Vetiver Primavera is the elegance of a white shirt on a summer morning.
Created by Marc Terlet, co-founder of Horace, and Irish perfumer Meabh Mc Curtin, this fragrance blends yuzu and vetiver in a bright, vibrant accord. A simple, joyful, and timeless creation—born from a memory, a feeling, and a desire for freshness you can wear all year round.
Marc Terlet : Hi Meabh!
Meabh Mc Curtin : Hi Marc.
Marc Terlet : How are you?
Meabh Mc Curtin : I’m good, and you?
Marc Terlet : Yeah, very well. So, I’m Marc. I co-founded Horace.
Meabh Mc Curtin : And I’m Meabh, perfumer.
Marc Terlet : And Irish.
Meabh Mc Curtin : And Irish (laughs).
Marc Terlet : And you’re the one who created Vetiver Primavera, which we made together. You were the one who proposed the blend. We hadn’t planned at all to create such a citrusy fragrance, very fresh, with something simple and elegant in it. Your starting point was a yuzu and vetiver accord. What was the idea behind it?
Meabh Mc Curtin : Vetiver is one of my favourite raw materials. It has that rooty, earthy, woody side. I find it both simple and very elegant. It also reminds me of a white shirt. Because it has this slightly sparkling facet at first, it inspired me to weave in some citrus notes. And I wanted a more modern citrus, like yuzu.
Marc Terlet : It’s a citrus from Japan — can you describe it?
Meabh Mc Curtin : It really smells like mandarin, but even more floral. And it also has a lemony element, a very sharp edge and it’s a complex citrus, like vetiver, it’s very multi-faceted.
Marc Terlet : I remember when we smelled it, we were with Élise at the office and an image struck me — and it’s funny because it’s exactly what you’re describing… I immediately thought of something very bright, and someone dressed in a white shirt, a shirt that’s both smart and rustic. Lemon, when I smell it, makes me happy. It reminds me of the sunshine, of light, of holidays, of the South of France. This Vetiver Primavera perfume has this very immediate effect that’s made for someone who loves things that are both beautiful and simple, and who has a simple outlook on life. Shall we smell Vetiver Primavera?
Meabh Mc Curtin : Yeah.
Marc Terlet : There’s something very lemony at the beginning, which is very acidic.
Meabh Mc Curtin : Yeah.
Marc Terlet : And there’s also orange blossom, which immediately brings softness.
Meabh Mc Curtin : Yes, in the heart.
Marc Terlet : Yeah, and even the mandarin, there’s something sweeter about it, which actually contrasts with the zesty sharpness of the lemon.
Meabh Mc Curtin : Yes, mandarin is a bit juicier. It creates a bridge between the very sharp lemon at the start, and later, there’s this summer feeling in the heart of the fragrance, this floral warmth that warms the heart.
Marc Terlet : Then in the heart: there’s incense, geranium, and orange blossom.
Meabh Mc Curtin : Yes.
Marc Terlet : And what did you find interesting? What were you trying to do by assemling these three, with that very citrusy head?
Meabh Mc Curtin : Geranium brings a rosy and fresh side that gives a clean and slightly moody vibe too. And incense, I think, gives a kind of anchor to the wood. It’s something very warm and resinous, which supports the vetiver, and adds sensuality to the base of the perfume. Ambroxan and cashmeran accompany the vetiver. They help me build the woody base of the perfume and I find that cashmeran has a very elegant, also sensual, musky side. And ambroxan brings that amber and clean side. In the trail, I find ambroxan gives something really addictive too, and I think it builds on the elegance of vetiver while still staying modern.
Marc Terlet : It brings me joy, it reminds me of summer, and at the same time, what I love is knowing that it’s a fragrance I want to wear throughout the rest of the year too.
Meabh Mc Curtin : For me, it’s a daytime perfume, because I associate it with a clean white shirt like this.
Marc Terlet : It’s a daytime look. Exactly, it’s a white shirt.
Meabh Mc Curtin : I think it’s something that’s timeless, it doesn’t go out of style.
Marc Terlet : And that’s also the idea behind our fragrances. We want to anchor them in something timeless and say that this fragrance we’re launching in June 2025 will still feel relevant in 10 years, in 20 years. I can’t wait for people to smell it!
Meabh Mc Curtin : Me too!
Marc Terlet : And to hear what they think about it.
Meabh Mc Curtin : Me too.
Marc Terlet : Thank you. We’re leaving the orchard.
You can watch the video of this conversation: