PhoenixFyre Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 So I've been trying to branch out in the fragrance department. Problem is...I have no clue what some of these FOs are supposed to smell like, lol. One I recently purchased was vetiver from Indigo. I got it because I've heard other people say they really love it and thought I would try it out. To my nose, it just smells like dirt. Can someone offer advice? Is this what it's supposed to smell like? Is vetiver popular as a stand-alone or is it usually blended with something else? Out of the bottle it smelled like dirt, just dirt. Once I got it in paraffin, it still smells like dirt but there is something else there too...not sure what, something resembling grass is the closest I could describe it. As a side note...how did you all learn what flowers and herbs and such should smell like? Would buying essential oils -- aside from being expensive -- help in learning different scents? Are there any sites or forums you could direct me to that could help me learn more? I understand we all smell things in different ways. I'm just hoping for general guidance. I remember a while ago buying absinthe FO from three different suppliers. Thanks to someone's description on this forum of absinthe and that anise has a black licorice smell to it, it helped me choose between the two FOs. Thanks you all! Have a terrific weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Vetyver should smell earthy, but not like dirt. Almost leathery. Or like old, old paper. I sell a vetyver blends that is super popular and use vetyver as a minor note with tobacco, oak, cedar, for example. Vetyver Cafe is super. The bitter almost burnt coffee is perfect with vetyer. My blends are subtle in wax, vut perfect in the subtleness of that makes sense. It sells well to the right crowd. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoenixFyre Posted September 7, 2015 Author Share Posted September 7, 2015 Awesome, TallTayl. Thanks so much for this. Definitely not picking up any hint of leather or old paper (I LOVE the smell of old books and old paper). I have been considering getting a cedar or a redwood FO just because I'm curious as to what they are like, so perhaps I'll save this vetiver and try it out with those and then I'll get a few other vetivers from other suppliers and compare them. I know I asked if this was a popular scent, but this is all really just for me, lol. I'm having so much fun exploring all these fragrances because there is so much I didn't realize existed. Learning to make candles has really taken me out of my little sheltered world of citrus- and fruit-scented candles that I clung to and has me wanting to try everything out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 I guess it depends on your nose, lol, I think it smells like dirt. It does blend very well with the redwood & cedar fo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 When I think of vetiver I think of an African veldt like the kind you would see lions roam. Tall grasses on a hot plain simmering in the African heat. Earthy, dry grassy, heat. Vetiver to me is a scent to use as a mixer to create or add that earthy textured note to a scent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 vetiver itself is a grass. The Haitian variety smells a lot like a wood similar to sandalwood. Some are slightly smoky. Like everything else the source and methods make it smell different and fragrance oils they take a liberties. The worst are the cologny fragrances that call themselves vetyver. Blech. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faerywren Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Vetiver is a wonderful earthy smell that can add depth and that "extra something" that certain blends are missing. I like it in masculine blends with sandalwood and tobacco but it is equally wonderful in feminine blends that seem too flowery or sweet and need to be brought down a notch. Experiment with it a bit. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoenixFyre Posted September 7, 2015 Author Share Posted September 7, 2015 Thank you all! All the input is definitely helpful. I do plan to play with it a bit and try a couple others for comparison. When I think of vetiver I think of an African veldt like the kind you would see lions roam. Tall grasses on a hot plain simmering in the African heat. Earthy, dry grassy, heat. Vetiver to me is a scent to use as a mixer to create or add that earthy textured note to a scent. Oh, Candybee, if only this had smelled like that! Amazing description and I would LOVE to smell something like you described. As I continue to smell the vetiver I have, it's changed from dirt to smelling like old wet grass that got buried in dirt. Lol. I guess that would qualify as earthy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rctfavr3 Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 I find Vetiver has a slightly nutty aroma (somewhat like raw dirty peanuts) It's earthy, but not like soil. I've heard other compare it to "wet ashtray" or "old wood". It's certainly unique. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoenixFyre Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 I find Vetiver has a slightly nutty aroma (somewhat like raw dirty peanuts) It's earthy, but not like soil. I've heard other compare it to "wet ashtray" or "old wood". It's certainly unique. Thanks for this. I heard someone else describe it as wet wood, which is actually a smell I like, and have heard many times about a wood aroma, which is why I was surprised with the one I have because I don't smell anything resembling wood at all. Interesting about the nutty aroma. I didn't pick up on that with this one, but I wonder what I will discover from others that I buy. Thanks for the input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OldGlory Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 You know, vetiver is a scent that makes me gag. I can smell it in perfumes and colognes and to me it's slightly soured/bitter and earthy. I think of sweaty month old socks in a gym bag. I love patchouli, sandalwood, amber, most of the other base notes, but vetiver - whew - no thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoenixFyre Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 You know, vetiver is a scent that makes me gag. I can smell it in perfumes and colognes and to me it's slightly soured/bitter and earthy. I think of sweaty month old socks in a gym bag. I love patchouli, sandalwood, amber, most of the other base notes, but vetiver - whew - no thanks. Lol, OldGlory. Too funny. When I first opened the bottle of vetiver, I said to myself, "Really? People like this?" Now that I've burned it, it has a little more of a grass aroma to it, but I think this particular one will be for blends if I decide to keep using it at all. Patchouli is one I'm scared to try. I used to work with a lady who always wore patchouli to work, and it smelled like bug spray to me, lol. I would love to try sandalwood, amber, and so many others...I just don't know what they should smell like. When funds allow, I'm going to splurge and try some of these from different suppliers and see what I can discover. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 PF; this is where ordering the 1 oz samples come in. Most companies run specials on the samples so you can get acquainted with a lot of different FOs for not much money. And remember, the OOB scent will most likely be different from the HT once it's in wax. When I get a sample that I don't like, I just set it back on the shelf and keep it till I get a wild-hair to experiment with blending different FOs. Some of the earthy scents can be a little strange in that some blends I've made, I was disappointed with the end results but set the candle back on the shelf and relit it 2-3 months later and really loved it. This has happened many times and unfortunately, not being a good note taker I couldn't duplicate the blended scent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rctfavr3 Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 You know, vetiver is a scent that makes me gag. I can smell it in perfumes and colognes and to me it's slightly soured/bitter and earthy. I think of sweaty month old socks in a gym bag. I love patchouli, sandalwood, amber, most of the other base notes, but vetiver - whew - no thanks. THAT sounds more like Valerian. It's VERY gym sock-ish. Heady sour wood smell with a slight etheral, alcholic quality. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Oh dear dawg valerian totally smells like soured old gym socks! Not a good vetiver though. LibertyNatural offers sniffer vials. You have to search out the offer, but i have picked up tiny vials of many different eo's they offer to compare. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackbenimble Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Found this thread and wanted to know if anyone had tried Candle Wic' Vetiver FO? How was it in soy wax? Also found a recommendation for Organic FO. They have a Vetiver that is oil soluble. Is that what I would use for wax? Thanks for any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlrich Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 I just ran into this and I don't know if it helps any, but it's important to remember fragrance is highly subjective. I get Vetiver from Indigo all of the time, it's one of my very favorites and I don't think it smells a thing like dirt. It's earthy, but definitely not like dirt. It smells a lot like tobacco flower. It's interesting how much the perception of a smell can change from one person to the next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OldGlory Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 I bought Valerian years ago and didn't find it as offensive as Vetiver. It must be one of those 'nose specific' scents - something I might be sensitive to, but you might not be. Good reason to try something for yourself instead of relying on other's opinions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 Hahaha valerian root smells like old gym socks to me. Used to feed it to a high strung horse. Not even he could stand the smell. never smelled an EO from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.