Parfum

[purplelilac]

Apologies if this has already been discussed, but I did not find anything by searching.

I am interested in the 4 perfumes in this range: Pur Kinkan, Pur Magnolia, Pur Muget and Pur Rose.

Can anyone who has tried them let me know what they are like?

Is the Kinkan really like kumquat? Is the Rose a "pure" rose and how does the Muget compare to Diorissimo?

Thanks in advance.

 

[purplelilac]

In case anyone is interested, I went to the Cartier boutique and sniffed this range to see what it is like.

Les Epures de parfum EdT range came out in 2020 and the perfumer is Mathilde Laurent.

First off, I love the bottle designs (see below for one example). So pretty!

Of the three EdT's (the rose ended up being in a different range) my two favorites were the Pur Magnolia and the Pur Muget.

I do not really know what a real magnolia smells like, but this one is so fresh, light and slightly sweet (a little like a floral Smartie candy). it was so cheerful and addicitve. The only drawback is it is fleeting, and wears close to the skin. This may benefit by being sprayed on clothes too.

The Pur Muget is going to be compared to Diorissimo since they both are basically a lily of the valley perfume. This one is crisper and greener/fresher than Diorissimo. It also has good longevity given that it wears rather delicately.

I was most excited to try Pur Kinkan but ultimately it was too sharp and a bit sour on my skin.

In the end I got the Pur Magnolia since I have nothing like it in my collection and it really is a "happy" perfume. Perfect for summer and warner climates.

 

[hednic]

My granddaughter has all three of these, and while she loves them all, like you, the Magnolia is her preferred.

 

[purplelilac]

My granddaughter has all three of these, and while she loves them all, like you, the Magnolia is her preferred.

I was very surprised at how unique and pretty the Pur Magnolia is. How does the Pur Kinkan wear on her skin?

 

[CookBot]

do not really know what a real magnolia smells like, but this one is so fresh, light and slightly sweet (a little like a floral Smartie candy). it was so cheerful and addicitve. The only drawback is it is fleeting, and wears close to the skin. This may benefit by being sprayed on clothes too.

This is a job for @Kotori , our resident magnolia maven. She definitely needs to try this.

I was most excited to try Pur Kinkan but ultimately it was too sharp and a bit sour on my skin.

This is the only one of the line that grabbed my attention in your original post. I used to have a couple of kumquat trees in the kitchen garden at my job, and I was always trying to come up with uses for the unusual fruit, which reverses the usual structure: the thick peel is sweet/sour, and the interior flesh is sour and bitter. But I did love the way they smelled. If the perfume came off sharp and sour on your skin, it's probably doing an accurate job of reproducing the natural smell of the fruit.

 

[Kotori]

This is a job for @Kotori , our resident magnolia maven. She definitely needs to try this.



This is the only one of the line that grabbed my attention in your original post. I used to have a couple of kumquat trees in the kitchen garden at my job, and I was always trying to come up with uses for the unusual fruit, which reverses the usual structure: the thick peel is sweet/sour, and the interior flesh is sour and bitter. But I did love the way they smelled. If the perfume came off sharp and sour on your skin, it's probably doing an accurate job of reproducing the natural smell of the fruit.

Ooh! I hadn’t heard about these… I will definitely need to give them a go. I’m also growing a kumquat tree.

 

[purplelilac]

This is a job for @Kotori , our resident magnolia maven. She definitely needs to try this.



This is the only one of the line that grabbed my attention in your original post. I used to have a couple of kumquat trees in the kitchen garden at my job, and I was always trying to come up with uses for the unusual fruit, which reverses the usual structure: the thick peel is sweet/sour, and the interior flesh is sour and bitter. But I did love the way they smelled. If the perfume came off sharp and sour on your skin, it's probably doing an accurate job of reproducing the natural smell of the fruit.

