I did a year of incense and a year of iris,1 and now as promised, I'm starting in on a year of vetiver.2 Today, five great vetiver choices for summer. Two of my own favorite vetivers for hot weather — Kenzo Air and Paul Smith Story — have been discontinued long enough now that they're rather hard to find, but if you happen across bottles of either and you're a vetiver fan, do snap them up! (And then if you don't like them, send them to me.) And as always, do add your own favorites in the comments.
Guerlain Vetiver: Probably still the gold standard for vetiver fragrances, and really, there's no particular reason to include it on the summer list any more than fall, winter, or spring. The balance between the fresh notes and the earthy vetiver is perfectly calibrated: it just works, no matter the weather. It's arguably not quite as good as it used to be (it wouldn't hurt to find a vintage bottle), but it's still darned good. Women have been borrowing it for years; the feminine version, Vetiver Pour Elle, is discontinued at the moment (but they've brought it back before, and may do so again, eventually).
Comme des Garçons Vettiveru: A bit inky, a bit earthy and a bit spicy, but light as air — Vettiveru is part of the brand's Series 4: Cologne, and it has the bright opening and generally clean and refreshing feel that you'd expect from a cologne. It's a great scent at a reasonable price ($62 for 125 ml, so basically free if you do your perfumista math) and I'm surprised at how rarely I see it (or the others in Series 4) mentioned.
Prada Infusion de Vetiver: Truth be told, I don't have much use for Prada's take on vetiver. I don't dislike it, but it's too mild-mannered to compete with my favorites. I'm including it here because if you like the idea of vetiver but find most vetiver fragrances to be just too much, especially on a hot day, it might be just what you're looking for. It's about as light and clean as you can get with vetiver. Another option, tilting a bit towards the masculine side, would be Eau de Cartier Vétiver Bleu.
Diptyque Vetyverio: a pale, summery unisex that isn't really as tightly focused on the vetiver as you might expect from the name, but like the Prada, might qualify as an entry-level vetiver, or a vetiver a woman could wear even if she found most vetivers too masculine, or a vetiver you could wear when it's nearly too hot for any fragrance at all.
Armani Privé Vétiver Babylone: to crib from Kevin, this one is "simple, but satisfying". It has a spicy-peppery base, but enough sparkle and light to make it refreshing even in the heat. A fantastic vetiver, but expensive ($165 for 100 ml) and all that sparkle and light can't hang around forever (you'll have to reapply).
1. Here are links to incense (spring, summer,fall and winter) and iris (spring, summer, fall and winter).
2. If you don't know vetiver at all, find yourself some plain old vetiver oil (you can probably find a tester at Whole Foods or a local natural foods / health store), or get yourself a sample of Escentric Molecules Molecule 03, which is vetiveryle acetate diluted in alcohol.
Note: top center image shows dried vetiver tassels with wood beads by Viva Terra. Sadly they seem to be out of stock at the moment, but you can find something similar at Connected Goods.
My favorite vetiver is Frederic Malle Vetiver extraordinaire on my husband.
That’s one of my top vetivers too.
Love ????
I love vetiver so much! Recently I have been wearing Frederic Malle French Lover there is definitely some vetiver involved. My favorites otherwise are the two Guerlains Vetiver and Pour Elle. And I agree on Vettiveru, I like it a lot.
I wonder if the Vettiveru bottle is too utilitarian / modern looking? Really surprised, never hear mentions of Anbar either.
IMO, packaging for Vettiveru (and the rest of Series 4) is perfect. I have been tempted so many times to buy it just to be able to look at that bottle on my bathroom counter (the scent is also good, I only need to find a reason for one more vetiver …).
I like the look too! But I know it would not be to everyone’s taste.
I think it’s because they’re marketed as Cologne that they went kind of under the radar. I have a friend wearing and loving Citrico in summer
Vetiver is not my most beloved note or the essential oil I turn to ….what I do like as a vetiver centered perfume is SSS Spiced Citrus Vetiver (I drained a full bottle several summers ago)….. and in its purest form Eden Botanicals double distilled vetiver essential oil (which seemsso much more smoother than some other vetiver e.o.s I have sampled over the years).
Thanks for the Eden Botanicals rec — was not sure which e.o. was best these days.
Just thought of another one that is relatively current, while not heavy on the vetiver but very lovely…Dame Perfumery’s Passionfruit, Orange Blossom & Vetiver……
Thanks for the list of summer vetivers! I particularly love the Guerlain and like you wear it all year round. My other favorite, Encre Noir, I tend to wear in cooler weather only.
