While many will argue that winter isn’t the season for a Vetiver-based fragrance, fragrances such as Creed Original Vetiver have a year-round characteristic that is more a function of personal preference and chemistry than one dictated by heat or cold. And it’s long past due that I should say something about the fragrance since I’d not previously done so.
I’ll grant the caveats that others will argue: A vetiver is a spring/summer/fall fragrance, though I personally view it more as a spring and summer component of my wardrobe. Personally, I’d feel somewhat odd about wearing this in cold weather since it might not open up and project as well, and it certainly can get lost in a cold New England day or a windy New York evening. Not everyone will share that preference. That said…
Creed Original Vetiver (2004)
Creed Original Vetiver (2004): Creed Original Vetiver (COV) has become a mainstay of the house’s line-up, just as ubiquitous as Green Irish Tweed or Original Santal: it almost sells itself and really requires little explanation or careful handling for someone to feel an attraction or a like-it/love-it/hate-it opinion about it. The green colored bottle exists more to associate color with olfactory and guide you into the journey. If at first look you don’t have the sense that this is a “green” fragrance, you’ll know it shortly after first application. However, there’s a plot twist.
The top notes open with Mandarin and Bitter Oranges, along with a selection of citruses, leaving a very fresh, bright and shower-clean type of smell. It’s not pungently masculine, but in this combination the citrus also isn’t completely off-putting. After a short while, the heart notes open up to reveal ginger, white pepper, rose and coriander. The coriander is normally a somewhat dirty and animalic smell, while the ginger and white pepper add a very notable sharpness. The rose is the background piece that acts more as mediator and bridge between the two so that neither is overwhelming. Therein lies the plot twist: This isn’t purely a ‘vetiver’ fragrance, though it uses the vetiver base with a unique juxtaposition of other notes to enhance it.
Beneath that surface lies the ever-present base that begins to reveal as top and heart notes dissipate: Now you get the ‘green’ pieces of the fragrance, including the vetiver, pine and cedar, combined with sandalwood. The vetiver is the strongest player in that ensemble, though its pungency is layered and controlled by the surrounding woods to form a base.
Vetiver can become a very divisive type of note: meaning the wearer or smeller will have either a positive or negative reaction to it, with very little middle ground. COV is that middle ground. Its combination here is a very clean though not antiseptic experience that the non-vetiver fan can at least tolerate if not grow to like. The vetiver fan might find the overall result a bit disingenuous, since the key ingredient is cloaked within other layers and begs the question of the focus. Let me assure you, it’s ever-present in muted form and does not loudly announce its presence.
Comparably, Guerlain’s rendition is more pronounced and Le Labo’s is very edgy and experimental. Metaphorically, Guerlain Vetiver would be the earthy, fresh cut summer grass while Le Labo is the autumn hayride. Creed Original Vetiver is the early summer morning spent on the veranda watching the sunrise and feeling the dew off the surrounding grass mixed with an orchard of fruit and a table of spices. Very clean, very fresh, very bright.
Longevity is quite good, though sillage and project tend to be far more subtle; after the first hours of wearing, this becomes purely the wearer’s fragrance and more intended for intimate space. And I say this without prejudice. I’m not a lover of typical vetiver scents. I only own two of them in my collection, Le Labo Vetiver 46 being the other. COV is quite masterfully done that someone might forego their own biases to try and perhaps grow to enjoy it more.
Results: 4.25/5. Highly recommended.
Bottom-Line: Though I think it’s stated enough in this review, this will not be an inexpensive fragrance as with any Creed, but it shows Olivier Creed’s thoughtful approach to the art of fragrance in making green enticing to those who’ve had their share of bad experiences with other vetiver renditions. Approach with an open mind and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
I'm Andrew Buck, the man behind the words. I'm a published author, project management practitioner for over 20 years, work on Wall Street, and am a fragrance aficionado. I've had a passion for fragrance for 30+ years, and enjoy trying scents and adding to an expanding and rotating collection for some time now. This site is dedicated not only to fragrance, but also to the notion that quality matters now more than ever. 
