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.

Wow, wow, wow. Had someone who I trust at a local small business not shown me this I never would have picked this gem on my own. I couldn’t get over how spa like, calming and beautiful this is. I have always heard that JHAG fragrances don’t perform well. I could smell this on my jacket for over a week. On the dry clean only shirt I wore for days. It’s fresh and green without being grassy. Some woodiness in there that doesn’t overwhelm the other notes. No smokiness like the Le Labo Vetiver that I couldn’t stand. I think of this as a more daytime fragrance that’s perfect for work, etc. It can be worn year round in my opinion. I love how I feel and smell in this!

Testing this out today. I was afraid this would turn on me like Not a Perfume did (had high hopes for that one but it morphed into a scrubber) but this is beautiful! The sharpness upon first spray smoothed out within minutes. The citrus note is prominent, the vetiver gives it depth. I shouldn't be surprised. Un Jardin Sur Le Nil is also described as a masculine citrus aromatic and that smooths out beautifully on me too. It's too soon to write the "l" word, but I'm most certainly infatuated. Edited to add: Almost 8 hours later and I still get whiffs of this. It turned slightly sweet and more musky on the dry down. I enjoyed every stage of this. It's love!

Beautiful, bright citrus / vetiver fragrance. To me, it evokes a feeling of summer evenings, as the sun is setting, over farmers fields, with hay bundles stretching out into the distance. It’s not a bright, sunny, beach type of summer scent, more an early summer night in fields of hay. Very suitable for spring too, and would probably work all year round. I recently purchased Givenchy Gentleman Sport, and that has more than a passing resemblance to this fragrance, as does Givenchy Gentleman Only. This is definitely suitable for both male and female, and provides a really enjoyable wearing experience.

This is a stunning vetiver. I love vetiver scents and this one is so cozy/creamy and well-blended. It smells resinous and clean. Spring, fresh woods, clean sheets. I love this and will purchase a small bottle for spring. If you like woodsy/earthy scents and/or gravitate towards "clean girl" aesthetic, I'd get this. It starts a little masculine at first, but I think it settles truly unisex. It's not groundbreaking but it's so well-crafted and wonderful to smell that it's worth a bottle if you like aromatic, citrusy, vetiver or clean fragrances.

Wow, Ex Vetiver is absolutely gorgeous! It’s cool, fresh, and not too sweet or grassy. It’s not bitter at all, which is a huge plus. The start of the fragrance is super bright - it’s like a burst of fresh citrus mixed with vetiver. The fragrance itself isn’t overpowering, but it's not subtle either; perfect for everyday wear in the office or at school. It won’t surprise or disappoint anyone. I think it’s unisex, but leans more masculine. And the best part? It lasts a long time on my skin!

Got a decant of this and have been wearing it for a bit, and I'm pleasantly surprised. I only get a slight vetiver from this. To me, this is just a very nice citrusy, musky, and slightly woody blend goodness. Low sillage for sure and can imagine this working wonders in an office setting. I can see how one might find this a bit too feminine, but I'm a guy and will wear the hell out of the decant. Perhaps full bottle worthy. I don't get the pickles at all.

This opens bright, happy, zesty and juicy. It’s a fun and interesting vetiver. It’s not soapy to me, and is quite aromatic. The citrus really announces itself, and stays, while the vetiver is agreeably humming along alongside it. I think it leans a smidge masculine but is still very unisex. I’ve decided it’s more “me” than Bal d’Afrique, which I also love. This is a yes!

WOW!!! This one absolutely shocked me with its beauty. My brain could've never thought up a fragrance like this. It's so citrusy but also spicy, like some sort of autumn lemonade. This scent is absolutely perfect for fall! For some reason it reminds me of what a vampire would smell like? It's so mature but so, so, SO yummy. I'm actually obsessed!!

The first thing I thought of when smelling this fragrance was summer. Not the hot, sweaty, sweet and sticky, smoggy air summer of a big city. It smells of a summer in the countryside up north, with old roads lined with pines. Green fields that last forever, white, sun-bleached linen, a cool lake. It smells like a shower on a breezy summer evening.

Feels clean and fresh without feeling soapy. I was on the lookout for something easy to wear during the summer that didn't feel either too masculine or feminine and this is exactly it. I love the burst of lemon up the top. Have a travel spray and won't hesitate to buy a full bottle once it's finished.

perfumaço! me surpreendi quando senti um cítrico docinho muito gostoso com um toque de vetiver que muda a cara do perfume adicionando um verde muito bom! o que sinto nele é um docinho fraco e agradavel. muito bom!

If our planet earth could smile, it would smell like this. You have to not find vetiver inoffensive, the clean lemon opening blends very well into JHAG’s standard musk/ambroxan base.

Bright fresh lemongrass opening with a light hint of smokinesss and dies down to a musky, dry wood, slight powdery. I am really enjoying this one and would be great in the heat.

Love this fragrance. Someone said Irish spring soap and I understand why they did but it is so much more than that. It changes in the dry down. A little bit more musky. Love it

Simple and clean vetiver. Love this one. Does it smell like soap? Yeah, kinda, a very nice smelling soap perhaps.

