A Cartier, uma marca francesa conhecida mundialmente por suas linhas de relojoaria, joias e artigos de couro, marcou muito a história do luxo. Tornou-se uma de suas referências e um símbolo da elegância francesa.

Apoiada no know-how do século XIX, no gosto incomparável e no refinamento extremo, a Cartier conseguiu ficar à frente de outras marcas de luxo como Dior, Rolex, Boucheron e até Chanel. Marca número um do mundo em relojoaria, agora oferece modelos de jóias, relógios e até bolsas que moldam a história da moda e do luxo a cada nova coleção.

Cartier House, da rue de la Paix para o mundo inteiro

A casa Cartier nasceu em 1847 em Paris, fundada por Louis-François Cartier, mestre joalheiro. É uma empresa familiar de relojoaria e jóias que nasce, assumida pelo filho do fundador, depois seus três netos, e que então se torna uma casa rainha no campo da relojoaria e joias. Uma verdadeira empresa de luxo, a casa Cartier mudou-se para a rue de la Paix em Paris no início do século XX, antes de abrir filiais em Londres em 1902 e depois em Nova York em 1909. Suas criações foram extremamente bem-sucedidas em altos níveis da sociedade e é nas cortes reais da Europa que Cartier constrói sua reputação de excelência. Em 1902, Eduardo VII, então príncipe de Gales, nomeou Cartier o "joalheiro dos reis e rei dos joalheiros". A casa, na verdade, obtém um mandato real para ser o fornecedor da Corte da Inglaterra e também criará vinte e sete tiaras para a coroação do rei George VI em 1937. Estes são os tribunais da Espanha, Portugal, Rússia ou da Bélgica, que serão seduzidas e pedirão à Cartier uma série de jóias. Enquanto isso, os três netos que agora administram a casa Cartier viajam pelo mundo em busca de inspiração e das pedras mais refinadas para adornar suas criações.

Cartier também marcou o mundo da relojoaria com a invenção do primeiro relógio de pulso em 1904, chamado Santos. Sempre na vanguarda da inovação, a casa também criou em 1912 os famosos "relógios misteriosos" cujas mãos parecem flutuar no vácuo e cuja casa manterá o segredo de fabricação por muitos anos.

Após mais de cem anos de sucesso, a casa Cartier lançou várias linhas paralelas no final da década de 1960: isqueiros, acessórios de couro “Must de Cartier” na emblemática cor vermelha ou até canetas e perfumes que nascem e partem para conquistar o mundo.

Cartier, luxo em sintonia com os tempos

Os modelos de jóias, relojoaria e couro da Cartier são criações bem enraizadas em seu tempo. Eles são particularmente inspirados pelos movimentos artísticos de sua geração. Podemos, assim, encontrar modelos Cartier influenciados pelo art déco ou mesmo pelo expressionismo. Mas é também em todo o mundo que Cartier se inspira. Sempre procurando modelos mais originais, a casa ainda surpreende, mesmo após 164 anos de existência.

Mais fundamentalmente, Cartier é a marca de luxo e requinte. Pedras preciosas, modelos procurados e inovações técnicas no campo da relojoaria são os fundamentos da marca, que se tornou um modelo e uma fonte de inspiração para os outros.
Queridinha das celebridades, não é incomum descobrir um conjunto Cartier que amplia o visual de uma estrela em um evento


Hoje, as criações da Cartier, tanto em "joias finas" quanto em coleções de joias contemporâneas, refletem os valores da casa, que se tornou conhecida graças ao know-how, experiência e estilo únicos. Além dos famosos relógios Cartier e linhas de joias de luxo, a marca diversificou suas atividades, notadamente em produtos de couro e perfumaria, áreas nas quais também é extremamente bem-sucedida por sua originalidade e know-how.

Adquirida em 1999 pelo grupo de luxo suíço Richemont, a Cartier agora está associada a marcas de prestígio como Piaget ou Vacheron & Constantin e agora faz parte de um dos maiores grupos de luxo do mundo. A marca de prestígio agora tem marcas em todo o mundo, em endereços de prestígio: Paris, Cannes, Mônaco, Londres, Nova York, Turim, Milão e Casablanca são alguns exemplos.

A marca Cartier é uma tradição de luxo e excelência, um know-how mantido e enriquecido durante seus 164 anos de existência. Além de relojoaria e joias, que foram suas primeiras atividades, a marca também desenvolveu linhas de artigos de couro e perfumaria que têm em comum um espírito arrojado e familiar.

Perfume Miniatures

10 Basic Rules for Your Perfume Miniature Collection!

1. Your Family and Friends

Ask your family, friends, and colleagues if they have any bottles left in the bathroom drawer or stored elsewhere. From now on, when they receive a miniature at the perfume store, they will think of you.

2. Which Perfume Miniatures to Collect?

You can choose a theme or several themes according to your tastes and budget:

• Major French brands: Guerlain, Dior, Nina Ricci
• Bottles of specific color (e.g., blue)
• Antique bottles: Mury, Coty, Cheramy
• Bottles of celebrities: Movie stars, singers, etc.
• Bottles from high-fashion brands: Cerruti, Gaultier, Mugler
• Uniquely shaped bottles (animals, female bust, sphere, keychains, jewelry)

3. Garage Sales and Specialized Fairs

Garage sales and fairs should not be missed. You will quickly see that prices at fairs are much higher, so it is recommended to shop at garage sales in the first year to start your collection. You won't have difficulty forming a collection for a reasonable amount, and who knows, you might find some rare pieces. Attend at least one fair to see the difference. This way, you can admire new products, talk to sellers, and connect with other collectors. On the internet, you may find the missing piece for your collection and offers of the latest novelties that may take time to find second-hand.

