Vetiver

It's a real shame that Floris was so quiet about bringing this stuff out in 2000 or whenever it was that it really arrived. I'm doubting that 2000 date; I was actually able to follow Floris at that time, and I don't remember it being sold then. Floris sent real catalogues then, had Floris counters 6 feet long or longer in major department stores in the US at that time, and by 2004 or so a real website based in the US. All that is of course gone. And so is Floris Vetiver, except the few bottles some eBay seller apparently bought retail and has put on eBay at least 2 years ago at such an exorbitant price that no one will spring for them. None of the bottles have hit the estate sales either. The label on the ghastly expensive eBay bottles is from around 2010 too, not the same label Floris used in the 2000 era. So I'm betting Floris Vetiver arrived unheralded around 2010 or even more recently. This stuff is fabulous, and should be brought back. Or made by someone else for less money retail than Floris charged and/or put in smaller bottles. And called unisex or whatever it takes for all of us to notice it; put it in some exotic packaging that makes us feel like tigers or pumas as we prowl through our daily lives, like wandering the aisles of the supermarket. I digress. It's the best vetiver/vetyver ever, and all the things the other reviewers say it is.

Superlative fragrance from Floris... The best Vetiver ever!

This starts out as a relatively dusty, brownish vetiver, with a little of the sweet nuttiness of the older versions of Guerlain Vetiver. More woodiness enters later in the top notes, but also an earthiness, like a more natural version of the synthetic violetty dirt that I recently found in He Wood and Rocky Mtn Wood. There's anise hiding in there as well, which slightly works to dispel the dirt aura. FV isn't really what I had in mind in exploring vetiver frags, and I think if you want the sweet woodiness, you should go for Fat Electrician or better yet L'Occitane. I agree that its crude, rustic vibe is an interesting change, but I think it's too much geranium and cedar for me, based on OdysseusM's pyramid. I'm not well-versed in the really dirty, earthy vetivers, but I can certainly say that this is a strong, sturdy scent, and as others have described it, a wild beast which has been carefully restrained.

The vetiver kicks in after about 2-3 hours. Up until that I get a sour/pissy odor maybe due to the cloves? It is a very unconventional vetiver that has too many other notes going on. This is the first I have tried from Floris and while I respect it from not being the norm, I will pass on it. It takes too long to smell the vetiver IMO.

There are some conflicting opinions as to whether Floris Vetiver is a men's fragrance or a unisex scent. I would say that it's the latter. In fact, this is one of the less masculine vetiver scents I've tried. Vetiver can sometimes be a difficult note to wear, however in this fragrance the vetiver is smooth, dry and polite. Not nearly as salty and spicy as it is in other fragrances. Lavender, cardamom, geranium, olibanum and sandalwood provide an almost feminine feel, with the lavender especially adding a powdery, floral texture. Floris Vetiver is not a heavy scent, nor is it offensive. Famous vetiver fragrance, Lalique's Encre Noire and this fragrance are polar opposites. If you're searching for a softer vetiver scent, Floris Vetiver is perfect. This fragrance is quite complex, opening with soft, powdery lavender and vetiver, before settling into a smoky, incense-like drydown of sandalwood, patchouli, cinnamon and olibanum. I never thought I would say this about a vetiver based scent, but I feel rather sexy wearing Floris Vetiver. I enjoyed it enough to wear it two days in a row. The longevity is superb, and the sillage light but noticeable. Not bad for a fragrance I only recently stumbled upon. Do test Floris Vetiver if it is stocked in your area. You won't regret it.