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Editions Collection

Vetiver Insolent Miller Harris 2016

8.0 / 10 191 Ratings

A popular perfume by Miller Harris for women and men, released in 2016. The scent is spicy-woody. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Spicy

Woody

Green

Resinous

Earthy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Indian cardamom

Elemi resin

Black pepper

Italian bergamot

Heart Notes

Provençal lavender absolute Amber

Amber

Iris

Base Notes

Haitian vetiver Moss

Moss

Tonka bean

Perfumers

Mathieu Nardin, Robertet

Ratings

Scent

8.0191 Ratings

Longevity

7.7159 Ratings

Sillage

7.1161 Ratings

Bottle

7.6156 Ratings

Value for money

7.564 Ratings

Submitted by OPomone · last update on 11/28/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Interesting Facts

The fragrance was part of the collection Editions Collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Journey Man

X for Men

Rock Crystal / Cristal de Roche (Eau de Parfum) by Olivier Durbano

Rock Crystal Eau de Parfum

Sycomore (2016) Eau de Parfum

Vétiver oriental

Vetyver

Reviews

8 in-depth fragrance descriptions

06/10/2022

8Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

JackHunter33
93 Reviews

JackHunter33

Helpful Review 4

A Wearable Vetiver Scent!

Now this is quite beautiful that I'm quite taken with the scent. I get a wonderful smelling cardamom with black pepper, iris and elmi. The elmi smells like light honey, lemon and pine and it mixes in with soft woody smell and elevates the scent. This sets the stage!

Underneath this amazing mix is the star of the show, the Hatian vetiver. Which pushes up out of the soft woody cardamom mix and is accompanied by a touch of lavender. Making this scent smell spicy fresh and warm at the same time. I got to say it smells really good!

10/18/2024

8Scent 5Longevity 7Sillage

Einfinken
74 Reviews

Einfinken

1

Smoky woods

This is a really lovely deep and smoky scent. It truly smells like burning twigs and leaves, a forest in the distance, a frost is in the air. Underneath, and I presume it is the tonka, a slightly roasted marshmallow sweetness, but the sweetness is still decidedly roughened and charred.

I find this intensely smoky for about 4 hours and then it seems to suddenly just vanish. The fire quenched. I really like this and I enjoy wearing masculine leaning scents even as a woman (there is a time and a place) but I do ultimately think Vetiver Insolent is just a tad too masculine for my tastes to be wearable in public. At home, on a cold winter weekend though maybe. This is ultimately a scent I want to smell, just not on me. It would be better on my husband.

Updated on 10/18/2024

11/01/2016

8Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

Yatagan
416 Reviews

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Yatagan

Top Review 65

Variations - or: from unremarkable big hits

Uncommented fragrances No. 87

I love vetiver fragrances, I don’t skip any when testing, and yet there is a problem in this segment: Vetiver fragrances show little variance. Vetiver (now generally in the form of vetiveryl acetate) is so dominant that it comes through thoroughly. This is somewhat reflected in the naming: Almost all vetiver representatives are named after how they smell: Vetiver / Vetyver etc. Encre Noire was a commendable exception.
While some nuances can be created, the last major hit in the field of vetiver fragrances was the postmodern expression in the style of Encre Noire by Lalique and its successors. I also found the extremely subtle dosage in Timbuktu particularly successful, where vetiver only wafts through as a hint, often not recognized at all without knowledge of the ingredients. It is also nice to see the unfortunately far too rarely attempted combination with warm fragrance materials (e.g. as Vetiver Oriental by Serge Lutens with labdanum and chocolate, similar to Mona di Orio's Vetyver or the grandiose Micallef Akowa with a strong shot of patchouli). But that’s about it. Considering that the history of vetiver fragrances (with vetiver as the leading fragrance ingredient) has been ongoing since the 1950s (Eau de Vetiver pour Monsieur / Vetiver by Carven - 1957, then Guerlain), the yield is actually meager. This does not prevent me from testing, loving, and if necessary celebrating even the slightest variance, but it remains true that most vetiver fragrances are similar and can be categorized into one of the aforementioned schemas. Above all, the Carven or Guerlain variant still dominates the market today.

All the more joy comes from the new Vetiver Insolent by Miller Harris. Here, there is a warm, almost oriental component (which is already a good thing), certainly created by the sweetness of tonka bean (and perhaps also the warmth of amber). Tonka is not exactly one of my favorite fragrance materials, as it usually comes across as too sweet and too overpowering, but in combination with vetiver, it is just right, as the two hefty fragrance notes balance each other out and create a successful balance. The peppery and resinous components, which are noticeable from the very beginning, are also not very common in vetiver compositions and provide a new, exciting feeling when wearing the fragrance.

This seems to me to be the secret of a good vetiver fragrance: If one does not want only the earthy-green purism of the vetiver grass (or naturally of vetiveryl acetate), one needs an antagonist that counters the green, earthy, almost musty scent with a warm, soft, sweet component.
In a similar way, this was achieved in postmodern variants of vetiver fragrances (Encre Noire, Sycomore etc.), where instead of the sweet-warm base a woody-spicy one was chosen. Here, too, a counterpoint is created, which does not warm the fragrance but instead creates an almost cool-metallic aura as a contrast to the earthy-wet vetiver.

