Not familiar with this vintage edt (as opposed to the far more balsamic/vanillic parfum, which I wear on special occasions; I love it for its galbanum contradictions )
This version, dourer, if still slightly mysterious, is musty indeed: a quite different beast. Not sure what feeling it is trying to capture. Great niece of Countess Vol De Nuit ?
Cartier Must enthusiasts out there ::
Any thoughts ?
Not familiar with the new version, but I wore the original. It probably was quite “musty”, certainly different and darker than the majority of perfumes available then (I had a “Goth” friend who wore when she gave birth!). I imagine an aging bottle might well be even more musty! Actually the latest formulation sounds rather nice.
Yes – in some ways easier and more legible – but this still has a certain cloudy day fascination
Sorry – she wore Must for the delivery room ?!
Love it
Yep! Tee hee!
It has !
Tell me more about the edt !
Cartier as a house always seemed to lack any sort of cohesive theme.
I’ve only owned Eau de Cartier and La Panthere- ended up gifting both away. There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with them, just meh.
The original Panthere: : o B**** ( in asterisk mode, forgive me), you would / would have ROCKED THAT SHIT
seriously one of the very few perfumes to make me actually hallucinate
serious 80’s tuberose of the most insanely erotic order
you might need some
( locked in the hotel safe )
Sounds intolerable by the way
I give up quickly in those circumstances
I have realized this bottle must be off
oh no that’s too bad that your bottle is off.
I haven’t worn mine in a while but it smells very niche avant la lettre, the stuff you’d wish they were still selling now. I’ll have to get back to you when I can formulate a proper opinion.
‘niche avant la lettre’ – how beautiful
actually I think I know what you mean – it might not be off, just v put together almost a la eau sauvage
I find it comforting in a posh french manner
I know the non parfum nuances from my Must II Eau Fraiche ( quite Diorish – so French jaded ‘aristocratic’) but that has a life of its own.
I have that very bottle as well as several other fancier bottles. The smell in a few of the fancier bottles are a little off, but not the one in that bottle. I really like that fragrance and even the ones that are a little off still smell good after they have dried down.
I have that exact bottle but in 30ml inside its own soft, thin oxblood leather case, and a 50ml just like it, but silver accents rather than gold. Not sure which is older; I think the gold 30ml.
Just put both of them on. Very similar. The silver trim bottle is a little brighter, more floral (and therefore not as good, imo, not as true to the original, more musty formulation I remember clearly), but the basic scent is the same.
I’ve known Must since the day it came on the scene in Vancouver. I’m sure I’ve told you this story, dear N. I sampled it, and Jean-Louis Scherrer, every single time I hit the perfume department at Eatons, torn between the two, lusting after both equally — something about them just hit me in the most aching place in my soul, addictively — but, at 24 years old, I didn’t feel I was quite “there” yet. Same with Vol de Nuit at the time and I agree, there is a connection between the two compositions. (I love your description of that, btw.) The mystery, the galbanum-amber duo.
To me, the feeling it captures isn’t illegible at all, and I would have thought you would have read it clearly, like VdN. I find it one of the most harmonious combinations of notes in perfumery. (OMG, the gold-trimmed one in the leather case is opening up magnificently. It is immaculate. Exactly what my nose smelled in ’81.) I’ve always thought it had a bit of the same vibe as Mystere de Rochas or Zibeline: that faint whiff of furry animal, cat fur or the smell of an old fox stole, head and all, like the one I found in a dusty trunk in the attic of a house we moved to when I was very young. There is some dried leather/pelt there for sure!
My gut says you would wear it effortlessly.
It’s perfect for this heat. Not like yours, but for us, hot at 27C.
I am so glad you found it and wrote about Must. Thank you, Neil. It was tucked away for the summer (I always think of it as a cold weather wear) and I’m enjoying this rich cloud I’m in. xoxo
Having worn these Musts for some time today, I think the better one (gold trim) has more in common with Antilope than Zibeline. They both have that golden straw note, and warm, dry animal skin, almost powdery, very fresh and aromatic, like the vetiver in No 19. Zibeline is much “browner,” dirtier. I’m actually finding Must clean and musky as opposed to musty. Oh god it’s good, Neil.
I only have a tiny bottle of the Parfum. The dustiness pulls towards old fashioned cocoa powder in that. I never felt the need for the EdT.
From the vintage Cartier range I miss Panthere & So Pretty.
I have a mini Parfum of Panthere somewhere
yes ! old fashioned cocoa powder – I had never realized that before
I love Panthere and So Pretty as well
I love that wherever you work has a legit old-school greenboard hanging on the wall. The entire photo is vintage.
Yes ! I wondered if anyone would notice that
I suppose I am also getting a bit vintage myself
I would love to find a unopened bottle of original Must de Cartier from the 80s, in the 90s I could find it in small apothecary’s in Europe. The new must, is to green (fresh)smelling with musk, not a good match. The old started out floweral, then musky,ending in a lasting vanilla musk… due to the civet and ambergilis, the sent would stay on .my watch…. the closes sent was Delice(no longer made) now I wear La Panther, but with oud/santal oil. I want to try the Cartier OUD&pink.. anybody that loved original Must de cartier will understand. Thank you lovers of the best fragrance of the 80s&90s
I love Must too. In edt or parfum? They are so different