This has been an ongoing debate for a very long time. My bachelor's degrees are in International Studies with emphasis on the Far East and Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language. I spent 20 years working for Taiwanese and Japanese firms here in the United States overseeing shipments of materials from China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and far eastern Russia. When I was studying back in the early 90s, the topic of the word "Oriental" was already a big discussion, and we started shifting away from it. It was considered an anachronism. A holdover from a Eurocentric, colonialist, outdated mindset when Asia was considered an exotic and mysterious destination. Over the last 30 years, as the world has become a more global market, it just doesn't make sense anymore, so the term has largely been dropped in favor of more clear and descriptive terms. On the other side of the discussion, especially when it comes to perfume, the term is considered a compliment and does not poke fun at or insult anyone. It was born from the creation of Guerlain's Shalimar (which has recently seen a big resurgence in the market) in the 1920s, when "Oriental" was used to describe the exotic and mysterious blend of spices and resins used in its formulation. Over time, it became a category unto itself - not unlike the creation of "Blue" fragrances with Bleu de Chanel. It's not meant to poke fun of or minimize the vast and beautiful cultures of the Asian continent, but rather as a descriptor for the origin of the ingredients that make up the category. So if the category were to change, what should we use? I have a lot more to say about this, but would love to hear from you guys. What say you? And let's remember to keep the discussion civil and cordial. We are all brothers here, and this is meant to be food for thought.

This is a new release from Creed that they offered a sample to me of at the boutique. I was skeptical at first, as I’m not the biggest vetiver guy, but when i smelled it on paper, and then my skin, i was pleasantly surprised. The name “vetiver” for the fragrance is a bit misleading, as it’s more of a juicy rose floral scent with a vetiver texture at the base. The opening is bright and vibrant, with a blend of bergamot and pink pepper. The pepper gives it a slightly sparkling almost fizzy like texture and adds lot of lift. The rose note at the heart is also active during the first spray, and lasts to the drydown. It’s the core that connects the sparkling, juicier elements with the more dry and woody drydown. Rose is well blended with a black currant and geranium accord that makes it a more lively and stronger scent. It smells modern and classy, not dated. The black currant especially adds depth to the sparkle in the opening. The rose stays throughout, connecting to a drier base of vetiver and woods. Performance, exceptional, especially for a Creed scent. It has good sillage and amazing longevity. I get around 8-9 hours on me, and it pulls compliments well. This was a very pleasant surprise from Creed. I enjoy their scents thoroughly, but none have really blown me away, except this one and Delphinus. I’m adding this to a “consider” list to buy a full bottle of. I could see this easily being a spring and summer signature.