Selection Verte

Not many scents can legitimately claim the quality of timelessness. Selection Verte is one of them. This scent is the finest citrus/spice/floral I've come across, one which shares some ingredients with traditional EDC's, but has a very unique and optimistic character all it's own. This starts of with a strong blast of several different types of mint leaf, combined with several different types of Citrus, all of them utterly natural and in perfect proportion to one another. The cool peppery bite of the Peppermint is tempered by the Sweet-leafiness of the Spearmint. The tanginess of the Lemon and Lime is complimented by the sweetness of Mandarin. All of this is underscored by a wonderfully sober bergamot note. 15 minutes later, this cool/tart blast begins to mellow, retaining the same great character. The green leafiness of the mint is now much more apparent than the chilled initial blast, indicating the likely use of a whole-plant-absolute (leaves, stem, flower, root) as opposed to a distilled mint oil. The bitter terpenes of the citrus have also given way to the more aromatic components of citrus, and the other aromatic herbal and spice notes, as well as the floral notes, begin to emerge. This is the stage I enjoy so much, when the incredibly fresh upper-end essences of the Neroli/orange blossom, clove bud, and Sweet Pea flowers create a quiet aura of new life......of spring. Of course, the lower-registers of mint and citrus are still there, so it almost creates the illusion of the "perpetual harvest", when one is enjoying the fruits of a tree or plant, at the same time that the very tree is putting forth new growth. I cannot stress enough how much i like this stage of Selection Verte. As the mint and Citrus recede further, the character of that harmonious interplay does not, it seems only to deepen. This is not some work of magic, just the result of well-chosen notes, placement, and blending. the Neroli serves to continue the character of citrus, only sweeter and deeper, and the basil/herbs continue the green leafy character of the Mint, although not cool, now warmer. Even the light use of clove bud seems to continue to build on the small amount of spicy eugenol present in significant amounts in certain species of Green Citrus. While the theme continues, albeit in a sweeter and somewhat 'warmer' way, a new note, serving the same sobering purpose as the bergamot did in the topnotes....white peppercorns. This note is never too prominent like the peppered note in Penhaligon's Opus1870, it plays it's sobering role quietly and perfectly. After the tart citrus is gone,and just as the Neroli begins to lessen in strength, and the aromatic herbs risk taking the scent into a rustic, slightly less optimistic direction, a wonderfully green floral note comes in to again set the balance of this scent....Sweet Pea. When I first saw the note list, I was confused, thinking of the vegetable we all eat, and the opaque, soft greenness of Selection Verte in this late stage kept me confused for some time. Sweet Pea is in fact, a sweetly scented Vine Flower species, with a very unique scent......a scent that is not common in men's colognes, nor feminine perfumes for that matter. No mind, the choice of this green floral note for Selection Verte is a perfect landing, with the light clove, herb, and pepper adding just the right touch of spice to balance the last stage of the composition, which lasts surprisingly well, given how short-lived the topnotes are. The note list lists Ambergris, but I get none, perhaps the amount is so small as just to help longevity and texture, without being otherwise detectable. Nonetheless, this is without doubt one of the greatest herbal/floral/citrus scents ever created, if not the absolute best. It's quality and natural appeal are utmost, and it's character is as incredibly fresh and ALIVE today as it was when it was created.

