Carlo Corinto Vetyver

Lemon, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Thyme, Geranium, Carnation, Vetiver, Cedar and Musk.

The vetiver note. It is a definitive, masculine marker in most fragrances. This isn't to say that it doesn't or cannot transcend gender barriers. It does and it can, but I cannot help but associate it with masculine scents. Some like it as a dominant theme and others like it as an assistant note in the base accord. I'm in the latter camp, yet I enjoy Corinto Vetyver enough to own a few bottles. One of the neat olfactory illusions Vetyver gives me is the clean, soapy aspect.

The vetyver in Corinto possesses a slightly nutty quality. It even leans just a bit on the sweet side and that makes this a very different rendition than you will normally find in other vetivers. It must be a combination of vetiver ingredients to culminate into this. Missing is the root and soil aromas and replaced with a buttery, sweet herbal effect with, of course, the creamy nuttiness.

This is good stuff folks and if you've never sampled Corinto Vetyver, you should put it on your "try" list. It's a vetiver from a different tribe. Vetyver opens with a soft, citric accord that is green at its heart. It's very smooth and the fact that it doesn't have any edginess sets this apart once again from the norm.

The only drawback to Corinto's version is that it lacks legitimate staying power. It smells fantastic while it lasts, but in order to be satisfied over the course of a normal workday, re-application will be necessary......and maybe more than once.

That aside, I find it worthwhile to own it since it smells so good and is extremely versatile. The florals never interfere in the transitions and simply augment the fragrance along its merry way. A woodiness evolves once the drydown commences and it too stays far enough in the background to permit the vetiver its rightful place. The listed musk is also present and accounted for and enhances the base in subtle fashion.

Corinto Vetyver. Lacking a bit in longevity, but certainly not in quality. Thumbs up from Aromi for my favorite vetiver.