Vetiver (Vintage Edition)

My very first experience with Guerlain's Vetiver, some years ago, was the current parfum flanker by Delphine Jelk. For a perfume called the "reference vetiver" by Luca Turin, the modern parfum concentration certainly let me down; I was not impressed. I thought for a while that it was just me, and I retried it, and kept reading about it, and kept hearing how legendary Guerlain's Vetiver is and I just couldn't understand it. It was too thick and cloying, it felt lifeless, and carried way too much tonka bean - in fact, it should've been called Expired Vetiver & Baking Tonka. I told myself that I needed to go to the source, that I needed to try the original Vetiver in its original concentration and original formula as envisioned and executed by Jean Paul Guerlain. I found a late 80s EdT that was (and still is) in great condition, so today I am taking the plunge and giving Guerlain Vetiver another try... and now I finally get it. In this formulation and concentration "reference vetiver" is an appropriate description, with Guerlain delivering the perfect vetiver accord in all of its complex glory. Why this perfume is special needs two key pieces of context. In 1961 when it was released, vetiver was and had been used in many releases up to that point, obviously, and had been around as a staple aromatic in Southeast Asia in particular for hundreds if not thousands of years, but Guerlain can claim with limited debate that it created one of the first vetiver focused fragrances in modern perfumery; this was a fairly novel idea at the time (Carven was the first). The reason it was novel - the second piece of context - is that vetiver is a difficult ingredient to handle in perfumery (the natural extraction of it, at any rate, and synthetics aside). The amount infused into a perfume vs. the olfactive intensity of the accord seems to follow an exponential scale: there is a definite line where once you add a certain yet relatively conservative amount of vetiver to a perfume, vetiver tends to just take over the perfume. Couple this point to its olfactorily temperamental nature depending upon terroir and extraction technique, and you could get a vetiver that's woody and earthy, green and aromatic, or sweaty and swampy - or some combination thereof. All of this means that the material, up until 1961 at Guerlain generally speaking, was an accent to a perfume - not the star. Guerlain's Vetiver finally gave this incredible material of modern perfumery its own spotlight and showcases it at its absolute best and most compelling. The vetiver accord in this perfume is primarily green and aromatic, also woody and earthy at the base, and a bit salty and turned at the top. Guerlain doesn't hide any facets of vetiver, including the difficult facets, but it does make sure the edges are smoothed to a silken but lively texture. To make sure it was sufficiently rounded out and that all notes of the vetiver were allowed the correct volume, Guerlain added a juicy yet smooth lemon top note, a good heaping of fresh tobacco, and touches of pepper and nutmeg at the base. This perfume won't be for everyone: it won't strike anyone as modern (new generations will probably snub it), but it should strike everyone as a classic. Vetiver is also challenging by nature, but it is one of those materials that when at the hands and brain of a master, like Jean Paul Guerlain, it can be one of the most beautiful, complex, compelling and alluring accords in modern perfumery - if you are one of the people it speaks to, then it will have your heart. I am one of those people. I love vetiver in nearly all of its forms, and I especially love this Guerlain. I am very fortunate to have been able to get a vintage bottle in the correct concentration and in great condition, and I am grateful - as I sit here constantly raising my wrists to my nose for one more sniff, eyes nearly misting over at the beauty - that I can wear this exceptional piece of perfume history on a beautiful spring day.

*Note: The review is for Original Vintage Guerlain Vetiver Eau De Cologne - the 'Benchmark for Vetivers of all time...' This is not just a review, but for Early Guerlain Vetiver in Eau de Cologne concentration, it is an homage of sorts. To preface, I must first say that I am a HUGE fan of vetiver (both as a more singular presentation that allows one to understand different facets, or scents that include a significant use of the note) and my collection of vetivers is broad and deep (I have far more bottles and have sampled dozens more than what is listed in my wardrobe). Second, I believe Guerlain's Vetiver to be the basis point from which all vetiver fragrances should be considered - the "Benchmark". It is a classic, a true masterpiece in fragrance. The review is based on a wearing from a pristine, older 6oz Flacon of Guerlain's Vetiver Eau De Cologne (that came in the black & white zig-zag/zebra box). Stunning. Amazing and mesmerizing juice. This is over 40+ years old and was kept perfectly. To me, the Vintage Eau de Cologne is simply...The most magical essence of vetiver ever produced - clean, crisp, invigorating and deep without the tobacco from the EDT. It is Vetiver in its truest and more pure form that I have found from any house, ever...only a light top of citrus and, perhaps a touch of oakmoss - but nothing is more front & center than the gorgeous vetiver essence. There is absolutely nothing synthetic at all - this is apothecary and perfumery in harmony, bottled decades ago. As old as it is, in no way does it feel musty or dated. This is actually fresher smelling than bottles over 30 years younger than it! It is almost like wearing the oil of fresh vetiver root that has been diluted enough to not be harsh in any way with a squeeze of citrus added. It does go on a little sharp (a bit pungent, but rich and awe-inspiring), but it dries down to its fantastic and true form quickly (10-15 minutes or so) as the composition, to me, evokes the images of squeezing the essential oil of fresh vetiver root and then blending it with fresh spring water flowing in a beautiful green field...it is almost ethereal. There is nothing more pure than Guerlain's EDC from Vintage stock that has been kept perfect and cared for. My bottle was still sealed. It does not last as long as I would like in cold weather (50 degrees today and overcast), but it is so fresh I couldn't help but wear it - and reapply it. This will be a show-stopper in the spring, summer and warmer fall days. Overall - 10/10 for a pure, near-linear scent! And, one that has established an entire world of fragrances from its creation. A timeless bottle to enjoy for years to come...magnificent!!!! Forever, the benchmark or reference vetiver is Guerlain. It did not come first, or even second. Carven and Givenchy preceded it, but it over the decades since the late 1950's and early 60's...it has become what all else is and should be compared to. Chapeau!

