Vetiver

I'm a big fan of vetiver fragrances and have been eyeing this one for the past year or two, but I didn't plan on picking-up a bottle until this coming Spring. However, one of the mall fragrances stores was going-out-of-business so I picked-up a 100ml bottle because it was actually a few bucks less than the discount sites. I knew that I would like this fragrance based on the notes pyramid, but I loved it from first spray: vetiver, lemony-citrus, myrrh and all sorts of well-blended aromatic, herbal, woody and mossy accords. To me, the guy driving the Guerlain Vetiver truck ran into the guy delivering Monsieur de Givenchy. I detect some lighter reminders of that terrific Guerlain Vetiver along with some really nice citrus, herbal and aromatic tones. It's really a nice gentleman's vetiver scent perfect for the office of in relaxed casual settings. Although it has been cold outdoors, its performance seems moderate; lasts 5-hours on my skin and the scent bubble doesn't get out-of-control. I'll update my review, if needed, when I wear this fragrance over the Spring and Summer months. Finally, I find Carven Vetiver to be a solid citrus-aromatic-herbal type vetiver scent, which Guerlain Vetiver fans should appreciate, and folks who find GV to be a bit too grassy may actually like this one. It's worth taking a sniff. Update: my review was for the 2008 version since I haven't been able to find one with the wooden cap. I've had an opportunity to wear this fragrance during the Spring-Summer months and I'm getting 5-6 hours of longevity and the scent still remains pretty close to my skin. Moreover, I picked-up a bottle of Carven Le Vetiver (which is supposed to be more closely aligned with the 1957 release) and I like that even more. All-in-all, Carven Vetiver and Le Vetiver are excellent Spring-Summer scents for the gentleman.

THIS is the vetiver for which I have been searching for nearly thirty years! I am so happy to have finally found it. I am really fond of vetiver and have a number of different EO vials and maybe six or seven different vetiver frags which I've picked up over the years, all in the hopes of rediscovering this one. I was waiting tables while a college student, and one night the owner of a local men's boutique came in with his wife for dinner. While standing near him to take his order I surprised myself by directly asking him what the fragrance was he was wearing. It was wonderful -- sophisticated and heady, and it matched his elegant attire to a T. If I closed my eyes and tried to visualize what I was smelling, I pictured those swirling and swaying curves and lines in Art Nouveau lettering and design. In my search for this fragrance over the years I have found a few that came close to it in how I experienced it that first time (the most notable being Creed's Vetiver -- the older one, not Original Vetiver, which I also have). I am over the moon to have discovered this after all of these years. It's so simple, and so wonderful in its simplicity. Yes, please.

Nice floral/resin rendition of vetiver, really fresh and ambery. This perfume seems to go through several distinct phases. First it's a fresh spritzy citrus, like you cut a lemon and squeezed it, then a sort of balled up resinous vegital smell appears which quickly unfolds into an herbal ambery floral vetiver. The vetiver is at it's strongest at this point and shines through the middle of the perfume when florals start coming up, then later the sweetish amber becomes more dominant and a spicy sandalwood comes through and continues along nicely with the sweet amber. Nice for the summer and warm weather, it is very fresh, not spicy or smokey. This one is resiny, sandalwoody, and some floral tang. Actually it can be a little smokey, since it is vetiver. It is excellent for the summer, and in the evening too. Overall a very fresh nice vetiver, not spicy and rough like the Guerlain, but I also like the Guerlain, it has a tobacco scent in it, and more focused on green green green and spice. This one is smoother, ambery, and very complex with florals and soft spicy woods and resin. I think I might like this carven vetiver better.

I really like this complex vetiver fragrance. For me it is a crisp lemon, quickly followed by an unfolding resinous scent, after a bit it transitions into a floral aspect, and finally turns into a sandalwoody ambery base. It is a very fresh one to wear in the summer, since it does not become heavy. at the same time, it is not a spicy fragrance. but it is a bit spicy fragrance. it also has a bitterness. it can get a bit smoky on occassion from the vetiver. for me the vetiver is in there in the mid predominently it is smellt, but all around in this fragrance there are various other nice contrasting and complimenting aspects. I actually found a tester, and printed on the sticker on the bottle it lists: top notes: bergamot, lemon, lemongrass Guatemala mid notes: nutmeg, lavender, lily of the valley base notes: cedarwood, vetiver, styrax, amber, musk

I actually have all 3 versions - the vintage bottle with the green swirl "C" cap; the rectangular bottle with the wooden cap; and the newest version that comes in the white box, with a nearly square, very heavy clear bottle with a clear plastic cap. I love them all, but my favorite is actually the newest version, which has a fantastic, slightly sharp, fresh citrus opening, which settles rather quickly into a faintly leathery vetiver dry down. After the first 10 minutes or so, it's a very close-to-the-skin scent, which I don't mind a bit, and it's certainly one of my favorites. It's not very expensive, either. (I especially love it right after a shower - it feels so light and clean.) I don't think you'd go wrong with any version of this very classic scent. Fantastic.

