A short film from International Flavors & Fragrances' in-house naturals facility, Laboratoire Monique Rémy, on vetiver production in Haiti. About 6 minutes long.
Montale Red Vetiver ~ fragrance review
As I write, it’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit/35 degrees Celsius in Seattle. On scorchers, I usually opt for colognes they make me feel refreshed and clean. Apparently, most of my citrus scents are too hot to work today (even 10 sprays result in only minutes of refreshment). I don’t want any “sugar” in my perfume on hot days, and cumin and grapefruit are risky (“That man needs a shower!”) And I’m not interested at all in the army of white musk-infused citrus scents on the market that remain on skin till Kingdom Come; the last thing I want today is to be reminded of a steamy laundromat.
My hot-weather choice? I often opt for a vetiver-focused perfume; vetiver makes me feel clean and “cool.” Too bad my latest vetiver purchase (Etro Vetiver) is a failure in this oven-like heat; it disappears from my skin in under 10 minutes. So, thinking of that old phrase — “fight fire with fire” — I turned to a new vetiver fragrance: Montale Red Vetiver…
5 perfumes: vetiver fragrances for spring
It’s April, and we ought to be having spring weather, but so far, it’s been elusive at best, at least in my neck of the woods. After a warmer than usual winter, we’re having a colder than usual spring (I’ve got my heat on today, again). All the same, it’s time for the spring vetiver list (I’ve already done summer, fall and winter, and I’m now accepting votes in the comments for what note, fragrance family or style to do next). As always, the line between the seasons is perhaps a bit arbitrary and/or personal, but for spring we’re looking for versatility: not so heavy as winter, not so light as summer, able to work in nearly any weather, perhaps a bit more lighthearted than the fall list? And as always, do add your own picks in the comments!
Parfums DelRae Panache: I think of Panache as a kinder, gentler riff on Serge Lutens Chêne, with vetiver mingling with the oak and rum…
Mazzolari Vetiver Two Ways ~ fragrance review
The Italian niche perfume company Mazzolari also owns perfume shops in Italy that sell other brands (so don’t be confused if you log onto their site and see lots of non-Mazzolari products listed). Mazzolari supposedly began as a barbershop in the late 1880s and became a perfume shop chain in the 1960s. Mazzolari’s own perfumes debuted in the early 1990s. Vetiver is the first Mazzolari perfume I’ve smelled, but Now Smell This reviewed other Mazzolari perfumes back in 2006: Alessandro, Patchouly and Zagara. I chose to start my Mazzolari journey with Vetiver,* since vetiver is one of my favorite fragrance notes.
Mazzolari Vetiver starts with a mossy, slightly indolic floral-citrus accord, creamy/sweet and cheerful. (Summer flashed before my eyes.) Slowly, a pungent vetiver emerges…
5 perfumes: vetiver fragrances for winter
It’s January, and this morning we had our first snow-related school delay — it must be time for the winter vetiver list (I’ve already covered summer and fall). For all of these lists, the line between the seasons is perhaps a bit arbitrary and/or personal, but in general, today’s selections are heavier variations on the theme. If you are a woman who sometimes finds vetiver too masculine to wear, you might want to stick with the summer recommendations, or come back for the spring list. And as always, do add your own picks in the comments!
Maître Parfumeur et Gantier Route du Vétiver: Arguably the granddaddy of them all; when I reviewed it, I called it “the wild beast of vetiver fragrances”…