Vetiver Extraordinaire

It’s that artisanal autumn arrival of an array of foliage colours time of year in the Colorado Rockies, so I wore Frederic Malle’s Vetiver Extraordinaire on one wrist and Hermes’ Bel Ami Vetiver on the other before getting in the car. By the third mile, the kids were begging for gas masks, my husband said the car smelled like “leather-wrapped compost,” and I just nodded because that’s exactly the vibe I was going for. I’m fifty years old now, and I’ve been through enough scents, colognes, and perfumes to know that what clings to my skin can sometimes say more than what comes out of my mouth. When I wear Extraordinaire, I feel like I’m putting on a sharply cut suit with no tie because it smells crisp, disciplined, and a touch intellectual. It’s vetiver in its purest, most surgical form being green, rooty, and a little earthy, but also polished into something modern and refined. It’s the kind of fragrance that makes me think about clarity; about clearing the noise; about focusing in on what really matters like suffocating my family in an enclosed space. Almost feels like a meditation in scent form. By contrast, Bel Ami Vetiver is an older man’s smile that’s warm, worn-in, and charmingly rough around the edges. It’s leather and spice and all that is nice wrapped around vetiver, less strict, and more fatherly forgiving. When I spray it on my wrist this morning, I’m reminded of patriarchal evenings with a glass of cognac, an old leather chair that’s cracked in the right places, and a conversation that runs late into the dead of night. It doesn’t cut through the air like Malle’s does; instead, it sits closer and more tactile, like a handshake from a man who’s lived a little but still has fire in him. The similarities? Both live in a vetiver’s world because I’m a material girl, but they approach it differently. Malle’s is the disciplined architect and Bel Ami Vetiver the seasoned raconteur. On my skin, they both remind me that I’m now fifty. That I’ve outgrown the sweet and flashy scents of youth because some boys romance, some boys slow dance, and that's all right with me. Yet they reflect two sides of who I am now with one part craving structure and refinement, another part content with the patina of experience because some boys try and some boys lie, but I don't let them play (NO WAY). Only boys that save their pennies can make my rainy autumn day. By contrast, Bel Ami Vetiver is an older man’s smile that’s warm, worn-in, charmingly rough around the edges. It’s leather and spice wrapped around vetiver, less strict, more fatherly forgiving. When I spray it on my wrist this morning, I’m reminded of patriarchal evenings with a glass of cognac, an old leather chair that’s cracked in the right places, and a conversation that runs late into the dead of night. It doesn’t cut through the air like Malle’s does; instead, it sits closer, more tactile, like a handshake from a man who’s lived a little but still has fire in him. The similarities? Both live in vetiver’s world because I’m a material girl, but they approach it differently: Malle’s is the disciplined architect, Bel Ami Vetiver the seasoned raconteur. On my skin, they both remind me that I’m now simply fifty. That I’ve outgrown the sweet and flashy scents of youth because some boys romance, some boys slow dance, and that's all right with me. Yet they reflect two sides of who I am now with one part craving structure and refinement, another part content with the patina of experience because some boys try and some boys lie, but I don't let them play (NO WAY). Only boys that save their pennies can make my rainy autumn day.

There are two accords that I have uncontrollable weaknesses for: leather and vetiver. It might have been a foregone conclusion that I was going to really like Vetiver Extraordinaire, particularly since it's a Malle perfume composed by Dominique Ropion. I am happy to confirm that conclusion, yet also say I am pleasantly surprised. Vetiver Extraordinaire is not quite what I expected. Vetiver is a shape shifter. Depending upon the species, terroir, and extraction method, you can get numerous different characteristics out of vetiver - some very pleasant, some quite challenging - from hyper green, aromatic, salty and sweaty qualities to fetid and swampy to smoky, woody, and incense-like, and combinations thereof. Malle and Ropion bring all of vetiver's characteristics out front-and-center in Vetiver Extraordinaire, with the help of some other materials. The top of the fragrance is a burst of bitter bergamot and oranges, and pepper. Vetiver is also present in the top as well, and what the fruits and pepper call forward is vetiver's spicy, fruity, green, bitter, and semi-sweaty note. What's notable about this is a lack of piquancy typically associated with these notes, that nose-tingling feeling that is common with the bitter citrus, pepper, and hyper green vetiver. The surprise I mentioned at the beginning is this smoothness, and also quite a welcome change. These rather challenging characteristics of vetiver are not muted or held back, just kept in-check and made to behave. Once the top notes dry down, the green aromatic vetiver continues but is given a heaping dose of cashmeran - and a high quality cashmeran to boot. Presenting types of milky sandalwood and fresh cedar notes with the green aromatic quality of the vetiver sitting over top of them, the cashmeran also has this effect of superbly texturizing the greenness and woodiness to a silky/velvety smoothness. The heart of this perfume is so good. Not only is one side of vetiver's character present - the green, aromatic, and salty side - but with the addition of cashmeran its woody side is brought forward as well while keeping to the mandate of good behavior. The brand uses words like elegant and sophisticated and playful to describe Vetiver Extraordinaire, and that is completely correct. While somehow being quite complex and of very high quality, it also manages a sort of lightness of being and an unrefined childlike energy that puts a big grin on my face. The final and very pleasant surprise comes with the last dry down, which, fortunately, unlike most modern vetivers, doesn't descend into a heaping messy pile of rough-cut jagged woods. Instead, the lightness of being becomes lighter still, and a mossy note and musk accord nestle themselves on your skin. This is a most excellent vetiver, one of the best I have ever smelled (I have to say that quietly because my vintage bottle of Guerlain EdC is within earshot). Malle and Ropion have taken this most humble and ubiquitous of grasses, a staple for thousands of years across the tropics, cleaned it up and dressed it up without dampening its energetic side. Superb.

