Essential Parfums Mon Vetiver Review (Bruno Jovanovic) + Sustainable Vetiver Draw

Photo by Luis Monteiro for Vogue India, 2011

Perfume fanatics react to the release of a fragrance from a beloved niche house the way my techie friends go nuts over the latest iPhone. But often, the price for the new Precious feels as sadly out of reach as Apple stock. Fortunately, some independent brands are coming around to the conclusion that there’s a market for quality fragrances people can actually afford to buy.

Photo courtesy of Essential Parfums©

Enter Essential Parfums, a new Parisian brand, whose egalitarian perfumes are crafted by some of the finest noses in the business: Antoine Maisondieu (Nice Bergamote), Sophie Labbe (Rose Magnetic), Natalie Gracia-Cetto (Orange Santal),Calice Becker (The Musc), and Bruno Jovanovic, who created my favourite from the line, Mon Vetiver. These fragrances splash on like a smile – sunny, immediate and carefree – just the sort of scent to reach for when the world wears heavy or you just need to feel a bit indulged without the guilt. My relationship with Haitian vetiver is complicated. I used to adore it and would get a small flutter whenever I saw vetiver in a note list. Unfortunately, I was wearing it when I came down with a stomach bug, and it has never been the same since. Still, it subsists in no small part in some of my favourite perfumes, such as Dior’s Jules.  As I gingerly try to rekindle that lost love, I have, luckily, found that there exist a handful of vetiver perfumes not only don’t bring on that queasy, room-spinning feeling. Add Essential Parfums Mon Vetiver to the list.

Vetiver, stock photo

Vetiver frequently has a masculine whiff of petrol and rubber that I find tricky. It’s here on first sniff, all right. But it is almost immediately balanced out with perfectly poised herbal notes that take it out of the car shop and into the garden party, transforming Essential Parfums Mon Vetiver into a lighthearted gin and tonic fougere. An amalgam of outdoorsy green smells follows: stalky beans straight from the garden dunked in fresh lime juice; crunchy, glossy leaves, bitter herbs. If I close my eyes, I’m on an English cricket pitch in summer, chilled G&Ts on the clubhouse terrace, the hot savor of nearby lavender adrift in the air.

Photo by Jouke Bos

Patchouli adds the clean, rooty smell of fresh-turned earth as it mixes with the vetiver. Essential Parfums Mon Vetiver becomes more herbal and loamier as it wears; though without losing that gin cocktail sparkle. It’s suave but genderless, classy yet accessible and downright chipper. I dare you to wear this without a grin.

Photo by Cecilia Austin©

Essential Parfums ethos is to use sustainable raw materials that are ethically sourced and reduce environmental impact. Classy, accessible and genderless, these fragrances make me feel optimistic about niche perfumery reaching a wider audience. I hope they are a harbinger of things to come.

Notes: Haitian vetiver, lavandin, Mexican lime, juniper essence, gentian, cashmeran, Indonesian patchouli.

Disclaimer: Sample of Essential Parfums Mon Vetiver kindly provided by Essential Parfums. My views are my own.

— Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor

Essential Parfums Mon Vetiver©

Thanks to the generosity of Essentials Parfums, we have a for one 100 ml bottle of Essential Parfums Mon Vetiver for a registered reader in the USA and Europe. You must be registered or your comment will not count.  To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Mon Vetiver based on Lauryn’s review and where you live. Draw closes 2/28/2019.

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebon @essential. parfums

Please read Despina Veneti’s introduction to Essential Parfums and her review of Rose Magnetic here

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our blog feed … or  your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

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31 comments

  • Christie says:

    I love the line "feel a bit indulged without the guilt."  I totally get that feeling!  This fragrance description reminds me of a botanial spa martini I once had.  It was delicious!  🙂  In the USA.

  • JH says:

    "Sunny, immediate and carefree" sounds so lovely. I'm intrigued! Thanks for the review and the draw! I live in EU.

  • chris says:

    I have to say, I really love the green dress in the first image. Almost etheral against that background.

  • NiceVULady says:

    Love Vetiver.  This sounds so interesting with the mix of lime and herbs.  Love G&Ts as well, so this should be perfect for me. Loved Lauryn's review.  Thanks for the draw.  I'm in the USA

  • Marcus says:

    Gin and Tonic -> vetiver -> earthy… – me, please! This sounds pretty much my alley, I'd love to win this to Germany. Thanks for the draw! 

    PS: Oh, new editor, no captcha!? Nice. 

  • Salem says:

    The "stalky beans straight from the garden dunked in fresh lime juice; crunchy, glossy leaves, bitter herbs" part got me immediately. I realize, especially during or right before spring's arrival, that my craving for nature-soaked perfumes hits the roof. While I love "perfumey" fragrances during winter and I almost get a sweet tooth when it comes to what I'm wearing, I do look forward for crispness, energy and an almost dewy quality in perfumes. So this description sounds right up my alley. Not to mention the gin note is a plus. I'm from the EU and thanks for the chance to try this!

  • doveskylark says:

    I really admire what Essential Perfumes is going for with their sustainbility and affordibility  stance. I love the petrol and rubber tone that vetiver strikes, but I enoy when it goes green as well. I would love to wear this fragrace all summer. 

