The other day I was talking to my friend Sandra about missing certain perfumes. She asked whether I ever regretted giving a perfume away. Of course I said no at first, because the Serge Lutens back and forth shenanigans of my youth aside, I feel pretty good about my collection right now and don’t regret selling stuff. Or so I thought…
As I came home that evening I found myself craving a perfume that I did not actually sell, but gave to my father for his birthday last year – Atelier Cologne Oolang Infini. I never fell out of love with that perfume, but I gave it away because I thought I just wouldn’t get the chance to wear it enough. Now all of a sudden I craved it. Badly.
I suffered for a few days and then decided to check out the newly opened branch of Nägele&Strubell close to my home, take advantage of their introductory offers and smell my way through the line once more. To my delight the SA informed me that with purchase of a bottle (100 or 200ml) I would get a 30ml leather covered refillable travel spray with a perfume of my choice as well. I love offers like this. So I bought my coveted Oolang Infini and decided upon Vétiver Fatal for the travel size. Which finally brings us to today’s review.
Vétiver Fatal was created by Jerome Epinette and includes notes of bergamot from Calabria, lemon from Sicily, heart of bigaradier from Paraguay, orange flower absolue from Tunisia, violet leaves from Grasse, fig, heart of vetiver from Haiti, cedarwood from Texas and dark oud accord.
«He was alerted immediately and called on the case, another diamond stolen mysteriously. The moment he opened the dossier, a smile sparked in his deep eyes as he recognized her signature mark. He took one of his passports, burned the file and began the pursuit. This time she wouldn’t get away…»
Vétiver Fatal, a secret agent captures a dangerous encounter between bright and mysterious, as Heart of Hatian Vetiver and Tunisian Orange Flower Absolute surrenders to seductive Violet Leaves, smoky Texas Cedarwood and dark Oud.
– from the Atelier Cologne website
I honestly thought I had the vetiver front covered. I own Chanel Sycomore for days when the equivalent of a slap on the back is needed and I have Hermès Vetiver Tonka for a softer, nuttier incarnation of a green, grassy, woody embrace.
Vétiver Fatal opens with a bracing citrus accord, uplifting and refreshing, but not yet surprising. In the development that follows Vétiver Fatal does surprise me though. It mellows and warms considerably, it broadens, it reaches out to envelop me with tender arms, violet-tinged fingers caressing, the lazy smile of orange blossom ever enticing. They lure you onto a soft bed of vetiver grass and cedar wood. No overly harsh oud note dares to disturb the atmosphere of softness, warmth and quiet repose the perfume evokes.
Vétiver Fatal is insidious in its way, it captures me softly, without once raising its voice above a seductive whisper, a melodious hum, a thrumming undercurrent. Its message is loud and clear nonetheless – come here, stay here, let me take away your sorrows, let me make you happy.
It is fatal in the sense of killing me softly with its song.
Vétiver Fatal has very good sillage and longevity. It is available in 30, 100 or 200ml Cologne Absolue concentration 18%.
My new Oolong Infini and its partner in crime, Vetiver Fatal in “Hermèsian” orange.
I couldn’t be happier, to tell you the truth. After a very long phase of perfume indifference and an overwhelming sense of ennui towards the industry and its neverending flood of crappy releases, it turns out I can still be seduced by a perfume.
I just cannot say no to this dashing vetiver. I’m utterly – fatally? – enslaved.
At least for now.
Image source: ateliercologne.com, my own.
Olfactoria's Travels 
Congratulations on your beautiful perfume purchase! The Vetiver sounds perfect for summer now. Xo
It is perfect for me now indeed, but I’m certain it works well year-round.
How cute is that travel size? This latest purchase scratches your itch – all our itches indeed – for tactile small leather goods. And the perfume doesn’t sound half bad either! Like the sound of the citrus pairing and the reassurance about the non-intrusive oud.
Indeed, hehe. The orange leather case is too cute.
Hm, I don’t know that one, not at all – but sounds alarmingly pleasant. Is it heavy on orange flower (you know, cat pee alarm…) ?
Alarmingly pleasant is the perfect expression!
No cat pee whatsoever, the orange blossom functions mainly to add sunshine, warmth and a bit of sweetness.
Funny, you put words to the orange flower thing for me..
I hope that is a good thing.
How nice to see a review from you Birgit! 🙂
I’ve only tried a couple of Atelier’s, and love vetiver, so if these two have inspired you to actually buy some new perfume, I shall have to try 🙂 (oolong infini has been on ‘to smell’ list for some time…)
Thank you!
I like the entire Atelier Cologne line a lot, I’m sure you will find one or the other among them you might enjoy as well.
