Reviews of Vetiver 46 by Le Labo

Vetiver 46 by Le Labo (2006) is in the usual fashion of not smelling very much like the thing listed on the label. Mark Buxton as a perfumer has done a lot of interesting work, some of it marred by an eccentric personality and sense of elitism folks find difficult to stomach, and resulting in his move up market to work mostly with luxury brands like this one, but it is nothing if not eclectic. Here we see some of his career-defining work at Comme des Garçons echoed in the primary use of woody incense accords, and this really overshadows any vetiver in the composition to the point I'd not even call Vetiver 46 a poor vetiver fragrance; it just isn't one. Maybe a vetiver-touched incense and woods scent might be a better way to think about Vetiver 46? I don't know, it's overpriced and underwhelming in the usual Le Labo way regardless. Folks comparing this to Gucci pour Homme (2002) and Comme des Garçons 2 Man (2004) were automatic red flags for me.

The opening of this is smoky and peppery, undoubtedly from being loaded down with clove, olibanum, and black pepper. This smells very much like that churchy frankincense or Somali incense which is so popular in a lot of French takes on the subject going all the way back to Messe de Minuit by Etro (1994), not being so bleakly dry and harsh like some of the avant-garde work Buxton did on the subject for Comme des Garçons. Labdanum smooths, makes ambery in ways, while bergamot brightens and just a touch of cedarwood and vanilla help pulls the dynamics of the fragrance out so it feels more across a spectrum than just a sharp power chord of smoke and wood. The vetiver is only really adding some nuttiness at this point, with faint impressions of green. Performance is nice at least, being "just right" in that level of longevity and being noticeable without getting grating, something a lot of the Comme des Garçons work Buxton has done can't claim.

My bottom line is this comes across like a green-ish peppery and woody incense fragrance. Something like this would actually be great in an Essential Parfums bottle sold for just under $100, where I think it would be priced fairly and get some reach named after the primary materials (Incense Vert or some such). Just as Mr. Buxton would never lower himself these days to make a perfume for a brand selling based on value and accessibility (even if some of his better-known work amongst the public is through Cofinluxe, Oriflame, Paco Rabanne, and Burberry), Lauder Group would never go "oh hey something like this might have been better in the Aramis range" which it had at the time; now the company has literally zero designer-level fragrances anymore unless you count Tom Ford's overpriced garbage as that. Either way, this is a flush at its market placement. I'll compromise between my conflicted feelings and just feel indifferent about it. Neutral

First thought: I dont get any Gucci Pour Homme 2003 from it, i get tons of pine needles and some incense! Its a super sophisticated woody mens release, very classy, very nice. If you like Santal 33, Patchouli 24...Rose 31 even, lets just say all woody releases from Le Labo, this is for you! Imagine a smart casual dressed gentleman in a city, wearing this on a grey fall day. I get slight hints of Tom Ford Vert D'Encens actually, just more rounded and dressed up.

This fragrance offers a distinct burnt smoky incense note, complemented by a peppery cedar undertone. Interestingly, it shares a striking resemblance to 2 Man by CDG, which isn't surprising considering they share the same perfumer. There isn't much more to elaborate on, as it's about 90% similar to 2 Man. In terms of performance, it feels slightly stronger than 2 Man, although it still falls within the moderate range when it comes to longevity. Initially, it projects a bit more prominently, but after about an hour, it settles into a more intimate aura. Considering the similarities, I would recommend opting for 2 Man, as it offers a similar experience at a slightly lower price point. If you're looking for an even more affordable alternative, Bentley Absolute would be worth considering.

Dark, green woods, loaded with resins, and the smoky swirl of incense in the air. The vetiver seems scarce in this one, despite being the namesake ingredient. One of the better releases from the line to me, though redolent of CdG 2Man.

This is like Encre Noire with lots of smoke. Vetiver 46 is dark green, vegetal, inky, and surrounded by very classy smokiness. The potent green opening then lands on a nice comforting ambery base. A very classy scent altogether. A winner for team green.

Crisp, green, wet vetiver goodness with a woody twist.

Le Labo's Vetiver 46 has been a long-time welcome presence at the local Nordstrom's men's fragrance counter. Not too complicated and has some depth and character.

