Vetiver Pamplemousse

Definitely the best of the bunch from this collection without question. Blind bought and certainly not disappointed, especially at the cost. As I’m a huge citrus fan, I’m absolutely loving the grapefruit in this; sharp, sparkling and bright, although as has been previously mentioned, the vetiver is very muted & I personally would have liked It to have come through in the background more. That being said though, the grapefruit in here is incredibly naturalistic and not at all synthetic, which, if I’m perfectly honest, surprised me at this price-point. Jo Malone has done a really decent job for Zara here and that’s to be applauded for the cost. It’s perfectly fine for pretty much any occasion, certainly won’t offend anyone and also surprisingly has fairly decent longevity for a citrus fragrance, around 4-5 hours on me but it doesn’t really project much and sillage is weak to barely moderate. It’s crisp & clean and pretty much a no-brainer for the money. Calling it an Eau de Parfum is risible though; it’s an EdT at best and a cologne by most standards but the misnomer aside, don’t let it put you off by any means. It’s fantastic straight out of the shower or if you are just looking to freshen yourself up and if you haven’t had a chance to try it, I suggest you do!

Citrus perfumes aren’t exactly known for their longevity. Jo Malone’s usually vanish quite quickly, and Zara’s in a blink, so this perfume won’t last an hour. But honestly, I couldn’t care less with this one. Vetiver Pamplemousse might not last hours, but the few moments it does are an absolute delight. The mandarin and grapefruit are bang on the sweet and tart line, bright, juicy, and ridiculously realistic, like slicing into a fresh fruit in the sun. The vetiver stays in the background, giving it just enough depth to keep things interesting without stealing the show. It’s completely gender neutral; maybe the citrus zest leans ever so slightly masculine, but the sweetness of the grapefruit brings it right back to the middle. I’d go as far as saying it’s one of the best Zara’s ever made. It’s been a permanent in my collection since it launched. The new bottle and spray are honestly brilliant too, sleek, chic, and way better than Zara’s older designs. I layer it over other scents to bring some daytime sparkle, or just spray it at home whenever I need a hit of citrusy joy. Oh, and if you’re tempted by the “elixir” version in the amber bottle, please don’t be. It starts off quite as yummy, but turns heavy and weird real fast. Hard pass.

Elegantly simplistic, a Joe Malone for $15!?!, this freshie is unisex, great for the gym or a day at the beach, and is a real crowd pleaser that is unlikely to offend in the office. Compliments galore, a happy uplifting moment, and an instant feeling and projection of cleanliness. I stopped by the Perfume Guy's office (I live in SF too), and he recommended this when I mentioned my love for Bulgari's Tygar (which is 300!?! a bottle). The Perfume Guy's a true expert with a million followers who has smelled literally every fragrance on this site, and his high praise is now shared by mine. The grapefruit is realistic but not sharp, the mandarin adds a gorgeous touch of sweetness, and the vetiver is exceptionally well- blended. Is this a long-lasting beast? No. The criticisms below about longevity are fair - it's got moderate projection, and will last 4-6 hours. But that's the same (or better) for light blue intense/guerlain pamplemousse/most citruses. And for $15, you can respray all day if you want and then buy another and still be way ahead of the game. This one's a no-brainer for the price.

I think this is the one of the top 3 in Zara, both Men and Women's collection. It's extremely well blended and there is certainly very good quality of the notes used, which is really important for perfumes, especially where vetiver is concerned. It certainly beats out lots of highly hyped Middle-Eastern fragrances that had vetiver as a note (these vetiver are usually of really inferior quality). It even beats my Narcisco Rodriguez Him Bleu Noir EDP hands down... But it also dramatically improves it after layering with VP. Its perfect to layer on those fragrences that I have kept away from failed blind buys. It really gives those disappointing scent a new lease of life. I think the high quality of vetiver and grapefruit used here, plus the subtle mandarin orange really nailed it for me. 👍👍Strong Buy, easily more valuable than many other Zara fragrences with its high quality and versatility, IMO can easily pass off as a Jo Malone London collection.

I read something about this perfume in a comment section of an article (can’t remember which article) but it prompted me to make a blind purchase. My 40 ml cost $20, a little more than a sample would’ve...so I took a chance. I’m glad I did. Vetiver Pamplemousse behaves like many other Jo Malone compositions I’ve tried: gone in 30 minutes, and no trace of the scent at the hour mark. The difference for me: Zara has this olfactory experience priced correctly. I love the scent. Fresh grapefruit so realistic it makes your mouth pucker. The vetiver comes across very green on my skin, like it was harvested just moments ago. If I find any fault with Vetiver Pamplemousse, it’s with performance. And that’s only because I love it and want more time, not because I feel like the bottle is not worth the price paid. We are experiencing some above average hot weather in the Pacific Northwest, and I find this perfume is perfect for it.