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I love it when designers reinvent a classic whether clothes, shoes or a fragrance. And designer Tom Ford did just that with "Grey Vetiver.” Vetiver itself is one of the oldest fragrances for men having first been introduced by Creed in 1760. Tom Ford has said that vetiver is the "equivalent of the classic blue blazer, the beautiful watch, or the cap-toed shoe." I absolutely agree.

The key ingredient to any vetiver fragrance is the plant which it is named after.

Vetiver oil is extracted from the rhizome or root of this tall scented tropical grass. It is cultivated in the tropics, such as India, Tahiti, Java and Haiti. Vetiver oil is also known as the 'oil of tranquility' because of its calming properties, according to www.essentialoils.co.za.

Although all makers of vetiver fragrances use similar key ingredients that result in a woody, earthy, citrus fragrance, they are not all the same. Tom Ford’s version is a light scent with a touch of spice, grapefruit, and nutmeg and also has great lasting power. One critic said “If your tastes run toward clean, crisp, green fragrances with absolutely no sweetness, then Grey Vetiver with its parched, woody dry down will be a must-have.” Vetiver has always been one of my favorite fragrances and you can’t go wrong with this new version.