Ex Vetiver

As a preface: I am very new to the fragrance world. I've been on a journey of trying samples of anything I can get my hands on. I may not have the most educated or trained review of things, but I can tell you my thoughts from that perspective of a newbie and someone who just wants to smell good, but is doing her best to learn... Absolutely beautiful. Flat out. I wish I could give a better review of this, find the right words, but this is my first time smelling vetiver, and all I can describe it as is enchanting. This fragrance is downright lovely. The freshness coming from the citrus blends wonderfully with the creamy musk that almost wraps around the whole scent. And the vetiver, the star of the show, this pine-y, almost incense-y, woody experience of a fragrance... this is right up my alley. There's a slight smokiness to it that just leaves me sniffing myself over and over while I wear this. The freshness and coziness in this... words aren't enough. While this is more masculine-leaning, in the traditional sense, I don't think a fragrance really has a gender, and I would love this scent on anyone, I swear. This is my new spring go-to. Layered with Not a Perfume, it's even better. After a few days of wearing it from my Juliette sample set, I couldn't stop myself from snagging a full size. Can't wait to spray this all over myself, omg... Update: I have my full size. Can't get enough!! I LOVE THIS FRAGRANCE!! It lasts wonderfully all day through a shift at work, stays clinging to my clothes til I wash them. I wore this to a club tonight and 5 RANDOM STRANGERS stopped me to ask what I was wearing. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE moments where i was chilling and someone nearby said "it smells SO good??" and I would just... hold out my arm for them before they'd follow up with "OH MY GOD, YES, THAT'S IT!!" This is a compliment getter, for sure.

SUMMARY: 8/10 Subtle fruity sweet opening that reminds me of fresh lychees. Subtlety sweet woody dry down. Far better on skin than fabric. OK performance. RAMBLING THOUGHTS: Reading the reviews for this fragrance really drives home how subjective fragrances are. People describe the opening of this fragrance as everything from citrus to pickle juice... but to me it smells almost identical to freshly cut lychees. Subtlety sweet fruity open that evolves that delightful woody/earthy vetiver profile as it dries down. Retains a subtle fruity sweetness in the dry down. Performance is OK, but is where this one loses a point for me. If it had better performance it would have scored higher. Does last for several hours in the heat though, and projects to about arms length for most of that time. This is a fragrance I really recommend wearing on the skin. On fabric (and paper) there is something a little off putting about it up close, not entirely unpleasant, but just not quite right. Maybe where the pickle juice sentiment comes from. But on skin, it is a delightful fresh fragrance that finds the right balance between fresh, sweet, and woody. Goes well with a nice clean deodorant like Dove Clean Comfort on a hot summer day. P.S. for Australians: You can get this fragrance at David Jones.

Edit to add that this has become a favorite for me. It smells natural and never feels wrong to wear. By far my favorite from this brand. Original review under: I recoiled the first time I sniffed ex vetiver. What in the dill was this? Then seconds later I was intrigued. I'm very happy I had a sample of so I could wear it properly. I found it less grassy and weird on my second try, and on the third try I didn't find it weird at all. The opening is very brief and the strange combination of citrus and dill/pickle quickly evaporates. You are left with a very round vetiver. Drydown smells a little nutty. Anyone who has owned a bottle of pure vetiver oil knows that it's dense and goey stuff that you will struggle to get out of the bottle with the dropper top still on. You can smell the thickness of real vetiver in this perfume, but they manage to smooth the rough edges of it with the base notes. Vetiver is gorgeous paired with vanilla, so I would try layering this as well. But, also great on it's own. A simple beauty, where vetiver is allowed to shine without too much interference. My boyfriend, who doesn't care about perfume notes, thought it smelled like soap. It's perfectly unisex, but vetiver is more commonly used in products targeted towards men

the fragrance that awoke my desire and love for fresh scents! i received a travel size of this in a sampler from some cosmetic website (one of those spend x amount to receive a free goody bag) and didn't expect anything - in fact, i thought it would be so not-suited-to-me that i nearly handed it over to my other half, but not before giving it a spray on paper first. it didn't get handed over. the vetiver in this is absolutely delicious - it's green, rooty, woody, and sharp - super earthy, supported by soft musk and ambroxan underneath. then on top it has a bright blast of citrus - bergamot and lemon can easily land a fragrance in toilet cleaner territory but here it does not - it's sweet and airy, a perfect complement to the vetiver below. the way his fragrance is put together is what i think makes it so good - everything smells so deliberate and complimentary to eachother, it's a full package. i absolutely fell in love with this - it's just a joy to smell. i can't wait to see how it smells in summer 9.5/10

This is based on first skin wear. What can I say, this stuff is both airy, familiar (in a nostalgic sense), minimalist, and for me at least a curiosity. Can a fragrance be airy and minimalist and strong at the same time? Yes, this stuff pops off of my skin to the point it can get overwhelming, so on my next wear I will tone down the sprays. It's a different take on vetiver, mildly green but atmospheric. Not sure about sex, it seems unisex with maybe a slight feminine lean? The citruses make it unisex or else I would definitely say it suits a woman more, and although I don't usually go for androgynous scents, I do dig this. Again this is first wear and I need more time with it, I shall edit my review as needed. EDIT: The dry down (2 hours into it) definitely leans masculine as the vetiver makes it presence known more providing a light earthiness. So slight fem lean in opening, and slight masc lean in the dry down.