Déclaration (1998)
by Cartier

At first whiff, I got oranges, cumin and women’s anti-perspirant (the white bar kind). After a little while, the armpit association has toned down and it's getting more powdery, but I just can't shake the feeling. I didn’t even know this was a Jean Claude Ellena fragrance going into it, but I was sure it was due that uncanny combination of cumin and orange. The sillage really does smell like a stronger version of Bulgari's The Vert, as nthny has said.

Anyway, I’m not blown away by it. Although I’m intrigued, it smells dated for some reason, and the anti-perspirant thing isn’t too nice. ZZtop is right that this is only interesting because it shows where Ellena came from (and nowadays with Terre d'Hermes, we know where he went!) Quite frankly TdH is much better than this, and so is the similar fragrance Bigarrade Concentre from Jean Claude Ellena.

Final note: I like it, but I wouldn’t wear it. Definitely unique, but I wouldn’t recommend it either. If you like this, you should try the other Jean Claude Ellena fragrances I mentioned. Even if you don't like this, you should probably try Terre d'Hermes - it doesn't have that armpit thing going on.

6/10

I really like this fragrance. It is a light wood, herbal scent and has a transparent quality that reminds me of walking through the desert outside of Santa Fe immersed in the sun and sagebrush. There is a medicinal quality to one of the ingredients that I always thought might be the artemsia, but it might just be birchwood. This sharp ingredient along with the herbals make this scent borderline too medicinal to enjoy, but the clear light notes of cedar, vetiver and bitter orange keep it very enjoyable. I'd give this a 7 out of 10 and would be wearing regularly if it wasn't for the Essence version of Declaration which I think is a superior fragrance all around.

I absolutely love this fragrance. The best one from Ellena of which I have tried atleast, and I never seem to be bored wearing this. Perhaps because its smell brings my home country to my mind more than any other fragrance I know. Really, it smells just like me sitting under a lush and fresh birch tree during a warm summer day, shirt open and a bit sweaty, eating fresh from the oven pulla! (pulla is a famous Finnish cinnamon bun with lots of cardamom)

I would say this is the safest scent Cartier has ever put out in the market. It is obvious that this is a scent marketed for the American customers, and other men who love linear, safe, lean, slightly bland fragrances, which had become increasingly popular in the late 90s and early 2000s, and still keep their popularity full intact.

Declaration does not 'declare' anything reasonably interesting per se. It is just a nice and comfortable scent, smelling slightly young, and to me, a little cheap. The scent works usually well with anyone's skin chemistry: it doesn't have that much climax, or originality to offer. A very dear friend of mine used to wear this scent all the time back then when, and I had always associated it with him. Maybe that is why I had only recognized the positive sides of this scent. Like I said, it is a well-behaved scent that doesn't say all that much. Unfortunately all these years, I could never see the subtle elegance of this scent that some people mention, even on him.

Years later, I met another guy who was wearing this scent constantly. He was, to say the least, was a complete imbecile. And I guess on him, I got to discover the not-so-pleasant side of this scent. It is woody, yet the woods are not well-balanced, and they feel raw, out of place. It has a very under-seasoned nature to it, quite wet at times, like an undercooked meal. The cheapness that I talk about comes from the very synthetic accord of citruses and flowers on the top notes. They are so tacky to be taken seriously. It is quite soulless in many ways, and far to safe to be anything remotely original. It is not loud, but also it is barely masculine. I feel like Declaration tries very hard to be a Bulgari scent with the beans like Cardamom as an ingredient, or like the tea note at the base, which are signatures of a true and tried Bulgari scent. Declaration really falls short of meeting expectations.

The have created many different summer versions of this scent, which obviously means that it is a crowd-pleaser. In fact, I even claim this may be the biggest selling mens scent of Cartier. It is not elegant like Pasha, it is not sexy like Must de Cartier, nor is it Earth-shattering like Santos. It is just not refined, and it is way too "I have too much money to spend on scents, but my taste does not necessarily match my wallet." I will test this scent again, on me, one more time.

However, I do not think that I will change my mind. It is painfully mundane, and even though I cannot say that it is a bad fragrance, it is far removed from being a true elegant jeweler's scent.

And one last thing, the bottle is absolutely atrocious, surprisingly so, since Cartier is known for their gorgeous and deeply-inspired Art Deco decants.

if sweet wood is your thing then look no further. a subtle masterpiece with good sillage that will demand compliments. it does stick close to you which is the the only downside of a perfect classy everyday scent. not for clubbing but work and everyday. now i must try the other declaration's.

Not very vibrant, very linear. A spicy dry wood that has the longevity and personality of a tortoise. Smells like an old classroom.