Reviews of Sélection Verte (1970)
by Creed

Selection Verte is an herbal masquerading under the green banner due to the strange-but-good combo of herbs and peppermint.

With a floral citrus accord above it and ambergris below, the heart accord is the soul of Verte. Even though they can be accounted for, the top and base are simply along for the ride.

Mint is not my style and neither is a "cologny" aura, so Verte would never make the cut for my drobe, but it is well made and good at what it does. This is good, but simply not me.

Very, very nice. Selection Verte may not seem very original or unique but it is such a pleasant fragrance. On examination of all the previous reviews, non-'Thumbs Up' reviewers each have their different gripes, but I notice that none actually disliked the smell.... this is not a surprise. I myself have no problems with the longevity, 6 hours of soft citrus and fresh mint goodness.

I've had a bottle of 'Roger & Gallet - Extra Vielle' for quite some time now and it has been one of my favourite summer scents. The moment I tried Selection Verte recently I thought "My God this is identical to Extra Vielle". So the next day I decided to wear the two on either arm. Side by side the Creed is head and shoulders above the Extra Vielle, brighter, better longevity, cleaner and just plainly of a higher quality. The Creed remains bright and fresh throughout (with the help of the mint) whereas the Extra Vielle takes on a rather stale/musty direction 2 to 3 hours in. There is no denying the two are 90% the same, but with the Creed being 21 years the senior makes the EV into the blatant copy. Roger & Gallet's offering represents much better value for money though.

Oh, why does this have to be part of Creed's "private collection?" I would buy a smaller bottle of this in an instant. Selection Verte opens with a blast of citrus and mint that smells incredibly natural and refreshing. As it dries down, the citrus subsides, and the mint and sweet pea become the focus of scent until it fades away all too quickly. Green, citrus-y, cool, and natural, Selection Verte is a superb warm-weather fragrance and one of Creed's better offerings in general.

This scent is utterly beautiful! I just love the opening citrus and mint blast so much. However, there is one slight problem – its longevity is rather pitiful.

And to think Sélection Verte had the potential to be one of my all-time favourites...

[Original submission date: 10 April 2008]

If I had tested this blind, I would swear it would be a Bulgari. Has the aldehydic drydown of the The series with a fresh and amazing green mint added on top. Nice, since I don't like mint. Doesn't last long though. Go for Chèvrefeuille Original if you want longevity and mint (from a Creed). Honestly, thumbs up if it lasted longer.

This is a very interesting and distinctive scent. It is perky, quirky, minty citrus-green. The opening is very citrus-y, then it settles into an earthy-green chord. A peppery mint, or peppermint, whatever you please, is evident. This is a very GREEN scent which gets more substantial as time goes by. It develops sappy, juicy notes. I am a big fan of green scents – and yet I’m of mixed mind about this one. Perhaps it is just so distinctive that I need to become accustomed to it. A sweet floral note emerges, the so-called “sweet pea”. I’ll try this again sometime, and I urge all greenies out there to give it a try… see what you think!

As of this writing, there are 10 fragrances in the basenotes directory with Verte as part of their name. I’ve tried four of them so far and I inferred there would be a bunch more, since the word ‘verte’ was not the basis for trying them. Creed’s UK website characterizes Sélection Verte as a “fresh, sophisticated citrus fragrance with light, clean notes of mandarin, lemon and bergamot combined with peppery mint and sweet pea.” I am not especially fond of prominent mint in fragrance and here it is a dominant note. It is fresh, cool, quite potent and I think well-executed. Eventually the mint loses its dominance and the sweet pea comes out; mint remains but in a subtle role. It is at this stage that I am most impressed with the fragrance – the drydown is something to look forward to. I get about 6 hours out of it altogether, a little less than I would like, but not bad.

I think Sélection Verte is a good choice for a mint lover. I think if you are looking for citrus-dominance, go elsewhere – here mint rules. But it feels fresh, clean, lively and very natural, so I give it good marks.

