Vétiver Extraordinaire
Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle (2002)
Average Rating:
98 User Reviews
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About Vétiver Extraordinaire by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle
People & Companies
Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle
Fragrance House
Fragrance House
Dominique Ropion
Perfumer
Perfumer
IFF
Supplier
Supplier
Frederic Malle
Packaging / Bottle Design
Packaging / Bottle Design
Vétiver Extraordinaire is a men's fragrance launched in 2002 by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle
Fragrance notes.
Top Notes
Heart Notes
Base Notes
Reviews of Vétiver Extraordinaire by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle
There are 98 reviews of Vétiver Extraordinaire by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle.
A woodier and drier version of Chanel's Sycomore. Sycomore comes across as more herbal and sweet, which gives it a bit more depth. VE comes off two dimensional once you hit the drydown. The opening is a nice blast of citrus, vetiver, and cedar but I think there are other fragrances that do better in the drydown. There isn't enough vetiver in the drydown to satisfy my cravings. Considering the price, I would expect it to focus on vetiver and keep it running into the drydown as long as possible. Unfortunately, vetiver feels like a middle note and it's trying to fight for attention with the cedar note during the drydown.
Performance is moderate but it could be better. Suitable for Fall and Spring. Not strong enough to cut through the cold. I'm slightly disappointed with this one.
Performance is moderate but it could be better. Suitable for Fall and Spring. Not strong enough to cut through the cold. I'm slightly disappointed with this one.
A citrusy, woody vetiver that's more clean than sweet but really doesn't feel too dated. Just feels classy and masculine. Combines a soapiness with a woody musk that actually comes off a bit like cumin up close, kinda rubbery or like peppery body odor. It doesn't stink though, the musk just provides a spicy sharpness.
Lasts about 7-8 hours with soft projection. Only those close to you will be able to detect.
Lasts about 7-8 hours with soft projection. Only those close to you will be able to detect.
In Aphorismes d'un parfumeur, Dominique Ropion says that for Vétiver Extraordinaire, he used a fractionated vetiver oil - from which the camphor has been removed by some chemical jiggery-pokery.
'It's a smoother, atypical vetiver where the habitual costume has been abandoned [for something] a bit cold, metallic'.
And instead of the usual earthy, grassy and liquorice themes, it starts off pebble-like and exotic-fruity; and then develops a whole litany of accents: red leather, sweet powder, pink pepper; mushroom, sous bois, sour milk; green, demerara, woody, mossy, musk.
It's a bit more conventional in the drydown, but - with its alien ambience of Feu d'Issey and the tangents of Roudnitska - this is still, quite an extraordinary work.
As Spock might have said, 'It's vetiver Jim, but not as we know it'.
Pre Lauder sample
'It's a smoother, atypical vetiver where the habitual costume has been abandoned [for something] a bit cold, metallic'.
And instead of the usual earthy, grassy and liquorice themes, it starts off pebble-like and exotic-fruity; and then develops a whole litany of accents: red leather, sweet powder, pink pepper; mushroom, sous bois, sour milk; green, demerara, woody, mossy, musk.
It's a bit more conventional in the drydown, but - with its alien ambience of Feu d'Issey and the tangents of Roudnitska - this is still, quite an extraordinary work.
As Spock might have said, 'It's vetiver Jim, but not as we know it'.
Pre Lauder sample
The SA left me in no doubt about the quality (and quantity) of the raw ingredients used - proof then that high quality ingredients may be necessary for a great fragrance but are far from sufficient.
Some vetivers are spring (CDG Vetiverru) - fresh, bright green, invigorating. Some are Autumn (Encre Noire), rooty and smokey. Some are Summer (Mugler/Prada) : soapy and clean. This is unfortunately Winter: cold, grey, dreary.
Dark green and rooty, slightly mentholated. Vetiver teamed with Cedar almost reading as a bitter lime. A little cold and impersonal. Perhaps a good board-room scent.
Performance is hard to gauge as I seem relatively anosmic to it. If you want something in this genre perhaps also try TF GV EDP or TDH intense vetiver. I simply would never be excited or thrilled to wear this one.
55/100
Some vetivers are spring (CDG Vetiverru) - fresh, bright green, invigorating. Some are Autumn (Encre Noire), rooty and smokey. Some are Summer (Mugler/Prada) : soapy and clean. This is unfortunately Winter: cold, grey, dreary.
Dark green and rooty, slightly mentholated. Vetiver teamed with Cedar almost reading as a bitter lime. A little cold and impersonal. Perhaps a good board-room scent.
Performance is hard to gauge as I seem relatively anosmic to it. If you want something in this genre perhaps also try TF GV EDP or TDH intense vetiver. I simply would never be excited or thrilled to wear this one.
55/100
This is a textbook example of trying to be too creative and just driving the train right off of the rails.
It's a very harsh opening, with only the slightest whiff of vetiver. The bergamot and bitter (and I mean BITTER) orange are accompanied by a disturbingly ozonic note. Most vetiver fragrances that I enjoy have that soapy/clean vibe you typically expect with a vetiver opening. But this ozonic component gives an almost ammonia-like presentation of the citrus, woods, and vetiver, which reminds me of once-wet, rotting vegetation. Similar to a used tea bag that has been sitting out for a few days. Some others have mentioned an iodine note, and I can certainly understand that component. This has a very bitter and medicinal tinge to it.
The bitterness subsumes after some time, leaving a dusty, dry, woody base coupled with a melange of what seem to be random herbs. And then it just eventually fades away. This barely classifies as a "vetiver" fragrance, as the vetiver is about as prominent as the sesame seeds are on a Big Mac. It doesn't evolve, it doesn't get better...it just burns out in a sad fashion. I will say this: it does project well, and it has good longevity. More than most fragrances that I actually enjoy, sadly.
What really flummoxes me about this scent is that at some point, Dominique Ropion took a whiff after hours and hours of work, leaned back and then felt satisfied to turn this Frankenstein's monster loose on the general public. I don't get the point of this. I really don't. This is something I would believe to be the failed experiments of an amateur perfumer. The irony of this is that it's this bad and so expensive. I wish I could say I like any part of this fragrance, but I just don't.
Thumbs down without an ounce of hesitation.
It's a very harsh opening, with only the slightest whiff of vetiver. The bergamot and bitter (and I mean BITTER) orange are accompanied by a disturbingly ozonic note. Most vetiver fragrances that I enjoy have that soapy/clean vibe you typically expect with a vetiver opening. But this ozonic component gives an almost ammonia-like presentation of the citrus, woods, and vetiver, which reminds me of once-wet, rotting vegetation. Similar to a used tea bag that has been sitting out for a few days. Some others have mentioned an iodine note, and I can certainly understand that component. This has a very bitter and medicinal tinge to it.
The bitterness subsumes after some time, leaving a dusty, dry, woody base coupled with a melange of what seem to be random herbs. And then it just eventually fades away. This barely classifies as a "vetiver" fragrance, as the vetiver is about as prominent as the sesame seeds are on a Big Mac. It doesn't evolve, it doesn't get better...it just burns out in a sad fashion. I will say this: it does project well, and it has good longevity. More than most fragrances that I actually enjoy, sadly.
What really flummoxes me about this scent is that at some point, Dominique Ropion took a whiff after hours and hours of work, leaned back and then felt satisfied to turn this Frankenstein's monster loose on the general public. I don't get the point of this. I really don't. This is something I would believe to be the failed experiments of an amateur perfumer. The irony of this is that it's this bad and so expensive. I wish I could say I like any part of this fragrance, but I just don't.
Thumbs down without an ounce of hesitation.
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