Loccitane Vetyver

[conroygc]

A few months ago the first Loccitane in the state opened up at the new City Creek Mall. Finally made the pilgrimage to check out the new stores, and sampled the Vetyver while in Loccitane.

It's wonderful and reasonably priced. But you knew that already.

Makes me wish I had a nice veviter in my rotation. In your opinion, what's your favorite veviter based scent?

 

[Devilpup]

I had a chance to sample it over the summer and loved it. You may also look at Straight Razor designs vetyver scented shave soap.

 

[hedonist222]

I love vetiver.

I have noticed that Indian Ocean vetiver (be it from India, Seychelles or Indonesia) smells a bit more damp than its South American counterpart. The SA vetiver smells rootier, sharper and astringent. Indian Ocean vetiver is more dense. Damp and dank.

For Indian Ocean vetiver I find Bourbon Vetiver by Miller Harris to be a reference vetiver in this category.
For South American its either Vetiver Extraordinaire by Editions de Parfums or Dior's Vetiver.

 

[SafetyManiac]

For me, it's L'occitane Vetyver. A great fall/winter frag. IMHO it's the best bang-for-the-buck vetiver as well.

 

[rum]

For many people, this and Guerlain's offering is their first vetiver. I prefer Sycomore though and Creed's which is a soapy-sweet vetiver.

 

[Rudy Vey]

I have three vets I like:
L'Occitane
Floris Vetiver
Creed Vetiver (1948)

 

[tehtimmeh]

Fresh, clean: Tom Ford Grey Vetiver, Creed Original Vetiver

Dark and smokey: Chanel Sycomore

Earthy and raw: MPG Route du Vetiver, Lorenzo Villorersi Vetiver

Green and crisp: Malle Vetiver Extraordinaire, CDG Vettiveru, Dior Vetiver

Benchmark: Guerlain Vetiver


L'Occitane's vetiver note is so subdued its hardly a vetiver.

 

[rum]

Fresh, clean: Tom Ford Grey Vetiver, Creed Original Vetiver

Dark and smokey: Chanel Sycomore

Earthy and raw: MPG Route du Vetiver, Lorenzo Villorersi Vetiver

Green and crisp: Malle Vetiver Extraordinaire, CDG Vettiveru, Dior Vetiver

Benchmark: Guerlain Vetiver


L'Occitane's vetiver note is so subdued its hardly a vetiver.

Nice summary, Tim!
I agree with you re the L'Occitane but don't forget that it has a lot more than just vetiver in it and is quite complex compared to most other scents.

 

[mistercitizen]

Fresh, clean: Tom Ford Grey Vetiver, Creed Original Vetiver

Dark and smokey: Chanel Sycomore

Earthy and raw: MPG Route du Vetiver, Lorenzo Villorersi Vetiver

Green and crisp: Malle Vetiver Extraordinaire, CDG Vettiveru, Dior Vetiver

Benchmark: Guerlain Vetiver


L'Occitane's vetiver note is so subdued its hardly a vetiver.

Great rundown. I'd probably add Encre Noire by Lalique in the "Dark and smokey" category as well. Someone correct me if I'm wrong .

Ben

 

[keithmax]

I bought 3 ml samples of Guerlain, L'Ocittane, Creed Original Vetiver and Encre Noir. I liked them all but in the end I bought the Guerlain and the Creed, but the Guerlain is my favorite.

 

[tehtimmeh]

Great rundown. I'd probably add Encre Noire by Lalique in the "Dark and smokey" category as well. Someone correct me if I'm wrong .

Ben

Correct, but I don't like EN, so I didn't add it. It's too synthetic. Reeks of Iso E Super....

 

[Matt555]

Guerlain is still king in my book.

 

[lindyhop66]

Can you get Vetiver in something other than a cologne, as in aftershave splash?

 

[Cuttingboard]

Why is Guerlain considered the Benchmark of Vetivers?

 

[hedonist222]

Why is Guerlain considered the Benchmark of Vetivers?

It's not.

Well it depends on who you ask. For casual perfumistas who enjoy Vetiver then it's Guerlain Vetiver because, IMO, it's Guerlain, reasonably priced and relatively good in quality and composition and most of all easily accessible for the majority.

My Indian Ocean reference Vetiver is Bourbon Vetiver and South American (aka Haitian) reference Vetiver is Vetiver Extraordinaire or Dior's Vetiver. These three truly reflect what Vetiver from those geographic venues smell like.

Guerlain's Vetiver is just ok. Too conservative IMO. The latest rendition (tall rectangular bottle not short wide rectangular bottle) smells a bit better than the previous one (the one you are referring to).

 

[Matt555]

The latest rendition (tall rectangular bottle not short wide rectangular bottle) smells a bit better than the previous one

The consensus on the fragrance boards is that these two bottles consist of the same juice. I cannot say for sure though.

 

[tehtimmeh]

Why is Guerlain considered the Benchmark of Vetivers?

Because it was the first vetiver based scent widely distributed commercially and it's very "middle of the road" in terms of qualities you will see in a vetiver. It's not the soapiest, cleanest, greenest, rawest, darkest of any of them. Very middle of the spectrum scent upon which most of the others are judged.

 

[erickson]

Guerlain is the most powdery and feminine of all the vetivers that I have tried if that is the benchmark from which one wishes to judge a frag.

 

[LeMale]

Any body try Eau des Bavx by L'Occitane? I have a sample of Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille and I heard Eau des Bavx is suppose to be really similar, but softer and more versatile.

 

[Valerius]

I use vetivers from L'Occitane and Lanvin. Like them both.