Hi guys! Something for the dudes today (or the girls who love androgynous fragrances, of course). A while ago, I was invited to a press event all the way over in West-Flanders, where Yves Rocher would introduce us to some new products against the gorgeous backdrop of a laurel arboretum. Most of the new lines haven't launched yet, but one has, and it happens to be one of my favourites out of all the new stuff: the Cuir Vetiver fragrance.
Now, photographs of a bottle of fragrance aren't the most exciting thing
to see, nor are swatches of the hair and body shampoo on the back of my
hand, so this post will mostly be me waxing poetically about Cuir
Vetiver. Oh, and I'll share a few pics of the Yves Rocher event!
Ugh, how good does that simple, minimalist bottle with the helvetica-esque font and the wood cap look against the marble backdrop? So good. Now, to get to the heart of it: I never know what to expect when sampling a fragrance by more budget friendly brands, because I am really picky when it comes to scents. Up until now, the only "affordable" brand I used to turn to when looking for a beautiful fragrance was Rituals (although I was pleasantly surprised by the Wefashion He + She perfumes). I don't know how they do it, but basically all of Rituals' fragrances are divine. Other mid range brands rarely seem to succeed in giving a fragrance the depth and balance I want, but I knew Cuir Vetiver was a winner from the moment I spritzed it on my boyfriend's wrist.
Cuir obviously means leather in French, and I was intrigued to smell how leather would translate into a fragrance, because of course you can't simply bottle leather - you have to evoke the scent of leather by using other, distillable components. This basically means that there is a lot of diversity in leather fragrances, based on how the perfumier interprets the scent. Cuir Vetiver is a light leather perfume, created by Sonia Constant of Givaudan. She wanted to design a fresh leather scent, and I think she succeeded very well without sacrificing the cozy, warm notes I so enjoy in masculine fragrances.
Cuir Vetiver opens with smokey, citrussy Haiti Vetiver which melts into buttery, woody leather composed of Caribbean sandalwood and cedarwood, ending in powdery, vanilla-like tonka bean. I think Cuir Vetiver has a very pleasant scent. The only complaint I have is that the longevity (how long the scent stays on the skin and in your clothes) and sillage (whether people can smell the perfume lingering in the air if you've left) could be better. As is, it disappears after a few hours, barely leaving you any time to enjoy the tonka bean, so I would recommend taking this with you to refresh your scent when you feel it wearing off. But since Cuir Vetiver is so affordable, at €45 for 100ml, you don't exactly have to be stingy with the spritzes. Better yet, the entire Cuir Vetiver line is currently marked down 50% even though it only launched this month, which makes this the perfect time to find out whether it strikes your fancy.
Now, here are a few shots of the glass house filled with Laurel bushes and pretty Yves Rocher stands.
Cuir Vetiver opens with smokey, citrussy Haiti Vetiver which melts into buttery, woody leather composed of Caribbean sandalwood and cedarwood, ending in powdery, vanilla-like tonka bean. I think Cuir Vetiver has a very pleasant scent. The only complaint I have is that the longevity (how long the scent stays on the skin and in your clothes) and sillage (whether people can smell the perfume lingering in the air if you've left) could be better. As is, it disappears after a few hours, barely leaving you any time to enjoy the tonka bean, so I would recommend taking this with you to refresh your scent when you feel it wearing off. But since Cuir Vetiver is so affordable, at €45 for 100ml, you don't exactly have to be stingy with the spritzes. Better yet, the entire Cuir Vetiver line is currently marked down 50% even though it only launched this month, which makes this the perfect time to find out whether it strikes your fancy.
Now, here are a few shots of the glass house filled with Laurel bushes and pretty Yves Rocher stands.
As you can see, the Jabbeke Lauretum is a stunning location that vibed really well with the natural thing Yves Rocher has got going on. And the bathroom smelled amazing.
Let me know if you try Cuir Vetiver, and if you have any other budget friendly fragrance recommendations.
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