Vetiver Veritas

Vetiver Veritas announces itself as an exercise in restrained modernism—a fragrance that respects the intelligence of its wearer. The marriage of mint and lavender creates an initial freshness that's decidedly herbaceous rather than bright, as if you've crushed aromatic leaves between your palms on a grey English afternoon. This isn't a cheerful citrus opening; it's contemplative, almost medicinal in its clarity.

The heart reveals why Heeley chose Haitian vetiver as his anchor. This particular vetiver strain possesses an almost tobacco-like warmth beneath its characteristic earthiness, lending the composition a subtle spiciness that prevents it from becoming merely herbal. The vetiver doesn't arrive as the green, almost smoky character you might expect from Caribbean sources—instead, it settles into a woody, slightly dusty quality that feels both grounded and somehow introspective. The grapefruit base note is the fragrance's cleverer move: rather than providing citric brightness, it adds an almost bitter, resinous undertone that amplifies the vetiver's earthy temperament.