There's not much I can add to Dullah's fantastic and thorough review, but here's my take on Selection Verte: I'm not a huge fan of Creed, however I will admit that they have a few excellent gems in their collection. And, like more and more fragrance houses these days, they seem to be saving their best work a secret to many, or, as they part it, part of a "Private Collection". Just like many great bands put some of their best work into their b-sides, Creed's Private Collection is there for true aficionados looking to get the full Creed experience. Selection Verte, which, according to Creed, was supposedly worn by Sigmund Freud (not something I completely believe, but whatever), is a testament to quality in materials and superb blending. It COULD just be a standard-issue Eau de Cologne with good materials and execution, e.g. Chanel or Guerlain's, but instead you have an incredibly fresh, bright, nose-tickling citrus melody with some sweet green notes in the background. This is easily the strongest and longest-lasting pure citrus fragrance I know of besides Orange Sanguine by Atelier Cologne; it just keeps going and going and going and going. The brightness of the citrus is almost too much at first - it sucker punches you in the nose so hard that there's almost a chlorine-like smell, but this truly is a long-lasting natural citrus. The fact that such a simple accord can be made so pure yet full of vibrancy and life is a testament to the artistic side of perfumery. Anyone can make a citrus cologne, but it takes a true artist to give it life and sparkle. I was fortunate enough to spot a spray tester (apparently Creed made a few) of Selection Verte at the Neiman Marcus at the Tyson's Corner mall in Virginia, and I was immediately blown away by how strong yet natural-smelling it was. Not only that, but I put this fragrance on as I was walking out the door on a cold January evening; it has managed to hold up over 4 hours in the cold, so I can only imagine how strong and refreshing this stuff must be in the heat. Look, I know I'm not always kind to Creed, but at the rate at which Selection Verte is getting rarer and rarer... I may just have to set aside a few paychecks and fork over the dough for this one. I don't think I'm gonna find a better citrus fragrance for a long time.

Creed Selection Verte is yet another freshie from the EDT era that is timeless and lovely, really so agreeable and unisex and pleasant. I detect a mellifluous blend of all the key note elements---citrus, neroli, pepper, and mint---along the abstract Creed DNA of ambergris. It's almost surprising to me that there are no woody notes included since Selection Verte seems so grounded in the dry down especially. Regardless, this is very well done, along the lines of the better Creed freshies I've tried (there are plenty, though) and another neat entry of the EDT line that seems positively timeless. Certainly this is more geared toward warm weather wearing but it's robust enough to wear year-round in colder climates, even, though one might need to apply a little more when the mercury dips down. It performs comparably to most Creed freshies, which never do spectacularly on my skin but are always good enough given teh refinement of the scents themselves. The green/mint/citrus combination naturally leads me to compare it to Green Valley, and though I've not yet done a side-by-side, my recollection from GV is that Selection Verte is a bit more wearable, the mint more subdued and in harmony with the citrus and pepper than out in front as it is in GV. Really a great freshie that's underdiscussed and probably not assisted by its availability being limited to the 250ml flacons at $515 rather than a lower price point for an atomizer. Still, try a decant if you can. 8 out of 10

Without a doubt, one of the hidden gems by Creed. Just unfortunate that you have to invest in 250ml in order to get some from them. Selection Verte is one of the few fresh summer scents that contain little or no citrus. The focus here (to my nose) is mint and ambergris (read ambrox). The mint is put together very well, long lasting and yet bold and ready to make a statement. It's silage and longevity are quite good. It's easy to overspray which only results in anosmia, but otherwise the scent could easily last 6-8 hours. I get a really strong menthol-like cooling sensation when I first apply it, meaning this is strictly a summer scent for me, but it could work as a comfort scent after a warm bath or shower. I've gradually used up a bit from my bottle, which I think speaks for itself. Nothing seductive or out-of-the-ordinary about it, just a perfect scent for warm weather that I won't be bored of for some time. I've used it in hot Mediterranean climates year in, year out and it works a treat. Just what you need in the heat when you don't want to be drowned in a warm scent. Delicious!

From the moment I first sampled this fragrance I was amazed by Creed's Selection Verte. Citrus (mainly lime), mint, neroli, pepper...it just doesn't seem like it should work, but it does, and it does so gloriously. The lime note in this somehow seems to go on forever--which regrettably isn't as long as one might like given the cost, but is still quite respectable. The mint is both invigorating and enticing, and there is an herbaceous note that lends the composition dignity and balance. I save this one for very special occasions: in fact I wore it on my wedding day.