Sharp bright Citrus gin tonic like opening, clean light green not earthy vetiver with a musky laundry drydown

Absolutely stunning scent. I will never be without a bottle of this.

Love this fresh clean and uplifting scent!!

There’s something deeply reassuring about Ex Vétiver. It doesn’t hit you with aggressive notes or try to impress with dramatic effects. In fact, it does the exact opposite—it's understated, luminous, and grounded. The kind of fragrance that doesn’t need to raise its voice to be heard. And precisely because of that, you listen. From the first spray, it feels like stepping outside at dawn, when the air is still cool and the day hasn’t yet begun to rush. Vetiver is the star here—but not the dark, smoky kind you often encounter. This one is light, elegant, almost transparent. It carries a dry, green, slightly sparkling tone, as if filtered through citrus peels and freshly crushed leaves. There’s no drama, no weight. This is a linear, almost meditative scent—one that clears your thoughts rather than drawing attention. Over time, it stays consistent: it doesn’t twist or evolve dramatically. It remains steady and present, offering a quiet kind of strength. You picture it on someone with refined but uncomplicated taste—someone who chooses silence when others speak too loudly. It’s a fragrance for bright days and meaningful moments that don’t need to announce themselves. It makes you feel put together, focused, grounded. Ex Vétiver doesn’t aim to be unforgettable. It simply wants to stay close, with quiet integrity—and in a world of fragrances all trying to be exceptional, maybe that’s the rarest thing of all.

I received this today and man it's so good! Opens with citrus soapy almost white floral like, but it doesn't stay around too long. It settles down to a clean, aromatic, musky vetiver. The ambroxan and vetiver make a nice woody combo! Very fresh and clean! Pretty unisex, leaning slightly more masculine. Great scent for every one to enjoy. This will completely shine in the spring and summer months! After spending some time with it, it's a scent that is in the same vein as YSL Myself EDP. Doesn't smell like it exactly, but has the same clean citrus ambroxan style. Main difference being is the vetiver actually shines through in this one pretty well and it's official I love it! One of my new favorite Vetiver forward scents. As for performance, it lasts a round 8hrs on my skin and longer on clothes. Projection is about average. God bless fragcom!

Just purchased this during a quick visit to Konstanz. I was looking at vetivers for this spring season and the saleswoman showed me this among others. It is not a classic rainy day vetiver like Guerlain . It is fresh (from the citrus) and light. Definitely more uni than masculine. I think that it will be a great reach for late spring when it’s warm, but not balmy. There is a hint of coconut, so one might consider using this on a tropical vacay (maybe even layering it with VIW or Porthole). Purchased it because my wife also liked it (she’s already used up half of my Silver Mountain Water), so maybe she’ll use this instead. It’s definitely one I that could wear without her complaining about how it gives her headaches.

It’s rare in this day and age, to find what is predominantly “just another” citrus vetiver, that actually manages to sit different. It’s a complex vetiver dry down with echoes of the smokier Sycomore by Chanel or Molecule 3, with a citrus opening that’s quite juicy, almost melon-like. It’s a really pleasant wear which actually manages to strike a point of difference in a commonly reiterated genre. Longevity and projection are really decent too, which is a bonus. I guess the ambroxan achieves this, but it’s not overdone here. I’m really pleased with it. It’ll get a working over here in the Australian summer for sure!

Disclaimer: I just got a the "Powder Love" discovery set and am now testing all the perfumes in that set and giving my first impression here. I still have to test the scents on how they wear throughout the day. This scent suprised me a bit. I left it for the last scent to test because I was a bit nervous about the Vetiver notes since I haven't smelled any perfume with it yet and as I understand it it's the scent from an animal? Well to me this smells kinda like pickles but in a very spices full way with a tiny bit of citrus. I actually kinda like it and will keep testing it.

Citrus, vetiver, and musk..that's all? I don't think so. This is very floral and slightly fruity on me. To be exactly, I smell a combination of lily of the valley and a smooth, earthy vetiver. Not dirty or smokey. It also has almost a soapy facet. This is one of the most unisex vetiver scents I have ever smelled. I have stayed clear from this brand because I gave them a smell once and they all seemed too sweet and too fruity for my liking, but Ex Vetiver is really different. It is a very well done, balanced, and a pleasant scent.

Ah vetiver and citrus they could *never* make me hate you. Totally understand that this isnt for everybody and its totally *masculine* leaning and has a bitter kind of opening/middle note but the sillage is good (which jhag sometimes isnt 💔) But I ate this up and its going in the pile in my brain labeled perfumes I will own if I graduate college and my useless major becomes useful and I get a job and can indulge in perfume. #underconsumption #neverevercatchmeblindbuying

This was a discovery set bought from Amazon and I'm glad I got it! Much less expensive there vs Sephora's asking price. Greatly resembles Irish Spring bar soap but sweeter in the best way, with a piney, powdery undertone. Smells high quality and really nice but I'll pass on getting more. 6/10 Sticks in your sinuses but at least it smells good.

