Vetiver
dry rooty grass, earthy with a faint smokiness
In 341 of 1747 fragrances here, most often worn in autumn
What it is
The root of a tropical grass, dug up and washed before distillation. Haitian vetiver is smokier, Javanese is more earthy, and the plant is also grown to hold soil together on hillsides.
What it smells like
Dry, rooty and grassy with a smoky thread through it. It reads as serious and slightly austere, is one of the few materials that smells good on its own, and it divides people mainly on whether they find it clean or dirty.
Where it sits
Which layer of the pyramid it is listed in, across every fragrance here that carries it. A base note is one you smell for hours; a top note is usually gone within the first.
What it turns up with
How much more often than the catalogue average. 1.0x would be chance, so these are the things that genuinely travel with it rather than the things that are simply common.
When it is worn
Against the average fragrance here. The line marks that average, so a bar past it means this is worn in that season or setting more than most.
Houses that use it most
Counted across the fragrances here, which reflects what we cover as much as what a house makes.
Givenchy (19), Armaf (16), Azzaro (15), Hugo Boss (15), Amouage (14), Chanel (14).
The description above is written here. The counts, pairings and seasons are measured across every fragrance on this site that lists it. We have not smelled every bottle behind those numbers.
Fragrances with vetiver
The best known of them, each with its full note pyramid and its cheaper alternatives.
Amouage
Amouage Reflection 45
Availability may vary
Yves Saint Laurent
Libre Intense Yves Saint Laurent
Availability may vary
