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Vetiver by Etro, 1989

Vetiver by Etro, 1989 + add a photo
35 reviews
97% Positive Reviews
Rated #241 in Fragrances
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By Noblesse Oblige
I liked EV and bought it. Once the opening rapidly dissipates, it becomes a warm, almost creamy interpretation of the vetiver idea. Somehow the warmth and "cream" offsets what could have been animalistic and aggressive like Route du Vetiver (which I also like). It is linear in that it morphs very little once it enters drydown. Woody and spicey without a trace of citrus, I find it honest and sophisticated. The vetiver is there in the background seemingly preventing it from being too subdued. When your mood is serious but gentle, EV will reinforce that.
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By miaw2
Etro's Vetiver smells dry and earthy rounded by some florals. That's a nice take on vetiver, very different from actual releases within this theme.
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By AlHamr
Etro Vetiver EDC A woodsy vetiver with a strong opening but a pretty subtle, even thin, dry down. This gave me an interesting lesson in skin chemistry. I got the missus to try it first and the woods (ostensibly cedar and cypress) on her are sweet and smooth - I could have sworn sandalwood. On me on the other hand they're much more tannic and harsh. Not necessarily in a bad way, but a real astringency that just doesn't seem to surface on her skin. After the initial alchoholic and slightly medicinal opening it was like licking a freshly roughsawn oak board. That said, there is something tantalising about the way these austere woods blend with the supportive cradle of vetiver. The vetiver isn't always very perceptible but it's always there subliminally and becomes more clear in the drydown. It's almost architectural, with the woods providing a soaring, vertical element and the vetiver fleshing it out with a supportive and soft base. The problem for me was that this dry down, with the EDC version at least, was very short lived. I'm hoping the EDT I aim to track down on my next trip to London will be a little more full and a little longer lived. Initially, the thinness and lack of endurance would have made me tend to a neutral review, but hey, it's only a Cologne and there's something very moreish here that I find myself coming back to pretty often. It needs a liberal application on me though, and that, given Etro's prices, is not a very economic prospect. Still, thumbs up.
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By Redbeard
I nearly got rid of this one a few times when I was pruning the collection. I'm not as experienced with dirty vetivers as with clean ones, so the Etro is a bit of a challenge. Right from the start, this vetiver is mustier and nuttier than others, a bit like the Floris. The top notes are extremely alcoholic, sharp and dirty, and give me a sense of freshly bruised leaves and stems...not necessarily of vetiver itself, but just the general smashed foliage of childhood, playing in the bushes. Here, the sweet barkyness almost reminds me of Burberry London, aided by the heavy dose of cinnamon dirt. Like Polo Modern Reserve, it seems to have started out as a summer scent for the first few minutes, and drifted toward being a winter scent, with earthy, spicy, moist wood. Thankfully, it's _way_ more natural than any of the He Wood series, and the sour cigarette component which bothers me in the base of the Floris doesn't last much past the opening of the Etro. The best comparison I can think of is another summer/winter overlapper: l'Occitane's sweet, woody vetiver; Etro is the dirty side and l'Occitane is the clean side of the same coin.
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By Dernier_Cri
There's a lot to admire here. EV has a dry brash sharpness I immediately admire. That said the scent doesn't strike me as untamed, as some other reviewers have found it. Unique but quiet. The problem for me is that I like vetiver and although it is in evidence here the scent is dominated by cedar. My father built a cedar closet to keep the family blankets in and while I still love the smell of cedar there's just too much of it in EV for me to appreciate it on my skin. So as much as I initially find EV admirable every time I use it, after a short while all I smell is cedar and celery. And for a vetiver based fragrance that's not enough.
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By alfarom
Another great vetiver to add to the huge list of great vetivers. If you like it smoky, woody, earthy, kinda rough and solidly crafted, go ahead! Good work!
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By WildThingy
This one is humble but very good. First I bought it while searching for that "green" in vetiver. It disapointed, I sold it for cheap. Then after "fresh" vetivers disapointed me much more, reminding me of dismal places, not so well serviced mens rooms. The backslash of ordinary, overused "fresh". Etros Vetiver is different. It goes for mildly tickling rooty, smokey, earthy. It feels plain, decent and further by its obvious quality projects refined understatement. The drydown remains multifaceted and with vetiver this is a darn good thing. When even the well balanced Givenchy Vetyver might become a bit bold in its nuttyness, the Etro still feels light and comfortable. It could be a sibling if Vetiver Extreme by Malle, but it is the elder brother, quiet and effective. Alas, it is costly. The former Eau De Cologne is much preferred over the EDT concentration. The latter is too long lasting and sports some irritating citric fresh top notes.
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By DazWah84
Very earthy dirty smelling vetiver, i usually fall in love with vetivers but im on the fence with this one. Its a very linear scent.
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By Darvant
Outstanding dark vetiver. As said, this is a sort of brutal, rough, herbal, untamed and very very dry vetiver so far from the airy and mild Guerlain's notorius one. Here it's like you can smell the roots and chew the earth around the vetiver roots. This scent is therefore resinous, woody and aromatic. The harsh temperament is since the beginning pushed up by some resinous and coniferous notes as clary sage and may be cypress. The vetiver appears, side by side with cedar, in the middle of the development. The base notes introduce some tobacco which darkens utterly the juice. A real hardcore and one of the best vetiver out there.
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By shamu1
I don't find this to be anywhere near as bold, aggressive or "in your face" as the reviewers below describe it. Etro's Vetiver is dark and dry, but quiet. It does not project far, so you'll need to spray this on your neck and upper chest in order to smell it on yourself. Longevity is average - about 5 or 6 hours. What I like is how woody it is. This smells like dry wood shavings blended with vetiver root. It is earthy, but dry, not earthy like wet soil. There's a subtle smokiness underlying the scent, which adds interest and complexity. I don't understand all the reviews describing this as a brutal, jagged beast of a vetiver. I find it rather smooth, refined and elegant. It is a quiet skin scent. Etro's Vetiver is more along the lines Annick Goutal's Vetiver, rather than Guerlain's Vetiver, because of its darkness and smokiness. Though I prefer Guerlain's and Malizia's vetivers, Etro have produced an excellent vetiver that is well worth checking out. MY RATING: 8/10
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Vetiver by Etro, 1989
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Launched Date1989
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ByEtro
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