Vetiver 46 (2006)
by Le Labo

As has been pointed out frequently, it smells an awful lot like a rehash of Mark Buxton's earlier CdG 2 Man, and the fragrances smell almost identical on paper for a while - they share a heart, but something about the CdG smells... a little less refined? More aldehydic and linear, while the Labo dries down toward a more apparent vetiver note. It's probably an improvement, but fans of the CdG may prefer that one's more devil-may-care attitude to its younger brother's more cleaned-up, classical structure. The 2 Man wins out in terms of price, too - both are worth smelling, but this would be redundant in my own collection.

Spicy and dark vetiver with a beautiful resinous kick to it. Woody fragrance with a rather light vetiver background.As previously mentioned, this smells a lot like Gucci Pour Homme. Will be purchasing a bottle in the near future 8/10

One of the darker vetiver offerings I've tried as of late, Le Labo Vetiver 46 is a smoky, earthy, semi-spicy, semi-green mixture of sorts that leans cold weather by nature of the pepper, clove, and labdanum but is still has fresh green elements in the bergamot, and of course the vetiver itself. In series of Le Labo's core fragrances that revolve around the development about one note, Vetiver 46 has been the most surprising in that more seems to be packed on top of the key note than in, say, Bergamote 22 or Rose 31. Vetiver 46 in character seems a little more independent, as well, like Memoirs of a Trespasser by Imaginary Authors, as the mixture of notes creates an incense vibe. I'm inclined to say that this has primarily cold weather day usage, as it doesn't seem buttoned-up enough for nighttime or formal wear, but doesn't seem appropriate for the summer. Longevity and projection fall in the middle of the house, slightly disappointing for an EDP of its cost. I like it, but certainly not as much as some of the house's other options.

6 out of 10

If a hypothetical “Gucci pour Homme Vetiver” from 2003 existed, it would have smelled exactly like this. Vetiver by Le Labo is literally Gucci pour Homme I (I get this one closer than the CdG) with all its distinctive incense-cedar-pepper structure, just topped with (good) vetiver. A proper “flanker”. Surely nice overall, with also a remarkable persistence, but really too derivative for me.

6/10

The 2Man similarities are unavoidable, and if you know 2Man, that’s pretty much what you get with Vetiver 46. Needless to say, Vetiver 46 is excellent in all the ways that 2Man is excellent. Yet there are some (very subtle) differences.

For one thing, V46 darker and heavier than 2Man so the aldehydes don’t come through quite as much. You still get the leathery, smoky, woods and the “snuffed candle” (aldehyde c11-enic), but V46 has a more charred feel in general than 2Man. That adds interest and texture, but I find 2Man’s strength to be that you can throw it on without thinking twice. With this, it does seem a touch more oppressive and gloomy, so it loses some versatility points there. As with 2Man, the vetiver is present but it’s incidental, tucked away as a minor component more than anything. So, if you want a straight up vetiver, look elsewhere, and if you already own 2Man, this would be completely redundant. V46 is best suited for those who enjoy 2Man but want a little more oomph behind it and don't mind paying quite a bit more money in the process.