L'Occitane Vetyver

This was my first vetiver that I bought after sampling in a L'Occitane store. I know I had sampled it sometime back (back when I was only using D&G, YSL, etc.) and didn't like it. Well my scent preference must have changed cause I loved it on the card and on my skin and walked out with a bottle.

$46 for 100mL - absolute steal compared to what you'll pay for "designer" colognes at a Macy's.

I'm not good with describing scents, but this one doesn't show much change after about 30-60 minutes to my nose and is quite constant throughout. Smokey, rich with hints of grassy notes - definitely esteems manliness.

Staying power is quite good on me and I can detect it 8-10 hours after. Overall my favorite L'Occitane scent that I've tried.

My first trial and I'm really pleased with this fragrance. It's got a nice, "outdoorsy" masculine scent that stays with you for most of the day but doesn't overpower anyone in the same room. Those who get close to you will enjoy it. Very nice for fall/winter office wear.

I marked the atomizer score down...mine tended to squirt rather than spray.
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Addition: I increased the Staying Power score to a 10. I was still getting heavenly whiffs of this fragrance 14 hours after applying. Beautiful stuff!

I'm gonna keep it simple and say this is my favorite cologne right now. It's exactly what I was hoping and looking to have for the fall, and I want fall all year 'round. The girls love it, I love it!!!

Top Note: Bergamot, Lemon
Middle Note: Nutmeg, Gaiac wood
Base Note: Vetyver, Cedar wood, leather

One of my favorites for anytime of the year and in any place. The bergamot and lemon citrus is refreshing at the beginning but a little root beer scent comes up when all the middle and base notes get together. It's all very soft from beginning to end (despite wood and leather notes) and completely refreshing. You can spray 3 or 4 sprays per arm and it's never too much. It lasts a few hours at least and never off-putting. This is the best overall scent from L'Occitane and I highly recommend it.

The original review by Scotto and the one from saxifrage sum up my thoughts exactly.

This was my first experience with vetiver, and it was an interesting one.

First, I had been intrigued by vetiver for such a long time, without ever smelling it. The reviews about many vetiver-based sense seemed exactly like something I've been looking for. Every time I've tried to sample L'Occitane's Vetyver at their shop, it was also sold out/out of stock. When I asked the employee about it, he laughed and described it as being an "elderly" scent.

I'm 23, and had no idea what to expect when my bottle finally arrived.

First impressions: I had never smelled vetiver before, and could never guess what it would smell like. I was wrong - upon the first spray, it instantly hit me: I've smelled this a thousand times! I never knew what the name of the scent was, but it was definitely not a new one to me. The scent, to me, is something I've noticed on many mature men that I've met.

Even though my experiences with it, and the initial description I was given, put it out of my age group, I couldn't shelf it.

The initial spray revealed a strong, herbaceous - almost medicinal -scent, which fades to a clean, soapy and brooding earthiness. The top notes worried me, and I honestly entertained how quickly it might be gotten in the Buy/Sell/Trade section.

But as I went on with my night's work, I noticed something: I kept smelling my wrist, going back to the scent over and over again. It was very luring, very haunting.

After I experienced the full range of it's complexity, I was hooked. I truly, truly, enjoy this scent, and will always keep it on hand.

That being said, I do realize it does sort of have a hard to pin-down personality. It smells lovely, very Autumn-like (my favorite season). It is reminiscent of wet leaves, roots, grasses, and an overcast breeze. Smells that I generally don't associate to a person having it.

When my girlfriend smelled it, she shriveled her nose and shook her hand in a "so-so" fashion - this is not a cologne to wear for the enjoyment of others, for a night out to the pub, or the like. It is a cologne for the self-reliant, confident, man to wear for his own enjoyment.

If colognes were places, the Vetyver would be knee-deep in a trout stream in late October, smelling the breeze, watching orange leaves spin as they fall onto the moving water.

I know my review is long, and probably overly so - but that leads me to the last thing, and if you read anything in my review, it is this:

Look at the reviews here. They are not straight-to-the-point explanations of each rating. They are descriptions, stories, moods. They reflect a time, and a place. There is more to them than just what the cologne smells like. This scent is recognized by your nose, but it grabs your mind and asks it to gently wander.