Luckily, I did have a reference for the kumquats (unlike the magnolia) but it still was sharp in an unpleasant way on me. I was really hoping it was the one of the three that I would like best because the idea is fairly original. Maybe a candied kumquat peel might have been better LOL. Of course, everyone's skin is different.

 

[purplelilac]

Ooh! I hadn’t heard about these… I will definitely need to give them a go. I’m also growing a kumquat tree.

Would love to get your feedback. The magnolia is really lovely in a sweet floral way. Whenever I hear "magnolia" I am reminded of the Dead song, Sugar Magnolia!

 

[Kotori]

Would love to get your feedback. The magnolia is really lovely in a sweet floral way. Whenever I hear "magnolia" I am reminded of the Dead song, Sugar Magnolia!

I’ll see if I can find some. Sweet and floral doesn’t sound much like a magnolia, though. While I enjoy the smell of magnolia more than most other smells, I do think maybe @Cook.bot had a point when she indicated that magnolias have an air of threat. It’s not a light or easy smell. When I describe them, it’s usually that the blossoms themselves are a creamy mix of lemon, mint, and rose, with none of the cheese-funk or fungi-umami we usually think of when we think of creaminess; it’s more the waxiness of a white floral with none of the fullness in the back of your throat. When they’re fresh, they smell sharp and alittle like rain. When they’re a day old, they smell somewhat like rotten citrus fruit.

But the blossom is rarely without the tree, and the tree is an important piece of the composition. It’s an earthy, semi-tropical tree with thick, waxy stems and gummy leaves that snap sharply when stepped on. The sharp green of the leaf is similar to a lime leaf, and the tree itself has a thick canopy that can create a low, dank fort, and an accompanying air of dampness.

***

That’s the best I’ve got.

 

[purplelilac]

I’ll see if I can find some. Sweet and floral doesn’t sound much like a magnolia, though. While I enjoy the smell of magnolia more than most other smells, I do think maybe @Cook.bot had a point when she indicated that magnolias have an air of threat. It’s not a light or easy smell. When I describe them, it’s usually that the blossoms themselves are a creamy mix of lemon, mint, and rose, with none of the cheese-funk or fungi-umami we usually think of when we think of creaminess; it’s more the waxiness of a white floral with none of the fullness in the back of your throat. When they’re fresh, they smell sharp and alittle like rain. When they’re a day old, they smell somewhat like rotten citrus fruit.

But the blossom is rarely without the tree, and the tree is an important piece of the composition. It’s an earthy, semi-tropical tree with thick, waxy stems and gummy leaves that snap sharply when stepped on. The sharp green of the leaf is similar to a lime leaf, and the tree itself has a thick canopy that can create a low, dank fort, and an accompanying air of dampness.

***

That’s the best I’ve got.

Thanks for this detailed description and you're right, the Cartier then doesn't really sound like a true magnolia. This perfume is not creamy at all. More fresh and floral. At least on me. Now I am really interested in you and Cook.bot to see what it smells like on you.

 

[CookBot]

But the blossom is rarely without the tree, and the tree is an important piece of the composition. It’s an earthy, semi-tropical tree with thick, waxy stems and gummy leaves that snap sharply when stepped on. The sharp green of the leaf is similar to a lime leaf, and the tree itself has a thick canopy that can create a low, dank fort, and an accompanying air of dampness.

All of which makes them not only menacing (in my opinion), but probably the messiest tree you could ever have in your yard. Not only are you constantly cleaning up under it, but you can imagine what such a tree does to any car parked near it.

 

[Kotori]

All of which makes them not only menacing (in my opinion), but probably the messiest tree you could ever have in your yard. Not only are you constantly cleaning up under it, but you can imagine what such a tree does to any car parked near it.

You’re absolutely right. However, in that regard, I think magnolias are in stiff competition with Silk Blossoms (pink mimosas). Man, when those feathery blossoms get stuck to your car! And don’t even get me started on the seed pods. Those things volunteer 40 times a summer. No, literally.

