Culot Thé Versȧtıle 2021

The jasmine opening the composition is surrounded by fresh, herbal, and spicy accords, losing a drop of its nectar-like sweetness. It feels fresh, slightly spicy, and savory—almost kitchen-like. There’s a subtle gourmand oiliness to it. This isn’t a sweet fragrance, but rather one inspired by a kitchen where lunch is being cooked, with notes of a vegetable garden drifting in through the window and jasmine blooming in the background.

If Rital Date was my introduction to Versatile’s sense of humour in gourmand territory, Culot Thé is the one that convinced me they can do clean and elegant just as well. It’s their take on fresh tea, with citrus up top, a bit of jasmine, and a fizzy, tonic-like brightness that keeps it feeling crisp.

I have a soft spot for tea fragrances, and this one really hits the spot. Especially with it's affordable price point. It opens with bright citrus and a bit of clean ginger. After a few minutes, the tea note comes forward. The jasmine stays light and airy, more of a lift than a floral statement. The overall feel is modern, genuinely wearable, and very unisex. It works in warm weather, it works in an office, and it works up close without making a scene.

The funniest part is the note lists you see online, because they can look a bit wild. You’ll see things like garlic and wasabi mentioned, and I get why that makes people curious. Personally, I don’t smell either of them... In terms of how it wears, it stays close to the skin and doesn’t try to fill a room. It’s more of a personal scent than a projection monster, and it’s easy to top up when you feel like it.

culot thé reminds me of thé à la campagne, a picnic tea. A sweet opening of apricot and spices brings you into a slightly indolic jasmine tea. I get hints of spice, grain and herbs, drying down into a dry woody/field grass floral that lingers as a skin scent. Projection isn't huge, but I don't expect that from this house. Longevity on my skin was about 3-4 hours before it went to just a hint of floral.

Sampling Versatile Paris - Culot The, a very pleasant mix of tea, jasmine, ginger, and bergamot, especially. The tea is fittingly at the center, with floral and citrus accents, mostly, with just a touch of provocation via the ginger, though overall, the blend is very comforting and versatile. Anyone could wear this anytime. It does not make a huge impression and is not a loud statement, but rather, a sophisticated, subtle, and still multifaceted creation that I quite like, and which continues to add diversity to this house.

Like the rest of the line, Culot The is priced at $55 for 15ml, in extrait concentration, sold in a rollerball bottle via boutiques like Ministry of Scent.

7 out of 10