Can Everything Smell As Good As This Vetiver Soap?

Image: ElizabethW

There was a time when I enjoyed shower gels that smelled like cucumber melon, vanilla, and apple. That time was called high school. But when I no longer wanted to smell like a Jolly Rancher, my tastes turned to smokey, woody, “clean man” scents, like vetiver. And this ElizabethW Vetiver soap is one of my absolute favorites.

According to GQ, vetiver is an ingredient in about one-fifth of men’s fragrances, so there’s a chance you’ll smell this and declare that it reminds you of your ex. For me, it’s the aromatic equivalent of wearing a man’s button down shirt: slightly masculine and sexy in an unassuming way.

This is the scent that launched the San Francisco-based ElizabethW to success more than 20 years ago, and it still remains one of their most popular. (While I prefer hand-milled soaps, I’ve also tried the shower gel, and it's equally lovely.) Stock up on the soap (and Elizabeth W’s other vetiver products) online or at the brand’s Ghirardelli Square store.