Miller Harris Terre de Bois

Terre de Bois by Miller Harris must be one of the most harmless vetiver scents I know. It's not bitter or dirty, it doesn't sting or bite and it's served under an easy to swallow citrusy top note. The opening is probably the most aggressive part of the scent, though, because once the more herbal parts fade away, we are left with a soft woody scent, faded greens and a feeling of an overcast day.

Even the vetiver is soft here, thus it makes for a kinder, gentler morning scent. It's doesn't push me to get in gear and start moving. Instead, I feel like drinking my tea while sitting by the glass doors watching the squirrels chase each other all over the naked trees. This softness is what probably makes Terre de Bois a gateway to vetiver scents, especially for women who find most of the genre's classics too masculine. It's perfectly unisex and my only two complaints about this Miller Harris creation is that it's a bit too inoffensive and doesn't last as long as I'd like. I never get more than three hours out of it, even when I spray liberally, and the perfume's quiet nature can sometimes feel too bland.

Miller Harris Terre de Bois EDT ($110, 3.4 oz) is available from Luckyscent, Saks and Bloomingdale's. BeautyHabit also carries it and I just saw today that Terre de Bois and a handful of other scents are on sale there. It can also be found for less than retail price at a handful of online discounters (Google is your friend), and The Perfumed Court sells samples.

Photo by Declan McCullagh.