Vetyverio (2010)
by Diptyque

Ugh. Ladies' deodorant.

16th November, 2011.

One word, people. APRICOT.
I find it surprising that no one has mentioned this.
On me, the apricot note jumps in immediately and with both feet. Bang, boom, zing, whatever.
It is a pleasant, jammy, and quite accurate rendition of apricot. Fairly persistant, and modified a bit by citrus.
At times, the spices percolate upwards and give an apricot-tart chord.
Apricot (the fruit) can have a metallic tang and this note replicates that metallic vibe.
Also, at times this apricot is so green that it verges into fig territory. Interesting.
I get NO rose notes, a bit disappointing there.
Eventually some grassy vetiver emerges, which remains light and even translucent in character.
Some further nutty-spicy notes emerge from time to time.
In summary, a pleasant and distinctive scent but the name is -- in my opinion -- misleading. Should be called Apricot on a Cot, Jim-Jam or something like that. Not enough vetiver to justify its name.

17th January, 2011.

A predominantly green vetiver fragrance with a nice citrusy lift that extends far into the heart, probably on the back of the seamlessly blended rose and geranium. I don't get much spice by way of drydown but the scent, light as it may seem at first, projects rather prominently, playing hide-and-seek with your nose exactly the way Off-Scenter described in his earlier review. In fact, this is the part I admire most about it. This is one delightful vetiver that even non-vetiver fans would enjoy! And if Creed Original Vetiver isn't already in my wardrobe, I'd probably have bought VETYVERIO.

12nd December, 2010.

Vetyverio is a very inoffensive cologne, short lived although pleasant and in its own way sophisticated. It does not really develop much: the opening is crispy and tangy but it does not last long, and the green notes in the middle play along until the dry down. Vetiver is not strong here: plus, there's a green note (I guess the carrot seeds?) that is slighly unpleasant... It actually smells like celery, rather than carrot. The base note is somehow powdery, and it reminds me of Armani Code for men, although way lighter. It has the distinctive Diptyque tangy note, and it certainly stands from the mall perfumes, but it does not compare either to any of the most celebrated vetivers, or to the lighter versions of the Differnt Compaly or Heeley. A middle-of-the-road vetiver, nicely done but a bit too ordinary.

9th December, 2010. (Last Edited: 10th December, 2010.)

Vetyverio has a lot of citrus up top; florals and geranium in the heart with Haitian vetiver; and some unusual notes in the base: Java vetiver, carrot seed, nutmeg, clove, cedar. The two vetivers make an interesting contrast: the Haitian is a little more citrus-floral, the Java much woodier. What lingers at the end of this are the two vetivers, the spices, and the woods. I think most would like this one, though it may be a little light for some tastes, and others might not be crazy about the first few minutes. I guess you'll just have to try it. Like most Diptyques, this is not extremely long-lasting, but not as bad in that department as some of their earlier ones. Sillage is moderate, but noticeable.

5th September, 2010.

Diptyque sets its vetiver in a mild, gently contoured green floral context that’s at once more delicate and more ambiguous in gender than most traditional vetiver scents. It offers none of the smoky incense that comes with Chanel’s Sycomore or Lalique’s Encre Noire, nor any of the fierce, rooty, medicinal edge you’d get from the old Route du Vétiver or Etro’s Vetiver. There is some warm earthiness to the vetiver note, plus a hint of the odd saline quality attached to vetiver in Diptyque’s own defunct Virgilio, The Different Company’s Sel de Vetiver, Heeley’s Sel Marin, and Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel. The only other vetiver compositions I’ve worn that set the headline ingredient alongside such conspicuously floral accords are Guerlain’s Vetiver pour Elle and Mazzolari Vetyver. Vetyverio seems a bit shyer than either, but it’s not without character.

Vetyverio opens on a very juicy, realistic lemon note that’s seasoned with just a touch of fresh herbs. The herbaceous content is enough to keep the top notes from smelling like furniture polish for their brief duration, after which vetiver and green floral notes come to the fore. Hewing very closely to the vetiver is an equally potent carrot seed note, which contributes to both the scent’s earthy and saline qualities. A mild and commendably natural nutmeg note adds a welcome degree of complexity, accentuating as it does the nutty aspect inherent in Diptyque’s vetiver. As so often the case with Diptyque compositions, the scent holds a relatively linear course once its fundamental shape solidifies.

Vetyverio displays the odd trait, observed by many in Amouage’s Dia for Men, of seeming to disappear an hour or so after application, only to return intermittently, at full force and at random intervals, for hours after. I attribute this phenomenon to olfactory habituation, and I suspect it will vary from wearer to wearer. The drydown, once it does set in, consists of the vetiver and carrot seed pairing in the company of warm, but only faintly animalic musk – an arrangement that comes close to ambrette seed in profile. On the whole I consider Vetyverio a worthwhile addition to the Diptyque line. While it’s hardly a bold fragrance, it is a distinctive, attractive, and extremely versatile take on a familiar ingredient, with the added bonus of unisex quality in a genre often ceded solely to men.

4th September, 2010. (Last Edited: 20th October, 2010.)