I hope for once that no one from the perfume industry, especially at Hermes, reads this comment. Because after the nice but unnecessary Tres Fraiche, there really shouldn't be another flanker of TdH. Not even sparingly dosed every 5 years. Just let the original stand as an immortal monument. How do I come to this? Because Vetyver Incenso feels like a darker, less citrusy version of the Hermes classic.
Since images work best for a fragrance and attract attention, here’s my mental cinema for IV, which also comes across as a peppery rather than salty Sel de Vetiver:
It's slowly becoming night, the fog is rolling in. I see a chapel or church. At least a stony building surrounded by a strangely magical aura. The fog thickens, I almost didn't notice the many vetiver bushes around this building. Luckily, I did notice them, otherwise I might have fallen into the moat that surrounds the old walls. The water is rather greenish and very mossy-earthy. The whole scene has something magical about it. Then a monk or something comes out of the house, bringing in more and more heavy sacks. What is he hauling? Animal carcasses? Humans? Food? I dare to get closer and sniff at the jute sacks, but I don't dare to look inside. But it smells surprisingly of pepper. In this monastery, they seem to particularly enjoy seasoning.
Flacon: with a spray nozzle, this is already one of the more elegant flacons.
Longevity: it evaporates so suddenly after 5-6 hours that one might think it had something to do with your wife.
Sillage: neither incense, nor pepper, nor vetiver ever really get going.
Fragrance twins would be too much of a good thing, however, no one needs both, and I find the price of this exclusive perfume a bit too self-assured for what is offered!
