Turtle Vetiver Front

This review moved here from 'Back' to 'Front'. My bad. Order restored. Today I got my samples of Les Nez Turtle Vetiver and these are my first impressions. The very first thing that comes to mind when spraying is vinyl that morphs into dry grey carbon/charcoal but within seconds I find myself sitting in the middle of a vast commercial strawberry field . It doesn’t smell like washed strawberries in a glass bowl but it smells mineral, sun-heated earth/soil and dark green fresh plant material plus the strawberries that doesn’t smell sweet and fruity at all but sort of hint at it. Soon the experience becomes more defined and the ‘vinyl’, for lack of a better word, stands alone with a backdrop of that dark green bitter plant material and perhaps moss as well. The opening is not fresh and sparkly but rather dark and subdued but with a lot of power coming from underneath the earth, from the roots bringing up fumes of moist soil and minerals. This vinyl, rubbery smell is so familiar and I detected it in Montale Red Vetiver and In Montale Black Aoud as well but couldn’t put my finger on it – I guess it’s what some describe as ‘Medicinal’. Suddenly I remember what it is – it Is the smell of the stems and clippings from a freshly harvested cannabis plant which actually can smell both fresh and dark green but also can smell strong of vinyl/rubber and resinous. Turtle Vetiver stays pretty much like this but reveals some citrus in the drydown. Dry dark green herbal. Carbon. Vinyl. Moss . Concealed sweetness and a bit of citrus. It is dark but fresh and strong but not overpowering. Smooth and tight and high quality. Very serious scent. I love this one so much – what a wonderful smell. Oct 17 2012

Opens-up with a classic dry/dusty/earthy vetiver, a-la Etro/Heeley. But later, the edges will get rounded by a beautiful creamy (but non-sweet) coconut note, and a hint of saltiness (ambergris?), giving an overall impression of vanillic custard (yes, I swear). Then, in the base, the raw vetiver comes back. A quite straightforward structure, for a very unique final result. Moderate performance. This could be perceived as a 'gourmand' flanker of the original Vetiver by Annick Goutal, and it's no surprise that Isabelle Doyen (Goutal's in-house perfumer) signed TVF. Coconut is not my cup of tea, but I'm impressed how Doyen managed to make a 'dark vetiver' become totally unisex. Unique take on vetiver, for sure. Overall impressed!

Annick Goutal's Vetiver is so creamy and professional. It is not my #1 (Guerlain) but it is Classy in itself

The beginning is very earthy and mossy. Kinda dirty but interesting. There is a faint but sharp coconut. In a few minutes the coconut becomes smoother and more prominent. I think it’s vetiver that keeps a sharp edge going despite sweet coconut. I get very little projection. Don’t expect a tropical experience here. For me this brings to mind an urban bar—not fancy but maybe a bit of a secret place and you have to be in the know to find it. Once you’re there choosing a cocktail is a mystery because there is something off about every one on the menu. So you just take a guess and go with it. And darned if that weird recipe isn’t a winner. In short, a not-too-risky adventure. I like it!

On first application to my skin I'm getting a very woody and strong vetiver note. Now the vetiver is very earthy and raw without anything else getting in the way. After time passes the vetiver becomes more mossy and smoky and settles down fast. It's very good if you like raw straight up vetiver fragrances. But it does not quite live up to the glorious raw pungent opening. A very good no frills raw vetiver that opens like a dragon and settles on your skin like a puppy. lol... Thumbs up though!

Le flacon me fait craquer.... Craaaac !