Vetivert

They say it's a rite of passage for every young French girl to be taken to a shop or house for her own first signature scent, usually one of her mother's favorites or perhaps she is free to choose her own...my discoveries were my mother's cast offs or much to her annoyance, stolen spritzes from her mirrored tray of treasured liquid adornments. When I first visited Hové New Orleans I was well into my mid 20's and was immediately overwhelmed by many cloying, Granny-ish stinkers & felt unable to breathe. Then I stuck my nose into a box of their Vertivert soap. It was on! I bought 3 Vetivert soaps and a bottle of the splash immediately. The splash proved to be quite intense but I figured how to make it serve me best. This is not the swanky, gentrified Guerlain Vetiver you may know and hold as the gold standard, this is deep roots "dirty South" (or more accurately, earthy India, the motherland of this astonishing grass) and I embraced it whole heartedly. Much like patchouli, you will probably either absolutely love or despise this scent right away. Very little room to remain indifferent here, specifically with this house's version. I immediately felt cooler, cleaner and less clammy although it was mid August and just standing still in the city was akin to steeping in a bowl of steaming, split pea soup. My recommendation for Vetiver(t) lovers; always have the a bar of this soap tucked into your lingerie, handkerchief or sock drawer(s), they will be eternally fresh. On a sweltering day or balmy eve, pour a capful of the splash into a cool bath accompanied with a good read and an icy adult beverage. Your entire mood will be chill & refreshed to the core. I feel like I owe the shop another visit after such a long time for some reconsiderations, after all who can resist testing something entitled Kiss In the Dark, Mantrap or Belle Chasse? Plus, I need to know how their patchouli compares to so many other of my favorites. Soon Hové, soon!

This review refers to the EDP version, as opposed to the EDC version. While this opens in a very alcoholic fashion, it is not because of the carrier. It took me a while to realize what it reminded me of, but it was a familiar, buttery and lemony type of booze. Eventually, it came to me: it reminds me of Bourbon whiskey, which is ironic considering that Bourbon vetiver is called that because it is grown on the island of Reunion (formerly Bourbon), not because of a similarity to the whiskey. After the alcoholic opening, the scent dries down to a rooty, earthy, musty, vanilla/tonka inflected note of vetiver and then maintains that for the rest of its duration. I get about 3-4 hours of decent strength before it either evaporates to a skin-level scent, or I begin to get olfactory fatigue. The sillage, meanwhile, seems to maintain a moderate trail throughout the perfume's life.

I have used other Vetivert scents but once I tried the Hove Vetivert, I knew I was hooked. This is the real thing. It is so sensual. It seeps into the skin and dries down to an intoxicating aroma that stays. I often put in on before I sleep. It is true and deep. Not a light or casual scent; it’s not for someone who likes a bit of Vetivert. This is a full on Vetivert love sonnet. Someone described it as dirty. Maybe. Yes, I recognize the sillage others have mentioned but this is not plain green sillage or just simply dirty. It’s aged, mature, sexy stuff. Leave the hay in the fields for the kids...this is a Vetivert for grown up girls and boys. Enjoy.

Very natural yet very mysterious. When you put this on, you are transported to a hot summer day in the second floor of a French Quarter home, sitting on a velvet couch in a high-collar dress, fanning yourself in a room with the windows open and the wooden blinds down to keep out the sun. It's thick, heavy, and humid; dirty, raw, even feral. I could swear this scent conjured ghosts as I walked through the Quarter - vetiver roots were used in drawers and wardrobes to repel moths, so there's a long hostory of women smelling like vetiver. It's a perfect souvenir of New Orleans, where it is warm enough to grow vetiver outdoors. Of the four scents I purchased at Hové, this is by far the most powerful and longest lasting. I get 24+ hours behind the ears; the others last an hour or two if that.. I sense few to no changes from applying it through the day. I find it somewhat difficult to wear: its a bit of a commitment, but so intriguing when you are in the right mood for it.

STRONG, photorealistic vetiver. Dry, earthy and woody.

One of the earthiest, grassiest, driest vetivers that’s just straight up vetiver is Hové Vetivert. There’s nothing else. No amber, no oud, no musk, no leather, no florals, no berries, no fruit...nothing else, nada, zilch. For some of the truest vetiver, this is it.