Vetiver Extraordinaire by Frederick Malle

Great reviews.This is in the second place, just after the Magnificent and Beautiful Lalique's ENCRE NOIRE

Excellent reviews!

I really enjoy Malle's editions.
They are always well composed, never middle of the road and high quality.

Highly recommended.

I dunno what to make of the opening. It is bitter with a phenol, dust mop, unripe radish thing going on. Later, I think I get a whiff of wintergreen or mint. Maybe this is the floralozone, maybe it is something rubbery. Then paint. Sounds awful, but I like it.

The opening seems to last and last…paint, dust mop, rubber…a mechanical office machine smell, maybe an office machine oil lubricant. Maybe bitter radish. Faint acetone. Ozone. Krazy Glue. Something.

After awhile I do get vetiver, but not that much vetiver, not like in Route du Vetiver, in the heart notes. Then it starts to green. A lime rind. Some more vetiver oil.

Mmmm, the cedar wood. More cedar than sandalwood, more myrrh than musk. Still green, still ozonic. A little Heineken. Heineken smells ok, but it is a headache beer in my book. I digress. The wood basenotes are tops!

When I do the Venn diagram I get a tiny intersection with Guerlain, a suggestion of the clean and soapy. The difference is VE is volatile. Dangerous stuff. Guerlain is safe as milk. VE is the cologne your mother warned you about.

Once in awhile I get a vetiver whammy, volatile oil, but it is quickly countered by the ozone or the cedar or the sandalwood or the paint or the myrrh or the something else. This juice is remarkable.

As a vetiver VE is in my top two, second only to Route du Vetiver.

Vetiver Extraordinaire by Frederic Malle

Top notes: bergamot and bitter orange
Middle notes: pink pepper, cloves and vetiver
Base notes: sandalwood, cedar, oakmoss, myrhh and musk

The refreshing opening is realistic orange with vetiver. Very nice. As the pepper and cloves enter into the picture the overall effect makes the fragrance greener. The sandalwood, cedar, oakmoss, incense and musk seem to apportion themselves without taking over completely making the wood more tangy than heavy. This is easily one of the best vetivers. For the price Guerlain vetiver is a better overall deal but if you can afford it then I recommend this vetiver.