Creed Original Vetiver

Top Notes: Ginger, Mandarine, Italian Bergamot
Middle Notes: Vetiver from Haiti, Sandalwood from Mysore, Iris from Florence
Base Notes: Musk, Ambergris

Boy these Vetivers smell very different from L'Occitane Vetyver that I own. The vetiver I smell is more like a root smell whereas these Creed vetivers are more grassy. I find OV a little better than Creed Vetiver but I prefer the root smell of L'Occitane. There certainly is a little grassy smell mixed with the typical sandalwood (less pronounced) after the sweet ginger and mandarine wear off. The musk and ambergris is typical as of other creeds. These aren't bad scents but I'm a little underwhelmed. I don't think I'll buy this or the other one. I still have to test out Vetiver '48 (whenever that one arrives). The sillage and longevity of OV appear to be better than Creed Vetiver and a nice slightly soapy green grass scent. This is a good alternative to Cypres Musc if you can't find it but Cypres Musc is better and more evocative.

I had the sample version so packaging and atomizer dont apply.

This stuff smells EXACTLY like Williams Mug Soap. I know a lot of people bad mouth this soap, but I am OK with it. (doesnt hold a candle to T&H though) This cologne has that citronella-ish smell to it. I would recommend it for summer months, but I guess it could be used all year long. Rather than purchase the bottle without at least sniffing it, grab yourself a puck of williams for a buck and a half, and give it a shave.

For me, the price is too much for an average fragrance with minimal staying power

Creed Original Vetiver is the most expensive cologne I've ever purchased. The price is truly abysmal. At $130 for a 4 oz bottle, which is half of what Creed asks on its website, I expect only the best. Fortunately, I get it.

The quality is all there. First comes a burst of bright citrus, mandarine, oranges and lemons, followed by vetiver, vetiver, and more vetiver. This isn't the pungent vetiver root, but the green, grassy vetiver leaf, and the result is something very green, natural-smelling, and clean.

I've heard critics say Original Vetiver comes across a bit too soapy, but my experience has proved otherwise. Usually when I wear cologne I get no responses from anyone. The very first day of wearing Original Vetiver, I was complimented by two women, in two separate instances, one right after the other. The second day, my female co-worker wanted to know what I was wearing, because she really liked the smell. Moral of the story: Original Vetiver gets female attention, and it's all the good kind.

Of course, O.V. is unisex, as are most Creed fragrances. This helps bolster sex appeal for men who choose this vetiver over others - women like what they'd wear themselves.

Packaging is very good, but just short of great. I feel they could have done something a bit more eye-catching with the box, especially the front, which has a rather boring mirrored label. The bottle itself is magnificent. The green faded glass is well-constructed, hefty, and the sort of thing I'd want to keep long after it's empty, just for the aesthetics.

Complexity is better than one can expect from this scent, which is, in a word, beautiful. Although it sounds pretty linear, O.V. is really a complex beast. There's the citrus top, which fades quickly but holds the bergamot as it transitions into light florals (labeled iris on the Creed site, although I think there's more than just iris going on there), distinct sandalwood, smooth and direct, and a subtle drydown of ambergris. I also get a distinctly mysterious spicy note that holds from the top down to the base, but I'll admit that I'm not sure what it is, and say only that it's very pleasant.

Longevity is an issue, but that's no surprise with Creed. I get compliments two hours after application, but only if I generously spritz my shirt, and then layer spritz after spritz on my skin. Since the atomizer is ridiculously well-made and dispenses something like an ounce per spray, that's a lot of juice just to get noticed. But Creed is about luxury, spending big, and smelling like it. So you can't skimp if you want to reap the benefits of wearing something this great.