Guerlain Vetiver Pour Elle

Last week I reviewed a dark and thick vetiver fragrance, Turtle Vetiver Front from Les Nez. Tonight's vetiver is a complete opposite: Guerlain Vetiver Pour Elle is airy and soft, full of light and sunshine. While the "pour elle" part is a bit misleading because it's still very much a vetiver perfume that men do not and should not hesitate to wear, this Guerlain offering does make me think of some Jane Austen characters, male and female, taking a stroll on a breezy day. Parasols are most likely involved.

Before the dry-down of a smooth and green vetiver takes over and envelops the skin in a musky hug, there's a lot of fun going on. I smell muguet and some glorious orange blossom. The first half an hour of Vetiver Pour Elle is like walking through a canopy of delicate white flowers that were woven together for a swanky event in  a swanky location. I wish this stage lasted longer, because it is the thing that separates this Guerlain fragrance from other vetivers. It smells incredibly well-crafted and elegant, truly a perfume worthy of its label.

Guerlain Vetiver Pour Elle  should have been offered in an eau de parfum concentration (or extrait. Think about that!), because while the vetiver itself  hangs on for several hours, the rest of the composition could use a heartier presence. After all, Jane Austen's characters might appear delicate, but at their best they have some serious backbone.

Notes: bergamot, orange blossom, honeysuckle, muguet, nutmeg, tonka bean, vetiver

Guerlain Vetiver Pour Elle ($255, 4.2 oz EDT) is available from neimanmarcus.com

Art: An English shore by Marcia Baldwin