Three French Hens

[donkehpoo]

Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Fear not: the hens triumph in the end. Feathery bourbon vanilla, Siamese red benzoin, petitgrain, vengeful red currant, and a drop of vetiver.

Wet: Whoa! Hello, vetiver! Definitely more than “a drop”! Was not expecting that. Hoping that the other notes(ANY other notes) come through on the dry down.

 

Dry: Nope, nope, nopity nope, I said nope nope nopity nope.

 

Still all vetiver, all the time.

 

What’s going on with my skin! Where are all those other amazing notes?!

 

Disappointing. I’m really hoping the other notes come out with age, otherwise this will be off to my sales page.

 

 

 

 

edit: retested this, and the vetiver has definitely calmed down some.

Edited June 16, 2018 by donkehpoo

[KatyC]

When I tried this fresh from the mail it was pretty much pure vetiver and really quite unpleasant, even though I tend to enjoy vetiver a lot more than some.

 

A few days later it's settled down a bit but the vetiver is still really strong, there's definitely more than a drop in my bottle! I get the bourbon vanilla now though as well as a hint of the redcurrant, and I actually think I quite like it - it's just completely different than what I expected! I am hoping, though, that aging will bring more vanilla out, and in the meantime I'm going to try some on my husband as I think it might work well on a man.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: I don't know why I always believe the description when it says just a "drop" of vetiver. This is like, the whole bucket full. But my skin tends to eat vetiver, so I shall let it dry and settle and see if the other notes (all of which I love) come out eventually.

 

 

Dry: Lots of vetiver. There is a sweet, perfumey scent underneath that I quite like (I think the benzoin with the petitgrain?) I get hints of fruity currant also. But the vetiver ruins it for me, I am just not a big fan.

[highgarden]

Initially, it's all vetiver, all the time. I'm a fan of vetiver so no complaints here! Once it dries, I get a bit of the red currant, and then about two hours later it's all vanilla and benzoin tinged with the petitgrain. LOVE IT. My only complaint is that the throw isn't great, but I'm sure if I slather it on next time, it'll be perfect!

[ralenth]

Wet: Juicy petitgrain with tinges of vetiver.

 

Drydown: As it dries, the vetiver comes to the fore. This is a sweeter, more tempered vetiver than in the Haitian Vetiver SN from fall 2012. The are bright flashes of the orangey petitgrain. There is a little bit of the currant peeking though as time goes on.

 

Dry: Softly orange with vetiver intertwined. The vanilla is faint, rounding out the scent. The throw is minimal.

 

Overall impressions: Three French Hens is nicely balanced. Vetiver and I are often friends, but I don't find it overpowers this blend at all. Three French Hens is slightly sweet without being overly foody. I think this could be a good gateway to vetiver if you're curious.

[zankoku_zen]

Vanilla and juicy petit grain. I don't really get the vetiver. This is mainly a red currant + vanilla laced petit grain. Medium throw and poor wear length.