Miller Harris has landed an unremarkable big hit here, which is worth all the effort to acquire this fragrance. Unfortunately, Miller Harris is hardly present in the German market anymore, which was once different, and therefore not so easy to obtain. One can only hope that this will change with the recent successful fragrances.

11/20/2017

10Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

Sisyphos
143 Reviews

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Sisyphos

Top Review 30

The spirit never dies

Vetiver Insolent by Miller Harris is a spiritual fragrance that fully embraces its resinous-balsamic base, supported by a spiciness that is particularly prominent in the initial phase. This perfume embodies something ethereal; however, it is not a fragile breeze or a kind of scent airhead, but rather confident, inviting, and wiry overall - and the individual components of this vetiver wonder are also intertwined. Cardamom does a great job here, making one think of cinnamon while wearing it. The iris hints at a dry powderiness and envelops the sweet grass, thus giving VI stability and endurance. Those expecting a gourmand bomb due to the spice and tonka will be surprised. VI is far too contemplative for that. The Christmas market or the oriental bazaar have already receded into the distance; one can only faintly hear the murmur of voices and the olfactory mélange while VI carries you away on its wings. This perfume has vibes ...

Vetiver = dentist. An equation that does not hold here. What a relief! This is likely thanks to the tonka bean and the sweetly aromatic cardamom. It is a certain spirit that the wearer encounters here. A scent between verve in action and theoretical philosophy (in inaction). A perfume like a conviction. More of a successful aphorism with heart and depth than a purely rational fortress-system. The presence is not arrogant or pretentious at all. It is the knowledge of doing the right thing or not doing it, or rather, wearing the right thing. VI has the ability to pause the world, step aside, and observe the whole chaos from the outside.

VI has enormous endurance and a remarkable projection in the first two hours, which gradually recedes very pleasantly. The projection area, however, expands more and more: VI is a shimmering scent. It practically sparkles. VI Insolent makes the corks pop. But no bling-bling champagne escapes here; instead, it is a very respectable vintage Riesling sparkling wine. A scent effervescence like out of a storybook ... After pouring or applying it to the skin, VI releases sparks. Small, fine sparks. They shimmer over the wearer and carry them along. The greenish-mossy base makes it office-compatible, and its casual, natural presence makes it an ideal leisure companion in spring and autumn. If Encre Noire was too dark for you, try this one. If Guerlain's Vetiver (Extreme) was too much of an amalgam and disinfection, try this one. If the representative from Carven was too sour for you, try this one. If Vetiver Extraordinaire by F. Malle was not extraordinary enough, but "too perfect," try this one. Vetiver Insolent is an avant-garde vetiver without fuss and pretensions, but with a certain spirit. And hopefully, that spirit never dies.

Updated on 11/21/2017

11/01/2020

8.5Scent 8Longevity 6Sillage

Jazzbob
128 Reviews

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Jazzbob

Top Review 18

Warmth & Security

My grandfather turned 80 this summer, and instead of organizing a big celebration, we went with a 15-member family group to the Bavarian Forest for a week. In his younger years, he traversed much higher mountains - he even climbed Elbrus, which at 5,642 meters is the highest mountain in the Caucasus - and before he took on various professions, he trained in forestry, through which he gained immense knowledge about the flora and fauna of the local forests.

I associate Vetiver Insolent with a - in the best sense - grandfatherly sense of security. The scent creates a wonderful connection of classic woody-aromatic and warm, soothing notes. In my mind's eye, I see the typical autumn colors and imagine the sun's rays shining through the last leaves remaining on the trees.

As expected, vetiver is the dominant note from the start. It does not come across as grassy-green, but has similar facets to those in Chanel's Sycomore (EdT): woody, earthy, slightly smoky, and also somewhat nutty. Black pepper is only recognizable at first as a sharp nuance, and cardamom adds a pleasant, not too strong spiciness to the fragrance. The heart notes are hardly perceptible - perhaps iris and lavender add a minimal powdery aspect. Even the tonka bean in the base is by no means as loud as it is in many modern perfumes, but from the very subtle sweetness that accompanies it and the symbiosis with the spice, a slightly gingerbread-like accord emerges. The perfumers have really executed this skillfully and demonstrated a sense for the subtleties, as nothing here truly leans towards gourmand, and the scent retains its natural, woody-aromatic qualities.

In the first two to three hours, Vetiver Insolent is even relatively strong, but afterward, unfortunately, it becomes quite weak close to the skin for me. For me, that's a bit too little, but it may be enough for some - especially since I can't complain about the longevity.

In the autumn and winter of life, one tends to take things a bit easier. My grandfather is actually quite fit for his age, but his Parkinson's disease makes everything more strenuous and even everyday life more burdensome for him. Fortunately, my parents and grandparents live right by the edge of the forest, so he can still enjoy nature with all its simple beauties even in these difficult times.

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