Khus Bhoora

This is a fantastic distillation of organic vetiver roots grown in India. With an uncommon touch of sweetness, it’s an excellent introduction for those new to vetiver, and a treat for seasoned perfumers.

About a quarter of spray perfumes contain vetiver because its green nighttime cool gives it such appeal. Of course, these often contain isolates, not pure full-spectrum vetiver—here, you get the full blast of khus. A tobacco-esque leaf aroma with a balsamic veneer less sharp than lemongrass that layers like magic with frankincense.

Along with oud oil, vetiver is one of the most complex essential oils in existence, with over a hundred known components. So, when you smell this deep forest aroma with wafts of patchouli, vanilla, and citronella all at once, you’re not just imagining things.

But, as intoxicating and rich as vetiver can be, it could be equally flat and dull. In fact, the most vetivers on the market are bland run-of-the-mill mass-distilled vetivers meant to supply a massive perfume industry that relies on the very cheapest ingredients.

Believe it or not, finding good vetiver has proven as hard as finding good oud. McVetiver has branches on every street corner, and most people are content smelling a faint echo of what vetiver could be—not knowing what they’re missing out on, of course.

Just as mass-market ouds are hollow, flavorless, and all too one-dimensional, it takes skill to coax the finest vetivers and capture the roots’ rich plethora of spice and deep green. If all you’re after is a cheap base for your synthetic perfumes, cheap vetiver abounds like fast food—and smells like it.

Khus Bhoora packs such flavor to satisfy the most ardent natural perfumer and I cannot recommend it enough, as an ingredient or as a standalone fragrance.

Scent reviews typical tout vetiver as a ‘raw masculine aroma’. Mainstream marketing and perfumes may push for that, but in pure form vetiver doesn’t care about gender and as a fragrance its unisex.

Perfect for layering your ouds and florals, and it goes great with the citrus profile of frankincense. A dab works wonders to create a bespoke personal fragrance all your own.