Vetiver Annick Goutal for men

The first time you spray this you may start looking around, wondering, "what on earth is burning"? Once you realise it's your own skin rather than the house burning down with you inside it, you can appreciate a beautiful smokey vetiver in all its glory.

This vetiver is the dirty kind. It's earthy and concentrated, more true to the real scent of vetiver than any other scent before it. It's bold, brash and sometimes shocking. It really encompasses the scent of nature. Vetiver, rich in saltiness conjures up the image of a hidden beach, complete with seaweed and wet sand.

It has a slightly 'inky' smell, particularly towards the heart I found. Annick Goutal's Vetiver has pointed out to me how strange and weird the scent of true vetiver is. Prior to testing this fragrance, I knew vetiver when it was smothered with citrus, green accords or sweetness. In fact vetiver doesn't get much more masculine than this.

As a woman I struggle to wear Annick Goutal's Vetiver and do it justice. I would find it far more intriguing on a man's skin I'm sure. I'm just so taken aback by how obscure this fragrance is, and I love it even more for its quirkiness.

It's a rather refreshing day-time scent for me, recommended to those that love the smell and feel of natural scents. Vetiver lasted a good six or more hours on my skin and projected relatively well. I recommend.

.....the sweet, sweet smell of the Vetiver melds in the dirt, gives birth to the juicy flower that I must eat but can not, but I must. It sits there as I inhale the mossy sweet roots. I lay down among prehistoric flowers, yes tiny white jewels, on the dappled sunlit forest floor beneath the conifer that shades the cool river water as it caresses past the bright green algae covered stone. and I awake to the morning dew ...the faint whisper of the loon.

This Vetiver is such an odd mix of the elements. It’s the surf-and-turf perfume. I hear the words marine, aquatic and salty used often to describe fragrances and I always wonder what they mean. I understand marine when talking about Secretions Magnifiques. In that case it’s the scent of drying and decaying beach debris. I understand aquatic to be a marketing term to describe calone and related aromachemicals. Salty? You got me.

Annick Goutal’s Vetiver gives you that blast of iodine at the outset that actually does suggest the scent of crashing surf thrown into the air. It’s very specific. It’s a scent that reminds you of the sea and not of iodine tincture or povidone-iodine. After the sea-air feel fades, though, Vetiver becomes an earthy scent. There is a tonka-coumarin note that combines with the less rootlike aspects of the vetiver to give a nice moist-hay, grassy scent. It smells a bit like a peaty Scotch. All of these elemental notes must sound a bit grim, but there is something that keeps Vetiver buoyant. It doesn’t actually smell floral, but in the heart something emerges that gives an impression that a soft white floral heart would also give. I’m not sure how it’s done, but it’s a great effect.

Bit of a misnomer to call this simply 'Vetiver'. It is vetiver plus a synthetic aldehyde which I first recall smelling in Comme des Garcons' Synthetic Series 6 Tar (although it was obviously around before then). Whether it goes well with vetiver is difficult to say.. there doesn't appear to be any synergy between the two notes: it's as if you put on Guerlain Vetiver and then sprayed CdG Tar over it. Possibly they do it to increase the impression of "rootiness". The vetiver is very much in the top note and dries off fairly rapidy, which leaves the aldehyde exposed for awhile. This in turn dries down to.. umm.. virtually nothing as far as I can tell. A case of the whole being less than the sum of its parts.

I adore this so forgive me for what I am going to say. When I keep the notes in mind while sniffing this it is heavenly. If I were to encounter this smell without references though it would read as urine/old diapers to me, and so I love this scent for how it reads when I know what it's made of, and I wear it. But at the same time I do fear people will interprete the scent as me being unwashed. For that reason I am on the fence about buying this one.
But had i been surrounded only by well seasoned perfumistas i would wear this with the greatest pride. It is a vetiver master piece.
And I am embarrassed by having to admit I fear what people may think about this, who do not know smells like many of you do..
Bear in mind, dirty/skanky/fecal notes are always sent front and center on my skin! This goes for Jicky, Cuir de Russie and so many others, so test for yourself :)

I only recently starting playing with vetivers and what I don't understand is why they aren't more popular than they are! Annick Goutal's vetiver is likely the most interesting and by far the most pleasing I've tested yet (Etro and Guerlain being the others so far). It is at once raw and captivating, entirely seductive and beautiful in its nod to a rustic simplicity. Or is it?

At first all I smelled was hay. Just like when first entering a barn, thre is a strong sudden whiff of hay mixed with a barnyard animal heft. But the animalic note take a small step back (it does not go away, mind you) and is joined by something (someone?). I have NO IDEA what that note is but I think it must be a touch of sandalwood. Whatever - I am in love with it! It is such a mellifluous smell it gives me butterflies!

Now. I'll tell you exactly what is going on in my head. This is the smell of Lady Godiva's ride! As the stable doors open there is a whiff of the interior and a surge or nervous anxiety as she prepares for her infamous ride. She disrobes and there is an incredibly beautiful fragrance in the air. She is nervous but strong as she mounts the horse ready to make history. But as she leaves on the back of the horse in all her natural beauty, the anxiety dissipates and there is only her strength and poise as she rides through the village streets with all of her dignity intact. She may no longer be nervous, but suddenly I am! For I can smell the two as they approach my door and I am the Peeping Tom!

The best vetiver around, even better than Guerlain's excellent vetiver. I love it because it has a very raw, earthy vetiver smell, yet it's very transparent. This all gives the effect of being near salt air at the beach. The vetiver is very much up front and very natural smelling. Outstanding.

Not being a fan of vetiver, I wasn't expecting to like this - but I do. It's a spicy/masculine scent that would also work well on some women. A must try if you like vetiver!