Vetiver Oriental (2002)
by Serge Lutens

Vetiver?? Where??

This should be called Cocoa Oriental, because there's no vetiver here or anything even green about it. It doesn't smell bad, but the title is very misleading. It's actually a pretty nice cocoa dominant scent.

Vetiver Oriental is a dry, dusty vetiver fragrance that highlights the rooty aspects of vetiver and is infused with a powdery cocoa note. There is a green, sappy, resinous aspect with a hint of iris that accentuates this rooty vetiver. During the initial phase the fragrance is more dense and green, but later on it evolves into something more dusty, with a presence of cocoa, and hints of amber. It’s almost as if a plant changes its colour from green to golden brown in autumn. The dusty, powdery dry down is retained till the fragrance fades away. Sillage is quiet but persistent, and I experience a moderate duration of about 5-6 hours.

Among vetiver fragrances this is definitely a unique composition. There is some similarity with Borneo 1834 - particularly in the way the cocoa note is utilised. However, personally it falls well short of being a favourite since I do not find the composition as attractive. I appreciate much more Borneo 1834, and the cocoa-vetiver accord here doesn’t work for me as such. The other relatable fragrance is Vetiver Tonka - but only because both are vetiver fragrances that flirt with gourmand aspects. However, personally it is nowhere near as enjoyable as Vetiver Tonka. If you enjoy the vetiver note in Route du Vetiver, Vetiver Oriental might be interesting - though it is a much less bold in its exploration of vetiver.

In summary, Vetiver Oriental is an interesting composition that’s far from the worst in the Lutens lineup, and fills up a very niche corner in the pantheon of vetiver fragrances. Definitely worth sampling, though whether one would want to stay in that niche is a question of preference. I am happy to observe from a distance.

3/5

This is slowly become a favourite of mine. Honestly, at first, I couldn't detect any vetiver at all...I recall getting a strange plastic beachball note, then some sweet oriental notes. Things have since changed, and now, for some reason, the vetiver is upfront right from the get-go. It's dark, yet crisp, set against a traditional sweet base of woods and ambers.

The drydown is lacking, I will admit, but the first few hours are worth it.

Green, earthy, gentle opening of vetiver and (light) oak moss, with a delicate floral side (iris) and a vibrant accord of vanillin, ginger, cinnamon. A pleasant sprinkle of citrus, sweet and graceful like neroli or bergamot – nothing pungent or too fresh. Soft, mellow aromatic woods dusted with cocoa beans, not as bold as in Borneo, more a sweet/powdery touch. A slight rubbery feel, I guess it's the dryness of guaiac and vetiver. Some metallic feel but perhaps it's due to vetiver as well, since sometimes it has it a bit (please appreciate the efforts I make for not naming any aromachem). A nice and peculiar scent, quite elegant, more delicate and "toned down" than most of other classic Lutens' scents but still with his signature oriental multifaceted personality. As minutes pass the iris/musks/woody accord emerges and defines better, quite soft and almost creamy on a dry, pungent, dusty and quite dark base. Solid, shady but also safely "unoffensive" and simple, almost a bit dull – even if pleasant, nice and elegant. The drydown is nice as well, dusty, cozy, lively. If you like this "concept", to me is developed far better in Parfum d'Empire's Equistrius – however here you feel more "distance" between the lightness of iris and the base, while in Equistrius it is all more blended together (and well, there's lots more). Close projection but persistence is good. It does not even compare to the best scents by Lutens, but neither to the worst ones – it's nice, not worth the full price, but grab it if you find a bargain.

6,5-7/10

A soft, powdery, off-the-wall, tangentially-vetiverish scent. The vetiver, although lightly-applied, is rubbery and slightly bitter; I think the paired gaiac wood note plays a major part in emphasising this facet. The counterfoil to that more challenging accord is a sweet powdery base, which seems to remain stronger longer. Although entitled 'vetiver' it is far from a shoo-in for the vetiver lover. Overall it sits somewhere between Bvlgari Black and Fat Electrician in scent but there seems to be more going on than in either. Whilst sweet it is (thankfully) nowhere near as syrupy as some of the more popular Lutens confections. Longevity is good: 10 hours from 8 sprays. Unisex.