Virtuous

Virtuous follows a Carthusian monk through a Tuscan herb garden past cold stone walls, leather-bound books and lingering incense. It opens with basil, thyme and wormwood. Sage leads the heart alongside cobblestone, lily and violet, and moss, oak, incense and leather ground the base. Wearers call it bright, herbal and cool, with a watery freshness set against the stone. The incense is described as unusually fresh and clean, and the leather arrives early for some noses and recedes later. The drydown is clean, mossy and woody, compared by one wearer to a five-star hotel, and for some it grows more aromatic the longer it wears. A smaller group finds it messy, chemical, or reminiscent of fabric softener or toothpaste. Performance is steady rather than loud. Votes describe moderate to long wear and moderate projection, with accounts of eight hours or more and a few of it fading sooner. Spring and summer lead the season votes by a wide margin, day leads night strongly, and wearers describe it as working from day to night and for outdoor, fresh wear. Virtuous is the light half of a pair with Libertine, and the house says the two can be layered in either order; one wearer says Virtuous changes Libertine more than the reverse. It suits someone who wants a clean, green, aromatic scent with incense depth. It is a 50ml extrait de parfum with a 20% oil concentrate.