Diptyque Vetyverio : Perfume Review
Star rating: 5 stars--outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars--very good, 3 stars--adequate, 2 stars--disappointing, 1 star--poor.
The classical treatment of vetiver, a fragrance note with an interesting interplay of bitter grapefruit and blond woods facets, has often seen it paired with cedarwood and citrus notes. Classical citrusy woods like Aqua Brava, Guerlain Vétiver, Givenchy Vetyver follow this model. Many modern fragrances like Frédéric Malle Vétiver Extraordinaire, Lalique Encre Noire and Ormonde Jayne Zizan take the classical woody theme as well, albeit using vetiver in the lower, more sonorous register. Even lighter, airier vetiver dominated blends like The Different Company Sel de Vétiver and Miller Harris Feuilles de Tabac do not depart radically from the classical dry woods formula. In this light, Diptyque Vetyverio, a fragrance created by perfumer Olivier Pescheux, offers an interesting discovery—a woody composition with a juicy, fruity top and a fresh green floral heart.
The burst of citrus dominated by the Concord grape sweetness of mandarin offers an uplifting prelude to Vetyverio. Lemon, bergamot and orange complete the effervescent, champagne like sensation of the top notes, which quickly soften into a creamy apricot-accented fruity accord. A green geranium note courses through the heart of the composition, lending it a crisp, rose-like effect. It manages to tone down the floralcy of Vetyverio, thus placing the composition firmly in the unisex category.
The smooth, delicately rendered drydown reminds me at one point of Guerlain Vétiver Pour Elle; however, without the latter’s beautiful white jasmine accord, Vetyverio does not quite convey the same romantic impression. In the drydown, its crisp woody character is closer to Comme des Garçons Vettiveru (Series 4 Cologne), with a stronger fruity accent and a more languid treatment of vetiver. While the die-hard vetiver fans will find Vetyverio rather light and pale, it is a very pleasant composition that presents its woods as delicate filigree. Thoroughly enjoyable!
Diptyque Vetyverio includes notes of lemon, mandarin, grapefruit, bergamot, ylang ylang, Turkish rose, geranium, vetiver, ambrette, nutmeg, apricot, clove, cedar and musk. It is available from Aedes, Beautyhabit, First in Fragrance, Barneys New York and Neiman Marcus.