“One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.” - Oscar Wilde How To Wear a Work of Art..... I will never forget the first time I sampled Guerlain Vetiver. It was after a long flight and I was lounging around the duty free of Schipol Airport, idly sampling the blandly generic contemporary offerings which just seemed to suggest that the future route for men’s fragrance was a cul-de-sac of reiterated but slightly-tweeked standard formulas. And then out of the side of my eye I spotted the discrete but immediately classical looking bottle and box of Guerlain Vetiver. Now I had recently come across mention of this fragrance in an article where it was highly acclaimed as one of the better fragrances from times past, one with supposed timeless appeal. Having a little time (and a small amount of skin remaining free for testing), I proceeded to spray and sniff. Immediately the associations that came to my mind were those of dental clinics, strong tobacco in humid evening air and some mysterious time of a green and distant past in my memory. Alongside this, the smokey-plastic vibe which is characteristic of Vetiver’s opening seemed too strong to bear comfortably. I made my excuses to myself and scrubbed. And then on the evening flight something extraordinary happened. I started to be reminded of past Spring evenings even as a child, times of cut lawn grass in the evening, threatening thunderstorms and old relatives with their tobacco and clove sweets smells....Needless to say, I was amazed. It was another couple of months before I got a chance to try Guerlain Vetiver again in an altogether more relaxed environment. This time, waiting for the drydown, the full effect of what I can only call an ‘elegant grassiness’ was allowed to unfold. Yes, some of the more immediate associations that I had before were still there, but with Vetiver I learned the point is to be patient and allow the top to work itself off for a bit before judgment. (Guerlain Vetiver assumes a prospective buyer is going to take the time – it could never be launched in a world of the fifteen second attention span.) In short, Guerlain Vetiver is a highly recommended try for anyone looking for a classic Springtime fragrance. While not at all dated or dandified, it is redolent of a mannered and sophisticated charm. It also has a definite artistry about it, and may well be a precursor to some later more individualistic fragrances of even recent years. Guerlain Vetiver carries a lot of fragrance history in its bewitching green fluid.

This men's cologne is completely an APHRODISIAC!!! Seriously, one of the hottest fragrances that I have EVER smelled on a man! An ex-boyfriend wore this, it was his signature scent... and was totally mesmerizing with his chemistry. We met in La Jolla and this guy had impeccable taste in clothing, interior design, car aesthetics, and of course -- women (he was dating me, right! LOL!) -- so these qualities I may attribute to this cologne just simply based on the fact that this guy had fabulous taste. I had never smelled a vetiver men's cologne like this before, so it was my first introduction to the note of vetiver... and I'm completely hooked after smelling this particular fragrance. Creed's Vetiver is much lighter, and I have actually worn that as a unisex fragrance, but my first vetiver love-- is Guerlain's brew. This is HOT!!! Kouros and Drakkar are two of my other favorite men's fragrances. They are all really good, but Guerlain's Vetiver really is my ultimate FAVORITE! This is a very masculine fragrance, not unisex. I love and adore this on the right man, with the right chemistry. If this is not a perfect blend with the chemistry, it could go on too strong and may turn possibly nauseatingly syrup-y... so try it and see how this blends with your chemistry. For some reason, this is really a particular fragrance that I find to be sexy and has a very raw masculine quality that is very HOT on the right guy! Love this one! TRULY a MASTERPIECE!!! -------------- A guy friend of mine tried this fragrance to see how it wears on him, it turned into a really green funky smell and within an hour - it was going very green... almost a manure type smell. Chemistry is really tricky and really determines what people can wear - and what they truly can't. You never know till you actually try this on your skin and see how it blends with your own chemistry. This is really GREEN... for those of you that wear Green fragrances well, you will probably LOVE this! Otherwise, it won't be your thing!

The Guerlain family has given so much to perfumery. Most importantly though they initiated an approach to perfumes that was more imaginative and instead of trying to imitate nature and its odors they approached perfumes as abstract themes. The original Vetiver is called the reference for a reason. The fragrance is the epitome of the perfect scent utilizing vetiver as the main note. So instead of having a minimal approach Jean-Paul took vetiver and made a composition (a fully developed perfume) and not some arrangement. This would be enough to make this scent be light years ahead of the present day minimal vetivers which hark back to figurative perfumery (mimicking the root). However, as a smell it is great too. Some citrus top notes (the rendition of the orange note is sublime) followed by a spicy (nutmeg and coriander most notably), herbal (some urinous sage effect) floral middle before delving into an endless unmistakably classy drydown of vetiver (probably the best ever). Dry, dark, elegant with more oakmoss and tobacco from the new version. Much dirtier (with animalic edges) with more licorice too along a more fougery, deeper character and generally rounder and richer. Buy “the reference” and see some old world tricks revealed or because you dangerously ambition to smell great. Niche brands still try to imitate it and although considered "dated" by some (strange since as a conception and execution is significantly more innovative than most current offerings) wear it and you will hear pin drops in every place you stand. MASTERPIECE