What a joy to get to wallow in your beautiful writing today.
I think Oolong Infini is my favourite from the line. I’m glad you re-purchased and what a bonus you found too. It seems to me that perfume won’t let you go.
Oh and I think you should do a MQ on perfumes you gave away/sold and then re-purchased!
I think we did that MQ already, as far as I remember I am not at all alone with stunts like this. 😉
Atelier Cologne is such a lovely line, I’m discovering the perfumes all over again.
It really does feel like an unexpected and heavenly gift to get jolted out of a state of ennui and find that you can be delighted and seduced again, doesn’t it?
Great to hear that Vetiver Fatal did that for you, Birgit!!
Thank you, Suz! Yeah, it feels good. 🙂
I am very glad you are loving new scents again. A wonderful review, and (alas) a new house to check out. They aren’t sold near me, so I’m thinking of the sample pack. That gift with purchase is quite beautiful. And it looks practical, since traveling with perfume can be difficult.
This is a line where a sample set is likely to be well used, if you like the general idea of light and transparent fragrances. They are rather hard to hate. 🙂
Another vetiver to try. Thanks for your wonderful review, dear B. 🙂 I will surely sample this soon.
Glad you liked it, Jim. Let me know how you get on with VF when you try it!
Okay. I will. 😉
I’ve been ‘meh’ about Vetiver Fatal for some time, but as I was packing for a short work trip to China – Guangzhou and Beijing – I chucked in my decant of VF along with others I was hoping would so well in Guangzhou’s humidity (Osmanthe Yunnan, Calyx, Orangers en Fleurs and AG’s Neroli). Vetiver Fatal was terrific! It lasted better than I had remembered and I was delighted with its balance of cool (vetiver) and warm (floral and fruit notes). It has a lovely relaxed charm about it that other vetivers don’t necessarily have. I suspect VF may be a favourtie among people who don’t normally like vetiver. I notice you don’t mention the plum – is it not all that prominent for you?
For the record, Calyx was the best performer in the humidity and – sorry Hermes! – Osmanthe Yunnan the worst.
I’m very happy VF worked so well for you in the heat, it has been sweltering here too in the last week, so I know what you mean.
I really don’t get that much plum, more of a general fruity and warm sweetness.
Too bad Osmanthe Yunnan turned out to be a heat-fail. 😦
I liked VF when I tried it but I cannot wear it: I get tired of its cheerful scent after a while (and it’s very tenacious on my skin!). But I will be trying it more – who knows, I might like it more under a different weather conditions.
Congratulations on your new bottles! I have a leather case for Trefle Pur – though it’s a regular brown color, not that gorgeous orange one.
Thank you! 🙂
Thankfully I don’t find VF overly cheerful, I couldn’t wear it then either, nothing worse than a permanent grin. 😉
Now I must get an orange leather holder! I pretty much like the entire Atelier Cologne line and Vetiver Fatal was one of my earliest loves (and purchase).
You obviously have great taste! 😉
The orange holder is rather spiffy, isn’t it?
I enjoyed reading your review, especially the picture of “lazy smiling orange blossoms”! Even though I don’t get much orange blossom (and no oud) from VF, I feel this lazy, laid-back sentiment too. To my nose it’s all about vetiver, violet leaf, the bedroom eyes of plums – to stay in your picture – and pineapple (which is not listed). Delicious!!!
I love “bedroom eyes of plum”, very fitting indeed! Glad you like this one too, Anka!
Congratulations on the new additions to your perfume collection! It has been a while since I tried VF, but I remember enjoying it very much. Somehow I remember it as being a very sweet, juicy, almost fruity vetiver (without really being super sweet or fruity at all, and still staying very much a vetiver-centric perfume). Now that I say that, I am pretty sure I don’t have one of those in my perfume collection yet!
Thank you, nemo!
It is a rather unique take on vetiver and therefore it’s perfectly justifiable to own it. 😉
I think vetiver tonka may be my second favourite after Mistral Patchouli. They gave me an empty 30ml travel bottle with a purple leather case for decanting when I bought MP. I’d like to think this didn’t affect my view of the perfume, but pulling that little bottle out my bag and spritzing is a real treat. (Love the brand, very inventive yet totally wearable. I also seriously admire that all the bottle sprayers can be unscrewed for decanting; so few ranges do this! I’m going to vote for those that do with my next purchases)
The small leather travel bittle is a real treat. Glad you got one too!
And I so agree with you, the unscrewable bottles are a godsend!
I read that you own Vetiver Tonka and Vetiver Fatal. Is it safe to assume you found these different enough to own both?
Indeed, Derick. They are quite different to my nose, both in smell and the mood they induce.