Tom Ford Grey Vetiver

[kg0mz]

My quest is the vetiver grail. New to me is Grey Vetiver. I'll do a review after spending some more time with it. This has longevity out the wazoo, and it doesn't choke off the oxygen in a room. I squirted a medium amount this morning, and after work, dinner and a movie, there is still an occasional, sturdy waft. Clean, green, and refined vetiver.

If I could have the scent of Cyril Salter French Vetiver shaving cream in a cologne, EDT or EDP I would cease being a seeker. Dirty, rooty, and raw.

 

[dbconlin]

I liked it at first but found it too be too overpowering for my taste, and sweet too.

 

[p.m.a.]

Looking forward to your review! I've tried a good number of vetiver scents, but haven't tried this one yet. I am on a similar quest, looking for a vetiver scent this is comparable to a khus khus oil (India wild-growing vetiver) that I once had.

From Wikipedia:
The oil is amber brown and rather thick. The odor of vetiver oil is described as deep, sweet, woody, smoky, earthy, amber, balsam. The best quality oil is obtained from roots that are 18 to 24 months old. The roots are dug up and cleaned then dried. Before the distillation, the roots are chopped and soaked in water. The distillation process can take up to 18 to 24 hours. After the distillate separates into the essential oil and hydrosol, the oil is skimmed off and allowed to age for a few months to allow some undesirable notes which form during the distillation to dissipate. Like patchouli and sandalwood essential oils, the odor of vetiver develops and improves with aging. The characteristics of the oil can vary significantly depending on where the grass is grown and the climate and soil conditions. The oil distilled in Haiti and Réunion has a more floral quality to it and is considered of higher quality than the oil from Java which has a smokier scent. In the north of India, an oil is distilled from wild-growing vetiver. This oil is known as Khus or Khas and is considered superior to the oil obtained from the cultivated variety. It is rarely found outside of India as most of it is consumed within the country.

 

[kg0mz]

OK. Anybody going to the north of India anytime soon? Anybody? Delhi?

 

[mrmoonbeam]

tried a few vetivers myself, but found I kept coming back to the one they always compare to: Guerlain Vetiver.

The L'Occitaine isn't bad either, but it seemed a little too musky for me.

 

[closer]

Looking forward to your review! I've tried a good number of vetiver scents, but haven't tried this one yet. I am on a similar quest, looking for a vetiver scent this is comparable to a khus khus oil (India wild-growing vetiver) that I once had.

I've sampled the Grey Vetiver, and your description struck me, because this is exactly what I remember thinking when I sampled it - that it smells like "khus khus". You can get khus khus syrup in any Indian grocery store - its a green colored sugary syrup concentrate that is diluted to make a refreshing iced, summer drink, and that is what the Tom Ford version reminded me of when I put it on. I really liked the fragrance, however, found it a bit too sweet, so ended up not buying it.

 

[heat sink]

I scored a sample of Tom Ford recently, and wore it today for the first time. It seems very reminiscent of another scent that I've been on the fence about buying, which is L'eau Par Kenzo. Similar grapefruit/citrus/summery scent that's amazingly fresh, but borderline too sweet at times.

On first wear it struck me as a more dry, potent, and lasting scent along those lines. All of this I find interesting because I wasn't expecting much similarity. I'll definitely give it another go, I found it pleasant and refreshing, but I wasn't getting the kind of green/woodsy/grassy scent that I was expecting... then again, I'm new to the scent so I'm not very tuned in. I'll have to try other vetivers.

 

[mrmoonbeam]

Though I can't say I've tried either myself, I hear very good things about both Etro Vetiver and Creed Vetitver.
If you're looking for sample suggestions...

Let us know!

 

[p.m.a.]

I've sampled the Grey Vetiver, and your description struck me, because this is exactly what I remember thinking when I sampled it - that it smells like "khus khus". You can get khus khus syrup in any Indian grocery store - its a green colored sugary syrup concentrate that is diluted to make a refreshing iced, summer drink, and that is what the Tom Ford version reminded me of when I put it on. I really liked the fragrance, however, found it a bit too sweet, so ended up not buying it.

That's interesting. I've seen the syrup in Indian shops around here, but haven't tried it. Though I have a concern whether the flavored syrup would be a very good representation of the Indian Khus EO. I think that the EO only seems to have a "sweet" component mainly because it lacks the bitterness that is found in other varieties. It could have something to do with the aging process. Either way, I'm going to have to get my hands on a sample of the Grey Vetiver and see (smell) for myself. Tom Ford doesn't divulge the source of its vetiver, but instead includes some mysterious text: "The exclusive, proprietary vetiver extract, obtained by a revolutionary method, is described by connoisseurs asthe most distinctly elegant available." Um, okay.
Found this info about the syrup:
"Khus Syrup is a dark green syrup with a sweet, woodsy flavour and scent. It is made from an extract from the roots of vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanoides), aka "khus" grass. This extract, called "Khus Essence", is added to a sugar, water and citric acid syrup. Commercial brands may not contain any real khus grass extract; they may use artificial flavour and colour.
(Copyright 2010 Practically Edible. All rights reserved and enforced.) Read more of this snippet here : http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/pages/khussyrup#ixzz0vrd2qKab"

 

[Will P.C.]

This scent was one of the 2-3 that I liked the best from the entire TF line which doesn't say much. None of the TF offerings are something that I would buy a full bottle of.

This one had too much going on mixed in with the Vetiver and was a little too sweet.

I felt like it was trying to please true and mature Vetiver fans, while trying to appeal new, refreshing, and innovative.