(Vetiverich) Zara 2024

This one quickly became my favorite I certainly enjoy everything about it. Starting with a fruity, citrussy, and spicy opening, the top quickly transitions into a leathery touch that adds depth and must be caused by the saffron. From the few minutes right after the initial spray, the pear is well blended with the saffron. In the heart, the violet leaves add a fresh aromatic twist together with the jasmine leaves, which pushes the fragrance into a slightly green freshness. then comes my favourite part of the fragrance, cedar and vertiver on the base notes. For me, this is where this fragrance draws its strength from its dry, slightly smookey, sophisticated, and grounded nature, which makes it long-lasting.

Even if you overspray, it is clean and unobtrusive, so I could wear it to most events at work, the gym, and in my free time. It can easily be a signature scent. compliments are certain. In summer and in spring, it can be worn both night and day; its not shy when the sun is out; it surely comes out to play. The projection is sufficient; it is not loud. longevity is way decent; I am very surprised by how long it lasted. I am afraid, like many nice releases from the house, this will be discontinued, so i'd safely say if you like it, get yourself a second bottle.

Vetiverich is the second perfume I added to the collection from this series. Not for a matter of taste, but mostly because (Wood Legacy) seemed like something new to me that I had never heard before, and therefore I gave it a purchasing priority. Yet, without hesitation, Vetiverich won me over at the first sniff. When I wrote the Wood Legacy review, I thought the bottle was similar to the one used for the Metallics series. But I was wrong since a similar bottle was already used for the Le Parfum series. Once the cap is removed, which has a different shape between the two series, the bottles are identical.
Regarding the perfume, as I had already observed during the first test, the formula seems inspired by Encre Noire Eau de Toilette, in which vetiver releases the darker aromas of roots, earth, and ink. It is a mineral and woody vetiver that takes on various nuances during its evolution but still has a strong accent of wet earth. With my comparison, I don't want to say that Vetiverich is a clone of Encre Noire but to underline that it is the type of vetiver we find in this perfume.

Vetiverich, at the opening, releases a green citrus accord composed of oils of lemon peels, bitter oranges, and bergamots with an alcoholic background. Beyond this mixture of citrus fruits lies a cold accord that recalls ozone and metal. It's almost like smelling the fresh air that heralds the arrival of a summer storm. Besides, imagine a stroll in the woods after a rain, with moist air, wet soil, foliage, and the sunrays filtering through the trees. The pear note does not reach my nose clearly. Still, it has happened before that my sense of smell has struggled to recognize this synthetic fruity note, while the harsher edges of the saffron flower dirty the opening notes exaggeratedly. However, as soon as the alcoholic presence disappears, the tart citrus fruits and spicy saffron create an excellent accord. Don't be afraid; it is not the dark and dense saffron typical of Middle Eastern essences. Meanwhile, from the base notes rises an overdose of woody nuances, those of Iso E Super. Fresh and slightly bitter opening, no trace of sweet notes.

After about ten minutes, the fragrance warms up, emitting a green and floral accord. It's bizarre how the same perfume releases two different agreements, depending on the distance from which it is smelled. If from afar you can feel the presence of purple flowers such as lavender and lilac, together with the delicate ones of the rose, from a very close distance, the greenish notes of the foliage, violet, jasmine, sage and geranium prevail. All green and fleshy leaves contribute to forming the green, slightly powdery, ozonic and metallic accord. The essence may release a disturbing scent similar to rotten jasmine flowers when the white jasmine buds, after a few days, gradually take on a yellowish colour. Perhaps the jasmine leaves smell that way. But I repeat, they can only be felt by placing the nose on the point of application for a very short period and never from the proper distance. The heart maintains a watery, green, floral profile, tending towards balsamic.

The perfume persists with the heart accords for a few hours before changing towards the base notes. So the nuances of vetiver appear, recalling the smell of fresh paint and turpentine. Indeed, those of patent leather are widely used in luxury fashion, especially for accessories, shoes and bags. A musky, moist, camphoraceous, and even slightly smoky and resinous veil remains on the skin for hours, with touches that resemble pine needles. It certainly requires wearing a few times before fully understanding its character. But the perfume passes through three strategic points: the initial citrus green one, then moving on to the floral green one, and finally, the more woody and earthy one, with a perfect touch of amber. Throughout the journey, vetiver and cedar wood dominate. A note for all coumarin detractors: this perfume has no coumarins, which means neither vanilla nor tonka in the formula to dulcify it. This might be worth considering if you're not a fan of sweet scents.

