Vetiver

[sofaking6]

Short of finding a single-note, what blend would be the best for for-sure identifying how vetiver smells?

Edited January 25, 2008 by ivyandpeony
added search terms to subtitle

[ivyandpeony]

I would recommend Azathoth - it was super-duper-strength vetiver to me. I also find Sloth and Saturnalia to be very strong vetiver.

 

I will note, though, that my skin amps vetiver like crazy. Still, with other vetiver blends (like Marquise de Merteuil, for example) I can smell many of the other components - these are the ones where the vetiver was really dominant.

[sofaking6]

I would recommend Azathoth - it was super-duper-strength vetiver to me. I also find Sloth and Saturnalia to be very strong vetiver.

 

I will note, though, that my skin amps vetiver like crazy. Still, with other vetiver blends (like Marquise de Merteuil, for example) I can smell many of the other components - these are the ones where the vetiver was really dominant.

 

Well that works out, I actually have Azazoth! One of my psycho-newbie-ebay purchases.

[fiddledragon]

Hopefully Azathoth works, but if not, try Sloth or Saturnalia, particularly if you already have a good idea of what myrrh or violet smells like.

[olympia301]

Lex Taleonis and Saturnalia. Actually, going to the local Wild Oats or healthfood store and sniffing the tester of vetiver is a free way to find out what pure vetiver smells like.

[forspecial_plate]

Better Botanicals lip balm has a great vetiver lip balm. It was the first time I smelled vetiver so that's what I always think of. Now their lip balms are too strong for me a lot of the time (the scent, that is)...can't have anything overpowering my Black Phoenix! I still like them sometimes, though.

 

To my nose, Djinn has a strong presence of vetiver. And I'll agree with Azathoth.

[Torrilin]

Incantation is also very vetiver heavy.

 

It's actually pretty easy to identify vetiver heavy scents in the reviews. The heavier the vetiver, the more reviewers will complain of smoky, oily, overpowering green smells, possibly with a side dose of dirt and mustyness. The lighter the vetiver, the more reviewers will talk about how it smells like a growing plant. As near as I can tell, this happens because a lot of the forum's population has skin that amps vetiver's odder aspects. All I ever get is the growing plant smell, even on the ones that are pretty heavy on the vetiver. And if the scent is fairly light on vetiver, all it does is add a lovely skin scent sort of aura to the scent.

[sofaking6]

Ah okay...I just got an imp of Bluebeard and I think the vetiver is really standing out in that blend. It's florals...light musk...and then some smoky dirt.

 

Thanks

[Rouge]

Malediction is pretty strong on the vetiver, but the patchouli that's also prevalent gives the blend a rather more musty smell than vetiver has alone.

[urbanruralferal]

Great He-Goat!

[parrot_suspect]

Here's an an entire thread about vetiver, which may prove useful.

 

http://www.bpal.org/index.php?showtopic=2435

[HamletsKeeper]

So I did a random thing today while making my usual batch of body butter, I dumped a heap of vetiver essential oil in it just to use up the bottle. The result? Vetiver smells amazing on my skin in large doses. I don't get any smoke from it at all, just this lush deep earthy scent I really like. So I did a BPAL search and found 44 scents that contain vetiver. But which ones have vetiver as a feature note? And my next question, are the dirt scents vetiver heavy? As I love the smell of dirt and am thinking of going in that direction too.

 

Sorry to ask for so many recs, it's just that I keep finding new avenues to explore.

 

Scents of interest to me now in the vetiver category are....

 

Highwayman

Prurience

Voodoo

Death Adder

Anathema

Fallen

 

I don't want anything with noticeable patchouli in it though (I'm looking at you Caterpillar) which tends to make me retch.

[lainevierge]

Out of the two of those I've tried (Voodoo & Death Adder) as far as I could tell Voodoo had no vetiver, but Death Adder is pretty vetiver heavy.

 

One of my all time favorite vetiver scents is Saturnalia though. It's a must have for all vetiver lovers.

[Aldercy]

You're so lucky to be one of the chosen few! Vetiver hates so many people... I love it ultra-aged, but it's really acrid fresh. Vetiver is a labor of love for me because apparently it must sit for three years before touching my skin....