The name for Frederic Malle Vetiver Extraordinaire is no hyperbole - this is an extraordinary and unique vetiver, and I have tried a LOT of vetivers. Much has been written about how much vetiver there is in this (taken from the official Malle notes, which emphasize the point), but this is misleading. I love vetiver and have several different essential oils from various locations (they are fairly different from each other). Yes, there is a lot of vetiver in Vetiver Extraordinaire, but it is either an artfully blended vetiver or Ropion got his hands on a vetiver oil unlike any I have smelled. The top and middle have a good dose of dark bitter orange peel and plenty of pink pepper and I suspect something else that I can't figure out, maybe it is the clove but it is so blended I can't pick it out. I wonder if there isn't a big dose of Safraleine in there (warm leather saffron tobacco sweet woody). The blended effect is hard to describe because it is so distinctive and unique - this is unlike any other vetiver perfume I have smelled (note added later - Terre d'Hermes is somewhat similar). Spicy, earthy, warm, leathery, dark green, with the grassy-rooty-smoky notes of most vetivers muted. The scent changes relatively little and only very slowly with time, getting more wood and myrrh notes in the base. Regardless of the analysis, Vetiver Extraordinaire is indeed a sublime take on this classic essential oil. I am leery of perfumes at this price point, suspecting the price to have more with making them "exclusive" than with their quality (in most cases I think this cynical view is correct - these are called Veblen good in economics). But VE is an exception - it is indeed extraordinary and I suppose you have to expect to pay for that.

Tried Sycomore, tried Encre Noire, tried Guerlain's Vetiver, tried Creed's, tried Hermes Vetiver Tonka... But VE is the best! Guerlain is too soapy fresh, with an old man's feel. Creed is less soapy but has a similar vibe; an innocent vetiver. Herme's is sickly sweet. Hazelnut mixed with vetiver. Imagine dropping the vetiver into a saucepan of syrup and trying ever so hard to separate the two. Sycomore and Encre are similar. But with Encre being darker and bitter, picture Spiderman putting on the Venom suit, corrupted, evil, put still somewhat cool. Both are vetivers dominated by warm woody notes. Imagine the vetiver root pulled out of a forest with the wind catching the smell of a tree truck. Very rustic. Malle's VE doesn't rely on the roots of the vetiver to maintain its masculine edge, but rather the fresh citrus blended with the sharpest green vetiver I have ever come across. As sharp as a razor blade I would say. The ozone notes lightens the scent but also tingles your senses every time VE catches a whiff of the air; sharp green vetiver attacks your senses reminding you of the incisiveness of this vetiver, just when you thought it is gone. A great juxtaposition between lightness (ozone note) and incisiveness without relying on heavy woods (rustic) to depict manliness. Perfect for a classy gentlemen with a mean streak. The greenish, airiness, sharpness, and mossiness of VE makes this one a very unique take on vetiver I must say. Yes, it is more linear than the Sycomores or Encre Noires... But only because it is the purest take on the vetiver note that I have so far come across. Great for Spring and Summer for me! Perfect! Too bad vetiver fragrances in general have only average longevity, 6 to 10 (pushing it) hours

Okay just hear me out, I live in Malaysia, oil palm trees are something quite common here, a big industry here. Second biggest producer after Indonesia, our big neighbour. I work in this industry for several years now. Did you know that oil palm produce both male and female inflorescences? yesss. The male produced pollen while the female will developed into fruit bunches after cross pollination happened. The male inflorescences at some time in its life cycle will matured up and begin an anthesis stage. In which during this time it released pollen, the flower will turn golden yellow and it produced a really really nice scent. Cant describe the smell but it is really nice. when you walk in the field you can detect the smell whenever it is close by. So I always wonder, if only there is a fragrance that smell like this. A vetiver lover myself, I owned Nishane Sultan Vetiver, Roja Vetiver Parfum Cologne, Encre Noir and some others, constantly trying out vetiver centric scent out there. Until this one pop up in one of my favourite youtube fragrance reviewer, took the liberty of buying a tester vial for this. It is not cheap, blind buy would be a risky thing. Had to test before pulling any trigger Tested it and boom! this smell exactly like the oil palm male inflorescences!! finally there is one fragrance that smell like it! this is unique, i guess it came from this beautiful blend between cloves and vetiver. Dominique Ropion is a genius! this is a masterpiece, this is art. This is what I am looking for. A fragrance that smell like oil palm male flowers. I loved it. Gonna get this one day soon.