Last year I began the hunt for the perfect floral fragrance. I wanted something sweet but not overwhelming, not too green, and not counterbalanced with some rancid base note like civet or musk. I found pretty much everything I was looking for in Child and called off my search, but then I received a sample of Cartier’s Baiser Vole Eau de Parfum Spray and I decided I may not be ready to commit to just one floral.
Cartier Baiser Vole Eau de Parfum Spray
The EDP went on my Christmas wish list and I was gifted with the 3.3 oz. bottle – score! The flip-top bottle, by the way, is just gorgeous. It’s proof that a perfume bottle can be minimalist in design and still strikingly beautiful.
This is a lovely, light, pure lily scent without any harsh undertones. I’m not very skilled at describing scents, so all I can say is that this is just wonderful. If you are a lover of pure florals, you will most likely love this.
Baiser Vole wears fairly close to the skin, so you needn’t worry about offending those around you. If they’re close enough to get a strong whiff, they are probably invading your personal space. I can smell it on myself, though, which is the whole point. The lily scent envelops me and makes me feel beautifully cozy.
A word of caution: The eau de toilette smells nothing like the eau de parfum. Where the EDP is soft and sweet, the EDT is like a sharp, green knife to the nasal passages. The difference between the two is stark and caught me off guard when I received a deluxe sample size of the EDT spray from Sephora. Shop carefully and avoid the EDT unless you prefer a very acrid, very green fragrance, in which case please enjoy.
Love, Chloé Eau de Parfum Spray
While reading online reviews of Baiser Vole on various sites, I saw multiple comparisons to Love, Chloé, so naturally I had to check that out. I picked up the 0.2 oz. rollerball at Sephora yesterday and I can definitely see why people find these scents similar.
Love, Chloé is a bit spicier and more powdery than Baiser Vole, but they are very much in the same floral neighborhood. I’ll bet they have dinner at each other’s houses all the time. In fact, during the course of writing this review, I layered the two scents on my wrists and they go really, really well together.
In terms of sillage and staying power, Love, Chloé is the stronger of the two, but it still wears close enough to the skin that you shouldn’t be in danger of offending sensitive noses in your vicinity while wearing it.
I don’t want my perfume to punch me or anyone else in the face with its pungency (think Chanel No. 5, for example, which I sniffed yesterday and wondered how in the world I managed to wear it back in my college days – no offense intended to anyone who enjoys it, because fragrance is a very personal and individual thing, but it’s far too potent for me). Both Baiser Vole and Love, Chloé strike the perfect balance, being strong enough for me to enjoy them but not so strong that they knock me out of my seat or send those around me scrambling for fresh air.
I’ve seen some reviewers describe these scents as “grandmotherly,” and not in a flattering way, but I respectfully disagree. If Grandma is wearing one of these perfumes, she’s got good taste and she smells fantastic.
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Catherine is an Austin, Texas-based compulsive shopper, beauty product addict, animal lover, and vegetarian.Her current interests include cardigans, dark chocolate with sea salt, lip balm, floral scents, and trying out new and interesting vegetarian recipes. You can find her elsewhere on the web on Twitter at @catvoncat. |
