Grey Vetiver (2009)
by Tom Ford

This is a superior vetiver. I was on the lookout for a Vetiver, and at the time, to tell the truth, I didn't know exactly what vetiver smells like but I knew it was a note in a few of my favorites already.

I got samples of Guerlain's Vetiver, Original Vetiver by Creed, and fortunately recently stumbling upon Tom Ford's version. My immediate problem with Guerlain was a harsh barbershop singularity of vetiver that stayed so linear and grassy woody that I wanted it off of me before an hour is through. Original Vetiver by Creed was a lot smoother with more prominent citrus to me. I preferred OV over Guerlains for sure. But OV doesn't last more than an hour on me.

Now Tom Ford's version is smoother and creamier than Guerlain, which had me finally embracing a Vetiver based frag. It's a bright fresh green grass-like wood, with hints of citrus, calming down to a clean, smooth, hint of powder, creamy green scent that remotely resembles woods to me. Admittedly, it doesn't have the sweeter warmth that Creed OV has, but I can live that. Grey Vetiver is now a pure vetiver in my collection, and behold the following:

I discovered that layering Grey Vetiver with Green Irish Tweed is a mix that I like even better than Creed OV. It is very reminiscent of OV but it's even better. So those 2 frags equal 3 in my collection. Awesome stuff!

Notes:
Top: Orange flower, grapefruit, aromatic sage
Middle: Orris, nutmeg, and pimiento
Base: Oakmoss, golden amber woods

Recovering from the inane mediocrity of Tom Ford for men, I was pleasantly surprised to find Grey Vetiver to be a more than competent rendition of a common perfume note: that most primal of ingredient from Mother Earth, El Vetivero!

A masculine-woods fragrance, Grey Vetiver's promo material claims that its vetiver note is the result of a revolutionary extraction method (shades of Frederic Malle hype anyone?) but the end result doesn't exhibit any sort of masterful revolutionary magic. No matter, its still good enough. The pairing of a sharp grapefruit, juicy orange flower and herbal aromatic sage notes results in a juicy-citrus burst and sets the stage for a spicy-sharp yet fuzzy woody green-ish vetiver accord which thankfully avoids any Swamp Thing armpits overtones. The vetiver note exhibits that characteristic green and earthy aroma, yet is awashed in spices such as pimento and nutmeg and some generic woods (iso E Super?) to give it a more full bodied feel. The fake oakmoss at the end doesn't do much, but this buff vetiver accord does fine to end the show on a high note by itself.

GV fits nicely between Malle' Vetiver Extraordinaire and Creed's Original Vetiver. The spiced-woods vetiver note is somewhat similar to whats found in VE but is less concentrated and clear in its quality. Compared to green green green OV, the vetiver note in GV is more earthy and less green/sweet. Compared to the generic Tom Ford for men, GV is an altogether superior fragrance and deserves to be the face of the Tom Ford mainstream line. Mr. Tom Ford, don't let this "...precious, pale juice.." disintegrate under bright Sephora display lights stacked all the way back in the corner..

Rating: 8.25/10.0

I completely agree with Trebor's review below. I personally don't see a reason to own this if you already own Guerlain's Vetiver. They are too similiar IMO to warrant both.

Grey Vetiver is a very competent vetiver scent, which is more concerned about mass market approval than being polarizing or even ground-breaking. Throughout its development, it attempts to tip its hat off to various well-made and classic vetiver scents without bothering to add anything substantially new to the table.

It starts off smelling remarkably like Guerlain’s Vetiver, minus the tobacco note, but slightly tweaked to give it a more contemporary spin. But it doesn’t end there, as one is ever so briefly reminded of Vétiver Extraordinaire at regular intervals. However, this sensation of déjà vu turns out to be merely a preface for what’s to come...

Grey Vetiver, brashly and unashamedly, wears its influences on its sleeve by this point – so much that instead of focusing on the composition itself, you may find yourself playing ‘spot the niche vetiver fragrance’ during its lifespan on the skin: Sycamore, Encre Noire, Red Vetyver, Terre de Hermes (perfume extrait), Vettiveru…

Based on all this, Grey Vetiver would be ideal for die-hard vetiver aficionados, but also for those who prefer to own a vetiver that ‘compiles’ all of the best vetiver scents currently on the market. But, no, this is most definitely not original, unique or challenging in the slightest.

Projection and longevity is about average. However, based on the price of this EDP, this factor is rather disappointing.

Tom Ford's perfumes leave me indifferent, and unfortunately the bottles, the lifestyle, and the oversexed image he promotes put me off. Then, recently waiting at an airport for my corresponding flight, I tried Tom Ford's grey vetiver. I think it was because of the mention of "grey" or "vetiver" (I am very fond of Guerlain's classic). I was taken aback; this is a fantastic vetiver fragrance... and I don't know about you, but I could actually smell "grey"!
On my skin grey vetiver is dry and intriguing, fresh but also deep and sensual.
It lingered on for a couple of hours and then it settled very close to my skin... but I could still feel it. I for sure recommend a trial, especially to those who like Vetiver and are on the look out for drier versions.

It is easy to love the fougère-oriented top notes – reminiscent of violet leaf, angelica and something slightly watery and pungent. Imagine holding your breath in an outdoor pool, under the surface, and then once reaching the surface to fill your lungs the air smells of grasses, plants and leaves…mixing with the scent of dripping water. Not an aquatic fragrance (thank goodness, the men’s fragrance counter has more than its share of this kind of scent), yet the smell of wet and thriving plant life clearly define the beginning notes of Grey Vetiver.

The vetiver note seems as if it has been genetically spliced – all of the dirty and soiled bits have been removed leaving a shiny, metallic and distinct vetiver accord that increasingly gets richer, smoother and softer as it dries on skin. Grey Vetiver belongs to the clean vetiver family, of which Encre Noire by Lalique and Series 3: Cologne Vettiveru by Comme des Garcons belong – yet it also leans a bit towards the theme that Frédéric Malle and Dominique Ropion strove for in Vetiver Extraordinaire (loads of vetiver, crisp, no sweetness). Ever so often, I got a whiff of acidic lemon.

My first thought, after I enjoyed wearing this scent was: do I need another new vetiver scent? The answer is, no! Yet, there’s something entirely unique about this one.

It’s barbershop-oriented top notes will make it easy for men to love this on first sniff (my hunch is, this will be a big hit for Tom Ford Beauty), but the modern salty vetiver and spiced woods should appeal to those who like to mix it up a bit (think KenzoAir, minus the anise-headspace radiance). Even though Ford is releasing this as a masculine fragrance, it has a delightful fresh-as-a-summer-breeze manner which defies being categorized as only for men.