Top Notes 
Bergamot
Clary sage
Petitgrain
Sagebrush
Heart Notes 
Bourbon vetiver
Gaiac wood
Iris
Base Notes 
Tobacco flower
Amber
08/25/2012
Apicius
224 Reviews
Apicius
Helpful Review
4
Take Me to The Forest!
I once had the chance to smell the difference between natural vetiver oil, and vetiveryl-acetate which is processed from it. The smell of vetiveryl-acetate is actually what we would recognize as such in all those acknowledged Vetiver scents from Guerlain, Lubin, and many others. The natural stuff however, is not very pleasant in its pure form: woody, bitter and very smoky.
Nevertheless, perfumers seem to feel tempted to use the natural oil instead of the refined product, and it very much depends on the ability of the perfumer if he is able to transfer this into something beautiful or, at least, tolerable.
The Vetiver by Etro is one of that kind. It has this unrefined roughness of Vetiver oil, and not so much Guerlain style elegance. Actually, it has even a licorice-y or aniseed appeal, which makes it reminiscent to the ouzo-style perfume Kenzoair Intense. It is closer to Encré Noir, Kenzoair Intense and maybe Frédérick Malle's Vetiver Extraordinaire rather than all the Guerlain vetiver variants, the Carven, the Lubin and Givenchy vetivers.
However, it is not quite Greek ouzo style. When I first tested it, it perplexed me with relations to my childhood. On Sunday, if the weather was nice, my parents used to take me to a big forest near my hometown. This forest was actually a former moor, many centuries or even millenniums ago. So, the soil was quite acid and had a high PH value. If you have ever been to such a forest, you might recognise it has a different, more distinct smell than other woodland. It still smelled kind of sour, and the soil, the moss and the needles seemed to create a much more lively and intense fragrant experience than other woods.
Etro's Vetiver follows that path. It has this coniferous woods appeal, and it seems to be very much more on the natural side than others. Yes, it does remind me of the soil of my childhood forest – it is like warm sunbeams touching a very lively anthill.
Of course, I have it, but I hardly wear it. For me, it is simply too close to nature for that. Etro's Vetiver with its strong liquorice-y note has a strong reminiscence to Kenzoair Intense, however, the charakter of both fragrances are quite different.
It is good we have it, and I hope, it will not vanish too quickly from the shops.
Nevertheless, perfumers seem to feel tempted to use the natural oil instead of the refined product, and it very much depends on the ability of the perfumer if he is able to transfer this into something beautiful or, at least, tolerable.
The Vetiver by Etro is one of that kind. It has this unrefined roughness of Vetiver oil, and not so much Guerlain style elegance. Actually, it has even a licorice-y or aniseed appeal, which makes it reminiscent to the ouzo-style perfume Kenzoair Intense. It is closer to Encré Noir, Kenzoair Intense and maybe Frédérick Malle's Vetiver Extraordinaire rather than all the Guerlain vetiver variants, the Carven, the Lubin and Givenchy vetivers.
However, it is not quite Greek ouzo style. When I first tested it, it perplexed me with relations to my childhood. On Sunday, if the weather was nice, my parents used to take me to a big forest near my hometown. This forest was actually a former moor, many centuries or even millenniums ago. So, the soil was quite acid and had a high PH value. If you have ever been to such a forest, you might recognise it has a different, more distinct smell than other woodland. It still smelled kind of sour, and the soil, the moss and the needles seemed to create a much more lively and intense fragrant experience than other woods.
Etro's Vetiver follows that path. It has this coniferous woods appeal, and it seems to be very much more on the natural side than others. Yes, it does remind me of the soil of my childhood forest – it is like warm sunbeams touching a very lively anthill.
Of course, I have it, but I hardly wear it. For me, it is simply too close to nature for that. Etro's Vetiver with its strong liquorice-y note has a strong reminiscence to Kenzoair Intense, however, the charakter of both fragrances are quite different.
It is good we have it, and I hope, it will not vanish too quickly from the shops.
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OceanCliffs