This is older classic formulation (I got myself the handsome wooden cap version) is hardcore vetiver, no embellishment, no sweetening, no gussying up, it is dry, smoky, musty, earthy, and just wow... The vetiver combined with the petitgrain and aromatics remind me of the smell of an arid summer day, with the sun beating down on field of long grasses, dry wind carrying the fragrance through the air. For some reason, Plum Island or the Cape Cod National Seashore come to mind. It wears light, isn't overbearing at all, and lasts several hours. Carven Vetiver is a great yang to Guerlain Vetiver's yin.

from the designer's website, and also from the back of a tester bottle (they each listed half of these ingredients, so I combined them together) top: bergamot, lemon, lemongrass, grapefruit mid: lavender, geranium, lilly of the valley, orange blossom, nutmeg base: violet, cedarwood, vetiver, sandalwood, styrax, benzoin, amber, musk i really like this vetiver. it is complex, it changes from one stage to the next. it goes from resin to floral to sandalwood generally, with vetiver most prominently in the middle as I smell it. it's also fairly fresh, not really spicy so works well in summer.

Well I found a bottle like the picture with a wooden cap. This one I really like, very soapy in the drydown, lemony and nice wood. Very nice. I find obvious similarities in YSL Pour Homme compared with this but this seems much more natural. The longevity isn ́t quite as long, but good enough. Edit: If you like soapy bitter vetiver, this could be the one. This is one of my absolute favs, extremely manly.

There is a problem Vetiver Carven. The one as pictured hasn ́t been made for a long time, the new one comes in very heavy rectangular bottle. The old one I found very good, it had some resemblance with YSL pour homme. The new is just terribly artificial smelling IMO. Another disaster with something that used to be good. A good advise, if you find anything that is good, stock up, tomorrow it ́s gone.

I wore it in the 80's and loved it very much. In those days, it had no wood cap but a green plastic one, (exactly the same than Monsieur Carven, but in green). I don't know if it was the original 1957 version without any change, but it was excellent, it had a great class. I didn't smell the new version but I'm afraid, and maybe I should forbear !

I think I actually was a little too negative about this new one. After a little more get to know, I think it ́s quite nice. It ́s a very dry vetiver, a tiny bit smokey, fairly linear. Lasts a really long time. I ́m getting to like it.

This new version of Vetyver is really a joke. These reformulations that most of the companies are doing with these old great colognes will of course strike back. Maybe they are ok if costing $2-3, not more.

The best vetyver of all times! The original carven vetyver is a masterpiece👍. And even the Guerlain's vetyver released in 1961 got much inspired by carven vetyver!

I got a bottle with the wooden cap for my husband but he is NOT going to see it as I fell in love . It's light but lovely.

I use two main Vetiver fragrances, Carven's offering and Guerlain's. I like both of them but in different ways. Guerlain's is more noticeable but Carven's is a little milder. It seems smoother and less "dirty" and more suitable to everyday use. Not That I'm knocking Guerlain's Vetiver, I really like it, however it is perhaps a bit too strong for certain situations (work/office), whereas Carven's Vetiver is more restrained and clean. Nice!

I have the new bottle with the plastic cap and a big C on it. I think this is the most recent formulation. I bought it two weeks a go and decided to wear it to the office this morning. The initial sprays were a bit strong but the dry down is fantastic for about 3 hours. Then it faded away and I don't smell like vetiver anymore. This was very disappointing because I am a vetiver fanatic. Oh well guess I'll just wear it around the house.

I have the clear whiskey flask version with the silver cap. It's a terrific vetiver with a fleeting presence, but the opening is smooth and the dry down is cool leather. I find myself reaching for it again and again. I may prefer it to Guerlain's Vetiver, but I think I prefer whichever one I have on at the moment. Wear Carven Vetiver during the day and switch to Encre Noire at night for a full vetiver story.

I casually found this in a nearby vintage store, and I grab it fast, as I've already tried the Carven Pour Homme 2014 version, and also a glimpse of the modern Vetiver I had to give this classic a try. And I can say that's is a punch of vetiver, so strong and pure, I love it. Perfect for fall in my opinion.

Purchased a 1999 boxed and unopened bottle off of a reliable eBay source. Given my love of Vetiver I wanted to try the OG. Lemon opening. Then a dull period with nothing. Then very light Vetiver. Hoping this one warms up a bit with time on the shelf and further wear.

It's nice - leaves a soft woody / vetiver smell on the skin not strong but lasts quite a while. The bottle with the wood top is a more earthy scent and has more character - it's a better smell as Fotolux says below