Top 10 Vetiver Fragrances

Happy International Fragrance Day! Today, I will do something I don’t usually do, that being a top 10 list. As it is a special day and vetiver is one of my favourite notes, I thought it would be fun to go through my collection and select my top 10 favourite vetiver scents. This list is in alphabetical order by brand name. All the perfumes come from my collection. Below my final list, I’ll add a few extra fragrances that could easily have made the cut had I owned a bottle. Anyway, without further ado, here are my top 10 vetiver scents.

Chanel – Sycomore – Vetiver is the central theme running through Sycomore. If you are not a vetiver lover, Sycomore will not change your mind about the note. The initial blast of dry vetiver combines with Chanel’s ubiquitous sparkly aldehydes. In the background, a hint of smoke drifts in the air. By the middle stages, the combined effects of violet and cypress transport the wearer to a forest where the aromas of tree bark, dry grass, and earthy green linger. Sycomore has no rough edges, with a smooth sandalwood intervention elegantly rounding out the dry down. 

Eight & Bob – Nuit de Megève – Nuit de Megève is an under-the-radar vetiver perfume. Megève is a ski resort in the Alps, and the fragrance aims to evoke the feeling of being in a cabin in the mountains of France. A short, sharp flurry of grapefruit and petitgrain gives way to notes of vetiver, tobacco, tonka bean, and black coffee. Indeed, this amalgam of notes conjures the feeling of fresh alpine air, sticks crackling in the fire, and the aroma of bitter coffee wafting in the air. Certainly, there are similarities between Nuit de Megève, Dior Vetiver, and Hermes Vetiver Tonka. However, if Vetiver Tonka was too sweet, this might suit you, as the sweetness is muted in this excellent Eight and Bob release.

Etat Libre d’Orange – Fat Electrician – This vetiver from Etat Libre d’Orange thinks outside the fusebox. Rather than concentrate on vetiver’s green, fresh, earthy, or woody aspects, the brand positions the note in a gourmand setting. Prominent supporting notes of myrrh, opoponax, vanilla, chestnut, olive leaf, and whipped cream give this perfume a creamy dessert-like feel. The lack of citrus notes at the outset and the inclusion of the aforementioned gourmand notes ensures Fat Electrician is sufficiently different from the rest of the vetiver pack to make it worth trying.

Guerlain – Vetiver – The reference vetiver. The vetiver to rule them all. If you were to twist my arm and get me to pick a favourite, Guerlain’s Vetiver would be the one. Spicy, smoky, fresh, and gentlemanly, Guerlain’s Vetiver works for any occasion. Wear it dressed up or down. The hints of smoky tobacco and spicy nutmeg perfectly complement the fresh citruses and smooth vetiver note. Vetiver was the first men’s marketed fragrance from Guerlain. Despite that, it doesn’t feel ancient. Reformulations have undoubtedly adapted it to capture a more modern sensibility. Still, the contemporary iteration smells like perfumery at its finest—a must-have for any vetiver connoisseur. 

Hermes – Terre d’Hermès EdT – Jean Claude Ellena’s union of spicy, bitter orange, earthy vetiver, peppered woods, and bracing grapefruit is a winner in all concentrations. I own the EdT. In this concentration, in the opening especially, the vetiver takes a back seat to the sun-parched citruses. However, soon the vetiver appears, combining with the cleverly done flint note, to lend the whole a slightly dirty, earthy, mineral-like feel. The word masterpiece is bandied around all too often, but Terre d’Hermès surely deserves that moniker.

Laboratorio Olfattivo – Vetyverso – A surprise entry from the Italian house. And not one that is mentioned too often in the best vetiver category. Vetyverso is a brilliantly balanced vetiver that is neither too earthy, smoky, or fresh. It shares some crossover notes with Terre d’Hermès. However, the bitter orange in Vetyverso smells more like the rinds of the fruit. The pepper note here is louder and spicier. It mixes with a carnation and nutmeg note which impart an almost medicinal clove-like undertone. Finally, the vetiver kicks in, its woody facets accentuated by a base of cedar and sandalwood. 

L’Artistan Parfumeur – Timbuktu – Undoubtedly, Timbuktu would make the cut for Bertrand Duchaufour’s greatest hits album, Best of Bertrand. His Timbuktu is a dry, smoky vetiver with incense, papyrus, and mango that can take you on a journey to an unfamiliar place filled with exotic sights, sounds, and smells. I’m not a big fan of the remixed version in the newer bottle, but this one is a lead single on an album that’s all killer no filler. It’s right at home amongst these top 10 vetiver fragrances too.

Olfactive Studio – Flashback – The childhood memory of rhubarb tart cooking in the oven inspired Olivier Cresp for Flashback. However, it’s not a gourmand. Rhubarb does indeed feature. Granny Smith Apple combines with the rhubarb to render Flashback fresh, tangy, tart, and green. Eventually, the scent of apple and rhubarb dissipates. In its wake, a dry, woody vetiver (20% of the formula is Haitian vetiver) and cedar trail endures for a few hours. Hespiridic notes of grapefruit and orange are discernable, but Flashback derives its freshness from rhubarb and apple and the cool verdancy of vetiver.

Serge Lutens – Vetiver Oriental – Vetiver Oriental is an intriguing take on vetiver from the doyen of French perfumery Serge Lutens. The initial spray unveils a fresh, green, vegetal, and earthy opening on my skin. I detect a prominent iris, creating an earthy, somewhat powdery effect. The chypre accord of labdanum and oakmoss keeps proceedings resinous and inky. Guaiac Wood adds a smoky, leathery touch. There’s a hint of dark chocolate for good measure. I don’t notice the chocolate as prominently as some, though. For mine, it’s all about the iris, the amber accord, which provides sweetness and vetiver. However, the vetiver doesn’t dominate here as in many other “vetiver” scents. 

Tom Ford – Grey Vetiver EdP – As you can tell by the juice level, Grey Vetiver is a staple in my collection. This classy, elegant interpretation of the note isn’t too earthy, but it has the right amount of colouring from pimento and nutmeg to hold my interest. One of vetiver’s best friends, grapefruit adds to the clean soapy quality of Grey Vetiver. Highly versatile and most definitely signature scent worthy.

So, there we have my ten best vetiver fragrances. But, of course, there are so many others. For instance, Bel Ami Vetiver and Vetiver Tonka may have made it for Hermes had Terre d’Hermès not been included. However, I wanted only one from each brand. Vetiver and Eau Sauvage Parfum from Dior are two further vetiver’s with tremendous pedigree. Towards the cheaper end of the scale, Lalique’s Encre Noire and Vetyver Malizia Uomo from Mirato are worth a try. If you’ve got money to splurge, Sammarco’s fabulous incense/vetiver composition, Vitrum, is a good investment. Finally, my end-of-year best-of-list from 2022 included two vetiver beauties worthy of higher recognition, Parfum d’Empire’s Vetiver Bourbon and Guerlain, Nerolia Vetiver. 

It’s a wide world of vetiver scents, and several different types of vetiver exist—unfortunately, there is not enough time to go into all their nuances today. Suffice it to say it’s an essential ingredient in perfumery. It even appears in several classics, such as Mitsouko and Chanel No.5, albeit as a supporting note. So, highlighting the note and drawing up this list on this International Fragrance Day seemed a good idea. For now, though, I’m away to spray my favourite on the list, Guerlain’s Vetiver. Enjoy your day and week.

What’s your favourite vetiver? What’s your scent of the day?

Note: All images and bottles are my own.