Our take
What does Vetiver smell like?
Vetiver was Jean-Paul Guerlain's first creation, made in 1959 when he was 22. Some sources date the launch to 1961, and the house gave it a new bottle in 2000. The opening is sharp. Bergamot, lemon, mandarin and neroli mix with a slightly soapy coriander. Vetiver comes in early. It smells of dry grass and soil after watering, with an almost smoky side. Cedar straightens it out and nutmeg adds peppery warmth. The base carries the Guerlain touch, a blond tobacco and tonka that soften the root without making it sweet. Compared with Terre d'Hermès, another very popular woody scent, Guerlain's Vetiver is drier and less mineral. It still has the feel of a freshly pressed white shirt. We recommend it to anyone who finds modern woody scents too sugary.
When to wear it
The office scent par excellence, from spring through autumn. Three sprays in the morning carry it into the evening without bothering anyone.
It belongs to the Woody, Aromatic family. Vetiver is one of 89 creations by Guerlain in our encyclopedia.
