Original Vetiver by Creed, 2004

This is Creed's take on vetiver.  While other companies have used vetiver for heavier smokier woody-oriental winter fragrances, Creed made a vetiver that is more accessible and versatile.  Opens with a soapy citrus, smells a lot like neroli.  

 

But the vetiver note in Original Vetiver is truly wonderful.  It combines both the leaves and the roots.  While many vetiver notes are one dimensional, this vetiver note truly stands out.  It is clean, yet smells like a patch of dirt, but it is much on the sweeter side.  It is not shrill or grainy, but rather smooth and rich.  

 

Projection and longevity on this fragrance are better than most Creeds, and decent in it own's right.

 

Personally, I didn't like this one at first, but I appreciated it more and more over time.  So please make sure you wear this a few times before you judge it.

 

This fragrance is often compared to the much cheaper Mugler Cologne, but Original Vetiver wins on all counts.  Yes, it is very similar to Mugler Cologne, but Original Vetiver easily beat it out.  Better quality ingredients (especially the vetiver note).  Less synthetic and shrill. More mature.  More safe and wearable.  It is well worth the higher price if you have the money.

 

What may turn people off is the soapiness of the opening (which may be a bit medicinal) as well as the note of vetiver in general.  More conventional minds may not appreciate this as much as you do, but it's as accessible as vetiver has ever been.  Overall, aside from that, there is a lot to love here.  

 

An excellent creation the Creed house.  Vetiver lovers finally have an option they can wear in the summer.  I would recommend sampling this one.  

This is my first Creed fragrance, and after sampling it a couple of times, I really liked it enough to buy a bottle. The citrus in the opening smells like real dried orange peel, not the "Terry's Chocolate Orange" synthetic smell that some others offer, and it lasts surprisingly well. And coupled with the fresh greenness, it makes a really nice opening. Some say there's not much vetiver in it. It's certainly not a one-note vetiver fragrance, but once it starts to dry down, I get plenty of it - it's greener and fresher than, say, Guerlain Vetiver, and nowhere near as woody, but to me it's clearly there in good quantity. Later on, the sandalwood and cedar start to come out to me - more subtle than many, but very nice indeed. And even at this stage, there's still some of the opening orange there. And even later, there's a bit of a musky skankiness, if that makes sense - is that a combination of musk and ambergris? And even at the end of it all, when it's nearly gone, there are still hints of the opening orange. As for longevity, the samples I tried lasted 4-5 hours on my wrist (which is good - fragrances just don't last on my wrist), and with a full wearing I'm getting in excess of 12 hours - which is exceptionally good. And I've been getting compliments on it too, which is unusual for me. All in all, I think this is a fabulous fragrance, and definitely my favourite Creed so far - I'm very happy I bought it at a bargain price when I had the chance. (I like Aventus too, but full price is a bit too much for me).