But apologies for the partial hijack, @purplelilac. It could be awhile before I find any of that Cartier, but I’ll let you know when I do! It still sounds lovely.

 

[cazaubon]

I preferred the magnolia as well. It reminded me of the Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile edp.

 

[purplelilac]

You’re absolutely right. However, in that regard, I think magnolias are in stiff competition with Silk Blossoms (pink mimosas). Man, when those feathery blossoms get stuck to your car! And don’t even get me started on the seed pods. Those things volunteer 40 times a summer. No, literally.

But apologies for the partial hijack, @purplelilac. It could be awhile before I find any of that Cartier, but I’ll let you know when I do! It still sounds lovely.

Hijacks welcome! I grew up in the Northeast of the US and I remember some gorgeous blooming trees like dogwood and weeping cherry but no magnolias or mimosa. I think there were tulip trees. In Japan we had plum, cherry and peach but those blooms were light and not sticky, The ginkgo was sticky though.

 

[PStoller]

FYI, stopped by Cartier today to look at jewelry, ended up at a perfume event featuring some of these. I was most taken with Pur Kinkan, if only because I have a bias toward citrus. Yes, it’s quite sharp, but so is kumquat, and I was glad Mathilde Laurent didn’t shy entirely away from the bitterness of the rind.

Alas, the “goody bag” didn’t include Kinkan. I got Pure Rose, L’Heure Diaphane VIII, and La Panthère, plus a decant from an urn of what I think/hope was Oud & Pink, which I quite liked sprayed on paper—a modern French rose/oud that reconsiders both rose and oud to find a surprising new sympathy between them. I also got a whiff of Pur Muguet, which appealed to me more than I expected, thanks to a fresh, stemmy green take on lily of the valley rather than a common cloying aldehydic take.

Your mileage may vary!

 

[cheapimitation]

I've got the 3 mini set with Pur Magnolia, Pur Muguet, and Pur Kinkan. They are all great, very natural and light with a greeness that Laurent does so well.

My favorite smell is Kinkan, such a realistic tart bitter blast of citrus. I am not one to care much about longevity, but I do not exaggerate when I say this is the shortest lived fragrance in my whole collection (maybe only beat by Guerlain Eau de Coq). It leaves a very faint green trail for maybe an hour or two, possibly longer on clothes, but the initial citrus burst disappears within minutes. It is a very hard sell at $285 for basically an eau de cologne.

If I was to purchase a full bottle of one it would be Pur Muguet. Again, it is so realistic and green and blessedly devoid of sweetness. Longevity is pretty good. I'm not a muguet expert, but of the few others I have tried this is by far my favorite.

Pur Magnolia is also very nice but my least favorite. It is pretty but somehow it is only "just nice" to me. Something in the dry down goes a bit sweet and soapy in a way I don't like. Maybe it's an unfair comparison, but it cannot touch my benchmark Eau de Magnolia from Frederic Malle. I believe this is the best seller of the bunch and I can see why, it is pretty and easy to wear. I can see the greenness of the other two being a turn off to the general public.

I highly recommend the little trio set, I'm glad I have that rather than one full bottle as they all go quite well together and I like being able to compare and contrast them. It doesn't hurt that Bloomingdales was doing $50 off a $200 purchase (I added some moisturizer to make the cut) when I got it and the SA thew in another 15ml of Oud Radieux for free to seal the deal.

I also tried the Pur Rose while I was there but it didn't make an impression on me, I remember being disappointed after watching Persolaise review it who seemed to be rather impressed.

 

[purplelilac]

FYI, stopped by Cartier today to look at jewelry, ended up at a perfume event featuring some of these. I was most taken with Pur Kinkan, if only because I have a bias toward citrus. Yes, it’s quite sharp, but so is kumquat, and I was glad Mathilde Laurent didn’t shy entirely away from the bitterness of the rind.

