Cat Deluxe

Cat Deluxe arrives as a study in contrasts—a fragrance that promises opulence whilst delivering something altogether more diffuse and fleeting. Michel Almairac has constructed a composition that leans heavily into powdery sweetness, with cardamom's spiced edge immediately softened by freesia's soapy floral whisper. There's a deliberate femininity here, though the unisex designation hints at something more complicated lurking beneath the surface.

The peach heart is where things become genuinely interesting. Rather than arriving as a juicy, realistic fruit note, it emerges as something distinctly confectionery—almost peachy-tinged talcum, dusted and refined. The interaction between freesia's cool florality and this powdered stone fruit creates a distinctly retro quality, conjuring department store beauty counters from the early 2000s. There's a synthetic sheen to this middle passage that doesn't apologise for itself; it's there, present, undeniably artificial in that characteristic way of early-to-mid 2000s fragrances.