Declaration Parfum by Cartier + Life Stuff

Hey Posse! This last couple of weeks has been big. Huge things have happened for Jin and myself. We’ll get to them later on. I also found myself lemming into a perfume purchase for the first time in years. Declaration Parfum has become part of my collection.

I’ve always been a fan of the Declaration bottle and I had a bottle of the original many years ago that one of my BFFs Phil fell in love with. I gave it to him and never really thought about the line much at all. Then this week major Aussie perfume collector and online friend Dimitri was waxing lyrical about his super bargain Chemist Warehouse pickup of the Cartier Declaration Parfum. The notes sounded spectacular and his joy at getting it for under AU$100 planted a lemming firmly. Having to go to the bank in person next morning, I got my stuff done there (More about that later) and across the road there is a CW so I dropped over, found the bottles with a little help from a stafff member and was walking out happily poorer.

Declaration Parfum by Cartier

Declaration Parfum by Cartier

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bitter Orange
Heart: Spices, Cardamom, Cumin
Base: Leather, Cedar, Benzoin, Vetiver, Tolu Balsam

Opening is well spiced citrus, molten, mulled and very hot Christmas wine-ish. But not. So rich and warm I’m blown away by the new direction Mathilde Laurent has taken with that oily, cool, manly Jean Claude Ellena original. Actually, this should have become a new Cartier pillar fragrance. Anyone expecting a slight tweak or a parfum version of that aromatic citrus will be very upset. This is not that. If ever a flanker deserved the addition of noir, nuit or ténèbres then Cartier Declaration Parfum is it. I’ll never understand the way these things are named. Also, this would fit beautifully into the Hermessence or Les Heures ranges.

The opening is a fireworks display but very quickly it settles to a sweet leathery chocolate. Smooth, stylish and very niche as it should be. Or maybe it’s designer as it was before the onset of throw garbage at the people and let them love it. Ultra wearable but Cartier Declaration Parfum smells like someone really thought about what they were creating.

Dry down is a warm resinous amber, slightly animalic and with a hint of salt. Totally unisex, project and longevity good but not overpowering.

Life Stuff

So much news.

Apartments

Jin and I paid off the Parramatta Apartment. I had some money left from the sale of my family home and a couple of Tasmanian properties, after paying the loan down considerably on fortnightly basis we felt it best to close that chapter.

We’d been looking to buy something else for years and always seemed to be let down in some way or other. My memory (not to be trusted implicitly) says we reached the point of buying 8 or 9 times on a bunch of different things. Finally, Jin put his foot down about a property that I was VERY ambivalent about.

So, as well as paying off Parramatta we have bought another property, should be settling by the end of next week or week after. It is in need of repairs. Two bathrooms showers have lost their waterproofing, the kitchen is in a state of disrepair, the enormous balcony has a very ugly, original fence, it needs kickboards in the bedrooms and is currently painted in Pale, Institution Primrose. The same colour they painted hospital children’s wards in the 1970s. Jin can get most of this stuff fixed with a little help from our friends and we are having a Painting Party one Saturday/Sunday. So many friends are excited about the Painting Party, we are hoping to have a two person team in every room and 5 in the living areas. Payment will be Jin’s famous Korean BarBQ and Soju. On consideration Jin’s instinct feels correct, time will tell.

The local train station is only about 100m from the new apartment and we had New Unit Celebration dinner with a friend in the area. Here is our restaurant dinner view across the train lines to the sunset.

Declaration Parfum by Cartier

Flowers

It’s three years since my BFFs Mum died. This year the last gift she ever gave me, a rose which doesn’t do so well on our balcony, has been flowering like crazy! I look out our bedroom window and see these flashes of orange and red. Excellent reminder of her.

Also in floral news, the other night we had a really big storm. The whole kit & caboodle. Thunder, lighting, winds and a deluge. There were trees, branches and other debris all over the suburb as I walked the dogs that night. Surprisingly a large flowering branch of a crepe myrtle was broken from its tree and lying across a hedge. So I brought it home and we got about 5 days of these beautiful flowers. While not loving cut flowers, found flowers are a different story.

Friends

Lastly, Jin’s BFF Matt and his work colleague Emma have decided Wednesday nights are their Trivia Nights and they are coming up to Greystanes Inn to play. Though Jin doesn’t love trivia, he does love hanging with us all and having a pub meal. They’re bloody good at it too. Over the last three weeks they have come equal first twice and second once. The crowd LOVES having Jin in the house because they’ve heard the stories for years and now he’s onsite to hear them and confirm.

Sorry, that was a bloody long, rambling post.

Hope you are all safe and well.

How does Declaration Parfum by Cartier sound?
Portia xx

  • AnnieA says:

    Your long, rambling posts are my favourite. All the best to you two with the new investment property and how splendid that your place has been paid off which must give such a sense of security.

    • Portia says:

      Hi AnnieA,
      AH! Thank you. That’s nice to know. My focus lasts about 500 words when reading blogs, so it’s good to know others are not same.
      Paying off the home we live in is a really big security thing. Though I know everything can change in the blink of an eye it still feels good and solid.
      Portia x

  • Kathleen says:

    Congratulations to you and Jin! Exciting investment in new property!
    I’ve not sniffed Declaration but you make it sound fabulous! xoxo

  • Anna Calarco says:

    Congratulations Portia and Jin!! On the real estate purchase ! We’ll come and help?
    The roses look beautiful?Three years already …
    The Cartier sounds really nice too ? and a good price too .
    Love your comment ..’throw something at them , they’ll like it’
    You’re the best Portia xx
    See you tonight at Parra RSL parade night ?

