Summer Loving: Comme des Garçons Vettiveru

There isn't a whole lot that can be said about Vettiveru, one of Comme des Garçons' three Series 4 colognes. It starts out with a burst of fresh bergamot and the piercing green of vetiver. As the citrus fades, it's replaced by a suggestion of flowers and an unexpectedly cool cedarwood; the cedar and the vetiver continue to the end, which takes longer than you'd think for a cologne, easily four hours, perhaps more if you really douse yourself. (It's resilient, too; I always spray the backs of my hands, and even after washing a big load of dishes I could still smell the Vettiveru there.)

That's about it, but it's remarkably nice. My first impression was that it was just another vetiver and that I've already smelled better, but after living in it for a few days I have to say that it ranks high on my list of vetivers; very simple, without a lot of development, yet it's perfectly balanced, just sharp enough, just dense enough, just fresh enough. As a cologne, it's very inexpensive--currently $52 US for a 125-mL spray at Luckyscent--and well worth it, a terrific addition to your lineup of summer staples.