 

I don't think the dirt scents have a noticeable vetiver note. The vetiver probably would have exploded on my skin if there was more than a drop. They really smell like garden earth, and I don't know how Beth does it. You should still check them out though because they're lovely.

 

My favorite vetiver blend is very old Serpent's Kiss. Oh, man, it is delicious dark red, spicy, earthy vetiver love.

[Monster]

*waves* another vetiver-lover here

 

Have you tried Incantation or Brimstone? both are gorgeous vetiver blends

[Beazlebabe]

Oh yay, another vetiver fan!

 

I've been out of the BPALiverse for a while so I don't know much about the newer additions to the catalogue buuuuuuttt from what I recall, the vetiver in Sloth and Iago is prominent (and divine). I believe Devil's Claw featured a heavy, "dirty" vetiver.

 

I don't recall dirt fragrances smelling too strongly of vetiver but I'm sure the two overlap at some point. You might want to try to procure some Samhainophobia, as oakmoss reads as "dirt" to some people and the patchouli is quiet (..I think. Anyone wanna school me here?)

 

Sorry I can't be more help to you.

 

So I did a random thing today while making my usual batch of body butter, I dumped a heap of vetiver essential oil in it just to use up the bottle. The result? Vetiver smells amazing on my skin in large doses. I don't get any smoke from it at all, just this lush deep earthy scent I really like. So I did a BPAL search and found 44 scents that contain vetiver. But which ones have vetiver as a feature note? And my next question, are the dirt scents vetiver heavy? As I love the smell of dirt and am thinking of going in that direction too.

 

Sorry to ask for so many recs, it's just that I keep finding new avenues to explore.

 

Scents of interest to me now in the vetiver category are....

 

Highwayman

Prurience

Voodoo

Death Adder

Anathema

Fallen

 

I don't want anything with noticeable patchouli in it though (I'm looking at you Caterpillar) which tends to make me retch.

 

[sarada]

vetiver is my favorite note; i find that the limited editions are probably the best source for it, and many of those can probably be found at cheap prices in the sales section of the forum since we vetiver lovers are apparently in the minority. although since i especially love it paired with patchouli it's hard for me to remember which actually don't have patchouli prominent in the blend as well. the ones you listed above do not have enough vetiver in them for my taste (except for Death Adder, but the coconut puts me off a bit in that); the others have more of a cologney feeling for the most part and lack the deep earthiness that i crave.

 

i like to smell rich, deep, thick loamy soil -- or sweet, damp, muddy earth. here are the ones that are earthy/vetivery enough for my taste but most of them contain patchouli. i find that it merely accentuates the earthy, sweet qualities of the vetiver though so it might be worth a try for you:

 

A Countenance Forboding Evil was probably the best for my purposes although that is also patchouli, i really only notice the vetiver.

 

Sloth (if you like Myrrh as well) might fit the bill though i never really clicked with it.

 

Malediction (again, it lists red patchouli, but it's largely a vetiver scent to me)

 

From the Salon scents, you might want to try Mad Meg, which is a nice earthy vetiverness to it.

 

from the LEs, Hessian of the Hollow from last year comes to mind in particular, and from Carnaval Diabolique: The Grand Inquisitor's Heretics Fork.

 

From the Neil Gaiman scents, The Potter's Field (Graveyard Book) is another one.

 

"Dirt" is another favorite note of mine, but again that might be because I find it to be simialr to patchouli in many cases. Many of the best dirt scents also have a strong floral note (Zombi, Deep in Earth) so finding some Graveyard Dirt from last year's Halloween line might be a good bet if you don't want the floral. althoguh another good earthy scent is Penny Dreadful, or Death Cap, come to think of it.

 

good luck! i find that vetiver is a note that positively sings -- it is a deep, glossy polished wood, with a sweet (almost chocolatey sometimes) earthiness. but on the other hand, if it's in a blend with a lemon or citrus note, it becomes bitter and cologney so i try to mainly look for it in earthy or woody blends to accentuate its best qualities.

 

eta: oh yes and Samhainophobia is my favorite scent of all.

Edited October 18, 2009 by sarada

[HamletsKeeper]

Oh thanks! RE: Patchouli, as long it doesn't smell the way it does in The Caterpillar I'm happy with it being in there. It's just that the Cat reeked of septic tank to me and drowned out every other note in the blend. My skin doesn't amp it or anything like that, I got the sewer smell straight out of the vial as well.