Absolutely stunning on a hot day. It actually feels cool on your skin! The vibrant and unique fresh initial accord of mandarin dominated citrus and mint fade slowly as it develops and a warm "sweet pea" note takes over which I suspect may be some derivative of neroli. The ghosts of the oranges and mint sit beautifully in this as it persists very well in its creed-like subtle way.

This really is unique and full of craft and originality, I have never known anyone NOT to enjoy it on me.

Much better than I had expected.
This is my 3rd favorite Creed.

The top is extra-ordinarily good, but the base is little more than the Creed house note to my nose.
Still, the notes are all so good it's hard to not like alot.

Both thumbs up.

Love it. But I will try YSL Pour Homme, even though a previous review reckons Creed copied it. They can't have actually, since Selection Verte came out in 1970, and YSL Pour Homme, in 1971...

Minty fresh and grassy, with just the right twist of lemon. Unfortunately, minty fresh is not my thing (except in mouthwash), and I prefer my green scents less mentholated. Foetidus is right to point out the delicate floral element at the heart, and this lovely note does much to lift Selection Verte above the common run of green citrus scents. In the final analysis this is a very well composed, if simple scent, but my personal biases lead me to avoid it. Try Selection Verte if you like wearing mint. If not, you can just join me and skip it.

Flawless citrus opening—as good as I’ve experienced; there is just enough mint to tweak the citrus to perfection, but it doesn’t interfere as mint often does (I’m not extremely fond of mint). That great citrus / green surge lasts quite well for the type of fragrance it is, but, alas, it eventually fades to mint—a mint that is better than most mints I’ve known. Within the heart, the mint is joined by a floral: This must be the sweet pea—it’s been so long since I smelled this delicately sweet little flower that I can’t quite remember its aroma, and the mint dominance keeps me from getting a clear olfactory picture of the sweet pea—I guess I’m going to have to plant some seeds. The dry down is Creed and it still retains a mint ambiance. I love the fragrance that Sélection Verte presents on its top notes. I like the closeness that Sélection Verte develops after a time; it stays close and lasts very well for a citrus and astoundingly well for a Creed.

No doubt about it, this is certainly a thumbs up fragrance—it boasts one of the most beautiful citrus openings I’ve experienced. Had it gone in another direction than mint, I would certainly purchase it immediately, but mint isn’t my thing, although this one does mint as good as it gets for me.

I bought this for my boyfriend at Harrod's, because he loves the smell of limes... and indeed it is a citrus masterpiece! The top notes are lime, lime, LIME with a pepperminty undertone, and the composition doesn't change much over time, although I can smell the sweetpea on the drydown.

Contrary to what other have said in their reviews, my boyfriend puts this on in the morning and I can still smell lovely traces of it when we are bedding in for the night. Perfect for kissing, and perfect for a man who loves Trumper's Extract of Limes but complains about the longevity.

I'm not sure about Napoleon III and Sigmund Freud. The clerk at Harrod's said it was originally crafted for Cary Grant (and this was echoed on the Creed website). Does anyone know more about this?

Well, I don't know much about herbal mint, but I know what I like.

This one is stunning. A victory over the forces of evil in my battle to find good citrus frags. And yes, longevity is quite decent.

Especially good on hot days, as noted. No, it's not absurdly expensive. It's just that SV comes only in 8.4 oz flacons.

So, skip on two GITs and git this instead.
Cheers.

It's not a bad scent, but I'd say save the high cost and just get the original YSL Pour Homme. Each have that crisp, cool green and citrus blend, but the YSL actually has some lasting power.

Notes: mandarin, lemon, bergamot, mint, sweet pea.

Upon first glance, the notes of Selection Verte (SV) had me salivating. Perhaps I had found my holy grail for intense summers. May be I have.

