Spotlight Fragrance: May: Tom Ford Grey Vetiver & Guerlain Vetiver

I ordered a sample of the Guerlain. Anxious to try it based upon what I've read.

I really should try Grey Vetiver, but haven't ordered a sample yet. Guerlain's Vetiver is one of my top three favourites.

Main Accords: earthy, citrus, woody, green, herbal

Top: Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin, Neroli, Coriander
Middle: Vetiver, Cedar
Base: Tobacco, Nutmeg, Pepper, Tonka bean, Capiscum

Right off the bat Guerlain Vetiver starts out a bit powdery, then after 4-6 hours the vetiver is completely lost and I am left gagging over the powdery notes. Out of dozens of vetivers which I have had the opportunity to sample, this is possibly the worst for me.

Main Accords: earthy, woody, citrus, green, warm spicy

Notes: Vetiver, Orange flower, Grapefruit, Aromatic sage, Orris, Nutmeg, Pimento, Amber woods, Oak moss

Grey Vetiver may not have the earthiness of some of the other vetivers, but the vetiver note is very pronounced throughout it's longevity. It was that spiciness of Grey Vetiver which first piqued my interest in vetivers and in addition to it's spiciness, Grey Vetiver does not turn into the powdery nightmare like several of the popular vetivers on the market. Grey Vetiver remains a very appealing non-offensive fragrance from start to finish.

TF Grey Vetiver has been my "go to" frag since last fall.

erickson said:

Main Accords: earthy, citrus, woody, green, herbal

Top: Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin, Neroli, Coriander
Middle: Vetiver, Cedar
Base: Tobacco, Nutmeg, Pepper, Tonka bean, Capiscum

Right off the bat Guerlain Vetiver starts out a bit powdery, then after 4-6 hours the vetiver is completely lost and I am left gagging over the powdery notes. Out of dozens of vetivers which I have had the opportunity to sample, this is possibly the worst for me.

Click to expand...

I don't get a powdery note at all, the tonka bean in it makes a smooth caramel note but no powder. I get hay, tobacco and a little spice in the drydown. Guerlain Vetiver smells like a boardroom in Mad Men, Tom Ford Grey Vetiver smells like a boardroom today.

Guerlain Vetiver today for me. Wore very herbal, woody, almost spicy, and picked up more neroli than lemon. Acted almost like a Colonia today. Strange, I don't recall ever getting that impression before. Still enjoyed it though.

Guerlain- rated it a "meh." To my surprise, I had tried this previously and rated it a - "meh." Fairly long lasting FWIW.

I enjoyed the clean vetiver with a touch of citrus that I get from TF Grey Vetiver today. It's a "kinder, gentler" vetiver.

jakespoppy said:

I enjoyed the clean vetiver with a touch of citrus that I get from TF Grey Vetiver today. It's a "kinder, gentler" vetiver.

Click to expand...

+1. Wore this Sunday and it's definitely an easy to wear scent - understand why it gets so many recommendations as a work scent. It may be too "kind and gentle" for me though.

Wore Guerlain Vetiver on Saturday. I may have sailed around the world to rediscover home. When I first tried the GV more than a year ago I found the drydown harsh and reminiscent of cigarettes. Now I don't know how I ever thought that :-/ It wore pretty linear all the way through and I've always liked the citrus and vetiver top. I've got enough left in my decant for a few more wearings - if they all go like Saturday I may be buying a FB. I've been looking for a vetiver and maybe I'll come back to the one I started with.

Guerlain Vetiver made me think of stepping out of the shower into a forest. I really like the way the tobacco flower plays off the citrus and vetiver. I avoid neroli as a rule, but it was tolerable enough for me to wear out quite a bit.

I only ever smelled TF Grey Vetiver in a shop, and it seemed a bit more "user-friendly" in that it was lacking the floral notes that I think so many find off-putting in the Guerlain.

I got a bottle of Guerlain Vetiver from someone awhile back, as a first foray into the massive catalog of Guerlain fragrances. It was very different from everything I had tried up to that point - green, citrusy, spicy, with tobacco and a lively vetiver - and it seemed like a great warm weather scent. It still does. Having tried others in this category, the only other that has stood out to me has been Mona Di Orio's Vetyver. I tend to prefer the earthier interpretations of the root. It feels more like I'm wearing them than they're wearing me, as is often the case with these greener vetivers. I think it'll take me a very long time to get through this bottle (if I don't flip it before then); there are just too many fragrances that I find more interesting.

I got a decant of TF Grey Vetiver and first sampled it alongside Lorenzo Villoresi Uomo. Horrible, horrible mistake. LV Uomo seemed alive, three-dimensional, something that immediately made me a better man! (I now have a full bottle... love this stuff.) Grey Vetiver just kinda sat there, and I think my reaction to it was somewhat unprintable. Initial impressions were those of moldy wet newspapers and citrus. I gave it a few more wearings, and while my first reaction was obviously biased against Grey Vetiver, it still bores me. Despite all of the interesting notes listed, it comes off as simple and extraordinarily linear. Anytime I'm tempted to try Tom Ford's releases (I enjoy Tuscan Leather and Tobacco Vanille), I remind myself of this and save the money.

Gentlemen

The Tom Ford and Guerlain Vetivers were in Base Notes best colognes this year.
Just for your in formation.I have not used these.

I recommend Floris Vetiver, a pure vetiver as well, if can find. Apparently closing this one out.

I agree with the Lorenzo Villoressi and the Uomo, a great cologne, all natural.
I like Guerlains Habit Rouge out of all the guerlains.
Guerlains is a lot of synthetics as well.
Have enoyed naturals some time myself.

Nice day
Jimmy

Guerlain Vetiver is a summer mainstay for me, along with Terre d'Hermes.

In cooler weather I rotate in Habit Rouge, Heritage and L'Instant pour Homme. Something about the Guerlains hits me just right. The fact that I don't smell them anywhere else as a rule is frosting on the cake.

My first time with Grey Vetiver today - two and a half hours in and it seems to be fairly strong. It also reminds me heavily of Guerlain, definitely in the same family of vetivers. So far at least they don't seem to be that far apart.

My grey vetiver arrived yesterday My decant was just about done. Love this stuff it's definitely my favourite fragrance.

I love both of these, they are both very similar to me too. Grey Vetiver seems much more soapy and refined, more polished, but I'm not sure if it warrants three times the cost for it. I prefer GV but if I were to run out of both I'd probably only replace the Guerlain.