    I live in the USA. 

  • Onyinye Elochukwu says:

    I love that they are genderless. That’s a plus for me. I also love the herbal notes. 

    I live in USA. 

  • cressit says:

    I often have trouble with vetiver. I was very interested while reading Lauryn's review. This may be a good way for me to ease in to appreciating it more. I also am happy that Essential Parfums is bringing niche perfumes to the market at lower price points so that more people can experience them. 

    I appreciate the generousity of the draw. I live in the US.

  • Timea says:

    This fragrance sounds like a very good summery fragrance. I very like the notes and the review. Thank you for the chance. I live in the EU.

  • Cynthia says:

    This sounds like a great scent, and easy to wear. The older I get, the more I find myself reaching for "easy to wear", just nice scents. And the mention of lavender drifting into the scent….lavender always gets my interest. Thanks for the review of a line I haven't heard of. I live iin USA.

  • Caliwas says:

    What appeals to me about Mon Vetiver based on Lauryn’s review is that love I have for the notes Vetiver and Patchouli. These are absolute some of my favorite notes in fragrances. To bring together is a match made in heaven. I am in CA, USA. 

  • WaltherP99 says:

    Perfume fanatics react to the release of a fragrance from a beloved niche house the way my techie friends go nuts over the latest iPhone. But often, the price for the new Precious feels as sadly out of reach as Apple stock.

     Haha – love it.

    Mon Vetiver sounds like a joyful winner in my book, plus i do love the gin note – L'Humaniste by Frapin is a fragrance i adore.Already follow both @cafleurebon and @essential. parfums , and i also follow @brunojovanovicperfumer.

    Thank you for the draw , and the nice article/review.

    Virginia USA or London UK … at least 97/100 times.

     

     

  • Osman says:

    This review is great. Idea of green it’s for me, my favourite color. Gin and Tonic would perfect for me. Thanks for the chance. I live in EU

  • RobertNicolasB says:

    I love that Essential Parfums is sourcing natural and sustainable ingredients in their presentations.  The vetiver-patchouli combo sounds great as well. -USA

  • Bubeto_GG says:

    I'm familiar with all Essentials Parfums fragrances – bought the Discovery Set .I really like the fact the € 18 amount of  voucher is redeemable on the purchases of full bottles.Basically is like a € 18 coupon code.Not sure what the US price is-bought it when i was in Europe.

    All fragrances are really nice , but to me Nice Bergamote is one i like most,and Mon Vetiver is 2nd in line.

    Thank for for the opportunity , and Lauryn Beer for her funny fragrance vs tech fanatics comparison.

    Back and forth between USA and Scotland. 1week in US->1 week in Scotland…and so on.

  • Alen says:

    Crunchy, glossy leaves, bitter herbs and lime juice and nice vetiver, sounds just about my alley. Vetiver is an amazing note when blended properly. I would love to try this perfume, thank you, i’m in the EU.

  • Andreea Florica says:

    The fragrance is so interesting, I like the idea of the lime and freshness. Great chance thanks to the Essentials Parfums.
    I'm from EU.

  • Dorian Fischer says:

    Great review! Mon vetiver sounds so good! Summer is coming soon and since it is unisex my girlfriend and I could happily share it. Vetiver is also one of my favourite notes. From Austria 

  • Gig84 says:

    I don’t get petrol and rubber vibe from vetiver fragrances ?!? As a woman I never had issues wearing vetiver heavy scents. Sure sometimes vetiver could become skanky and earthy, but petrol and rubber I don’t get . Nice review nonetheless. Not familiar with Essential Parfums , but I do know Bruno Jovanovic – Times Square is a masterpiece imo . Oh – I really like the simplistic packaging of the brand. Personally I don’t like to pay extra for some super fancy box and so on. USA most of the year, and Germany from time to time 

  • dianacese says:

    I imagine a scene on an Tuscan terrace on a warm and slightly windy evening in June. Wearing patchouli, drinking gin tonic and meditating over the lavender fields. I would definitely want to wear a perfume that combines these three elements. I live in Europe, The Netherlands

  • Hasib says:

    Sounds like a good fragrance to wear on warm sunny days. The Lime and Vetiver combo sound good. Hope to get a chance to try. Thank you, U.S

  • bumbuliuki says:

    Although I love vetiver, it sometimes can be a bit challenging to wear if it's too much of it. 
    The combo of Lime and Vetiver is genius. The lime is able to brighten up the composition and bring up that "gin cocktail sparkle" together with the juniper essence, as Lauryn mentions.
    Some niche perfumery can sometimes by out of reach for me, due to some of their pricingso I''m incredibly happy to find something of great quality, affordable and not the least important, made with raw sustainable materials like Essential Parfums.
    I'm looking forward to test their creations. 
    Thank you for the short but sweet review, Lauryn and for the wonderful chance !
    I'm in the EU.

  • LORI LAWS says:

    Lauryn's review was great. Vetiver can be hit or miss for me. I love the idea of lime with vetiver and that this line is genderless and affordable. I also find that "Essential Parfums, with their ethos is to use sustainable raw materials that are ethically sourced and reduce environmental impact" is very important. It's the perfect pick me up fragrance. Thanks for the giveaway and I live in the US! 🙂