SV opens with exquisite top notes of lemon and mint - it really smell cool and fresh. You can feel a cool blast on your skin when you first put it on. Must be one high quality mint ingredient in there. The base introduces an unusual note of pea, which transforms SV to a bit of a herbal-fresh concoction, lending further depth to the composition. It isnt extremely long lasting, but I do get around 5-6 hours out of this, which is pretty good for fragrances of this type.

SV is arguably the best citrus fragrance that I have experienced. It is a must try if you like citrus-mint fragrances.

Clean, fresh, but I find the mint too dominating and medicinal. For something citrus and fresh a little herbal, I much prefer Millésime Impérial; more subtle, interesting, layered.

My favorite fragrance. Very refreshing, lasting but not too long.Definitely not invasive. Citrus and mint, perfect for after work out. I bought a large bottle, finished it and will buy the second.Never happened before.

It started off so well - citrus and mint coolness. Then, for whatever reason, it turned bitter on my skin and all hope was lost. Fortunately, it stays close to the skin, and its longevity is not so great. The opening notes gave me hope, but overall, it just doesn't work for me. I have a feeling this is chemistry-related, hence the so-so rating.

This is truely a special fragrance. The icy cool mint refreshes the skin and senses leaving you invgorated and sparkling. The green character gives vibrant imaginations of catching the juice off of melting mint icecycles in a flacon. The addition of pepper makes the masterpiece masculing and refreshing, not sweet. This is a must own and an excellent to treat yourself to a work of genius! I love it!

Mint as it should be.
Herbal, limeish minty pepper freshness. Absolutely gorgeous fragrance, unfortunately with a price thereafter. If you can, get it!
Mattias /Sweden

PREFACE: First, beware fraudulent Creed. My experience with Parfum1.com raised my brow as high as the price for this Private Collection jewel finally made available in the United States this year. The most astute fragrance friend and fragrance purveyor I've found, especially for Creed, is Pam Atchison at Hampton Court Essential Luxuries in Santa Rosa, California. No other purveyor with whom I've done business has gone to the lengths to please "Mr. Impossible" as I sometimes am described. REVIEW: Sparkling droplets of melting ice infused with a melange of luscious lime, peppermint aplenty and pink peppercorns soar and slowly soften into the herbal, sunny accord of summery lemon, mandarin and bergamot. This is a minty, peppery wind belonging to that solstice when daylight cheats night; Creed's delectably limey, minty dew sustains its savory refreshment hour upon hour. NOTES: Made for Napoleon III and a signature scent of Sigmund Freud, the portly, deepest cedar green bottle, containing 8.4 ozs., is crowned with a fat stopper perfect for a once-in-the-morning indulgence. At $280, the list price, most of us only covet such a rarefied scent. There are those expert consumers of fragrance who will scoff at Selection Verte because they may assert that it is little more than the typical Creed accord containing variations of bergamot, lemon and mandarin. And there are those who insist that Creed's scents are eau de toilette or cologne. Not so by any measure! The majority of Creed's historic line of scents are what this fabled parfumerie calls "millesimes" containing 18-20% extraits and oils, a euphemism for eau de parfum. Like all of Creed's millesimes, Selection Verte is a completely handmade fragrance that you will never find on the shelves at T.J. Maxx, Marshall's, Stein Mart or other discount department stores. For almost 250 years, Creed has painstakingly customized millesimes for European royalty, heads of state and celebrities worldwide. I'm simply a commoner who saved for a year to acquire my first Private Collection Creed millesime. For my money and unqualified opinion, Selection Verte rises above the oceans of mediocre or even above average summer scents that are mass-produced and, often, largely synthetic. Selection Verte is one of those perfect experiences in which craftsmanship, originality and historic significance distinguish a timeless scent from those made for the masses that become rightfully forgotten.

Although I really enjoy this scent I feel like it is one of the least likely and certainly one of the most over-priced Creed products out there. To me the Vintage line should be scents that are wholly unique and almost unusual...Selection Verte is not. A VERY citrusy opening is ended by a vetiver-like drydown. Nothing out of the ordinary or even all that classy.