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Notes12/17/2011
Apicius
220 Reviews
Apicius
2
Clothes Make the Man
Yes, Homeshopping on TV! Not all you get from there is expensive trash, only most of it. There are exceptions, and one of them was the perfumes by Frédéric Haldimann. They were exclusively distributed some years ago by HS24, a homeshopping channel in Germany. But unfortunately – as we can read on the net – the distributor fell out with the TV channel about the marketing concept. So, we currently have to do without the fragrances of Frédéric Haldimann, who is well known only among homeshopping customers. Some leftover stock may still be available at sales platforms.
The story of my relation to this Vetiver does not have a happy start. A former colleague used to wear it, and he always sprayed himself completely with it. You'd either have had to love him or his perfume in order to share the same room. To make it worse, he was a passionate breeder of pedigree cats, and sometimes Vétiver de Frédéric was not the only scent he came along with.
Nevertheless, I was not put off from Vétiver de Frédéric since it is one of the best! Inspired loosely by the classic style of the current Guerlain-Vetiver, it much better suits a gentleman than a bloke. In its way, it is the opposite to all dark, more explicit masculine Vetivers like Encré Noir or Guerlain's Vetiver Extreme.
Vetiver de Frédéric has less citrus than Guerlain's Vetiver, and this also only in the head note. Most of all it stands out for a complete different stylistic approach: I smell some characteristics of a classic Fougère. I hope, I am not completely wrong with my suspicion, but it reminds me a lot of the latest releases of that fragrance style: Fougère Royal by Houbigant and especially Penhaligon's Sartorial. Like Sartorial, there is this scent of cloth and drapery – I smell tweed, felt, wool – those scents that give you the idea of a tailor's workshop or a gentleman's outfitter. Unfortunately, only very few elements of the scent pyramid have been released but I suspect a good portion of coumarin and maybe tonka bean to be responsible for this.
Vétiver de Frédéric has a dry and powdery side, but without that explicit orris root appeal which the Vetiver by Carven has. I appreciate this aspect as a good balance for the suspected coumarin and/or tonka which might become a bit broad during the heart note. Coming near the base note, Vétiver de Frederic then seems to get a bit more smoky. This Vetiver is a true Eau de Parfum with outstanding longevity – after 24 hours I still find traces of it.
As no other, Vétiver de Frédéric is a fragrance of conservative clothes, but with a special turn. It will not fit to the usual dark blue suit that snooty-nosed young management consultants are made to wear by their bosses. I regard those men as possible customers of Vétiver de Frédéric who use jackets or sack jackets as their daily wear – no matter if it is glen checks, herringbone or pepper-and-salt designs. With a few spritzes of Vétiver de Frédéric one can underline the optical impression of the sports jacket. This fragrant stimulation does not – as it is usual - lead you away towards some specific theme but instead it directly points at this clothing and the person who wears it.
We are used to the fact that people give us impressions of all sort of beautiful things with their perfumes: the freshness of the sea, the murmuring forests, or a green meadow dotted with flowers. Anything – except for the impression of themselves. But we do not always want to be reminded of those beautiful things. Especially in a professional or working environment, such thoughts may be considered annoying.
I think, Vétiver de Frédéric will be connected quicker than other perfumes with its wearer as his signature scent. It is a subtle way to show presence. Apart from the fact that Vétiver de Frédéric is a superbly made perfume, one can see in it the realisation of an alternative fragrance concept.
Hopefully, Mr. Haldimann soon finds a way to present his perfumes to us again.
The story of my relation to this Vetiver does not have a happy start. A former colleague used to wear it, and he always sprayed himself completely with it. You'd either have had to love him or his perfume in order to share the same room. To make it worse, he was a passionate breeder of pedigree cats, and sometimes Vétiver de Frédéric was not the only scent he came along with.
Nevertheless, I was not put off from Vétiver de Frédéric since it is one of the best! Inspired loosely by the classic style of the current Guerlain-Vetiver, it much better suits a gentleman than a bloke. In its way, it is the opposite to all dark, more explicit masculine Vetivers like Encré Noir or Guerlain's Vetiver Extreme.
Vetiver de Frédéric has less citrus than Guerlain's Vetiver, and this also only in the head note. Most of all it stands out for a complete different stylistic approach: I smell some characteristics of a classic Fougère. I hope, I am not completely wrong with my suspicion, but it reminds me a lot of the latest releases of that fragrance style: Fougère Royal by Houbigant and especially Penhaligon's Sartorial. Like Sartorial, there is this scent of cloth and drapery – I smell tweed, felt, wool – those scents that give you the idea of a tailor's workshop or a gentleman's outfitter. Unfortunately, only very few elements of the scent pyramid have been released but I suspect a good portion of coumarin and maybe tonka bean to be responsible for this.
Vétiver de Frédéric has a dry and powdery side, but without that explicit orris root appeal which the Vetiver by Carven has. I appreciate this aspect as a good balance for the suspected coumarin and/or tonka which might become a bit broad during the heart note. Coming near the base note, Vétiver de Frederic then seems to get a bit more smoky. This Vetiver is a true Eau de Parfum with outstanding longevity – after 24 hours I still find traces of it.
As no other, Vétiver de Frédéric is a fragrance of conservative clothes, but with a special turn. It will not fit to the usual dark blue suit that snooty-nosed young management consultants are made to wear by their bosses. I regard those men as possible customers of Vétiver de Frédéric who use jackets or sack jackets as their daily wear – no matter if it is glen checks, herringbone or pepper-and-salt designs. With a few spritzes of Vétiver de Frédéric one can underline the optical impression of the sports jacket. This fragrant stimulation does not – as it is usual - lead you away towards some specific theme but instead it directly points at this clothing and the person who wears it.
We are used to the fact that people give us impressions of all sort of beautiful things with their perfumes: the freshness of the sea, the murmuring forests, or a green meadow dotted with flowers. Anything – except for the impression of themselves. But we do not always want to be reminded of those beautiful things. Especially in a professional or working environment, such thoughts may be considered annoying.
I think, Vétiver de Frédéric will be connected quicker than other perfumes with its wearer as his signature scent. It is a subtle way to show presence. Apart from the fact that Vétiver de Frédéric is a superbly made perfume, one can see in it the realisation of an alternative fragrance concept.
Hopefully, Mr. Haldimann soon finds a way to present his perfumes to us again.
