I am a vetiverivore. I thrive on vetiver fragrances. I love its woody, verdant earthy odour profile and its bitter, smokey facets. It just smells manly, which is why vetiver is to masculine fragrances what the rose note is to feminine fragrances.
I’m immune to gender designations in fragrance and happily choose among my current my go-to vetiver frags - Vétiver Extraordinaire, Coeur de Vétiver Sacré and that benchmark vetiver, Vétiver by Guerlain - to wear any time of year. Vetiver has a depth that shines in cold weather and a heft to stand up to summer heat. Honestly, choosing a scent from that group of vetiver frags is a tough task - like choosing between puppies, unicorns and hope.
But sometimes I want to experience the beauty of vetiver without experiencing the heft of it, especially on hot summer days when it feels like Earth is six inches from the Sun. That’s when I wear Vétiver pour Elle by Guerlain.
Here’s the story: when Jean-Paul Guerlain launched Vétiver, originally called Vétiver Pour Homme, in 1959, it was so successful with men, and women, that he was asked to create a vetiver fragrance for women. The challenge was not to compromise vetiver’s nature or hide it behind ‘girlie’ floral notes, but to create a vetiver fragrance that is elegant and chic. It was in 2004, after a trip to Shanghai, where, it seems, he found the inspiration he needed to create Vétiver pour Elle.
I don’t know what happened to him in Shanghai, but I know what happens to me when I wear Vétiver pour Elle – I tend to gush.
It opens fresh, green and from bergamot, with orange blossom adding a slightly sweet, floral note. This pairing gives Vétiver pour Elle a lovely, light elegance that perfectly counters summer heat. I smell a quiet note of vetiver here too that lasts throughout the development of the fragrance. As it blooms, a garland of lush, feminine, florals –I smell honeysuckle, jasmine, lily of the valley and neroli - surround the vetiver while nutmeg and pink pepper add a touch of gentle summer warmth to the heart. Then, Vétiver pour Elle goes through a soapy, clean phase that could be off-putting if it weren’t tempered by the vetiver. At the base, vetiver becomes more pronounced - its woody facet highlighted by cedarwood, its grassy aspect hinted at and sweetened by Tonka bean – while musk keeps Vétiver pour Elle smooth as suede.
The drydown is a confident, elegant floral and vetiver combination that, despite its name could be worn by men or women anytime of the year. And when it comes to taking the bite out of summer heat, this vetiver frag is the perfect choice.
Today, we’re adding Vétiver pour Elle to our Decant Store. Decants are $5.00.