Thread: Vetiver

Gentlemen,

Vetiver seems to be one of the most popular fragrances, frequently mentioned in men's forums whenever colognes or EdT's are discussed. I should mention that while I am a fragrance fan, I am certainly not an aficianado who can decypher base, middle and tops notes with perfect precision; rather, I am a man who knows what I like when I smell it, and appreciate it for what it is.

So what exactly is the scent of vetiver? It's one of those scents that I'm sure I've smelled in the past without realizing it. And for the vetiver fans of SRP, what brand of EdT or cologne would you consider to be a good representation of vetiver?

Thanks,

Ryan

It can vary quite a bit. Some smell like garbage
But it's generally earthy type of smell and somewhat herbacious occasionally can be a touch towards floral. Not fruity.
You should try and sniff something at the store. These days even AXE makes 'vetiver' but that'd be an example of what's really not representative.
Royall is pretty cheap and widely available and it will give you pretty good idea of the general spectrum.

Edit: If you can't find anything locally let me know and I can send you something to sample.

True Vetiver IMO is very earthy, pungent, smoky , stuff. If there is a God I believe he smells like Vetiver . It is definetly a love it or hate it smell. I havent smelled too many vetivers but the purest and most pungent stuff Ive smelled is Vetiver by Lorenzo Villoresi, and Guerlains Vetiver or Carven vetiver , both the Original formulas though ( right Max?) . but there are alot of colognes that smell great that have a Vetiver Note to it. I love l'occitane Vetyver as well.
BTW the bomb in Vetiver and Cyril salter are some of the best Vetiver creams out there, again in my opinion.

vetiver is a grass. the fragrance comes from the oils extracted from the grass. it varies a lot dependent upon the plant, the time it was harvested, etc. They're fun and worthy of trying. They can be all over the map in price too. I have Azzarro Pure Vetiver and it smells grassy and fresh to me. I have Royall Vetiver and it is more...toned down, musky and earthy. Like you're digging a hole in the shade. Guearlain Vetiver is a tad sweeter and a touch of spice but hints at the outdoors a bit too.

Thanks a lot for the vivid descriptions guys, that's exactly what I was looking for.

As for local availability I know there's a L'Occitane here in the city. Their vetiver EdT seems to have it's fans (thanks Matt). Would that be a good choice, or are there better fragrances out there?

Originally Posted by Ryan82

Thanks a lot for the vivid descriptions guys, that's exactly what I was looking for.

As for local availability I know there's a L'Occitane here in the city. Their vetiver EdT seems to have it's fans (thanks Matt). Would that be a good choice, or are there better fragrances out there?

Well it depends, as a fragrance is Loccitane Vetyver good? Yes, most definitely, but it is not the truest form of Vetiver Cologne. It does have hints of Vetiver but it is blended with Bergamot among other scents as most colognes do. But if u want the nitty gritty smoky Vetiver go with Lorenzo Villoresi ( which is pricey) or Guerlains Vintage vetiver ( which u can get on ebay)
HOPE THIS HELPS

Ryan,

As you've heard, vetiver can appear in many forms. It is an oil from a grass (mostly from Haiti), or more specifically from the root of a grass. There are fresh, green versions (L.T. Piver Vetyver, Carlo Corinto, Guerlain, Mazzolari would be examples of this version) and then there are the rooty, earthy forms (Lorenzo Villoresi, Frederic Maille's Vetiver Extraordinaire, and Encre Noir are excellent examples of this form). Then there are dry, sharp versions (Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Racine, Floris Vetiver (discontinued and very difficult to find), and Etat Libre D'Orange Fat Electrician are all great versions of this form).

Making a recommendation as to what to try is, honestly, very dependent upon your budget. If your budget is sub $60, I would recommend either L'Occitane Vetyver or Lalique Encre Noir. As your budget goes up, you could look for Guerlain, Etat Libre d'Orange, MPG, Lorenzo Villoresi and Frederic Maille...

If you want to try some of these let me know...

Al's Shaving does an amazing Bay Vetivier that I'm a huge fan of. It reminds me of the scent of an early morning on the water, sans bait...

Ryan82,

I regularly use L'Occitane Vetyver Eau De Toilette; (there is L'Occitane shop in Brighton )

My favourite vetivers are Guerlain & Floris; Floris no longer seems to make this fragrance, and I can't seem to find a UK source for the Guerlain

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

You know, as soon as L.T. Piver was mentioned I realized that I did sample their vetiver fragrance last summer when I was at Rasage Poulin in Calgary. Scott is a big Piver fan, and had samples of their line that I dutifully sniffed before I left. Of course I didn't conciously realize it at the time, but I do remember thinking that they were all nice.

Thanks to those offerring samples as well. I'll definitely consider it