I was lucky enough to find a small bottle of AG vetiver cologne at an online discounter last summer for a very good price. I used a lot of it up last year (it seemed perfect in the heat), and if I still feel the same this summer (I’m fickle) I’ll probably finish it up.
EN will surely be on the fall or winter list 🙂
I need to revisit the AG, have not smelled it in ages! If I remember correctly, it’s a bit inky too?
Not sure I’d call it inky – to me it smells breezy and salty and reminds me of the ocean. Fairly light but lasts pretty long for a cologne. Maybe you’re thinking of the EDT version?
Could be — thanks! Maybe that’s what I’m remembering, salty.
The original is intense, the cologne while nice, has lost all of the swagger that the EDT had in plenty.
Here in England it rains rather a lot in summer, so Chanel Sycomore fits my summer vetiver bill pretty well most of the time!
Another good one!
Oh, that is a great one! I tend to like in fall, though.
A chance to share my funny vetiver story! I was listening to Ask Me Another on NPR and one of the contestants was an aromatherapist. Ophira Eisenberg asked her what her favorite oil was. The aromatherapist answered “Vetiver. It comes from a tree!” A real forehead-slapping moment.
LOL — that is funny! But hey, if you love the smell, it doesn’t matter in the end where it came from 🙂
True! 🙂
I adore Guerlain Vetiver, especially the older versions. Lately I’ve been pining for a vintage bottle. This post might push me over the cliff, forgive me Donatella….
My vintage bottle of Guerlain is really pretty amazing. Actually, even my “new” bottle is around 8-10 years old now.
Love Hermés Vetiver Tonka as well as the previously mentioned Guerlain and FM. I also love 7 Virtues Vetiver of Haiti and PdN Vetyver. Dying to try SL Vetiver Oriental, Tauer Vetiver Dance and Cologne de Maghreb, and many, many more….
Nice list! I forgot about The 7 Virtues version, I should try that again.
I was really disappointed by Vetiver Dance. Bless Andy but it’s kind of a mess and not very vetivery.
It was not my thing either.
Love Kenzo Air. Vetiver Pour Elle is lovely and soft. I like the Guerlain Vetiver called Eau Glacee (Frozen Fragrance.)
Kenzo Air would definitely make this list if it was still available! And I’ll wear it on Friday. I never got to try the Glacee!
I just saw a 20ml “pocket” bottle on Amazon for about $30…just sayin, you know, in case your current bottle is getting low????
Oh, good buy! I have plenty, I just didn’t want to recommend it if people couldn’t easily get it. Thanks though!
Not a vetiver fanatic myself I find Carner Barcelona D600 to be a suitable choice for summer. Its iris + vetiver combo suit me well.
And covers all the bases 🙂
I love Vetiver in summer! Another great one is Vetiver by Hove New Orleans, it’s available in perfume or cologne concentrations and the price is very reasonable. Their Vetiver soap is fantastic too, and comes in a beautiful box. They also sell bundles of vetiver root such as the ones pictured above. Vetiver has a strong place here in New Orleans, I’ve read that for generations Creole families in the city would place bundles of Vetiver in closets and cupboards as a way to drive away pests and perfume sheets and linens.
Lucky you to live in New Orleans! I visited your lovely city this spring, dropped into the Hove shop (with two impatient sons in tow), and bought a bar of vetiver soap and a small vial of Pirate’s Gold perfume. Unfortunately the soap smells very mild to me, but the perfume is a gorgeous patchouli I’ve really enjoyed wearing. Now I wish I’d also bought some vetiver perfume!
Glad you enjoyed your visit! I’m just here for a few months for work, but it’s a city I love to visit whenever I can. Also my best friend lives here, so that’s always a good excuse! Hove really is great, but I think with such small-scale production, the quality varies a bit from time to time…I’m sorry the Vetivert soap was mild, I’ve always had the opposite experience with it and it’s been very fragrant! But I know what you mean, because once I bought their Verveine soap (lemon verbena) and I could barely smell it. I think the batches just vary sometimes, unfortunately. I don’t think I’ve ever tried Pirate’s Gold, I will have to!
That’s a lovely store.
Love New Orleans but the tax, oy! 9% IIRC, unlesss it had gone up even more from when I visited in 2014!
