One of the most reasonably priced fragrance lines is Yves Rocher. Sold only through their website it is often a bit of a gamble to try one of the fragrances blind. If you buy anything they are very generous with their samples which can help make a choice a little less sightless. Like many of the modestly priced brands it takes a bit of trial and error to find the ones which stand out. The first Yves Rocher release of 2016, Cuir Vetiver, is one which stands out.
One thing which made me interested in Cuir Vetiver was the shape of the bottle. One of the very best releases by Yver Rocher was 2013’s Ambre Noir. Cuir Vetiver comes in a similar looking container with the same font. Sonia Constant is the perfumer behind it all. On the website Mme Constant states, “I imagined a leather fragrance with bright facets…” What I like about that statement is a perfume named Cuir Vetiver you might imagine being very heavy. Mme Constant does brighten it up quite a bit while still having enough cuir and vetiver to make the name still have meaning.
Sonia Constant
The brightness comes right away with a lively bergamot. As a partner Mme Constant adds a bit of lavender. The lavender is the more floral form of the ingredient. It provides a contrast to the heart notes of cedar and vetiver. The very strong lines of both notes provide the framework for the leather accord to appear. This leather accord is composed of amyris, patchouli, and tonka. It’s not quite refined enough to remind me of suede nor is it animalic enough to be a rawer version of leather. It seems to sit closer to the suede side of the spectrum. It definitely has the brightness and lift Mme Constant described. The base is amber and vanilla; a sweet warm comfort.
Cuir Vetiver has 4-6 hour longevity and below average sillage.
For those who consider longevity something important in the fragrances you buy Cuir Vetiver like most of the Yves Rocher releases has some of the lowest amount of longevity. On the other hand, they are so modestly priced that I have never had a problem reapplying in the middle of the day.
Cuir Vetiver is another really good perfume in the Yver Rocher collection. Mme Constant pulls off an interesting take on leather and vetiver while keeping the cost down. Cuir Vetiver feels like a triumph of brains over budget.
Disclosure: This review was based on a sample I received from Yves Rocher with purchase.
–Mark Behnke
