Derived from a tall relative of lemongrass native to India, vetiver plays a central role in a huge number of fragrances, especially those aimed at men. The grassroots are reduced to an amber-coloured liquid which has been used in the perfumery and medicinal worlds for years due to both its calming properties and its rich, complex aroma that mixes earthy, leathery notes with greener fresher lemon aspects. It makes fragrances that are great for daytime use, particularly as it has great staying power so will still be working at the end of the afternoon.
For many, vetiver has a reassuring, gentleman’s barbershop smell that is fresh, masculine and clean. And, for some reason, perfumers often use the ingredient in the name of the fragrance making them pretty easy to discover. Here are some of our favourites.
Vetiver Extraordinaire by Frederic Malle
A very grown-up and sophisticated take on vetiver, this one, by legendary ‘nose’ Dominique Ropion for Frederic Malle, sets out to ‘whisper rather than shout’ according to the spiel. Undoubtedly masculine, it mixes in notes of sandalwood, cedar, oak and a bit of pepper and bitter orange that takes it in a more woody direction. Delicious.
Infusion de Vetiver by Prada
Part of Prada’s very classy ‘Infusions’ series, this is a warmer, more modern fragrance. Ginger and bergamot give it a bit of zing and cardamon adds more spice. And as you would expect, the packaging is gorgeous.
Vetiver by Guerlain
Are you beginning to see the pattern in the names here? We told you so! This is the grande monsieur of vetiver scents, launched originally in 1961 and then again in 2000 in a slightly different bottle. It’s very old school with lemon and bergamot top notes on a base of cedar, tobacco and walnut and has the comfortable charm of being in a barbershop. It still smells wonderful.
Original Vetiver by Creed
This one goes all out with the base ingredient – not only is the usual root essence used but also the leaves and heart of the plant. It’s very fresh and ‘green’ but pretty light and long-lasting making it perfect for daytime use. The bottle is pleasingly traditional too.
Note di Colonia II by Acqua di Parma
FINALLY, a vetiver scent that doesn’t mention it in the name! Having said that, we always find the brand’s names really confusing as they all seem to be a version of each other. But this one mixes the central ingredient with musk for a bit more beefy aroma that is then countered by grapefruit and orange notes. It is as sophisticated and elegant as we would expect from Acqua di Parma.