I love Vetiver and have a ton of it. Sycomore, Roja Vetiver, Vetiver Tonka, Annick Goutal Vetiver Cologne, Sel de Vetiver, Cuir Vetiver, Carven Vetiver. I also have samples of Vetiver Extraordinaire, Vetiver Veritas, Vetiver Insolent (Miller Harris), Vetiver Fatal, Le Galion Vetyver, AbdesSalaam Oak Moss…. Oddly I don’t much like the Guerlain!
The Goutal and Sel de Vetiver would be top of my list for a hot summer day; Sycomore is also lovely in the heat. I’ll probably get bottles of Vetiver Fatal and Vetiver Insolent one day.
Wow!!
Double WOW! I have to say, you are my idol ????
Haha, just a terrible (vetiver) hoarder. I have Timbuktu too…
so what you are saying is that you really like vetiver? 😀
Trying to make up my mind…
Love Encre Noir!
Me too.
Fat Electrician. The ELDO sample set is quite cheap (even at Canadian Sephora) and this smoky, nutty vetiver truly is perfect. I’d love to smell Kenzo Air. It sounds right up my alley. I loved the Vettiveru, when I tried it a while back, but remember it as fleeting.
Fat Electrician is great. I was thinking of it for fall or spring.
Vetiver Oriental and Onda are my favorite vetiver scents.
Ah…we are vetiver opposites — both of those are difficult for me!
Love Onda VdE and didn’t even realize Vetiver was in it. Shame on me and no wonder it’s a deep and abiding love of mine…if only I could catch it on SALE!!!
I’m crazy for vetiver, and Vetiver Tonka gets a lot of play at my house. I was very excited to get a bunch of Vetiver d’Haiti shower gel from Yves Rocher that I’ll be trying out tomorrow morning. I’m trying to stop myself from buying Fat Electrician and 7 Virtues Vetiver because as much as I love it, I think you can have too much vetiver. It tends to be the star in any production, IMO.
Oh, please report back on the shower gel!!
Love the Guerlain vetiver , but find that my bottle of Tom Ford Grey Vetiver usually wins out if I’m in a vetiver mood
That’s a good one.
I love vetiver. If I remember correctly, Robin, you were not a fan of Lubin Le Vetyver–green, citrus and incense along with a nice dose of vetiver. I wear that one year round along with the Guerlain Vetiver family. I even have a patch of vetiver grass growing along the side of the garage. The Dior Vetiver which is green and with a bit of roasted coffee, is also not too much on a hot day. And Sel de Vetiver. Yay! vetiver.
Gosh, I wasn’t, but your memory is undoubtedly better than mine because I don’t even remember why. And don’t remember DISliking it, just that I didn’t fall for it.
And you are growing vetiver! I am jealous.
I love Le Vetiver too! I wish it was easier to find in the US. I remember not buying it when Luckyscent had it on clearance. Stupid stupid. 🙁
It’s so interesting: I have a partial bottle of vintage Guerlain Vetiver and I much prefer the current version in the tall bottle. I also prefer the tall bottle to the wider scalloped one…
Like Nathanthomas50 I also love Grey Vetiver, but it rings in behind the Guerlain for me.
Dior’s now discontinued Vetiver is the smoothest and most well rounded for me, but I don’t wear it as often as the above two.
CDG’s Vettiveru smelled quite milky to me, for some reason. I’m a bit sorry I didn’t buy it when I saw it, but its staying power was a bit iffy –
Oh interesting, good to know the current might be better than some vintages.
I prefer it, but it seems nearly unanimous that the vintage is better so I guess I’m the exception 😀
I really like Fat Electrician and Sycomore, and would probably even consider them as year-round scents. But everyone has given me a lot of food for thought… there are a lot more vetivers out there that I need to try!
You know, so many of them are year-round, or very nearly so. It’s a bit arbitrary to split them into seasons.
This is very low-end I know but when Demeter gets something right they get it really right, and their Vetiver makes me very happy: it’s bright-green and rooty-earthy at the same time. Absolutely my favourite vetiver.
Wow, your very favorite! I am not sure I’ve even tried it.
I have this, so inexpensive – perfumath free and even more so since I got the 30 mL at 20% discount!
According to my mathematical formula, that means they paid you to buy it ????
Exactly!
I can’t say that vetiver is my absolute favorite note, but I do like it. I have only worn 2 fragrances that I am aware of with this note; Pink Vetiver by Jo Loves and Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel. Both are beautiful fragrances in their own right.
What is Pink Vetiver like?
