Pure Vetiver by Azzaro, 2000

I was pointed to this fragrance again by someone with great taste (although I had visited the fragrance before, had reservations and never purchased). Thank you, Renato! :-) Then, I decided that the scent pyramid had a lot of notes that I look for in fragrance and find appealing. So, although the name "Pure Vetiver" is a misnomer - I decided to give it a go, and I'm very glad I did. I also knew that this would be a warm weather, fresh scent with vetiver in the composition - not a linear, dark and brooding vetiver with heavy, smoky, rootiness...which I am glad because I have numerous bottle that fill that realm and several vetivers in-between (including virtually every bottle Guerlain has ever put out - from Original Vintage EDC, Vintage EDT's to 2000 reformulation. And, that's just my Guerlain Vetiver collection - I am officially in love with vetiver in fragrance. Okay - so I put one nice full spray on my inner left wrist and gave it 10-15 minutes to breathe on my skin and started writing this about 3 hours ago. Impressive from the start...incredibly fresh! Grapefruit, spicy ginger with a dash of white pepper on top. The cardamom is not pronounced to me...it may show more in a full wearing. I found afresh-cut grass note almost immediately after the citrus note faded...grapefruit was very nice here (by the way) and the green juice indeed has a true middle note of fresh-cut grass that is very similar to one in a bottle of juice from Yves Rocher that I have (and really enjoy for that accord!) As it warmed after another 10-15 minutes, I realized the grass has nice green tea aroma about it (fragrant and slightly earthy). However, it is not as dominant as the Yves Rocher juice as the pepper and ginger linger into the heart and gives a nice sharpness. I also found something a bit ozonic as another review I read of this described integrated into the composition - truly refreshing. This is a woody aromatic, with the "wood" being vetiver. I get the vetiver right at the base of the heart going towards base notes. This is not nutty or dirty, as previously mentioned, at all. Clean, fresh vetiver is in here - that comes out of the green grass/green tea note and touch of artemisia, which is also a nice sharper "green" note that adds something extra here. A nice note that people may (or may not) get here is nutmeg flower. It comes in at the base - I didn't get any lavender that was prominent and expected to, but the base of vetiver is slightly floral with the nutmeg flower, which helps retain the "clean" and lifted feeling of this fragrance. The sandalwood is a light touch - not dusty at all. Very clean. Totally inoffensive and a very good alternative to anything aquatic in warm weather or in an office setting. I feel that this is a surprisingly good light vetiver-based scent that has a good surrounding composition of notes that are harmonious. Take the notion of "rich vetiver fragrance" out of your mind and let your nose provide you the actual truth. I could never wear this with anything from Guerlain - even EDC (which is the pure essence of vetiver and no tobacco), as it would overpower this ethereal, fresh and light fragrance. My overall score - 7.5+/10, as it wears close to the skin (light projection) and I was hoping for a little more power, but it is still there with one spray after 3+ hours and I can enjoy it. 8/10 for pure scent alone...very nice, remarkably refreshing and sophisticated. A full wearing in warm/hot weather will definitely show more (it is cold, overcast and a light rain starting). The Yves Rocher bottle with the all of its green notes is put away until Spring/Summer. This will be next to it. **Update** - this stayed as a great skin scent for about 5-6 hours on me with light application in cool weather that day! I was surprised how I could pick up even individual notes at 4+ hours. I am very glad to have purchased this and find it to be a great alternative to aquatics come this summer.

A very nice one from Azzaro. The only problem i see is the name. It is not a pure vetiver in the Guerlain, Givenchy, Malle, MPG, etc sense. The Clarins/Azzaro marketing suits must have had a tongue-in-cheek moment naming this scent.

PV starts of with a bracing melange of tangy grapefruit, cardamom and pepper, as well as the best ginger accord i have ever experienced so far in my limited exposure. No vetiver in olfactory "sight". A few minutes after spraying on i believe i feel an aquatic vibe which fortunately does not last very long, but adds an interesting dimension. Lavender, which has always been sort of "there" then comes on stronger, but not so much as to make PV a lavender frag. The eponymous vetiver note begins to raise its voice about an hour into wear. PV at this stage begins to smell like Mugler Cologne and Creed's Original Vetiver, except that the cardamom and ginger are still in the mix, albeit mutedly. No hint of the earthier vetiver not a few would have expected to experience here. The vetiver here is "ozonic", if that makes sense, and i guess the aquatic note earlier sensed has something to do with this feeling. PV is a scent peppery/spicy woody scent with lots of ginger and lavender as well significant non-earthy vetiver in its base. This is the kind of fragrance i like more than the vetiver heavy-hitters. I must be part of the target market for PV - those who like vetiver as a cast member, but not an A-list star.

My first full wear of PV was to the office and, to my extreme pleasure, i kept sniffing this gingery ozonic vetiver all working day long. I want to submit that this scent is an unsung scent by Azzaro. Its name distracts away from the beautiful woody aromatic that it really is.

Nice one!