 

Hmmm....as IF I needed any further encouragement to pick up LEs off the forum....

 

PS - Thanks mods for merging, I did a search on Vetiver but it didn't bring up this thread for me

Edited October 18, 2009 by HamletsKeeper

[sarada]

I don't like Caterpillar either, I think it's the jasmine and other floral notes in that that make it disagree with me since I mostly think of that as being a mossy floral headache scent. (It's the first BPAL I ever bought, too -- it took me a couple more months of experimenting before I found the right blends for me!) But jasmine has a distinctly...er, septic aroma to my nose as well, although I do like it in fruity blends it really doesn't work in other contexts for me. I think you'd like a lot of the blends that are all wood/vetiver notes in that case!

[ifinena]

Incantation is awesome! It's one of the very few GC bottles that I've bought.

[sqwook]

Side note -- If florals aren't really your thing, try some of the other recs or other things on your list before trying Fallen; it's more floral than vetiver, on me anyway. Reminds me a bit of Salome & Pannychis, if you've tried either of those.

[Jupita]

I'm not a particularly huge vetiver fan... but I've been to Madagascar recently and smelled some vetiver soap that just made me lose my mind...

I think it can be a very nice thing... then again, most scents that have vetiver in them, seem to have patchouli in them too... and... I don't like patchouli... nor amber.. two scents that I seem to amp like crazy, and finally I can smell only that.

I'm looking for GC here tho, impable GC...

I'm already ordering Serpent's Kiss, since I know I love dragon's blood, and know that it's kinda of a salvage note for me... anything with it works for me...

But I'd like some more recommendations, if someone has any...

[Little Bird]

Hurricane has a strong, interesting, woody, sweet vetiver to it that's not as dark or smoky as some of the other vetiver blends to me.

[Poenari]

I'm not a particularly huge vetiver fan... but I've been to Madagascar recently and smelled some vetiver soap that just made me lose my mind...

I think it can be a very nice thing... then again, most scents that have vetiver in them, seem to have patchouli in them too... and... I don't like patchouli... nor amber.. two scents that I seem to amp like crazy, and finally I can smell only that.

I'm looking for GC here tho, impable GC...

I'm already ordering Serpent's Kiss, since I know I love dragon's blood, and know that it's kinda of a salvage note for me... anything with it works for me...

But I'd like some more recommendations, if someone has any...

 

Since you like dragon's blood I would definitely recommend Bloodlust. Yes, it also lists patchouli, and I do love patchouli, but on me it's all dragon's blood and vetiver. Very dark scent, though.

[donnatron]

Okay, I know you were like "no amber!" but I do not care for amber very much at all and one of my favourite vetiver blends is Prurience red amber and scorched musk with voluptuous carnation, charred vetiver, sensuous tonka, and orris. It's definitely in the Snake Oil/Snake Charmer/Mme. Moriarty family. If you feel like tracking down a (not hard to find) LE with a similar vibe to Prurience and a fabulous vetiver note, you can try Lunar Eclipse Red musk, black currant, violet leaf, wild frankincense, lavender, black orchid, Darjeeling tea, vetiver, red moss, myrrh, Moroccan spices, blackened fruit gums, and tobacco.

 

Some other good vetiver recs:

 

Queen Bewitching Brews Brews For use only by women. An extremely potent passion blend, used to great effect when you're converting feminine sexual energy into power.

This, of course, is dependent on whether or not you choose to wear the Voodoo blends. If they are your bag this is a fabulous vetiver/honey/pine blend that is both enticing and a little threatening.

 

Alecto Excolo Olive leaf, raspberry leaf, vetiver and cedarwood.

Strong vetiver bolstered by the herbal quality of the other ingredients.

 

The Scales of Deprivation Sin and Salvation lemon peel, white sage, frankincense, lavender fougere, sandalwood, vetiver and labdanum.

A dry, herbal vetiver chypre. Very handsome and masculine.

 

Anathema Sin and Salvation Black opium, with vetivert and honeysuckle.

A bit sweeter. I find the opium to be the stronger note but ymmv.