Henri Bendel Pink Grapefruit & Vetiver Eau de Parfum

It's somewhat of a mystery why the Powers That Be at Henri Bendel decided to invest in a store brand perfume. After all, Henri Bendel in NYC has an impressive beauty and fragrance department that offers some wonderful (and a few exclusive) perfumes. Wouldn't they be better served by, I don't know, a real e-commerce site? Then again, smelling some of the offerings from the store's line makes it painfully obvious that they didn't put all that much money into it, after all.

It's not that the Henri Bendel line is particularly atrocious, it's just leans towards the bland and redundant (especially the second batch of six scents released late last year). That said, one or two of the original six are not half bad, and I actually enjoy Pink Grapefruit & Vetiver when I'm in the mood for something light, fun and optimistic.

Despite the vetiver in the perfume's name, this is hardly a dominant note. One really needs to tune in and look for it, and even then it's more of a so-called vetiver than the real thing. To my nose, Henri Bendel Pink Grapefruit & Vetiver Eau de Parfum is a sweet and sparkling citrus, juicy and pulpy with a little sugar, over a smooth cypress and musk base. It makes me thinking of green orchards and cool early summer mornings. The grapefruit actually smells pink and fun, and the splash of orange and sweet lemonade that comes along with it are the equivalent of wearing a vintage polka dot scarf on said summer morning.

Henri Bendel Pink Grapefruit & Vetiver Eau de Parfum ($65, 50ml) is available with the rest of the line at the stores and even online at henribendel.com.

Art: Pink Grapefruit by Wendy Crocker