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Top Review
A Rare Flanker Of A Classic Worthy Of The Name...
Bel Ami Vetiver opens with a fresh herb-laden citric vetiver before transitioning to its early heart. As the composition enters its early heart the citric aspects slowly fade as the vetiver becomes quite woody taking on an aromatic cedar bent supported by a slightly sharp leathery undertone derived from its Bel Ami related base. During the late dry-down the woody vetiver shifts to support, turning slightly lemony as tonka bean sweetened leather smooths out to near suede through the finish gradually adding in just a touch of fine powder. Projection is good to very good and longevity outstanding at well over 12 hours on skin.
Bel Ami Vetiver has got to be close to a perfect flanker. It definitely has strong ties to Bel Ami with its tonka bean infused leathery base but adds some versatility to the mix by freshening things up with vetiver and aromatic spice early. The vetiver takes on many forms during the composition's development, starting citric but turning woody and even lemony late. The vetiver used throughout pairs perfectly with the leathery Bel Ami base, making for an excellent option for fans of Bel Ami that want something fresher for warmer months. That said, with the Bel Ami leathery base intact, it balances the fresh elements making the composition super-versatile year-round. When I heard many compare Bel Ami Vetiver to Vetiver Tonka (another Jean-Claude Ellena composition) I feared it might be too sweet just like Vetiver Tonka was to my tastes, but while there certainly is a bit of tonka bean related sweetness here, it is nowhere to the level found in Vetiver Tonka and quite frankly the compositions have less in common than one might think on first glance. The bottom line is when one creates a flanker to a masterpiece level classic like Bel Ami you better know what you are doing and create something worthy of the name's heritage. Happily, the $125 per 100ml bottle Bel Ami Vetiver is a fine example of a flanker done right, earning an "excellent" 4 star out 5 rating and a strong recommendation. In short, Bel Ami Vetiver is the best thing Jean-Claude Ellena has released since Terre d'Hermes Pure Perfume, and that is a large compliment indeed.
Bel Ami Vetiver has got to be close to a perfect flanker. It definitely has strong ties to Bel Ami with its tonka bean infused leathery base but adds some versatility to the mix by freshening things up with vetiver and aromatic spice early. The vetiver takes on many forms during the composition's development, starting citric but turning woody and even lemony late. The vetiver used throughout pairs perfectly with the leathery Bel Ami base, making for an excellent option for fans of Bel Ami that want something fresher for warmer months. That said, with the Bel Ami leathery base intact, it balances the fresh elements making the composition super-versatile year-round. When I heard many compare Bel Ami Vetiver to Vetiver Tonka (another Jean-Claude Ellena composition) I feared it might be too sweet just like Vetiver Tonka was to my tastes, but while there certainly is a bit of tonka bean related sweetness here, it is nowhere to the level found in Vetiver Tonka and quite frankly the compositions have less in common than one might think on first glance. The bottom line is when one creates a flanker to a masterpiece level classic like Bel Ami you better know what you are doing and create something worthy of the name's heritage. Happily, the $125 per 100ml bottle Bel Ami Vetiver is a fine example of a flanker done right, earning an "excellent" 4 star out 5 rating and a strong recommendation. In short, Bel Ami Vetiver is the best thing Jean-Claude Ellena has released since Terre d'Hermes Pure Perfume, and that is a large compliment indeed.