Blood Orange & Vetiver (Soivohle)

by Thomas

When we say that vetiver is a grassy-type plant-thing, the scent that comes to mind is that of, well, grass. Light and simple and green – almost a pastel shade of a scent. When you actually pull plants out of the ground, though, you get the roots and the dirt and the humus and so on…and that’s where things get interesting.

So, Blood Orange and Vetiver comes ripped out of the terra firma with an earthy spicy roar. It’s dirt, nutmeg, green grass, and the orange…is lurking in the wings. For reference: take L’Occitane’s Vetyver as a starting point and add the sparkle of Guerlain’s vetiver – and it’s expertly-balanced, as well. It’s better than good; it’s interesting.

After about 30 minutes the roar dies down and we come to the orange-vetiver duet, and the clarity is remarkable. The spices are in the background giving a degree of warmth to these two notes, and again…it’s interesting.

The notes last for a good while, around lunchtime they recall Vetyver Haiti, with the orange giving it a much-appreciated lift. I’m surprised the orange stuck around this long, actually, but its presence is quite welcome.

Towards the end of the work-day, Blood Orange and Vetiver has become less crisp. It’s softer, sweeter, maybe a tad melon-y. Smells maybe like a musky/spicy life-saver candy. I have to admit, I like this phase as well. Seems to be fading, but that’s not a big surprise.

Wears close to the skin, probably better in cooler weather but it did just fine in the Texas heat as well. This is a strong vetiver, but unfortunately the price tag is likewise quite hefty, enough to call to mind that I already have plenty of vetivers on the shelf - and the law of diminishing marginal returns applies to perfumes as well. If I didn’t already have all those other vetivers…I would be tempted to get this.