Vetiver Extraordinaire by Frederic Malle: fragrance review

If in vetiver veritas you pledge your allegiance, look no further. The whooping percentage of pure unadulterated vetiver essence in Vétiver Extraordinaire for Editions des Parfums Frédéric Malle goes for indubitably maximum overload for hardcore vetiver fans: you'd be hard-pressed to find one that contains more Haïtain vetiver out there (an alleged 25%) or is less devoid of the oily decorations of other contenstants.
Luca Turin praised perfumer Dominique Ropion's work here by saying that "lead-pencil cedar notes and a touch of lemon [...] act as makeup to hollow the cheeks of perfumery vetiver and give it back some of the striking bone structure of the starting material". I will go further and say that Vétiver Extraordinaire with its raw, wet cobblestones intensity recalls craggy faces of gaunt figures in chain-mail armor, shaded and revealed alternatively by a bright white light before they suddenly strike with a gigantic sword out of a dense dank forest.

The background story on its 2002 creation is caprivating: Frédéric Malle and Dominique Ropion had collaborated at Roure Bertrand Dupont in the past where Ropion had created an unusual exotic woody accord that Malle remembered fondly. When Ropion received a new extraction of vetiver that highlighted the qualitative nuances of the material in an unprecedented way, Malle had the idea to combine it with the old unfinished woody base and thus after extensive twinkering, the finished modern classic emerged. Ropion is well known for his style of overornate, dense, baroque signature, as evidenced in Ysatis or Amarige by Givenchy but also the intriguing Une Fleur de Cassie also for Frédéric Malle and it seems fitting that he achieved the painful intensity of extreme accuracy by addition instead of substraction using "a new essence of Vetiver, stripped of its bitter edge, which he matches with five woody notes to play up the scent's various facets".

Compared with soapy or citrusy vetivers like Vétiver by Guerlain or sweet, licorice-like vetivers such as Vétiver Oriental by Lutens, Vétiver Extraordinaire seems like a challenge: It lacks the light smoky refinement of Chanel's Sycomore, the nutty flou of Vetiver Tonka by Hermès or the spicy sexiness of Tauer's Vetiver Dance, elements which all contribute to easier acceptance. It should therefore be approached only when searching for something bitterly wet yet with a peppery, fresh herbaceous and earthy scent that will draw out a little savagery misleadingly dressed in bohemian clothing. The rooty, cardboard opening emphasizes the more difficult aspects of the genre but the overall character makes it delightfully panseasonal. The lasting power is excellent and the sillage moderate. Perhaps the closest to it is Encre Noire by Lalique which utilizes the same concept minus the foresty mossy tones, so those who have no access to the former, might find a pleasing alternative in the latter suggestion.


Notes for Vetiver Extraordinaire:Bergamot, Bigarade Orange, Pink pepper, Nutmeg, Floralozone*, Haïtain vetyver, Sandalwood, cedarwood, Oak moss, Myrrh, Cashmeran, Musketone**, Tonalide**.

Available in 10ml, 50ml and 100ml spray bottles and as shower gel at Barneys, Les Senteurs, and directly from Frédéric Malle boutiques and their site.

For a comprehensive analysis of vetiver fragrances click Vetiver Series.

*Florazone is a synthetic ozone muguet note patented by IFF with a fresh aldehydic floral profile reminiscent of ocean breezes.
**Musketone and Tonalide are synthesized musk variants.

Photograph of Hugh Laurie by Justin Stephens(Corbis). Bottle pic through F.Malle

You're the touch of wind, that surprises my body

For reasons of symmetry with my previous post, and antithesis as well (taking into account the above song talks about a never-ending internal winter that the singer cannot put up with anymore), I have decided to present you a list of male perfumes that could be used throughout winter; so as to "be a touch of wind, that surprises the body".

The song above can be listened to by clicking on the window. (courtesy of mpanikos on Youtube). It is sung by Greek songwriter Alkinoons Ioannidis from a record composed by Nikos Zoudiaris and is called "I cannot". The title of today's post is actually a line from the lyrics.

The whole text follows, translated by me:

If you could only slip in the darkness,
if you could only fly like an elf;
Tonight I will surely die,
I will die if I can't see you.

Aided with sweet wine I will become
an argonaut and come and find you.
To just meet you for a while
in my soul's seabed.

No, I cannot. Winter is hurting me.
Any more I cannot...
My yard is burned by snow, any more I cannot.

You're the touch of wind
that suprises my body
I have never satiated myself of you,
it was all but a moment.

XS Black by Paco Rabanne
Don't think of it as Extra Small, think of it phonetically: Ex-Cess. Excess of loveliness, of novelty points, of prettiness in a new release antithetical to the blandness of recent offering for men. Young and sweet, redolent of strawberries, pralines and patchouli with an unidentified floral note in there. Official notes: calabrian lemon, kalamazni, praline, cinnamon, balsam, black cardamon, palissander wood, black amber and patchouli. To me it's the illegitemate child of Innocent by Mugler and L'artisan's Voleur de Roses who has inherited very becoming genes.
If one is as cute as the boy advertising it, it doesn't hurt either.

London men by Burberry
The best tobacco and mulled wine-spice combo I have smelled from the recent batch. I have already said my piece . Go read it and then hurry and go test it!

Habit Rouge by Guerlain
Named after the red riding jacket of men for going hunting on horses in the english countryside this is class and comfort in a bottle. For men timid enough to go for the iconic oriental Shalimar and women who want a little less vanilla on their body.
First launched in 1965, composed by perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain, the fragrance has attained classic status. It opens with citrus, then meanders along a slightly spicy path to some cinnamon paired with patchouli, finally leaving a leathery, vanillic impression. Powdery like opoponax and soft like a caress. Take care as the eau de parfum now circulating does not share the same formula as the classic Eau de cologne.

Arabie by Serge Lutens
Do you hide a man from the souk in your heart? All khol-ed eyes and heavy languorous lips? (This last bit brings to mind another great Alkinoos song which I will post when I fully review this one). One of the few fruity scents I like. Dried, candied fruits like dates in a gold liquid and the magic of benzoin bring exotic and intense pulsations to your mind. It smells coppery...

Obsession for men by Calvin Klein
The scent of choice for a rich, intense, dark, full-bodied amber with a touch of sweetness. It is single-minded and has one single effect. Makes one want to jumb your bones. Even felines seem to be attracted to it, per one zoo study (!) I won't elaborate. Needs to be sold with a NC-17 warning label on the box.

Antaeus by Chanel
This is pure man's clean sweat and animalistic labdanum. Created in 1981, still sexy after all those years. Complex and passionate like the mythological hero that inspired it. For when you want to make an impact!

Vetiver Extraordinaire by Frederic Malle
After all the sweet recommendations, a dry one for the grand finale. Vetivers are usually left aside for warmer weather as they have the quality of giving a grassy, earthy, cooling feeling that is so welcome in summer. This has the best qualities of the erathy aroma, not coupled with citrus as usually happens and lasts well and it struck me that it could be worn on a very bright, cold, snowy day, when the whole world is glistening with the pureness. The resinous base hints at you that pleasures of the home await after snowfighting.