IV L’Heure Fougueuse was created by Cartier’s in-house perfumer, Mathilde Laurent, in 2011 as part of Cartier’s Les Heures de Parfum collection.

It is said to be perfumer Mathilde Laurent’s homage to Edmond Roudnitska’s great work, Eau Sauvage. On me, IV L’Heure Fougueuse opens with sparkling, citrusy bergamot, creamy, floral magnolia and grassy, floral lavender that feels open, airy and fresh. Soon, the smell of horsehair comes forward. It’s gentle and clean, not harsh and dirty. It’s a smell that takes me back to memories of summer meadows. It comes from the grassy, green, hay-like aspects of jasmine and narcissus. They link to the magnolia and lavender, boosting the floralcy at the heart. Yerba mate, a small evergreen shrub, is smoky and herbal with bitter aspects that temper the flowers. It links to a note of leather that’s animalic and a little rough but pitch perfect as a contrast to what came before. At the base, earthy, woody, green vetiver and inky, mossy oakmoss add another dimension of green, while coumarin keeps the hay scent going. Musk adds depth and warmth to the fragrance.

IV L’Heure Fougueuse dries down to a refined, alluring scent that’s well-crafted, complex, and perfectly balanced. It smells of horse, hay and leather, meadows, grass, and flowers. The contrasts between the crisp, airy opening, the earthy, green base, the florals, and the leather make it dynamic and exciting to wear.

Notes: Bergamot, magnolia, lavender, horsehair, jasmine, narcissus, yerba mate, vetiver, musk, oakmoss, leather and coumarin.