Coeur de Vétiver Sacré – smoky and warm and woody

I know I’m a bit perfume obsessed, but even for me there are times when I get it into my head that this or that note de jour is overused, over hyped and over sold, and I develop a bit of resistance to it. That’s how I've been feeling about vetiver lately. Sure, I own a few vetiver-centric fragrances, and I love the ones I own, but how many more does one person need? At least one more: Coeur de Vétiver Sacré.

This fragrance from L’Artisan has me pushing bottles on my perfume shelf around to make room for it in the front row! So, what about Coeur de Vétiver Sacré has me in a such a tizzy?

Vetiver is green and, depending on its provenance, it can smell grassy, rooty, earthy, floral, sweet, spicy and/or smoky and Coeur de Vétiver Sacré is all about the vetiver. It combines different vetiver types and then uses other notes to highlight the various aspects of the vetiver. The result is a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, fully rounded scent that is a pleasure to wear.

The start is cool, crisp bergamot, which echoes the cool, crispness of the vetiver. Black tea joins the bergamot and adds a smoky note that heightens that aspect of vetiver. Tarragon appears and adds a green herbal note of anise that emphasizes the green of vetiver. The sweet note of anise is played up with notes of dried stone fruits – dates and apricots - highlighting the sweet aspect of vetiver. But there is still more vetiver to show and to know - pepper and ginger showcase its warm and spicy dimensions; a note of rose brings out its floral aspect, and iris plays up its dirty earthiness of it. Sandalwood and cedarwood at the base soften it with warm woody notes, while Tonka bean and vanilla give it a touch of sweetness, so it is never harsh.

Every time I smell it, I smell more in it. Wait, is that amber? Incense? Who knew vetiver could be so interesting?

Well, now you know.

Check out Coeur de Vétiver Sacré in our shop.