Reviews of Vétiver (1981)
by Annick Goutal

OK, I seriously cannot get past the top/middle accords. Good citrus and vetiver drydown but... salty. It smells like my favorite Lebanon bologna meat snack.

Annick Goutal's Vetiver starts out with a very odd top note. As other reviewers have noted, the top note is a combination of Cognac, seaweed and iodine which was not particularly pleasant to my nose. Thankfully as it developed, Vetiver became a more accessible but still unusual vetiver fragrance. This is a very intriguing and wearable perfume although I am not sure if I would want a full bottle of this.

Here are the notes, as gleaned from various perfume websites: Cognac, seaweed, iodine, Burmese spices, rare woods, Javanese vetiver, patchouli, vanilla.

This is an earthy, smoky vetiver combined with spice (clove, bay?). The spice disappears quickly and the vetiver itself is gone after two hours. So although it is quite nice, I have to give it a neutral vote, because of its poor longetivity.

For a non domesticated nose, the initial olfactory picture on mind would be a seaweed scented plasticine.
For me this perfume is a challenge.
The unusual opening of cognac, fucus and iodine, just blown me away.
I know so many people find fucus kelp aroma hard. It’s in fact, in my nose, is just the same green, kind of balsamic accord in the opening of the glorious “Secretions Magnifiques”. The same touch of rubbery salty aura surrounding although. But in this juice, the vetiver reacts quickly fading off the medicinal touches, and blends with the cognac, a strange, (I have to say) note, never raised before in perfumery, but quite pleasant and in balance in this fragrance, that eliminates the metallic scent of the fucus too.
It’s actually, a versatile perfume: sharp and kind of aquatic sometimes, another times very earthy, dry, even moody. It represents in a very natural way the spirit of the vetiver root indeed.
Annick Goutal's “Vetiver” is quite linear, subtle and calming. It’s more close to skin perfume, and develops nicely with a decent longevity.

On a recent trip to Paris I sampled this at the Annick Goutal store. Like all of the Goutal fragrances, the initial impression is bizarre. Cognac, seaweed, iodine. And like all of the Goutal fragrances, the dry down is invigorating. Vetiver, of course, is abundant with its grassy, herbal presence, mingled with a peaty Scotch (hence the iodine) and notes of patchouli and vanilla. The effect is astringent and exotic. It smells like no other vetiver, and like no other cologne (though there are some similarities to AG's Sables, which I dislike). Adjectives: tropical, herbal, exotic. Good for any season. It wears close to the skin. And my wife likes it, which is unusual.

A sun dried hayfield near the sea. Immediately on spraying, the iodine smell was just too harsh, but it settled down to a sea / iodine / vetiver accord, which, to me, was a new take on vetiver. It completely turned me off the first time I tested it. The fragrance took a lot of getting used to, but eventually I decided that Annick Goutal’s Vétiver is an intriguing fragrance. It even helps that this scent is quite linear: This iodine / vetiver accord has an amazingly addictive quality to it and I’m pleased that it persists to the end. I like this scent so much that I purchased it knowing that it has a serious longevity problem—that’s only happened once before.

A beautiful Vetiver that you will faintly and beautifully smell on a piece of clothing later on. Love.

The iodine notes are harsh. Very salty and to me, dated. Smells like something my grandfather might wear.

Tendentious scents float by my window ... But you, my beauty, bespeak only of subtle odours blown by the winds along the boulevards. Precious green glade, pervaded by the smell of mysterious pale branches and shy grasses, here where the sophistications of the city meet the countryside. (de Charlus).

This is one where first impressions can be deceiving. Initial application yields a bit of a harsh, discordant mess that takes a few minutes to settle down. But the result is worth the wait. One of the greener and saltier vetivers around, this is a different interpretation than Guerlain's, which is more citrusy and peppery, Floris' and Creed's (1948) versions, which are lighter and brighter, and Villoresi's, which has more prominant woods. A worthy addition to any vetiver lover's wardrobe.

Annick Goutal's [b]Vetiver EDT[/b] is nice enough, though quite simple and fleeting. It opens with a reasonably strong, smoky, salty character with a hint of spices; no citrus is apparent. Unfortunately, it disappears on my skin within 3 hours after a linear, unimpressive drydown. A brief description of the notes per Sephora.com: Java Vetiver, Rare Wood, Burmese Spices, and Sea Salt Aroma. I much prefer my Guerlain Vetiver, which lasts twice as long and presents a beautiful, evolving drydown.

Wicozani

Good, earthy and creamy version of Vetiver which is accented by pepper. Must-have!

it's amazing how accurate the earlier comment on this fragrance are,they are a so true!.To me it starts out like guerlain version,but this is only a few minutes.Then it slowly developes in a wonderfull way into a soft and green fragrance. The drydown is pure and earthy,but I also detect a sea smell(?) I love it!

This scent is stunning! IMHO, the reviews below are increadibly accurate in describing the warmth and richness that make this scent nothing short of blissful.

This Vertiver-Fragance smells in the first minutes like compressed herbs or like drawing ink (!). But after a few minutes it´s green like a garden in spring; a little bit romantic and very juicy. Than, 30 min. later, it is a very blue sent on my skin. Fresh, clean, subtle, something erthy, complex and a little bit arrogant. It is more complex than Guerlins Vertiver, more soft than Frederic Malle´s.

An honest, woody/earthy vetiver that has some beautiful creamy edges/undertones. Clean and decadent.

Goutal's version of Vetiver is very different from Guerlain's - in fact is is very different from any other scent I can think of. This may be due to the "Burmese spices" which figure in the mixture. I have also been told that seaweed is used as a base. It is very distinctive and very green and sweeter than most vetivers.