Must

Highly appreciated in the royal courts of Europe, the house of Cartier is said to be “the jeweler of Kings or the King of jewelers”. The brand then diversified into other fields, notably watchmaking and perfumery. While the house of Cartier registered its name in the perfume field in 1938, it was not until 1981 that its first fragrance, Must, appeared.

Must, the enfant terrible of perfumery

In 1973, Cartier invented a lighter that it called Must. A huge worldwide success, the Must lighter was the first item sold outside Cartier boutiques. It was in 1981 that Must was turned into a perfume, the very first from the brand. In creating Must, an oriental juice, Cartier did not hesitate to shake up the codes of perfumery. Galbanum, a very green note, found in the top notes, brings a taste of anarchy. This was the first time galbanum was used in an oriental perfume. Pineapple also created a surprise, as it is rarely used, and here it replaces bergamot, which was more classic for the era. With Must, Cartier rejuvenated orientals and placed itself in the lineage of famous orientals, in the image of the legendary Shalimar by Guerlain.

Must, the sensuality of a great oriental

The green oriental Must thus shook up the codes of 1980s perfumery. From the very first notes, an exacerbated sensuality can be distinguished, a femininity that is more than present. Must takes flight on the energizing notes of galbanum. It is paired with other olfactory notes such as pineapple, and vanilla, which brings its share of exoticism. The heart, meanwhile, resembles a huge bouquet of flowers between Orient and Occident, with rose, narcissus, neroli, and jasmine. The base is meant to be very sensual, almost animalic, thanks to the presence of musk, civet, sandalwood, tonka bean, and amber. Sensuality and mystery surround this unprecedented fragrance. As for the bottle, it draws inspiration from the famous lighter. Oval in structure, the Must case is embellished with vertical ridges and a gilded frame. Another innovation, the bottle is refillable so it can be kept like a precious jewel from the house of Cartier. In 2000, Must was given a new, more modern bottle.

The first fragrance from the house of Cartier, Must is considered the enfant terrible of perfumery. It upended and revolutionized the world of perfumes in the 1980s, notably through the use of galbanum notes in an oriental perfume. Worthy of legendary and timeless perfumes, Must joined the great names among oriental juices, in the image of Shalimar by Guerlain.