Vetyver

I received this as a present more than a decade ago when still a student. I never gave it much thought or wear as it seemed very old fashioned and childish to me. The sugared lemon notes are typical of cologne intented for children. Back then I hadn't even noticed the name on the frosted bottle and even if I did "vetyver" sure didn't mean anything to me back then. 10 years later I have come to a realisation. All the fragrances I wear contain vetiver. I don't go out looking for yet another vetiver fragrance it just so happens and I am not even very good at detecting vetiver in a perfume (although lately it seems to be in 60-70% of them). I found my old R&G vetiver in a drawer and without much thought I gave it a try. I don't know what happened, it is like nothing I remembered. Of course the sugary lemon-lychea notes are there but then the earthy green vetiver dominates the composition. I finally appreciate that cologne for what it is. Fleeting, yes and with minimal sillage and very innocent but somehow balanced and sensual. Much superior to anything the current R&G line has to offer (all of them discusting musky cocncoctions), it is a cheerful and personal scent that is intended to give small moments of pleasure to the wearer. It appeals to my inner child and this it ows at large to its naturalness. A vetiver to make you smile.

I just learned that this scent has been discontinued. Tragic! I first smelled R&G Vetyver in South Carolina on a breezy, warm January day. I wasn't paying any attention to whether I was smelling a fragrance for men or for women. This scent is simply lively and invigorating. It doesn't just make you want to get up and move on a Sunday morning - it makes you want to get up and do backflips. Just bought the last bar of soap they had at my local specialty beauty store. Will have to hunt for the cologne online!

Bought this in Harrods yesterday and It is very pleasant - simple vetiver with a smokyness and some crisp citrus. Not as sensual as comme des garcons which is going to be my standard vetiver henceforth.. better than Tom Ford and Givenchy. For the time being I shall layer the two however. this is a good into to vetiver - sort of lunch in Monaco or breakfast in Singapore. Oh and the notes provided here are wrong. All I get from it is Slight beramot citrus or neroli opening with Middle notes of vetiver and a drydown of vetiver with maybe ceder. Very pleasant. NO! STOP! I have had this for 3 weeks now and have nearly finished the bottle. It is Weak. It is too citrus. It is boring. I find myself using copius amounts of it just to get rid of it as it is irritating me looking at it on the dressing table among such talents as Hermes and Rabane. It smells of damp tobacco in the ash tray of a crappy French Tabac bar. It is the diet lite of vetivers, the Andy Garcia to Al Pacino.

Vetyver by Roger & Gallet is an Eau de Cologne, lighter than other vetiver dominant scents. It has a light citrus opening with spices. The vetiver is raw and earthy, it smells like it was just pulled out of the ground. There is a light floral note in the heart. The base is a lightly sweet Mossy-Tonka, but not too sweet. The sweetness comes from both the Tonka and the light floral note. An Amber note in the base gives the sweet notes a little sharpness. There is Cedarwood in the dry down. After a few hours what is left is a light smokiness, like a whiff of burning wood. Nice touch. This is great for an all-over spray right out of the shower. Longevity is average for an EdC. R&G's Vetyver is an excellent fragrance. Elegant in a natural, earthy way.

This one is lemon and spice with a delicate smoky vetiver base. It is quite refreshing while it lasts, but as is my experience with vetiver-based fragrances, I get less than one hour no matter how many sprays. Great initial blast, then gone. In terms of composition, I like it very much even though the heavy-handed lemon sort of reminds me of Pledge, but that's just because I grew up with a housekeeper who cleaned the furniture with that stuff, so any lemon-heavy fragrance is going to impart that impression on me.