So many great vetivers...

Lately, I've been enjoying a variety of vetivers -- there are so many strong vetiver-themed fragrances. It seems like every house has a great entry.

The most recent vetiver that I've added to my collection is Dior's Private Collection. It's very smooth and refined. Very easy to wear. It's awesome, though not for someone who is looking for a true vetiver-root experience. A touch of coffee really smoothes this out and makes it much more user-friendly than some of my other favorites listed below.

Other great ones include Chanel's Sycamore, Guerlain's, MPG's Route de Vetiver, Carlo Corinto, Malle's Vetiver Extraordinaire, TDC's Sel de Vetiver, and Tauer's Vetiver Dance (other's don't seem to like this one as much as I do).

I am also very much into vetiver!

My current favorites are the now discontinued "Vétiver de Frédéric", Guerlains "Vetiver Extreme" and their discontinued "Vetiver Frozen Fragrance / Eau Glacée".

I also like the Vetiver by Carven and Annick Goutals discontinued Vetiver (which has an aquatic note!).

Among the more modern, not so straightforward vetivers, I appreciate Lubin's "Le Vetiver - Itasca" and Heeleys "Cuir Pleine Fleur"

I like the Lily-of-the-Valley touch in Tauer's Vetiver Dance, but most Tauer perfumes have a strange resinous note that I cannot make friends with.

Yes. That floral note in the Tauer vetiver keeps it bright and lively. I find it uplifting and energizing.

I forgot the Goutal vetiver. Another excellent one. I don't get much vetiver out of the Heeley you mentioned though I do like that frag very much.

Itasca is intriguing to me. I have a small sample vial and I don't get much of anything out of it. I'm a firm believer in spraying perfume though to really get a feel for it and I suspect that's why I didn't get much the single time I sampled. I need to try this again as I really like this house. The Lubin vetiver from a few years ago (not the recent iterations) is excellent, too. More than anything it reminds me of the original Guerlain vetiver (prior to reformulation), which has a gasoline note in the opening rather than the citrus note in the reformulation.

Could you tell me more about your impressions of Itasca -- the notes sound so good.

Yes, I also have the original Lubin Vetiver, and I can confirm that it is very much like the Guerlain's. However I think, it resembles more the current Guerlain Vetiver and not the original as it was available in the 1990s and before.

If I want to take a trip down memory lane I take a few spritzes of Royall's Vetiver. It is a bit bland and has only Eau de Cologne strength, but it has these dark, green vibrations of the old Guerlain's.

The Lubin Vetiver is OK but it simply doesn't get me. The new versions Itasca and Bluff are perfumes with a vetiver note but not at all vetivers in its original meaning. I like the booziness if Itasca, it resembles a little bit "Mister" by Jasper Conran or even the expensive "Jewel for Him" by Micallef.

Itasca was highly praised at the German Parfumo, and also some ladies have it. I think it is the booziness that attracts most people. I should take the time and translate my review. It is definitely worth sampling.

Two years ago, I met the manager of Lubin at the perfume fair in Düsseldorf. He is a nice french guy and speaks English and German fluently. He was presenting his new fragrances there: Itasca, Figaro, Bluff and Inédite. He wasn't so much enthusiastic about people commenting his perfumes in public since Tanja Sanches wrote that his "Gin Fizz" smelled like nail polish!

I do like the new Bluff, but I'm especially enamored with Itasca. I'll try to do a review soon, Ungerwoo. But I can tell you that Itasca is very nice and strong when sprayed. I have just a small residue of an authentic Lubin sample spray, courtesy of the generous 30 Roses over at BN. I gave myself one good, droplet-wet spray to the back of the hand, and got both good sillage and moderate projection. My wife seated at the same table found it very attractive and commented out of the blue. The ladies at BN like it, because it marries the wood and vetiver notes that men like, with a chypre-like feminine background, and thus creates what I would almost describe as a Texas Cedar/redwood chypre with hints of vetiver. I think it's a destiny buy for me, possibly very soon.

Bluff was interesting in that it was very different on paper, compared to skin. On paper, it was a cool vetiver that was very interesting. On my skin, it lost the coolness and the vetiver receded. What was left was barely a vetiver scent. If I were to buy Bluff, I would likely wear at least one spray on clothing to get that very nice vetiver effect.

