Vetiverissimo Fzotic 2018

Vetiverissimo by Bruno Fazzolari is a perfume sample that came to me with absolutely no background, no concept, and no notes. Apparently, Fazzolari just wanted to see if he could create a nice vetiver perfume for himself to wear. That's really cool, and I imagine that Bruno Fazzolari is laid back enough as an artist and perfumer to just let his work speak for itself.

As it turns out, even before I knew what the official notes were, I was able to say that it smelled very Indian to me, full of those yellow, dusty Indian spices like saffron and turmeric that smell more like the earth than of fire. In fact, the perfume smelled very much like the mitti attars (and some ruh khus) that I have collected in the course of writing my Attar Guide.

I've seen some initial feedback suggesting that people think Vetiverissimo is very simple and straightforward, an impression also given by Fazzolari himself. Other say it smells like Route du Vetiver, a very butch, rooty vetiver that smells like man sweat to me. For what it's worth, I think it's got more going on than its laid back, zero-concept brand note would suggest. It's a subtly-spiced, turmeric-laden vetiver that smells like the red earth of India before the rains begin, given a pale, cloudy woodiness by a superb sandalwood. Simple, yes, but in the nuanced way sandalwood or mitti oils are, with their series of little movements plotted along a line as opposed to the dramatic, balletic leaps of stormy oud oils, or the rutting rudeness of jasmine.

Nutty earthy wood. Opens with a rich and oily nuttiness soon joined by a subtle, root vegetable earthiness—ever so slightly sweet and powdery. Becomes increasingly fresh and somewhat soapy on my skin, with a faint grassiness in the far background. Ends with buttery blond woods, still both dry and fresh, and richer resins. A deftly composed, seemingly effortless balance of savory, sweet, and fresh notes. Incredibly easy to wear, it draws you in over and over as it evolves. Stays lovely and in tune with my skin into the dry down; so soothing and introspective. Amongst my very favorite Vetivers.

Smoother, and less sweet than Fat Electrician. Less rooty and earthy than most popular Vetivers (e.g. Encre Noire, Sycomore), sans citrus (e.g. Terre d’Hermes, Grey Vetiver) but still nuanced and interesting.

It took five wears before Vetiverissimo clicked. I came to it with a preconceived set of expectations, unfairly using Daddy - a damp, shroomy, decaying vetiver - as my primary frame of reference. My nose didn't quite know what to make of it at first.

But then I heard Emma Vernon mention a clay note on Perfume Room, and suddenly it all fell into place. This isn't a damp forest-floor vetiver! It's a dry desert vetiver! Like the scent of sun-baked earth in the long buildup to monsoon season. On the surface it seems simple, maybe even one-note, but there's a lot going on underneath. Flashes of subtle spice and resin add texture and dimension without ever pulling focus from the vetiver itself. The composition feels carefully considered.

I'd wear this year-round, but know that it will shine it summer heat. It's so weightless, almost incandescent, and it feels perfectly suited to - really native to - my new home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In fact, this is the scent I've chosen to commemorate that move!

Smells like: Bruno Fazzolari's Tucson studio
Looks like: Desert clay spinning on a potter's wheel
Sounds like: Praying for rain

I used to spray a little of this on my wrist in lieu of buying it whenever I went this one zeitgeisty menswear store in a favorite nearby neighborhood. A quick spritz on the wrist and I was smelling like clean, woody, botanical vetiver. This scent lasted through my errands and stayed on clothes and in my car for days, I was fixated for months, but didn’t buy it because I was being obtuse.

Fast forward a few months. I’m on a study abroad program for architecture in Singapore, we duck into the futuristic, greenery-forward Parkroyal hotel. The hotel was part of our sightseeing, but doubled as a place to rest and grab an afternoon drink after running around in 100°F heat in Chinatown eating hainanese chicken and looking at the Buddha’s tooth.

Upon entry, we were hit with cool air with an added scent remarkably similar to the vetiverissimo sample from months ago. The lobby’s scent was expressive of its setting: a luxurious and intriguing hotel on a jungle island. I later found out the hotels sell a candle of their scent, listing similar notes to vetiverissimo.

The next time I tried it at the store, I was thrown back to the trip and ended up asking for and receiving it as a gift.

As for the technical part of the review:

Vetiverissimo a favorite in my collection. It uses clean, woody vetiver but stays intriguing with a little spicy resin to round it out. It feels put together and unique in a well-informed way. It smells natural but doesn’t lean into anything smoky or “dark” (like encre noire). The scent is linear, but it’s so good that I’d rather have it that way.

Pair vetiverissimo with: green fatigue pants and a white shirt, reading the New Yorker, high-brow errands, hainanese chicken rice, good sunglasses, stainless steel watch.

PS: if you love the dry spices and cedar/vetiver in Cartier Declaration this may be worth a try. I own and love both!

Vetiverissimo claims to not have any top notes according to their website which is cool I guess, because this one gets straight down to business.

After spraying, it's very dry and green with a touch of "soil" and then what I would describe as earthy spiciness. It's really remarkable how good that smells as opposed to reading it on your computer. As it develops further, it gets even more "vetivery" if that makes sense. This is a no joke scent. Take it or leave it. I'm taking it. Drying down to a light spiced woody earthiness that is really well done.

Just a treat of a scent.