Great scent .... one of the few ones that I regret selling (swapping?).
When you double up, what's your approach? One on each arm? Layered?
If I put both on at the same time, I typically go one on the back the left hand and under the shirt, the other on the back of my right. This is my office mode and what I did yesterday.
basenotes.com
Stealing! "For a friend!"
Quick update on this one: performance is quite good. It’s still not loud, but it’s humming along 6 hours later just as strong as when I first sprayed. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised considering vetiver is a strong fixative, and here there’s not much besides vetiver! I’m guessing I can get stronger projection by spraying a bit heavier next time.Debuting the one and only Parfum d'Empire - Vetiver Bourbon today. Still getting my head around this one - smells very naturalistic, squarely focused on the vetiver, and the other notes (at least in the first half of the wear) are bit players acting in support of the central accord.
What's surprising me the most is that it feels quite a bit quieter on my skin than expected. I tend to have this experience with Parfum d'Empire - a few of their scents are quite strong, deep and resinous, and only need 1 or 2 sprays (thinking Wazamba, Aziyade, maybe Ambre Russe). Others feel extremely naturalistic but much lighter and short-lived, often requiring 3-5 sprays (Corsica Furiosa, Azemour Les Orangers, Mal-Aime). This feels like it might fall into the second camp (though it's possible my nose hasn't fully recovered from Covid).
In terms of the actual vetiver, I can see why this might be a kind of goldilocks vetiver for some folks. It has aspects of a lot of the big name "serious" vetiver fragrances, and strikes a very nice balance between them. There's definitely a facet of the deep, dark, earthy character of somethin gnarlier like MpG Route du Vetiver, but it doesn't go all the way, isn't nearly as strong or dank, and as a result seems a lot easier to wear. It also has some of the nuttiness I get from Givenchy Vetyver, although I think diehard Givenchy fans might still prefer the Givenchy if it's the smooth, acorn-brown, roasted chestnut vibe you're after. This has that aspect, but it also has quite a bit of sharp spiciness up front - reminiscent of the aggressive opening blast of Guerlain Vetiver, but with the "higher fidelity" photorealistic approach of something like Hiram Green's Vetiver. I think the supporting clove note (which isn't particularly discernible on its own) may be amplifying this aspect. In a way, this draws from all of these excellent predecessors and strikes a perfect midpoint... although the difference to my nose is Vetiver Bourbon really strikes me as more of a vetiver soliflore than any of them. I don't notice any opening citrus, or obvious spices, or supporting woods. It's vetiver, vetiver, vetiver, in all its weirdness - plantlike, grassy, a bit smoky, shrubby, earthy, even a touch leathery. I suspect I'll end up loving this, but we shall see!
Oddly enough, the marketing copy from the PdE website is spot-on: The plant by its roots: A materials-driven scent that exalts the primal nature of the precious essence. Here, vetiver owns up to its innate toughness. And even more: to its virility. True, it has anchored men’s fragrances for decades, but usually in a polite, urbane, toned-down form. In Vétiver Bourbon, Marc-Antoine Corticchiato unshackles it from its overly civilised manners to restore its native elegance. That of a material which, in its raw state, is a fragrance in itself, unique and contrasted.
Through the kind offices of @IsoESuperman, I'm trying the Vetiver Bourbon from Parfum d'Empire that Toxicon described so well. Not only that, but I've got a whole different Vetiver Bourbon (from Miller Harris) on the other arm. And surprisingly, they're practically chalk & cheese.
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