I'm sorry that Lubin is wary of perfumista comments - though I can understand that, after what Tania said, and particularly after Octavian's recent comments on Black Jade (much as I love Octavian's no-holds-barred commentary). But so many people are finding quality in that house - I would encourage Lubin to take the bad with the good. Personally, I find Lubin's scents very moving, and even inspirational when I write. They are a quality house with authentic history, and they are doing good things. Creating modern, artistic perfumes with a sense of history but not enslaved by it - they have nothing to be ashamed of, in my opinion. I just wish that they were appreciated as much as they deserve.

"Le Vetiver - Bluff" - I can tell a story about it. When I first tested it on the Düsseldorf perfume fair in April 2010, it was most interesting because it had a Coca Cola note! It was clear to me that I simply had to have it. When it was finally released half a year later, I ordered it and found out this note was gone! Only some grapefruit and maybe sone cinnamon is left, and you can hardly detect any Kola.

I think they got cold feet about releasing something that unusual and changed the formula before the final release. What a pity!

I also think there is not much vetiver in it. "L'Eau Neuve - Figaro" has much more Vitiver, although it appeared in the L'Eau Neuve series.

Not long ago, a perfume with a Cola note was available - it was part of a beautiful gift set of three colognes designed for teenage boys by Nobile 1942: "Cedro Atlas: II Cola" . It has not much longevity but I like it.

Very interesting, Apicius! If Lubin cut back on the cola note, it's too bad. I have to say that I didn't detect much if any of it, myself. I'll have to go back and try again.

It's always hard to say how the American market will react to something that is perceived as a "common" note, such as cola, bubble gum, coffee, etc. Sometimes they love it, but if there is just a slight miscalculation, the market will laugh. There is not much barrier between what is perceived as "accessible" and what is perceived as "ordinary". So the bottom line is, I can see why Lubin might hesitate on a cola note.

Thanks for the great input regarding the Lubin fragrances. I also think it's a great house that is moving in the right direction. I'll have to get some more samples of these and load them into an atomizer next time.

As an aside, Slumberhouse's Rume has a pronounced Cola note.

I will review it soon. I already have their samples.

Have you tried "Sel de Vetiver" ? I think it would be a nice addition to the other ways of Vetiver proposed here.

Ah! This is one of my favorite vetivers! A beautiful scent. The body wash is great, too, and nicely priced.

I'm a big vetiver fan as well.
I don't like the Tauer "Vetiver Dance", to me it has urinous notes. And "Coeur de Vétiver Sacré" is not the real thing either.
My favourites - or the ones I own so far:

Pleasant, very wearable:
"Hermèssence Vétiver Tonka" - doesn't get very smoky on my skin - more of a greenish vetiver style with hazelnut-tonka.
"Infusion de Vétiver" - the vetiver kicks in very late, don't give up early.

More substantial stuff:
"Sycomore" by chanel - pure genious
"Le vétiver" by Lubin - veeeery good, imo better than Guerlain's

I yet have to try (I ordered a decant blind) Malle's vetiver.
I plan on buying "Sel de Vétiver" - but to me it is not really a vetiver vetiver.

PS: I get a noticeable vetiver note in the drydown of "No. 19" EdP. The green stuff (vetiveryl acetate).
Actually there are lots of feminine frags that are not real vetiver frags but have a nice vetiver note in the drydown:

"Mitsouko" EdP (after 5 hrs +)
"No. 19" (after hours)
"Habanita"
"No. 5 Eau Première" (not a strong vetiver note, but it is there)
"Must de Cartier"
"Le baiser du dragon"
etc.

I agree with you about Coeur de Vetiver but I'm not sure I agree with you about "Sel de Vetiver" -- I think it's rugged and real, an untamed vetiver.

I'll have to try again.

I wore TDC yesterday for the first time in awhile. Untamed might be overstated but it struck me again as the real thing. Let us know your impressions when you wear it, DieNase.

Among the classic vetivers I think Guerlain´s and Givenchy´s renditions are unsurpassed (although reformulated, they are still in good condition). Lubin´s "Le Vetiver" is really good, too, but the new Carven is a disaster.
More recent one´s I like the most are:
"Vétiver Extraordinaire"
"Sycomore"
"Vetiver Extreme" (thankfully, the one in the HR-bottle is a bit closer to the original "Vetiver"!)
"Vetiver pour Elle"
"Le Vetiver - Itasca"
"Mon Numéro 3"

I agree on "Carven is a disaster"!
I don't know the Givenchy yet.