Very nice freshish green fragrance, unfortunately smells quite feminine on my skin and will not be ordering a full bottle. I would definitely enjoy smelling this on someone else. As always with JHAG get a sample or test before buying full bottles. 8/10 - Works well as a clean smell I would love to smell in summer from someone waling past

My first time trying vetiver, found at Winners for $30/7.5ml. Opens off like a lemon peel, smells like green grass, fresh, light and citrusy and stays that way throughout, reminds me of laying on grass after a summer rain, it's lovely. was surprised to see it say "for men" on the box. This is a nice one!

Citrusy and fresh but not a pure soapy fragrance. It’s creamy musk and saltiness too that feels calming. It’s not a strong in your face fragrance but it’s gentle and grounding. This is nice, not sure I’d go out and buy a full bottle but it’s an easy reach when I don’t want something too complex

Sampled it today, with no expectations, but it’s very fresh and sunny. It’s the ideal representation of vetiver in my opinion, not too earthy or rooty, but green and a bit spicy. And why do I get a distinct ginger note? It must be the vetiver and citrus combo. Might have to get a bottle.

To me this smells like drinking sparkling lemonade on a wooden terrace with friends on a spring afternoon or summer evening. It’s beautiful, fresh and cozy, and the citrus is delicious. And tbh the longevity isn’t too bad for a citrus scent!

It’s a nice fresh and musky scent. It starts with a bit of minty notes and some notes of a freshly cut grass but then slowly develops into beautiful sheer woods mixed with clean musk. I’m actually enjoying it quite a lot.

Smells like a wild, uncultivated bitter lemon. But rather than the pulp of a lemon, it’s more like the pith, so it doesn’t have that pungent smell of a cleaning product. Definitely unisex.

The only super green fragrance that hasn't given me a migraine. I really enjoy this, it's soft (like not a sharp, penetrating scent) and strong. A true unisex scent.

It's ok. It's nice and fresh and green and unisex leaning masculine. On me it reminds me of a less figgy but somehow sweeter Eau by Who Is Elijah

fresh and green at first, gets musky after a while. great for rainy summer or spring days, but not exciting enough for me to buy a big bottle

A really lovely clean fresh fragrance. Very underrated.

I don't usually get along with vetiver in fragrance but this one is done very well, and I quite enjoy it (the note). It is very soapy on opening for me, in a clean fresh non-descriptive soap scent (not flowery, not sharp, just non-offensive soap). It does shift quickly into dry down which is more woody and vetiver-like, but unfortunately overall it just doesn't last more than 1-2 hours with minimal projection. It does smell very different on paper vs skin, I actually disliked it on the first paper test, but strangely it lasted a couple more hours on my test strip, while it seems to disappear from skin much sooner.

It's a very aromatic-citrus scent. Vetiver usually has a more rooty, dry, grassy undertone, but here it's either muted or different kind (green and lemony kind maybe?) It has a kind of artificial freshness to it that didn't appeal to me very much. I understand why people compare it to Bal d'Afrique. It is similar in aromaticity to a very small degree, but Bal d'Afrique is a far superior fragrance. It's so sweet and fizzy that it's like someone made a lime and vetiver soda, and you're drinking it with the fizzy droplets hitting your face. Tag(s): fresh, sugary, fizzy, aromatic

It took a while for it to grow on me, maybe because I'm not used to vetiver scent. It's super green and grassy to my nose, but very rounded and pleasant, especially as it dries down. It manages to evoke freshness and cleanliness but without feeling too perfume-y or soap-y. It does not feel photorealistic or natural exactly, there's something chemical about it - but not in a bad way. Something like refined essence. I don't really feel any citrus.

Sometimes old people smell like soap. This is the soap. It smells like a clean grandma. In some weird way — I like it. But I wouldn’t wear it often. I have a sample and I wouldn’t go for a full bottle. Gonna use the sample every time I miss my grandma. My problem with all of the JHAG perfumes is that they fade away quickly and the sillage is non existent. Not worth it for that price.

Very clean and luxurious.. I usually don’t like vetiver and find it masculine, but this is perfect. Natural smelling and unisex. Beautiful musk too 💚 Edit: Dry down is reminding me a little bit wood sage and sea salt by Jo Malone. Edit2: this smells very much like grass with some musk. It does turn masculine after a while. Herbal. I think it is ok now. Not for me

It's a refreshing, citrus vetiver. You do notice the synthetic and sandy notes in it, but it's still a fine, pleasant smell. My main complaint would be that it's way too pricy for what you're getting. There's nothing special or niche in this, it's just synthetic vetiver. You can pick this exact scent up as a single note for $10.

I dislike vetiver because it gives me headaches but this scent is not the worst. It's very mild. But I still don't like it. The pungent grassy essence of vetiver makes me nauseous, even if it is toned down. Probably only people who love vetiver will like this scent.

Smells like fancy green hotel soap. The musk and ambroxan round out the vetiver and keep it from smelling too dry -- that's the problem I have with Encre Noire. @walkr050 's review is accurate. Personally I find the musk to be too sharp.