You can do your own reading of the ridiculous back story/inspiration of Etat Libre d’Orange Fat Electrician on Now Smell This and Blogdorf Goodman. It’s a “modern vetiver” loosely based on “Midnight Cowboy”, that’s all the back story I’m giving. Etat Libre d’Orange irritates me with their names and inspirations, well, most of the time. It takes me years to get over the trying-ever-so-hard to be clever antics, eventually I try their fragrances. I still do not own a full-size bottle of any of their juices, but I haven’t sampled them all either.

Ignore the plumber’s crack of Fat Electrician and one is left with a basic vetiver. Oh, how I love vetiver! But, I have to be picky these days. My collection has too many. For me to add a vetiver, it must be very, very special. Don’t take me wrong, I really like Fat Electrician. It’s a smoky vetiver with asphalt tar. Wouldn’t this be my dream scent? Well, it’s nice but it isn’t “different”, especially if you’ve been huffing vetivers for over 15  years. If I didn’t own 5+ other exceptional vetivers, then maybe I’d add Fat Electrician. If someone was to give me a bottle of Fat Electrician, I’d wear it. At this time, Fat Electrician isn’t taking any dough out of my personal perfume budget. This may change…

Fat Electrician opens up as distinctively vetiver. If you dislike vetiver, especially rooty vetiver, then don’t try this one. The vetiver in Fat Electrician is smoky and reminds me of hot, asphalt tar. It stays this way for awhile, tarry and rooty vetiver. Fat Electrician becomes a dried out vetiver resting on some soft, worn out vanilla leatheriness. It sort of reminds me of Bvlgari Black if it took a shot of ancient vetiver. It’s smoky. It’s slightly headshop. It reminds me of something that one would wear in excessive amounts to cover up weed smoke, but most vetivers remind me of that. The bottom line is that Fat Electrician smells like vetiver incense smoke for most of the wear. It doesn’t transform and it doesn’t change. It’s a smoky vetiver with resinous sweetness. Eventually, after all day wear, it’s vetiver with a bit more softness from myrrh and vanilla. But, it’s still vetiver.

From a man’s perspective, my husband really likes this fragrance. He tends to like smoky, leathery scents and doesn’t go for those fresh vetivers. He would wear it if he had a bottle, so he says. But, he really thinks that the name and campaign represents a very bored marketing team. So, who knows, maybe I’ll end up with a bottle of Fat Electrician if hubs chooses to buy it. I would wear it too.

Notes listed include vetiver, vanilla bean, opoponax, and myrrh.

I do like Fat Electrician, really, I do. I may talk myself into buying a bottle if another vetiver doesn’t come along and swoop me into it’s arms. Fat Electrician is a million times better than Tom Ford Grey Vetiver and some of the other vetivers in its price range. If you don’t have a “dark” vetiver in your collection, then this is one to start with. Give Fat Electrician a try if you like incense fragrances, vetiver fragrances, or fragrances like Diptyque Duelle, Bvlgari Black, Piguet Visa, MAC MV 3, Tom Ford Oud Wood, Prada Pour Homme, and/or Boucheron Jaipur Pour Homme. The wear of Midnight Cowboy isn’t bad. In the winter, it wears for 9+hours.

The 1.7 oz spray retails for $85 and is available at B-Glowing.

Want more reviews? Try…

Perfume Smellin’ Things

From Top to Bottom – Perfume Patter

Confessions of a Perfume Nerd

Katie Puckrik Smells (vetiver talk)

©Everett Collection, Midnight Cowboy 1969, IMDb. Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!