Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
04/04/2015
ColinM
516 Reviews
ColinM
Unusual vetiver
Vetiver Moderno opens in a really peculiar way, definitely not what you would expect with such a name (“Modern Vetiver”). To my nose, initially there’s no vetiver at all: I get a heavily spicy blend, slightly musky-moldy and with a sort of thick, wet “lacustrine” substance. A heart of pepper, an understated yet solid and masculine rose note which emerges with increasing strength, and a rich citrus accord: overall, a really nostalgic, almost decadent blend with an ambiguous mood halfway romanticism and filthiness (mostly for a weird dark-rubbery nuance among the base notes). Rose, woods, musk give Vetiver Moderno almost a “vintage barbershop” feel, but revisited with a “transparent” modern texture. Somehow classic, but not banal and not boring; the modernity lies, I guess, in the “clash” between some notes (initially citrus, spices, nuances ranging from candied to rubbery...) and in that crisp, thin texture. Which is heavier at first, so it will take a while for you to appreciate it. For me, the nicest feature of this scent is the really well-engineered arising of the vetiver note, which occurs after a while, and kind of “reunites” all the notes and the opposites melting them together in a really pleasant, compelling and balanced woody-ambery-spicy blend, slightly powdery and camphorous too, really peculiar and much sophisticated. Complex and “clashy” at first, really tight and effortlessly warm and harmonic on the drydown. Also still somehow “decadent”, but never becoming too dark. Really nice: an interesting, unusually refined and fascinating scent. Not sure if vetiver fans may enjoy this given the number of notes which share the main stage with vetiver, but still totally worthy a try.
7/10
7/10