Vetiver 46 is an innovative take on vetiver--it is certainly there, but it has been pounded into a joss stick, stuffed into a thurible and bound into a smudge bundle. This is an incense scent, first and foremost--dry, woody and grassy. There is an an almost soapy, fresh top note and then smoky, incensy woods and grasses for the duration. Quality and distinction.

Similar to the leather from Le Labo, this vetiver just does enough for a thumbs up, while still being somewhat disappointing. I recently tried the vetiver from the Elie Saab Essences collection, and that one hit the spot. Le Labo does its own thing in a way that's interesting, without always hitting the heights. This is a darker, brooding vetiver.

You're a piece of pork. You're soaked in a pork rub made out of vanilla extract and baby powder, then smoked over a grassy fire and marinated with cold cucumber slices. Hey, don't ask me, it's what the customer ordered. Vetiver 46 by Le Labo.

ive been goin back and forward in my mind about pulling the trigger on this 1 because its a blend of 2 frags... royal oud and encre noire...has a slight aroma of some distant burning woods..a damn good frag..not too harsh

Vetiver 46 may not be the most wearable scent but it smells really good. The scent is pretty linear. Spicy, burnt sweet wood and incense...not exactly what I was expecting from a vetiver. The whole thing equates to the smell of a candle just blown out. Reminds me of By the Fireplace.

Performance is very good. It projects nicely and lasts all workday.

Spicy pepper and incense dominate, with some grassy vetiver in the dry-down. Good depth.

As has been pointed out frequently, it smells an awful lot like a rehash of Mark Buxton's earlier CdG 2 Man, and the fragrances smell almost identical on paper for a while - they share a heart, but something about the CdG smells... a little less refined? More aldehydic and linear, while the Labo dries down toward a more apparent vetiver note. It's probably an improvement, but fans of the CdG may prefer that one's more devil-may-care attitude to its younger brother's more cleaned-up, classical structure. The 2 Man wins out in terms of price, too - both are worth smelling, but this would be redundant in my own collection.

Spicy and dark vetiver with a beautiful resinous kick to it. Woody fragrance with a rather light vetiver background.As previously mentioned, this smells a lot like Gucci Pour Homme. Will be purchasing a bottle in the near future 8/10

One of the darker vetiver offerings I've tried as of late, Le Labo Vetiver 46 is a smoky, earthy, semi-spicy, semi-green mixture of sorts that leans cold weather by nature of the pepper, clove, and labdanum but is still has fresh green elements in the bergamot, and of course the vetiver itself. In series of Le Labo's core fragrances that revolve around the development about one note, Vetiver 46 has been the most surprising in that more seems to be packed on top of the key note than in, say, Bergamote 22 or Rose 31. Vetiver 46 in character seems a little more independent, as well, like Memoirs of a Trespasser by Imaginary Authors, as the mixture of notes creates an incense vibe. I'm inclined to say that this has primarily cold weather day usage, as it doesn't seem buttoned-up enough for nighttime or formal wear, but doesn't seem appropriate for the summer. Longevity and projection fall in the middle of the house, slightly disappointing for an EDP of its cost. I like it, but certainly not as much as some of the house's other options.

6 out of 10

If a hypothetical “Gucci pour Homme Vetiver” from 2003 existed, it would have smelled exactly like this. Vetiver by Le Labo is literally Gucci pour Homme I (I get this one closer than the CdG) with all its distinctive incense-cedar-pepper structure, just topped with (good) vetiver. A proper “flanker”. Surely nice overall, with also a remarkable persistence, but really too derivative for me.

6/10

The 2Man similarities are unavoidable, and if you know 2Man, that's pretty much what you get with Vetiver 46. Needless to say, Vetiver 46 is excellent in all the ways that 2Man is excellent. Yet there are some (very subtle) differences.

For one thing, V46 darker and heavier than 2Man so the aldehydes don't come through quite as much. You still get the leathery, smoky, woods and the “snuffed candle” (aldehyde c11-enic), but V46 has a more charred feel in general than 2Man. That adds interest and texture, but I find 2Man's strength to be that you can throw it on without thinking twice. With this, it does seem a touch more oppressive and gloomy, so it loses some versatility points there. As with 2Man, the vetiver is present but it's incidental, tucked away as a minor component more than anything. So, if you want a straight up vetiver, look elsewhere, and if you already own 2Man, this would be completely redundant. V46 is best suited for those who enjoy 2Man but want a little more oomph behind it and don't mind paying quite a bit more money in the process.

