Year: 2006
Notes: bergamot, black pepper, clove, olibanum, cedar, vetiver, labdanum, amber, vanilla, guaiac wood
After first sampling Vetiver 46, some years ago, one mused over how stylistically similar it was to some of the offerings by Comme des Garçons. However, it was only recently discovered that this release was composed by one of Comme des Garçons' stalwart perfumers, Mark Buxton.
And if the Comme des Garçons connection wasn't enough, it also becomes very clear that Vetiver 46 is merely Comme des Garçons 2 Man in Eau de Parfum concentration (but less smoky) – leaving one to wonder why Le Labo decided to piggyback on yet another house's olfactory style, instead of developing their own.
With the pepper and olibanum weaving a subtle thread throughout most of its development, it's pretty much the typical woody-incense premise that Mark Buxton is well-renowned for. But what's really ironic is how the vetiver is literally buried beneath leathery woods and resins. Contrary to the name, the composition is actually more of a showcase for the clove, cedar and labdanum, while a sweet and creamy oriental drydown gradually surfaces to defuse its dry, aromatic and woody origins.
Even though Vetiver 46 is stronger than Comme des Garçons 2 Man, both its sillage and lasting power are still underwhelming. If this wasn't the case, in addition to being a little cheaper and having a less misleading name (such as Cedre 46), one might have awarded Vetiver 46 an additional star.
As it stands, one believes that Mark Buxton should take a sabbatical from his woods and frankincense fixation. There are only so many masculine woody-incense concoctions a perfumer can formulate, before it all starts to get extremely tedious. With regards to Mark Buxton's work, the tedium had set in quite a while ago.
And if the Comme des Garçons connection wasn't enough, it also becomes very clear that Vetiver 46 is merely Comme des Garçons 2 Man in Eau de Parfum concentration (but less smoky) – leaving one to wonder why Le Labo decided to piggyback on yet another house's olfactory style, instead of developing their own.
With the pepper and olibanum weaving a subtle thread throughout most of its development, it's pretty much the typical woody-incense premise that Mark Buxton is well-renowned for. But what's really ironic is how the vetiver is literally buried beneath leathery woods and resins. Contrary to the name, the composition is actually more of a showcase for the clove, cedar and labdanum, while a sweet and creamy oriental drydown gradually surfaces to defuse its dry, aromatic and woody origins.
Even though Vetiver 46 is stronger than Comme des Garçons 2 Man, both its sillage and lasting power are still underwhelming. If this wasn't the case, in addition to being a little cheaper and having a less misleading name (such as Cedre 46), one might have awarded Vetiver 46 an additional star.
As it stands, one believes that Mark Buxton should take a sabbatical from his woods and frankincense fixation. There are only so many masculine woody-incense concoctions a perfumer can formulate, before it all starts to get extremely tedious. With regards to Mark Buxton's work, the tedium had set in quite a while ago.
