WHAT I SMELL: Pasha de Cartier Edition Noire opens with citrus and mint that’s clean and cool.  The fragrance then moves quickly towards a slightly honeyed woody cedar.  Additionally, there seems to be an almost hidden chocolate accord buried in the mix, like a semi-sweet bakers chocolate.   After around five minutes the fragrance begins to sweeten and sparkle.  After another five minutes the cedar really takes over, but it’s highlighted with a layered of sprinkled brown sugar and tobacco that makes the fragrance pop.  Add some patchouli in and in the end you’re left with a lightly woody patchoulied fragrance with hints of chocolate.

From the Cartier website:

Wearing Pasha de Cartier means sporting a fragrance that has a cool elegance and the power of seduction. Cartier has created a new edition of the legendary Pasha de Cartier fragrance. The subtlety of this fragrance comes from the hint of green and fresh citrus, which perfectly balances the woody amber and cedarwood notes.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Like this cedar stencil on a  pantone card.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE PASHA DE CARTIER EDITION NOIRE:  woody, OK, semi-sweet

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PASHA DE CARTIER EDITION NOIRE:  I couldn’t find any.

BOTTOM LINE:  An OK Pasha de Cartier flanker, but nothing that sets the world on fire.  But sometimes you don’t want to set the world on fire.  Funny though, with “noire” in the name, I was expecting something darker or more elegant for evening wear.

• Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
• Scent: Woody Aromatic
• Classification: Masculine
• Expense: $105 for 100ml EdT