Year: 2014
Notes: grapefruit, mint, lavender, Haitian vetiver
Vetiver Veritas is Heeley's first 100% natural Eau de Parfum. With Haitian vetiver accounting for well over 90% of the composition, some grapefruit, mint and lavender have also been included. The thing is, after sampling it, there's some good news and bad news...
The good news is that it's a very accurate rendition of Haitian vetiver, which allows every facet of the material to breathe. Like good quality Haitian vetiver essential oil, the star accord possesses a grassy, rooty and vegetal earthiness that's both captivating and calming. One would consider Vetiver Veritas to be richer than LesNez's Turtle Vetiver Front and, throughout its lifespan, it shimmers on the skin with a soft citrus-infused effervescence and a dry woody sweetness. And although it has low projection, it persists for at least 10 hours.
So, based on this, there really shouldn't be any bad news, right? Well, not quite...
As already mentioned, Haitian vetiver accounts for over 90% of the composition... and that's the problem. Even though additional notes are present, they're both fleeting and insubstantial. As a result, it's practically Haitian vetiver essential oil diluted with perfumer's alcohol. With very little by way of embellishments or enhancements (the latter of which Turtle Vetiver Front managed to successfully achieve), it's both unnecessary and expensive for what it offers. To be completely honest, it would be significantly cheaper to purchase the essential oil and wear that instead.
If something interesting had been done with the star accord, one's opinion would have been quite different. As it stands, it's pretty much an inessential purchase.
The good news is that it's a very accurate rendition of Haitian vetiver, which allows every facet of the material to breathe. Like good quality Haitian vetiver essential oil, the star accord possesses a grassy, rooty and vegetal earthiness that's both captivating and calming. One would consider Vetiver Veritas to be richer than LesNez's Turtle Vetiver Front and, throughout its lifespan, it shimmers on the skin with a soft citrus-infused effervescence and a dry woody sweetness. And although it has low projection, it persists for at least 10 hours.
So, based on this, there really shouldn't be any bad news, right? Well, not quite...
As already mentioned, Haitian vetiver accounts for over 90% of the composition... and that's the problem. Even though additional notes are present, they're both fleeting and insubstantial. As a result, it's practically Haitian vetiver essential oil diluted with perfumer's alcohol. With very little by way of embellishments or enhancements (the latter of which Turtle Vetiver Front managed to successfully achieve), it's both unnecessary and expensive for what it offers. To be completely honest, it would be significantly cheaper to purchase the essential oil and wear that instead.
If something interesting had been done with the star accord, one's opinion would have been quite different. As it stands, it's pretty much an inessential purchase.