Alas, the “goody bag” didn’t include Kinkan. I got Pure Rose, L’Heure Diaphane VIII, and La Panthère, plus a decant from an urn of what I think/hope was Oud & Pink, which I quite liked sprayed on paper—a modern French rose/oud that reconsiders both rose and oud to find a surprising new sympathy between them. I also got a whiff of Pur Muguet, which appealed to me more than I expected, thanks to a fresh, stemmy green take on lily of the valley rather than a common cloying aldehydic take.

Your mileage may vary!

I agree the Pur Kinkan is a unique citrus, I really wanted to like that one the best. Pur Muget is really nice too; I had a hard time deciding between the Muget and the Magnolia. I was disappointed that the Pur Rose was not really that special--there is so much they could have done with that one.

 

[purplelilac]

I've got the 3 mini set with Pur Magnolia, Pur Muguet, and Pur Kinkan. They are all great, very natural and light with a greeness that Laurent does so well.

My favorite smell is Kinkan, such a realistic tart bitter blast of citrus. I am not one to care much about longevity, but I do not exaggerate when I say this is the shortest lived fragrance in my whole collection (maybe only beat by Guerlain Eau de Coq). It leaves a very faint green trail for maybe an hour or two, possibly longer on clothes, but the initial citrus burst disappears within minutes. It is a very hard sell at $285 for basically an eau de cologne.

If I was to purchase a full bottle of one it would be Pur Muguet. Again, it is so realistic and green and blessedly devoid of sweetness. Longevity is pretty good. I'm not a muguet expert, but of the few others I have tried this is by far my favorite.

Pur Magnolia is also very nice but my least favorite. It is pretty but somehow it is only "just nice" to me. Something in the dry down goes a bit sweet and soapy in a way I don't like. Maybe it's an unfair comparison, but it cannot touch my benchmark Eau de Magnolia from Frederic Malle. I believe this is the best seller of the bunch and I can see why, it is pretty and easy to wear. I can see the greenness of the other two being a turn off to the general public.

I highly recommend the little trio set, I'm glad I have that rather than one full bottle as they all go quite well together and I like being able to compare and contrast them. It doesn't hurt that Bloomingdales was doing $50 off a $200 purchase (I added some moisturizer to make the cut) when I got it and the SA thew in another 15ml of Oud Radieux for free to seal the deal.

I also tried the Pur Rose while I was there but it didn't make an impression on me, I remember being disappointed after watching Persolaise review it who seemed to be rather impressed.

I agree, the Muget is lovely. I didn't have any magnolia perfumes so in the end that's why I chose that one. That and because the sweet bit at the end that you were't keen on, was oddly addictive to me. I'll have to look for the Malle Magnolia--I do not know that one. Having the set is a nice way to experience them. Will you do any layering?

 

[PStoller]

Just FYI:

I emailed Cartier SA (“Fragrance & Accessories Ambassador”) Janior Salas Caballero, telling him my wife had taken to the sample he decanted from the urn at the East Hampton event, but we weren’t sure which fragrance it was. So, he sent me this:



Including 8 samples (4 boxed, 4 decanted and labeled), a watch catalog, and a lovely personal note expressing hope that this will solve our mystery.

Whatever Dr. T and I may ultimately think of the fragrances, I have to say: that, my friends, is how it’s done.

 

[purplelilac]

Just FYI:

I emailed Cartier SA (“Fragrance & Accessories Ambassador”) Janior Salas Caballero, telling him my wife had taken to the sample he decanted from the urn at the East Hampton event, but we weren’t sure which fragrance it was. So, he sent me this:

View attachment 283448

Including 8 samples (4 boxed, 4 decanted and labeled), a watch catalog, and a lovely personal note expressing hope that this will solve our mystery.

Whatever Dr. T and I may ultimately think of the fragrances, I have to say: that, my friends, is how it’s done.

It sure is! Not many companies like that anymore. And I hope it solves your mystery!