What Does Vetiver Smell Like? Perfume Ingredient Guide

What does vetiver smell like in perfume? Vetiver smells earthy, smoky and woody, with a fresh green edge and a nutty depth. It is one of perfumery’s great base notes, adding elegance and staying power.

Botanical name	Chrysopogon zizanioides
Plant part	Roots
Origin	Haiti, Java and India
Extraction	Steam distillation
Note	Base
Scent family	Woods & Resins
Odour	Earthy, smoky and woody, with a green, slightly nutty depth
Perfume uses	Woody, chypre, fresh and oriental blends
Key molecules	Khusimol, vetiselinenol, α- and β-vetivone
Odour impact	High
Odour life on a strip	Very long: lasts for days
Found in	Bebop Allure, Lantern Reed, Mocha Muscari, Oud Octavo, Pizzicato Bliss, Santal Foy

Used within IFRA limits. Impact and odour life are our own studio guide, judged on a smelling strip.

What Is Vetiver?

Vetiver oil is distilled from the roots of Chrysopogon zizanioides, a tall grass grown in Haiti, Java and India. The roots are dug up, washed, dried and distilled slowly, sometimes for more than a day. Haitian vetiver is the most prized for its clean, smooth character.

What Does Vetiver Smell Like?

Here is how strongly each facet of vetiver comes through, from our own smelling-strip notes.

How Perfumers Use Vetiver

Vetiver gives a fragrance structure and longevity. It freshens woods, grounds citrus and adds an earthy elegance to florals and gourmands.

Haiti, Java or India?

Haitian vetiver is clean and smooth; Javanese is smokier and darker; Indian is rich and earthy. Each gives a different character to a perfume.

Smell Vetiver in Prosody London Perfumes

For vetiver at its most expressive, try Lantern Reed. Vetiver anchors a green, woody composition with orris, myrrh and agarwood. You will also find vetiver in Bebop Allure, Mocha Muscari, Oud Octavo, Pizzicato Bliss and Santal Foy.