I don't talk about fragrance very often here, but today for our weekly French Beauty rendez-vous I decided to show you my favorite Spring perfume, Baiser Volé by Cartier. The way I discovered it is actually a romantic story... do you want to hear it? I think I heard a "yes" in the back, so let me start from the beginning.

I'm sure you have heard about Cartier before, the prestigious jeweler and watchmaker. It's a French maison founded in Paris in the 19th century, and they may be most famous for their Panther collection. Here's a beautiful video featuring the brand's iconic panther:





Luxury jewelry isn't exactly something I can afford to collect, and I never thought I would ever own any piece by Cartier. But then, I met a handsome American with black hair and blue eyes, who played ultimate frisbee and did medical research. How exotic for a French girl like me! Long story short, we decided to get married, and eventually looked for wedding bands. We were absolutely not thinking about getting our rings from a prestigious maison like Cartier, but after a few frustrating and less than pleasant shopping trips in other stores, we decided to enter the Cartier shop in downtown Lyon, my hometown, just for fun.

Something happened in there that I can't really describe. The only word that comes to mind is perfection. From the moment we went through the door to the moment we came back to pick up our engraved wedding bands, everything was smooth, pleasant, and simply perfect. We fell in love with the rings we tried on - yes, my hubby did too, the guy who didn't really want a wedding band in the beginning - because they looked, well, perfect on our hands. We even realized that the prices were not particularly higher than what we had been offered at other stores, and yet the quality, as well as the service, were incomparable. So against all odds, we decided to get our wedding bands from Cartier. If someone had told me just a month before, I would have laughed in their face!

We only had a few short months of honeymoon before Mr Lulle had to go back to the USA, while I had to stay home until my immigrant visa was granted. Believe me those months of forced separation were dreadful. The process of getting my visa involved a medical exam with a doctor affiliated with the US embassy, in Paris. After meeting with the doctor and getting all the tests done (Ellis Island doesn't feel too far away with the visa system...), I decided to spend the rest of my day walking around the sights of Paris and, as a good beauty and shopping enthusiast, ended up at the legendary Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, the most beautiful department store you will ever visit.

Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, Paris © Jorge Royan / http://www.royan.com.ar / CC-BY-SA-3.0

While I was browsing the bottom floor, dedicated to beauty, a young man offered me to try on a perfume. I was ready to reply "no thanks" as usual, but then he said the fragrance was by Cartier. Cartier, my wedding band, love, my husband I was missing so much, the wonderful experience at the store... of course I turned back, and the sales associate must have wondered why I had a huge silly smile on my face when I said, "yes please!".




He proceeded to describe the perfume before spraying it on my wrist, and I was intrigued: he said that the fragrance, Baiser Volé, was made to evoke a bouquet of white lilies. And he was right: while the floral scent of the white petals dominate, I could also detect the powdery notes of the pistil, the newly cut green stems, the fresh water, the pure and cold crystal of the vase. Baiser Volé really reminds me of what a florist shop smells like - in a much less overwhelming version of course, but you get the idea.

Because it's floral and light, it's a fragrance that I particularly like in the spring, but I wear it year-round when I want to feel romantic and evoke fond memories. This is a very feminine and elegant scent, I would even say classy, but not at all snob. It's a fragrance for women of all ages who want to emphasize a sophisticated yet understated facet of their femininity, with a touch of delicate innocence - it's more of Grace Kelly than a Marilyn Monroe kind of perfume. Despite its name, Baiser Volé (which means "stolen kiss") is not naughty but subtly sensual.




The design of the bottle is inspired by a classic gold lighter like the ones Cartier creates, with a top that flips to the side. The bottle itself is oval with a thick bottom, and the 1oz version I have looks a little chubby. Forgive its less than perfect appearance in my pictures, it traveled with me across oceans and continents so it shows some wear!




Talking about wear, Baiser Volé lasts really well on me. I don't know why but my skin seems to "drink" a lot of perfumes, so it's very rare for a fragrance to last all day on me. Most scents only linger for an hour or two (some even less than that) before they're gone. This one however accompanies me throughout the day and I can still detect the beautiful lily in the evening, as it develops a hint of spiciness.




I fell in love with Baiser Volé, not just because it resonates with my personal story, but also because it is a beautiful soft fragrance, more complex than most floral scents and distinctively feminine.


The product featured in this review was purchased by Lulle. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links.