Vetiver; Is it just me or does it smell like barbasol?

[nrv216]

Hey all,

Today I was at Merz downtown and smelling the Royall Vetiver and some Vetiver and Bay Rum mixture. I sprayed some on my hand and, after it mellowed out a bit, I was smacked in the face by a very familiar scent. It smelled like old canned barbasol foam! I never really used the stuff but my dad did and I would occasionally borrow some. Does anyone else see this or have both on hand to confirm? If that is the scent I might have to invest in some vetiver frags! Thanks all you frag gurus!

nrv216

 

[john parker]

No personal experience with Barbasol, but some folks have said that that is what Rive Gauche smells like.

 

[StylinLA]

While there is a bit of a common smell to vetiver scents, each is a bit different. There may have been a combination of ingredients in the fragrance you tired that evoked Barbasol for you. I don't tend to think most Vetiver scents smell like Barbasol.

Indeed, as noted by john parker, YSL Rive Gauche is oft sited as smelling a LOT like Barbasol if that's what you seek. It's a great scent.

 

[nrv216]

I guess my next question is does Rive Gauche smell primarily of Vetiver? I know it is one of the scents listed on basenotes but is it predominant?

nrv216

 

[Niles]

Rive Gauche smells a lot like Barbasol, to my nose. Vetiver does not.

 

[2b1ask1]

True vetiver is a very green, grassy type scent. I love it!!

 

[Quintar]

I wouldn't say that vetiver smells like barbasol, most have an earthy woody/grassy scent. barbasol smells more like lavender/anise which may have been in whatever vetiver you were smelling

 

[erickson]

Barbasol: Water, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Isobutane, Laureth-23, Aloe, Diazolidinyl Urea, Fragrance, Methylparaben, Propane, Proplyene Glycol, Propylparaben, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

more...

 

[StylinLA]

I guess my next question is does Rive Gauche smell primarily of Vetiver? I know it is one of the scents listed on basenotes but is it predominant?

nrv216

Edit- looked it up... There is Vetiver in the base of Rive Gauche Pour Homme indeed. But it is not as dominant as in many Vetiver scent scents.

Looking at the notes in Royall Vetiver, not sure what reminded you of Barbasol, but in the end, it's your nose. Many of the "old school" type scents have an ability to evoke certain memories. Haven't smelled it, but would imagine Royall Vetiver has an old fashioned barber shop kind of vibe. Whether it smells a lot like Barbasol or not, it conjures up that image in your mind.

Vetiver scents tend to all feel a bit old barbershop, or "Mad Men-ish" to me. So that maybe some of what your getting too.

You van certainly try other vetivers. There's a lot of them out there. Vetiver itself has a kind of earthy, grassy kind of scent. Quite pleasant and manly. It's used to varying degrees is a lot of scents. If "Vetiver" is in the name of the scent, it's likely to be pretty prominent. There are a lot of scents that use it in the "background."

Guerlain Vetiver has a pretty prominent Vetiver note and is kind of old school. Tom Ford's Grey Vetiver is sort of a modern take on it.

 

[Oscroft]

My sister reckons Guerlain Vetiver smells like sausage rolls - I guess there's no accounting for noses!

 

[Ron991]

That would depend on supporting notes, and the amount formulated into the blend. Vetiver, just as many other notes take on different accords as they are blended with other notes.