What fragrance are you wearing today?

Vetiver (Guerlain) vintage

This golden vintage juice is far richer and more complex than the anemic green version of Vetiver that now fills the duty free shelves in the airport. The old stuff has a fair dose of moss and musk that give the citrus top notes ample grounding. It’s a balanced fragrance, round and spicy, with notes of coriander, nutmeg, and black pepper.

Dzongkha (L’Artisan Parfumeur) iris & Tibetan incense

I can’t think of many colognes that feature iris so prominently. In fact, the first time I smelled Dzongkha, I was immediately reminded of lipstick, which is often scented with iris or something that smells like it. Apart from the rooty florals, there’s a load of bitter herbs and incense in this fragrance, too. They’re sort of the hallmark of the perfumer, Bertrand Duchaufour. So, if you like Timbuktu, also by Duchaufour, you may want to give Dzongkha a try.

Vetiver Dance (Tauer) lily of the valley & vetiver

Vetiver Dance opens as a jumble of florals and vetiver, but after a few minutes it tidies itself up. The lily of the valley steps forward and plays a solo for about  two hours. The vetiver is there in the background, but it’s just beating out rhythm while the flowery bits do all the work. Eventually, the lily settles down into a creamy, damp vetiver that seems the absolute antithesis of Tauer’s vast and expansive L’air du désert marocain. The drydown is close, a little sticky, and wet. It’s a very nice fragrance for a windy day in the tropical countryside, but it may be a little too florid to wear in town.

Grey Vetiver, edt (Tom Ford) office vetiver

This is an indoor vetiver. Step outside and even a light breeze will blow these molecules away. A Fruit-Loopy blast of neroli and grapefruit introduces a sedate vegetable vetiver that’s tinged with notes of wood and celery seed. That sounds like an odd combination, but it comes off very clean, polite, and unassuming. It’s also very mild. Grey Vetiver seems to have been designed with over sprayers in mind. Merely dabbing it on gets you nowhere.

Oud Palao (Diptyque) powerful rose oud

This is a boozy rose-oud confection with both depth and projection. The oud creeps into your clothes and lingers there the whole day long, while the rose handles all social obligations. Both major notes seem synthetic, but neither smells annoying. They’re just powerful and long lasting, so spray lightly and you might find this is the right thing to reach for on a breezy autumn day.

One of my favorites, a classic!

Azzaro pour Homme (Azzaro) vintage fougère

This vintage sample of Azzaro pour Homme is a stand-you-up, green, mossy fougère from the old school. It smells deep and rich and it’s more than tenacious, strong enough in fact to stand up to the trade winds, even when they’re blowing a gale. It seems to take on more life as the hours pass. Is this a perfume or a petri dish?