4. Limited Budget

Like everything else, you should set limits. It should remain a hobby, even a passion, but not an obsession! Some pieces can cost up to several hundred dollars, so take it easy! In general, at garage sales, the price of a miniature without a box varies from 0.20 to 2 €, and 3 to 5 € with a box. In the beginning, target the cheaper, more classic ones like Miracle, Dune, Paris, Poison. For about 50 €, you can have about ten...

5. Valuation Books

A valuation book is essential. It will allow you to assess your collection and, most importantly, guide you in your buying process, helping you in negotiations. There's no need to buy a miniature for twice its value, or conversely, hesitate to buy a bottle for 1 € that's worth 20 €, etc...

6. Never Discard the Boxes

The value of the miniature is in the full bottle and its box: a miniature without a box can lose up to 50% of its value! Unfortunately, you won't always find the miniature with its box...

7. Never Open the Bottles

If you open the bottle, the fragrance will dissipate. So, it is essential not to open it to smell the perfume! Some bottles may be challenging to find full. Other miniatures may also lose their scent over time, despite your precautions...

8. Protect Them from Dust and Light

Miniatures don't like the sun because they can lose their original color. Protect them also from dust if you don't want to waste time cleaning them...

9. Display Them in a Showcase

Perfume miniatures are a prestigious collection. Their bottles deserve to be showcased in an illuminated display case (preferably) for a more pleasant presentation. You can add colored stones, pearls, etc...

10. Trade

When you find inexpensive miniatures that you already own, buy them anyway. Don't hesitate to make a reserve for trading or reselling. Remember to bring them to fairs and garage sales. You may have the opportunity to meet another enthusiast with whom you can make good deals. Participate in forums, online exchanges, check links from other bidders.

Perfumes

Understanding Perfumes: Types, Composition, and Families

What Are the Different Types of Perfumes?

In a perfume bottle, there isn't just the fragrant substance; the perfume is primarily composed of a carrier whose role is to dissolve the fragrant substances well. There is a finisher, usually a fixative, which helps strengthen the fragrance's tenacity. The fixative is often in the form of iris root powder.
There is an abundance of perfumes, fragrances here and there that fill the shelves of perfumeries worldwide. But what's most impressive is that each of these aromas is unique. So, it's natural to ask the following question:

What are the differences between these fragrances based on?

We can differentiate perfumes based on various criteria. Firstly, there is a difference based on the nature of the medium.
There are 3 types of perfume according to this criterion:
1.    Alcoholic fragrances are the most common; the carrier is pure ethanol. It has the advantage of being very volatile, leaving only the scent on the skin.
2.    Oily fragrances are particularly gentle on the skin.
3.    Solid perfumes, commonly called "perfume concrete," where the perfume components are diluted in a "balm." These scents are applied in small quantities to selected areas.

Furthermore, a distinction can be made even in alcoholic perfumes, according to the content of fragrant compounds. In fact, in our perfumes, we see different names like "eau de parfum" or "eau de toilette." That's where the difference in quality lies, often related to the price difference between perfumes.

•    There are sweet waters or colognes that contain less than 8% fragrant substance. Fixation is about 1 hour.
•    Eau de Toilette has a concentration of 6 to 12%, for a fixation of about 3 hours.
•    Eau de parfum is part of this concentration growth with between 10 and 20% fragrant substance, for a period of several hours.
•    Finally, there are the perfumes themselves, which are composed of 15 to 40% fragrant material and ensure fixation for several days.

Perfume Composition: The Notes

When we talk about perfume, we often talk about notes: top, heart, base notes. They correspond to the composition in fragrant substances of the product:
•    Top notes: these are the first notes, those you feel as soon as the product disperses in the air; fresh notes of citrus fruits or herbs;
•    Heart notes: these are the ones that will smell for several hours, it's the character of the perfume; powerful notes of flowers, fruits;
•    Base notes: these are the notes that will last for several days, that will remain; warm and powerful notes of wood, moss.

Fragrance Families

When we go to a perfumery, we are usually asked what kind of perfume we like: more floral, woody, amber, etc.

There are seven main fragrance families:
1.    Citrus aromas: composed of fruit peels: orange, bergamot, citron;
2.    Floral fragrances: composed mainly of flowers: jasmine, rose, violet;
3.    Fern aromas: woody notes, lavender, oakmoss;
4.    Chypre scents: accords of oakmoss, patchouli, bergamot;
5.    Woody aromas: warm notes of sandalwood, patchouli, cedar;
6.    Amber aromas: oriental, sweet, powdery fragrances with vanilla;
7.    Leather perfumes: composed of dry notes of tobacco, smoke, burnt wood.

It is possible to distinguish perfumes based on the nature of the fragrant compound.
•    Most often, it is in the form of essential oils, which are concentrates of volatile molecules from the plant. They are obtained by distillation.
•    There are also many perfumes made from so-called "absolute" plant raw materials. Like essential oils, they are found in alcoholic, oily, and solid perfumes.
•    The third type of fragrant compound relatively present in the perfume market corresponds to CO2 extracts, which allow obtaining an odor closer to the plant than its essential oil. CO2 extracts are 100% natural and very ecological.

It should be noted that, with the industrialization of perfume and the progress of chemistry, synthetic processes emerge that allow the production of artificial fragrant compounds. Synthetic smell is sometimes more faithful than that of natural raw material, as in the case of rose.