If you're the type to sit under an aging oak, reading your favorite book, and watching the leaves fall - you just might enjoy this scent.

Two thumbs up from me.

For those who wish to see the more concise details without all the reminiscing and waxing, here's your chance lol:
Price About $44. Pretty good for the quality of L'Occitane's offerings.
Quality Love it or hate it, it is complex, evolving, and very well-made.
Packaging Honest and simple. Very good.
Scent This is a personal/subjective thing, but it is what it says it is: Vetiver. But darker and more seasonal than what other vetivers sound to be.
Complexity One of the more evolving colognes I own. It has phases which are quite distinct, yet all related.
Staying Power I was worried about this reading previous reviews. But 1 distant spray to the neck, and I was picking up hints of this all day (10 hours, without being loud or noticeable from a far - perfect in my opinion).
Quality of Atomize I really like L'Occitane's atomizers.

Edit: Upon day 2, I think that even though the quality is there, this particular fragrance just does not suit me. While it is good, I'm beginning to notice a certain 'thickness' to the scent which has me reconsidering.

I picked up a bottle based largely on this review. I like it, it is a warmer scent, very soothing, and very subtle, but perhaps a bit too subtle, I found it to have virtually NO staying power. I don't need to be able to asphyxiate someone from across the room with my cologne, but it would be nice if their was still a hint of a scent an hour or two after I put it on.

Having said all that, I'll keep it, I'll use it, and I'll enjoy it, but I don't think another bottle is in my future.

If this had staying power I think it would be my favourite cologne, simply superb; foliage in the rain or moss by a river, it's deep, dark and masculine. At first I couldn't detect the "earthy" element everybody mentions but it is there, only hidden at first. Towards the end of it's life it smells so natural that the first time I wore it I didn't realise what I was smelling and just thought I was detecting the results of leaning against something like a dry stone wall - lichen rubbed off on the skin.

Unfortunately doesn't last nearly long enough for me, after two hours it's detectable only from extremely close and after three hours there's no trace at all. A great shame because it's a real stunner otherwise.

This is NOT a light, subtle, summertime scent. This is a rich, woody, wintertime scent. This is great for relaxing on an overcast, cold Saturday.

Highly recommended.

As Scotto says, "smoky, rich, and haunting" describes Vetyver perfectly. It reminds me a bit of Antaeus without the patchouli and with more autumn. The grass and earth notes have a richness that make my mouth water and put me in a reflective mood. I can't think of a better autumn-winter fragrance.

Well, for my inaugural post after lurking for years (Hi!), I thought I would review L'Occitane's Vetyver as I am a pretty loyal customer of the L'Occitane Cade line. Vetyver was really hard to find both at boutiques and through the internet, so I had to secure it through a second vendor.

I'm on the fence about vetiver. Aspects of that dry earthiness are appealing, but after smelling it for an extended period of time, it can get a bit sickening and starts to feel like I'm gardening (ie: smelling dirt for hours). I can happily say that L'Occitane approaches vetiver in the perfect way. Strong enough (and long enough) to enjoy the subtle bits of vetiver earthiness, but quickly giving way to other more woodsy, spicy, and sweet aromas. The vetiver in this case feels more like the star atop a Christmas tree than the tree itself, and I think that's the way I enjoy vetiver best.

The initial notes are instantly quite earthy and grassy (vetiver along with the spicy astringent quality of rosemary and floral quality of bergamot) and remain so for a good hour before the other notes emerge. Mostly, I smell the nutmeg and cedar. The scent never comes across as lush, it is always very dry, very warm (in fact, it increases in warmth and sweetness as you approach the basenotes).

My only issues with this scent are that its warmth and dryness instantly bring to mind chilly evening walks in fall and winter. It makes me think of sitting in front of fireplaces in woolen PJ's, drinking wassail, and reading a book. Basically, it is a comforting and relaxing fragrance, akin to a nice flannel comforter or a piece of hot apple pie. It is such an earthy, sweet, "heavy," and woodsy fragrance, that I don't think I could ever wear it in spring or summer. I also don't know if it is something I would enjoy wearing to work as it comes across so "homey" that it might cause others to want to nod off or daydream of a moonlit walk through the woods on an October evening. It also has such an air of sophistication and maturity to it, that I sometimes feel out of place when I wear it and think I'm being "too big for my britches."

