Choc de Cardin

I had no idea that this perfume was reintroduced to the market, not that this would upset me au contraire, the new formulation seems a little more astringent than the classic, which is strange because generally they "sweet" the formula for the new generation, candy pralines lovers. I like the new variant much more, it is slightly modernized not by the sweetness but by the power of the citrus, the citrus part has more power and lasts longer, which in the past was not so, the dominant being the moss , carnation and basil l, the classic ingredients of chypre. This time the citrus keep the balance and gives the combination a much cooler, more vibrant air. I like that I feel the peach and the green notes, which is not the case with the old one, and I certainly approve of the decrease in honey, honey was the reason I avoided this perfume in the 90's, it was much too present on my skin. The civet is to much more balanced in this new form, which is amazing because you can wear it in more high temperature now without choking you. It really feels a lot like the old Rochas formula indeed, but honestly even there I prefer the effervescence of the new formulation. All in all, it is a fantastic perfume for the office, for the suit, for a perfectly professional image, demands respect and coldly defies, but I don't really think that every successful professional woman can wear it, you need to be a little "frozen" very sober, bitter...I certainly wouldn't wear it every day, I don't think it's a easy signature perfume, it's more the perfume in which you warn that you hit the table with your fist when needed, but still you don't because the perfume to sober and calculated for that, it's like a gun without bullets, you see, it terrifies you because you don't know it doesn't have bullets but can't hurt you. I would recommend it to for court lady, to a hearing, or at a difficult office meeting, things like that. I don't see it wore with jeans or something like that, it's a perfume that demands the most sober suit in your wardrobe, the funeral one if possible. And yes surely a man can wear it, but attention gentlemen just because you are men doesn't mean you can wear this little thing all around, no, the things above is still valid, otherwise the perfume will wear you, not you the perfume. As for the price ....I have the feeling that Cardin brand wants to go bankrupt, the perfume is worth it much more than is required on it.

A Forgotten Masterpiece Wearing Clean Gloves and Dirty Boots Every now and then I come across a perfume that makes me wonder, Why did we ever let this disappear? Choc de Cardin is one of those fragrances for me. It's a study in contradictions: clean yet faintly indecent, fresh yet dry like gin botanicals, elegant but with a mischievous glint in its eye. The opening immediately caught my attention. Bright citrus sits over something just slightly bitter and unmistakably grown-up, setting it apart from so many modern perfumes. It feels brisk and sharply tailored, almost as if it's trying very hard to be polite... but there's an undercurrent that tells me not to trust that innocence for too long. As it settles, it blossoms into that unmistakably vintage character that I love. It's full-bodied without becoming sweet, sophisticated without ever feeling soft or delicate. Gentle florals emerge alongside a subtle animalic warmth, like a secret the perfume can't quite keep to itself. The drydown is where it truly won me over. Mossy green, quietly sensual, and beautifully balanced, it lets clean and dirty blur together until the distinction no longer matters. On my skin, it feels like crisp linen that's been worn just long enough to become deeply familiar and intimate. Perfumes like this remind me that elegance didn't always strive to be flawless. Once, it had shadows, texture, and just a touch of danger. Choc de Cardin feels like a forgotten masterpiece, and rediscovering it has only made me appreciate it all the more.

Well, I commend Cardin for making something so unusual. But as with many people here I find Choc to be too extraordinary to understand. In fact I actually went so far as to get another bottle (this was a few years ago and it was extremely cheap) because I thought my first one must have turned. It hadn't though - it IS supposed to smell like that. It does amuse me to think of English-speakers expecting a lovely warm vanilla-ish chocolate fragrance and then getting this :). A subtle little French joke perhaps? I appreciate Natalie's review above - oakmoss eh? Like her I am a big oakmoss fan but as with patchouli I suppose you can have too much. Unfotunately I don't care for Rose Cardin either so perhaps this house is just not for me. Pity. EDIT - a couple of months later I appear to have completely changed my mind. I gave this one final spritz before consigning it to ebay and erm - I love it. Now it's refreshing, lemony, but with a subtle chypre background that keeps me sniffing my arm over and over again. It's a hot day, so perhaps this works best as a summer fragrance? Perhaps the bottle has mysteriously matured over the last few weeks? Perhaps I was just wrong before? ...

I find Choc to be the driest of oakmoss scents - green but not sweet. Floral ingredients, also the fruity peach, but Choc is pure peppery sophistication. I feel very French while wearing this unusual perfume. It reminds me of the hard to find Yves Saint Laurent Y, but Y is sweeter. The aldehyde topnote requires a degree of commitment from modern noses, but the drydown is unabashedly sexy - a triple whammy of patchouli, civet, and amber anchored by the unmistakeable oakmoss note. Maybe not for everyone, but unforgettable on the right woman.

Only choc-ing thing about this is how effortlessly elegant and understated it is. You know, like how young ladies from good families should be, discreet, demure and utterly charming. This is how they smelt in the '70, I suppose. Not too formal, but still with great posture. If you're fan of chypre-floral perfumes and you find yourself in France, take time to go to the supermarket and look for this little beauty. Yes, bottle changed again and it got diluted, but its essence and charm is still present. You will not regret it.