Today my decant of Malles "Vétiver extraordinaire" arrived. Hum, reminds me of something - maybe the bottle of vetiver essential oil in my fridge? No, that one is much more smoky. Don't laugh, but the accord somehow reminds me of "Infusion de Vétiver" + it has a very rubbery aspect to it.

Well, don't know, still don't really get along with "Vétiver Extraordinaire", but I'll try again several times.
What do you think about "Fat Electrician"?

I can't say I'm a big fan of vetiver as a dominant theme in any fragrance, but I do enjoy it as an assistance note.

My favorite and one that I own is "Corinto Vetyver". I haven't tried the newer version of it and have heard bad things about it.

I had a big bottle of Guerlain Vetiver (vintage), which I loved and so gave it to a friend in a rare gesture of perfumic magnanimity.

Unfortunately, he proceeded to give it away--not because he loved it, but because he did not! Lesson learned: make no assumptions when it comes to perfume!

More recently, I have tried a slew of the new vetivers, including many of the ones some people have mentioned above, but I have one question for you all:

Is Hermessence Vetiver Tonka the only sweet vetiver around? I think that I might like it, if I were to wear it a few more times, but at the moment it strikes me as slightly odd simply for its sweetness. Maybe it's a case like salted licorice: an acquired taste?

sherapop, have you tried the Corinto Vetyver ( original ) ???

I should like to report the recent discussions we had about the Guerlain Vetiver on the German Parfumo site.

As you might know, Guerlain re-invented the "old" Vetiver bottle last year. When Guerlain reformulated its Vetiver so recklessly in 2000, they invented a stylish, ribbed glass bottle - quite nice in my point of view. However, the reformulation had been a shock for many Vetiver lovers. The terrific, dark green fragrance that it had been before was transferred into a pale, bright green that was not so special any longer.

The bottle of the original was the same as Habit Rouge, only with a dark green instead of a red badge on it. Now we got back the same Habit Rouge bottle for Vetiver, but with a pale green badge and a silver cap instead of a golden one.

When the change of the outer appearance was announced for 2011, rumors spread that Guerlain also went one step back towards the old fragrance. However, when it appeared they gave out the information to the perfume shops that only the presentation had changed, not the fragrance.

Hm, some users at Parfumo got a different impression. Profumo did a comparison between the 2000 and the 2011 Vetiver, and he is sure that there is a change - somehow more tobacco in it. He likes it much better now.

When I took a sample of my 2000's Vetiver to the Maison Guerlain shop in Berlin, I could not find any difference. Nevertheless, I trust Profumo and others.

The Berlin Maison Guerlain was opened in summer last year, and Sylvaine Delacourte, Guerlain's art director, attended the event. Coriolon asked her whether there was a change or not, and she did not give a straight answer!

She gave a very strange statement: she said that they had not planned or requested any change or reformulation but on the other hand she said it might have been possible that it had happened nevertheless!

My theory is that they did a very slight change again but decided they wouldn't tell anybody about it since this time, they cannot blame it on IFRA regulations. Furthermore it looks like they filled some older batches of 2000's Vetiver into the new bottle along with the latest batches. So, at the moment, it seems it is totally unclear what you will get if you buy a bottle of Vetiver from Guerlain.

Anyway, I do not use Guerlain's Vetiver a lot. The vintage you got before 2000 was so gorgeous, but that is gone. The 2000 is considerably missing character.

At least, with "Vetiver Extreme", Guerlain released another great Vetiver that - although totally different - has the amount of character and uniqueness that the old one had. So, I am happy with Vetiver Extreme.

There were flankers to the 2000 Vetivers. Recently I found a ressource where I still could order a bottle of the "Vetiver Frozen Fragrance / Eau Glacée" - it is pleasantly light and nice to wear. Between this and Vetiver Extreme, the 2000's Vetiver is neither fish nor fowl.

The vintage Guerlain Vetiver cannot really be replaced, it is a deplorable loss. I would like to know - what is your replacement for the vintage Guerlain Vetiver?

I own a 2010 release of "Vetiver" by Guerlain. It does not have the same boldness and smoky tobacco that the original did. Unfortunately, I was unaware of the reformulation, and besides, I got the bottle at an extremely good price. Do I wear this fragrances often, no. I find the formulation a bit dull and the void of vigor and vitality that the original formula had.

As per Apicius's suggestions, I will have to sample the "Vetiver Extreme" by Guerlain.