All in all, a great scent, but I think I'd only wear it at home, or on a day out by myself, in fall or winter.

I really like Vetiver-based scents. And I really like L'Occitane.
But I simply cant't stand this smell.
It has nothing to do with the Vetiver I know (be it Creed, Guerlain or Mugler Cologne).
I tried it on a stroll trough Toulouse and had to wash my arms after an hour.
It still was so intense that I got a headache - terrible!

This was my first vetiver. I did not like or understand this fragrance for about the first 10 minutes. Then after the body chemistry interaction - this was amazing. Original poster is correct. I am not on the great Vetiver hunt and will compare all to this incredible scent.

great review. . . I've had this for a few months now and I use it frequently. This is one of my favorite EDTs actually - it's woodsy and grounding. For me one spray to the chest is perfect - lasts pretty much all day. It's got nice packaging, nice atomizer, the price seems right for me at around $40. . . this one is a winner

A very pleasant scent, as mentioned above, quite Autumnal. I like colognes with a very natural scent, the more popular modern brands all have a very synthetic edge that I find quite offensive. The L'Occitane fragrances however retain a very natural style, without ever slipping into the category of "old man" fragrances.

The first smell that hits you is a powerful sweetness from the nutmeg, and a hint of musk underlying it. The sweetness fades a little after a while, and the nutmeg diminishes a little to reveal an earthy, slightly grassy aroma which lasts, always with the hint of musk in the background. It is quite a warming sort of a scent, I find, and it lasts very well. Not a massively complex aroma, but certainly not one dimensional. Very enjoyable, and easy to wear whatever the occaision.

I really love this cologne...I enjoy the vetiver scents I've sampled, but this one has such a sweet/nice start that I have to say it's my favorite. Starts off very sweet...with notes of nutmeg and perhaps cinnamon? Dries down nicely to a very clean grass-like vetiver scent. The opening stage lasts for about an hour or so, with lingering scents for several hours during the drydown...I sprayed some on at 6PM and woke up in the middle of the night and could still smell it a bit (not too strong, though). The packaging is pretty simple, the atomizer works well.

All in all I am very pleased with this EDT.

This may not be the holy grail of vetiver, but it's very nice and gets the job done. Perfectly suited for autumn.

I just purchased a bottle of this from the L'occitane website, On spraying it has a wonderful scent, the very smell of Fall, after it dries it smells less dramatic, but still smells good and commercial, having said that I equally enjoy Mama Bear's sweet vetyver , and its a fraction of the cost of this one.

I absolutely love this stuff. It is the first thing Vetiver I have ever bought and I would love to know how others compare. Dries out to give a lovely lingering scent. Scotto has described it perfectly.


Brian

After all the vetiver talk, I decided to pick up a bottle of the L'Occitane version. This is my first ever experience with Vetyver scents, so I wasn't sure what to expect. In a nutshell, I am very impressed.

Colognes, for me, fall into a few different categories. There is the "I am a cologne, and I smell nice" category (Taylor, C-M, ...). Then there is the "I smell intensely of the elements I consist of (Penhaligon's, ...). Lastly, there is the category of fragrances that evoke a mood, a memory, an emotion. The L'O Vetyver is one of those.

It starts off grassy. Not the grassiness of a well-manicured lawn, but rather evocative of tall fields of wild grass swaying in an Autumn breeze. You get a bit of herbaceousness, perhaps the faint aroma of rosemary and sage gracing a full Thanksgiving table. As it drys down, it turns smoky, rich, and haunting. It is the whiff of fall leaves burning, walks in the woods, and Halloween approaching. Every now and then I get surprised by a sudden whiff of sweetness. Perhaps the memory of hot apple-cider doughnuts cooking while you are out apple picking with the family, or the sudden burst of scent when you walk on the verbena growing in the garden. Very heady, wonderful stuff that for me is the essence of Autumn. I got almost wistful driving to work, listening to acoustic Grateful Dead and smelling the vetyver. I began to think of the change of seasons, things moving on, etc. All in all, I can heartily recommend this fragrance.