I liked Vetiver Gris from the very first moment I tested it last June at the Esxence fair in hot 36-degree Milan. The official video from the brand Jacques Fath reveals, among other things, that the brand's creative director, Rania Naim, initially rejected Jean-Christophe Hérault as a perfumer… after he introduced himself to her for a collaboration. As a perfumer employed by IFF, he is not independent, and she prefers to work with independent perfumers.
He was indeed strongly impressed by the brand Jacques Fath, especially by the
Iris Gris relaunch
L'Iris de Fath Extrait de Parfum by the Maelstrom perfumers Patrice Revillard and Yohan Cervi, who have also recently worked on a more accessible Eau de Parfum version "L'Iris de Fath (Eau de Parfum) | Jacques Fath," which will be released soon (30 ml EdP probably 265.00 EUR).
But why Vetiver Gris, why gray? Because of the iris, the reference to the brand? Gris, Green...? Yes, of course, that too. For me, however, it is mainly because the entire fragrance has a clear and transparent timelessness that resembles classicism.
Vetiver Gris is cleverly thought out, with individual raw materials woven and connected from different corners.
Java vetiver, in particular, has a strongly nutty facet; here the trick is to combine the nutty facet of vetiver with the culinary sweet gourmand facet of hazelnuts. In fact, it is likely that ethyl maltol is responsible for this, as the sweetness reminds me more of caramel or brown sugar. The play continues with the combination of the woody, rough earthiness of vetiver and the dry, elegant, straight, and "gray" earthiness of the iris root… to classify the scent as powdery or creamy, neither is pronounced enough. The green facet of vetiver is expanded around the accord like crisp green unripe hazelnuts, and the classic elegance of bitter green galbanum resin seems to almost seamlessly integrate between the facets of vetiver. Probably thanks to the clear distillation of Laboratoires Monique Remy (LMR), Vetiver Gris is almost completely smoke-free.
This interplay of woody earthiness with sweet gourmand facets surprisingly finds itself in a wonderfully transparent, clear & optimistic context.
Neroli blossoms, with their floral soft and slightly soapy character, create the connection to
Green Water (2016) of the brand itself, which also reveals the Eau de Cologne impression described in the video... and with Eaux de Cologne, I am always won over. Appropriately supported by minty green floral rose geranium, to enhance… or rather maintain, the classic feel. The lively juicy character of various hesperid fruits, bergamots, mandarins… of whatever kind has been present from the very beginning to stay. With that, I would have checked off the officially stated pyramid quite well.
What I like about the fragrance as a result is - as already mentioned - the consistently fresh transparent clarity, the urban, straight "gray," full of light and brightness, never burdensome. The aura of classic neroli Eaux de Cologne remains. The green dry woody earth of the trio vetiver, iris & galbanum sits securely in the middle, but without dominance, more like calmly smiling. The gourmand facet is, despite the clear sweetness, free from all the clichés that would personally make me want to put the fragrance away immediately. This adds a youthful wit here. A few modern aroma chemicals - whatever they may be called - will help the fragrance give the necessary contemporary touch without drifting into banal insignificance.
Vetiver Gris also reminds me of two Frédéric Malle fragrances, although they smell quite different. The green minty soft freshness of
Geranium pour Monsieur and the cool green woods of
Vétiver Extraordinaire … I know, big words, but fittingly, LMR distillations are also used there. It may be the almost architecturally linear execution of the fragrances that connects them for me. A form of timeless classicism of classicism.
One could describe the fragrance as unisex, but due to its character, it is likely to appeal more to men. Longevity and projection are good. But anyway, a topic that is discussed far too often here on Parfumo. As Jean-Claude Ellena said: "It has nothing to do with beauty." And beautiful is Vetiver Gris in any case, and not just a beautiful companion for the coming spring.
Top Notes 
Hazelnut
Bitter orange
Mandarin orange
Heart Notes 
Galbanum
Madagascan geranium
Neroli
Base Notes 
Sinfonide®
Haitian vetiver
Orris concrete
Ravona
Ch03np
Yatagan
Ergoproxy
Katyes
Gentleman88
