When Jean-Paul Guerlain launched Vétiver, originally called Vétiver Pour Homme (Vetiver for Men), in 1959, it was so successful with men and women that he was asked to create a vetiver fragrance just for women. The challenge was not to compromise vetiver’s nature or hide it behind ‘girlie’ floral notes but to create an elegant and chic vetiver fragrance. It was in 2004, after a trip to Shanghai, where, it seems, he found the inspiration he needed to create Vétiver pour Elle (Vetiver for her).

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 as its woody facet is 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 can be worn any time of the year. And when it comes to taking the bite out of summer heat, this vetiver fragrance is the perfect choice.

 
Notes: orange blossom, bergamot, lily of the valley, honeysuckle, jasmine, nutmeg, pink pepper, neroli, vetiver, Tonka bean, cedarwood, white musk.

 
Type: EdT

Parfumeur: Jean-Paul Guerlain