Its kind of woody, but not extremely sweet. It’s a light fragrance that doesn’t last very long (which was disappointing to me). Most vetiver scents are more on the “masculine” side, but not so much with this one (probably the reason why “pink” is in the name). But, I can totally see males wearing this as well (kind of like some of the Tom Ford’s). This is a really “fresh” fragrance and I think that’s why I like it. I tend to go towards “fresh” fragrances. For me, its not FB worthy. But, it was an unexpected, pleasurable scent.
Thanks!
My favorite vetiver for summer is Timbuktu. For other seasons I also enjoy Fat Electrician and Serge Lutens Vetiver Oriental.
wanted to mention Timbuktu too, it is great. And Lime Basil Mandarin is a somewhat very toned down citrus-vetiver to me and perfect in the heat
Love Timbuktu. I don’t file it in my brain as a vetiver, but it does have vetiver, and I do love it 🙂
My favorite is Sycomore. I also have a brand spanking new bottle of Carner Barcelona D600. I have never tried Guerlain Vetiver and it looks like I need to..or else I can stick with the dirt cheap Demeter Vetiver!
Maybe I could have skipped the whole list and just tell everybody to buy the Demeter, LOL…
Sycomore is silky and quite lovely- and I think it’s best in a cooler temp, where it can hover close to the body instead of radiating (especially the decant that you sent me- that was the EDP, right?).
I am a vetiver fanatic. Like you, the Prada does nothing for me. I would replace it on the list with Zegna’s Haitian Vetiver.
I don’t think the Zegna is a “starter” vetiver though! But it will make it onto another seasonal list — maybe fall.
I don’t own any vetivers ATM, but I did go through 2 travel sprays of Vetiver Extraordinaire, so I’d say that was my favorite. I like Sycamore and Sel de Vetiver but vetiver isn’t something I crave these days.
All good picks!
Love the list. But I’m just not into this Molecule brand. I feel like it’s a slap in the face to the perfume making process. It takes years to learn how to make a beautiful fragrance. Molecule dilutes one synthetic in a bottle and calls it perfume?? It costs like $4 for 10ml of vetiver acetate which would make hundreds of bottles. So to charge people over $100 for one bottle just feels wrong.
It is overpriced, but I liked the idea of releasing them in pairs with a “finished” fragrance (Escentric 03). Beats what Juliette Has A Gun did with Not A Perfume. And really, I meant get a sample, not buy a bottle!
Thumbs up for Guerlain Vetiver, which is like a blast of AC in the summer.
Now I’m curious about the Prada Vetiver. Sometimes I want something a bit softer than Guerlain Vetiver when it’s really hot; and that’s the time of year when Prada Infusion d’Iris works for me.
That’s exactly what Paul Smith Story was! Plus, book-shaped bottle! So sorry it didn’t catch on.
Amazing list!
I just really discovered my favorite summer vetiver a few weeks ago: Annick Goutal Vetiver (Les Colognes). It is such a breathtaking salty and airy vetiver, almost beachy. Perfect for summer, with its bright citrus opening and sea breeze feeling!
Now you’re set 🙂
Lovely list, Robin!
For me, nothing beats Guerlain’s as a summery vetiver. And I really, really have enough vetiver-centered perfumes, but now I must try Vettiveru ASAP.
I also have a sample of Vetiver Babylone and I’ve just retested it – funny, it was filed under ‘horrible’ in my brain, but I find it quite pleasant today. Not falling in love with it though, luckily (for my wallet).
Yes — better to stay in the “like” stage!
Late to this! Sycomor is really gorgeous, but I somehow associate it with a fall scent.
1) Tom Ford Grey Vetiver- especially when stored in the fridge and then spritzed, is super lovely. It radiates beautifully as it warms and smells of crisp clean ironing and the root itself. The bottle I have is from a former boyfriend tat I found buried in the closet, along with a couple of his scarfs.
2) But now, NOW: Carven Vetiver is very beautiful and downright sexy, if you ask me (you didn’t). It ‘s beautifully mixed and in warm weather becomes refreshing and sexy without being overbearing. Great on guy; better on a lady, I think.
Great descriptions, thanks!
I’m not really a big fan of vetiver, but I do have a few that I like. Infusion de vetiver is easily my favorite for summer. Coeur de vetive sacré works too, if it’s not too hot. I prefer to keep Sycomore and Encre Noire for fall.
Vetiver de Guerlain is my favourite. But Guerlain Homme L’eau Boisée is a warm, light and highly wearable vetiver fragrance. Prada Infusion de Vetiver has too much citrus in it. And Creed Vetiver is gorgeous, but too expensive if we compare it to a masterpiece such as Vetiver de Guerlain.