Terre d'Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver 
Hermès (2018)

This is basically a standard, and rather unexceptional, citrus/vetiver fragrance marketed under the Terre d’Hermès name. It’s unimaginative and unoriginal, in fact, I find it almost identical to Tom Ford Grey vetiver which I do like. It’s not bad as far as vetiver, fragrances go, and I like a good vetiver fragrance. It’s one of my favorite notes, however, let’s be real, this fragrance really has very little to do with the original masterpiece whose name it bears. I mean, it can be argued that some of the citrusy grapefruity top notes bear some resemblance, but for me, that’s about where the similarity ends. If you were a fan of gray vetiver, or even the mother of all vetiver’s by Guerlain, then you’d probably enjoy this one. Whether or not it deserves to bear the same name as the original, well, that’s another question entirely.

A very nice, sweet but complex vetiver. The vetiver itself is upfront, joined on top by candled lemon and herbs, while vinegar-laced myrrh and iso e super smoke fills in the cracks. The result is like a traditional citrus eau mixed with a woodsy, lightly smoky vetiver. This stage is quite well done, with the iodine aspect of the vetiver cleverly mixing with the myrhh to provide the mineralic undertones I'd expect from a TdH flanker.

Given time, it settles into a bready vetiver, still inky with iodine, but combined with a rather strange toasted bread smell. Hours in, the base seems to be mostly geranium, but it's quite weak.

Overall, I really like the topnotes, while I'm a little put off by the iodine/bread mix in the heart (it doesn't take much for iodine to start smelling vaguely bloody, and that happens here). This plus the weak base is enough to make me not really want a full bottle, though I can see why this is so popular - the topnotes are fantastic.

Simply a sharper, fresh take on the original with an emphasis on pepper and vetiver. Honestly, I try to see the silver lining in everything yet here the performance is wavering and the main haggle with Eau Intense Vetiver. Purely, an apparition of a fragrance that could be worthy if it lived accordingly to a heady standard. This is my last spritz from a second and final bottle; surely a new road is to traveled and never looked back. Simply put, if others, like Rasasi Fattan, can come up with top to bottom quality that approximates Eau Intense Vetiver, whether by intention or not, by offering a creamier, nuttier, citrusy, peppery eau de parfum with above average performance, why would anyone be bothered to put their hard earned cash on this? Regulation or not, budgetary houses are making lasting fragrances to fill the void left by what could've been... This lovely yet conservative profile, that Ms.Nagel specializes in, is one for the times but the performance is truly tiresome. I will be settling for my first "dupe" to meet the expectations that this Hermès could not... 'Tis a pity with this experience becoming a growing standard across the board. Of course, I'm merely offering a subjective insight and certainly others here have vouched differently. Though after two bottles of experience under my chin, it has concretely become wishful thinking on my part... Like they say, you take the good with the bad and make your way...