  • Jennifer S says:

    Ooh exciting times. Sounds like you have a group of wonderful friends! I adore flowers but having not the slightest bit of a green thumb I mostly admire them in other peoples yards lol.
    The Cartier seems like it would be a nice cozy winter scent!

    • Portia says:

      Hi JenniferS,
      We have some of the best friends on earth.
      HA! Jin also has a dead hand for gardening. that’s my fun.
      Yeah, I think the Cartier will work so well in winter but I’ve been wearing it a lot this summer too.
      Portia xx

  • matty1649 says:

    Congrats on your and Jin’s new home…I hope you will be very happy there XX

  • March says:

    All great, great news, congratulations! That rose is just stunning… I can’t even remember what Declaration smells like which is silly since I know I’ve smelled it a few times; I do love the bottle. This version sounds delicious though. Cartier’s bottles seldom fail to impress.

    • Portia says:

      Thanks March,
      I’m so glad you love the rose. That is EXACTLY how it looks, like a bright beacon of love. No photoshop required.
      You’re right about Cartier’s bottles. L’Envol is my fave, so cool.
      Portia xx

  • Tara C says:

    I don’t think I’ve ever smelled any of the Declarations. This one sounds interesting, although cumin and leather can be dodgy for me.

    I am still in the middle of a housing nightmare, I hope your purchase turns out well and you are happy with it! My idea of hell is buying and selling real estate.

    • Portia says:

      All the hugs for your housing plight TaraC. I’m sorry you are not enjoying the process. It’s a drama, no doubt.
      Portia xx

  • VerbenaLuvvr says:

    Is the new place going to be your future home? or a rental unit? Yes, please put up some before-and-afters! Your rose is so lovely. I am not able to keep roses alive where we live, they require too much protection from the cold, but there is a wild rose bush with a heavenly fragrance that manages to survive at the edge of our drive.

    • Portia says:

      Hey VerbenaLuvvr,
      This is an investment.
      I’ll do my best to keep you all appraised of the goings on as we get it done.
      That’s so strange because roses go dormant in the cold anyway. We’ve seen rose gardens as high up the Himalayas as Nepal, and near the Rohtang Pass. Just cut them back, mulch like crazy and they should pop up again next spring and give you a good show.
      Portia xx

  • Dina C. says:

    Portia!
    Fabulous post! Congrats on the new fixer-upper unit! I love the original Declaration in the summer and always wear it on July 4th (signing of the Declaration of Independence) — love a pun! I’m intrigued to hear about the parfum and how different it is. I have crepe myrtles in the common area in front of my home — love those big bushy flowers! Cheers!

    • Portia says:

      Hey DinaC,
      Thanks.
      OOOH! Such a fun idea to match fragrance and dates! Clever.
      Crepe Myrtles are having a huge revival in our suburb. About 5 years ago the council removed all the old, troubled or too enormous trees and replanted with them. They flower for MONTHS! The suburb looks so pretty.
      Portia xx

  • Musette says:

    Declaration Parfum sounds divine, as long as the cumin doesn’t sweat out. As you may remember my girlcrush on Mme Laurent is LEGENDARY! So… bring it!

    And congratulations on the property purchase! Will this be a move or just an investment?

    xoxo

    • Portia says:

      Agreed on the Mathilde Laurent Musette. she’s bloody fabulous.

      This is an investment. Parramatta is too comfy to leave.
      Portia xx

  • cinnamon says:

    Well, wow. That’s a lot to be going on with. Declaration. Wasn’t the original carnation or is that wrong fragrance? Haven’t smelled anything Cartier in years (bar the Fougeuese Musette sent me). Love me some carnation.

    Congrats on house stuff. Can be so stressful but also so rewarding when things finally come round right. Good wishes with the fixes. What about the current place? Will that be sold?

    • Dina C. says:

      Declaration (original) has a beautiful cardamom note. Very unisex. Maybe it has carnation, too. I don’t remember. But it’s spicy and light at the same time.

    • Portia says:

      Hey Cinnamon,
      Funny, everyone seems to have different memories of the original EdT. For me it was a citrus woods with a little funk.

      No, this is an investment. Yes for the stressful part but having a tradesman husband it becomes infinitely less daunting.
      Portia xx

  • Alityke says:

    Congratulations on your new purchase! Exciting times

    Whilst I don’t believe in gendered fragrances I rarely wander to the so called male side unless it’s been for my sons. Now they buy for themselves & after so much retail death in lockdowns actually smelling stuff is getting tough precious sniffing time is spent with the good stuff.
    The notes sound so delicious on this though I might have to do some snufflehounding

    • Portia says:

      Thanks Alityke,
      Yes, A sniff for sniffs sake in the mall is rare for me too nowadays. You’ve inspired me to go give it a burl,
      Portia xx

  • Tom says:

    Declaration sounds really nice- glad you scored some. But thrilled to read about your new place: Hope you’ll put up before and afters!