I love the smokiness of this fragrance. You know in late autumn/winter when you walk the streets and catch a whiff of someones fireplace? This is it. It's kind of oaky. I'm seriously considering this to wear on a cool autumn day.

Genre: Woody Oriental

Anyone who has perused perfume critics Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez's reviews of Le Labo's scents will expect the note on the label to be conspicuously absent in the bottle, and Vetiver 46 is no exception. This is not a “vetiver” scent in the accepted sense, but rather a spicy incense fragrance that could easily pass muster as part of Comme des Garçons' Series 3: Incense line. Any vetiver in the composition is hidden deep in the background, behind conspicuous cade, clove, and frankincense (olibanum) notes. Vetiver 46 is an attractive scent, but one can obtain a similar effect for far less money with Comme des Garçons' Jaisalmer or Ouarzazate. (The latter is also by Mark Buxton, the nose behind Vetiver 46.)

OFFICE TEST:
Female 1: 2/5, Impression: too sharp
Female 2: 5/5, Impression: my favourite, it reminds me of spicy flowers
Female 3: 0/5, Impression: essential oil home aroma
Male 1: 2/5, Impression: smells like old man aftershave
Male 2: 4/5, Impression: reminds me of pine woods
Male 3: 2/5, Impression: strong musky smell
Projection: average
Longevity: won't disappear until you wash it off
My opinion:
So, we've got another vetiver. This one's quite different. Bear in mind that the number next to it always stands in Le Labo for the number of other ingredients used to support the main note. 46 is really a lot, and you can smell it. There is breadth and depth to it. Thankfully, it did not end up being over-blended, which I would definitely dislike. There is a central accord and it's very nice. However, as rich and luxurious as it is, it becomes a bit too well-rounded and stately for my taste. One of the guys said it was an old man's aftershave, but I'd associate it with a proper gentleman instead. Very good.

Weak, but the better of the Le Labo frags. Starts off salty, manly. A great scent, but finishes too softly and soapy.

Comforting, smoky, and the merest hint of Vetiver. Sod the name not totally matching the notes, Vetiver 46 does it for me, in spades. I enjoy 2 Man, but this beautiful Le Labo is one of my top 3. I tend to wear it more in Winter but lightly applied in the warmer months it works very well. Because I blind bought it initially I only got the 50ml. I now regret that and have had to get a 100ml back up. Quite simply, I love it.

Is the name misleading? Mmmh... On the one hand vetiver is not dominating in the foreground; on the other hand a composition of 46 notes cannot be expected to centre around one note only. Anyway, I get some vetiver early , yet it is not dominant but embedded in a smooth cedarwood matrix with pepper and olibanum creating a bright incense impression. The vetiver, then, is not the piano in a piano concerto, but more like a basso continuo in the background. Later in the drydown vanilla and cloves intensify the components, but it is never really sweet on my skin, with a touch of bergamot ensuring the bright lightness is preserved. Overall a light incense fragrance, elegant, not dark or brooding at all, made of high-quality ingredients that are superbly blended. Good silage and projection, with a splendid longevity of nine hours. For a sunny cooler autum day.

Incense 46 A very smoky and woody incense fragrance with peppery undertones. Forget about the name, this is a frankincense/resins exercise, and, as many others have noted, you will not find vetiver here (I suppose it may be one of the "46" ingredients, but to my nose it never manages to even peek out from behind those very heavy incense curtains). Vetiver 46 is quite pleasant and (like most Le Labos) very long-lived, it is remarkably linear and shows virtually no development, and, at the end of the day, it really comes down to whether or not you like straightforward smoky-spicy woods and incense. It is very much on the heavy side, but in a comfortably smooth and deep way, and the spices do a good job of compensating for Vetiver 46's linearity, keeping it vibrant and dynamic. This is a good, persistent, and very "direct" no-nonsense fragrance – look elsewhere for subtlety or intriguing detail. But sometimes "direct" is the way to go, and I find Vetiver 46 very successful as a solid masculine spicy-woody incense. In that sense it is both honest and consistent, although its name belies its character.