In conclusion, Vetiverich and Encre Noire have several points in common and strike very similar notes and chords when tested side by side. Vetiverich is less smoky than Encre Noire despite riding the path of ink. The elusive ink note adds a unique facet to fragrance compositions. Its sooty, camphorous scent lends a beguiling hook to top notes. I wore it yesterday, a Sunday in June that was still a little warm, and I must admit that its performance satisfied me. Not at all annoying. I felt its facets very well for the first three hours, and then it slowly settled on the skin. It belongs to those molecular perfumes that you quickly get used to, but the scent reappears clearly now and then. It dresses well in the intermediate and summer seasons, fresh and pleasant, both during the day and in the evening, when the scorching sunsets, under light linen, hemp and cotton fabrics, white shirts, and so on. My intuition was correct, and this perfume did not disappoint my expectations.

I'm basing my feelings on a bottle I've owned since June 2024 (BC 41020).

-Elysium

Unwittingly, I walked into Zara just to test a few fragrances again. Standing in front of the fragrance shelf, I saw this relatively new collection, all featuring the bottle design from "(Vetiverich) | Zara." I tested several scents until I finally arrived at "(Vetiverich) | Zara." As the test strip approached my nose, a thought shot through my mind: "Wait... somehow this scent seems very familiar. I've definitely smelled this fragrance DNA before." However, I couldn't place it at that moment. It smelled fresh-green, perfect for summer. But with a slightly bitter note. In any case, it wasn't a DNA you often smell on warm days. Since I liked the scent very much and it reminded me of something, I sprayed two more spritzes on my forearm, thinking that perhaps I would recall an association.

I smelled my arm several times - the scent simply wouldn't let me go. Suddenly I remembered... but that can't be? It was the DNA of "Perseus | Parfums de Marly," which also carries this bitter-fresh note. Fortunately, I own an original sample of this fragrance. So I could test it directly in comparison. And what can I say, for me, (Vetiverich) goes exactly in that direction. It doesn't copy the scent 1:1, but I would say that these two fragrances smell 90% alike according to my nose.

Specifically, the top note has a clear similarity in my opinion, because this bitter note resonates here. The top note of Perseus is mainly dominated by grapefruit, while in "(Vetiverich) | Zara," the pear takes over - even though I don't perceive it directly. In the further development of the scent, I find that the two fragrances diverge a bit, although the base DNA with this bitter-woody foundation remains similar. While (Vetiverich) becomes greener/fresher, the OG retains this bitter undertone much more strongly.

Strangely, I have to say that I actually prefer the Zara scent because it becomes more pleasant in the dry down and doesn't maintain that bitterness. I think this makes it more mass-appealing. Because not everyone likes that said bitter note from the OG. Unfortunately, I can't provide any information on longevity/sillage, as I've only tested it once. Nevertheless, I think the longevity/sillage can't compete with the OG but is rather mediocre. For €18/100 ml, however, it's a no-brainer if you're looking for an alternative to "Perseus | Parfums de Marly."

"It smells good, but you can forget about the longevity," said one of a group of teenagers who were spraying themselves with Zara perfumes. They bought nothing and thus deterred me from making a purchase. That was in the summer of 2023.

Zara has significantly improved since then and now also offers long-lasting fragrances. In my first review, I was able to prove this with "TOB/03 Tabac-Treasure | Zara." One Parfumo reviewer even found two sprays to be too strong.

"(Vetiverish) | Zara" is not aggressive or intrusive, but it is intense and lasts for several hours. And that is unusual, as it is a fresh green scent that is perfect for spring/summer.

Like many fragrances, this one starts with a somewhat alcoholic citrus opening with bergamot. However, it quickly becomes fruity with pear, and green woody notes blend in. The base is made up of vetiver, which creates the typical feeling of cleanliness.

Although this fruity-green vetiver combination is clearly categorized among synthetic fragrances, and I generally prefer less synthetic scents, I am very fascinated by this fruity-green vetiver combination for 18 EUR. It is very elegant and well-suited as a male everyday fragrance. Caution, addictive potential.