Vettii

It opens with fig and quince like sunlight on ancient stone. Fruity, dry, quietly resinous. Beautiful... and gone before you’re ready. Not a beast. More of a thought.

Just when you least expect it When you lost hope in someone or something Sometimes you find pleasant surprises when you least expect it Just when I lost hope in the brand I found this thing The fruits in the opening are very nice and unique Most probably the quince With fresh aspects that last for a little while Yes it was a little tame but the fruity notes were unique to my nose I enjoyed it for a couple of hours then it evaporated Still not good enough to get a bottle But the uniqueness was impressive from a brand that most of their work are inspired by other creations

I found a random tester I didn't recognise amongst many such random testers from the sample box and gave it a test drive last night and again this morning. Now and again I try one from the box and it really gets me. This was one such very pleasant surprise. Agatho aren't a house I know much about and I'm not very sure where I even got the sample but Vettii EDP is a real work of art, as is the bottle the full size iteration comes in. It opens with a powerful burst of something very rich and dark that is neither one specific thing nor another, and then dries down to this incredible woody, slightly fruity deep richness that defies attempts to describe or categorise. There isn't any tobacco in this but it has something adjacent to a Chergui sort of vibe in the way it wears. Looking at the notes I can see some coriander in the heart with tolu balsam and oud in the base which are blended in that way that makes you close your eyes, bite your lip imperceptibly and just luxuriate in it. The overall feel is a figgy amber with a lot of rich sweetness that never goes cloying, set against some dark and slightly bitter woods, but with an awful lot more going on. Where else can you find citruses, sandalwood, oud, saffron, myrrh, amber, musk, cedar, pink pepper, berries, spices AND benzoin in one fragrance? We're only missing some incense, tobacco, aromatics and leathery notes and we have the full collection don't we? This is a very complex fragrance indeed and the blending is a triumph of just holding it all together coherently. A word on the wearability here. Vettii is perfectly unisex (although leans very slightly masculine to my preferences) and dries down much less powerfully than you think it will after the intense opening so is an excellent choice as an office wearer. I absolutely love this one and have ordered a full bottle because I enjoyed the sample so much. It is becoming apparent to me that I have something of a preference for rich, heavy, woody, well blended perfumes over light fruity freshies or blue gym fragrances and this is an excellent example, and so was yesterday's review Ambre Nectar by Atelier Versace. This is a genuinely exciting niche fragrance to wear and I'll try to check out more from this house. Three Word Summary: Wonderful Niche Surprise Layering suggestion: Gris Charnel by BDK, not the Extrait. Outfit suggestion: white linen shirt, fitted jeans and suede penny loafers, Dita sunglasses and Mont Blanc leather bag. Scent - 9/10 Sillage - 9/10 Drydown - 10/10 Bottle/packaging - 10/10 Performance - 6/10 44/50