My most worn fragrance of 2024. It perennially vies with Guerlain’s to take the top spot on my shelf. This is the highest quality, earthiest, greenest vetiver blended masterfully with a rooty angelica, warm spicy cloves, powdery orris butter, and a deliciously musky ambrette seed oil in the base.
To me, VB effectively works as a hinge between Guerlain’s vetiver and FM’s French Lover, two other favorites in my wardrobe. In terms of their vibe, the Guerlain is gentlemanly and thoroughly complex, with a citrus top, a distinctive tobacco that acts as co-star, and an animalic undercurrent. French Lover, for its part, is bold and more modern, using an astringent angelica up top and a unique incense accord that is bolstered by a well judged woody amber base.
Corticchiato’s vetiver, in contrast to these two, is bright, light, eminently natural, and thoroughly realistic (as in accurate). This doesn’t imply a lack of finesse, don’t get me wrong; it is simple in the best possible way. In a word: elegant. I feel invigorated, sharp, focused, confident, and smart when I wear it. Who doesn’t enjoy a boost like that?
