Ayala Moriel - Vetiver Racinettes

I went through a phase when I was trying every vetiver fragrance under the sun. Since then I've lost a bit of interest, not because I don't like the smell, but well, there is a lot of other stuff out there to try. 

I recently sampled a perfume called Vetiver Racinettes by Ayala Moriel. It is the first perfume I've tried in her line and it is lovely. Vetiver is a very distinctive smell I find. Once you've smelled it, you are unlikely to forget it, I think. It is sometimes described as citrusy and grassy, and yes, it may conjure up these smells, but it is so much more complex than just that. My taste in vetiver tends towards the more earthy, fungal and rooty facets, rather than the sweeter and nutty facets. Vetiver Racinettes falls firmly into my favourite category and it reminds me of some of my favourite vetiver perfumes, including Route de Vetiver by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, Turtle Vetiver by Les Nez, and even Vetiver Extraordinaire by Frederic Malle. 

Vetiver Racinettes is meant to include cardamom, coffee and even tarragon, but despite these supporting roles, the fragrance smells intensely of the vetiver root: this is vetiver straight up, intense and undiminished, so if you don't like vetiver very much, watch out! I find it to be relatively linear, like a lot of vetiver fragrances, and while there are some spices and herbs, I don't notice a particularly distinctive coffee note. As the fragrance develops, it becomes quite earthy, revealing an accord that smells dank, fungal and of mouldering leaves. If this seems unappealing, it really isn't. Think of a walk in some woods on a damp autumn day, kicking through a pile of slightly wet leaves and you get the picture.

Vetiver Racinettes lasts well on my skin, although it is by no means a forceful perfume. I found it a comforting and very appealing fragrance and would recommend it to any fan of vetiver.

Image credit - http://www.theherbcottage.com/