There are perfume novels and perfume short stories. Guerlain Mitsouko will take you on a long journey with many subplots and supporting characters, while Estée Lauder White Linen will reveal it all within the first few musk and rose lines of its composition. But what if you want something even more succinct for days when you crave an effortless, pleasant scented accompaniment? On such occasions, Roger & Gallet Thé Vert comes in handy.
Thé Vert is a citrusy green tea cologne. If you take a cup of green tea and dilute it with lemon juice, you’ll get something close to this Roger & Gallet number. It starts out tart and sharp, but the musk makes it sweeter as it dries down. A posy of white flowers softens the lemon, and the rest of the story doesn’t change much until Thé Vert fades. It’s not even a full story; it’s more like a Facebook status update.
But the simplicity is what makes Thé Vert so immensely appealing. I spray it on in the morning and I enjoy its initial zesty boost. Then I like how it gently hugs my skin and smells fresh and uplifting throughout the day. Around 4-5pm it’s completely gone, but by then, I’m ready for a more substantial fragrance. Thé Vert is one of those casual perfumes that don’t pretend to be great works of art and deliver plenty of enjoyment for under $25. The last point is important, because I don’t want to pay half of my monthly rent for a straightforward cologne (sorry, Tom Ford!)
Thé Vert takes inspiration from Bulgari’s Eau Parfumée de Thé Vert, but it treats the green tea in a crisper, fresher manner. Before L’Occitane discontinued their terrific Green Tea cologne, it used to be my favorite companion for running errands, visiting the gym or just smelling good. Elizabeth Arden Green Tea is a close rival, but Roger & Gallet also has an excellent collection of high-quality body products. Starting my morning with the matching green tea scented soap is a treat.
Roger & Gallet Thé Vert (Eau de Thé Vert) lists notes of bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, mandarin, orange, yuzu, freesia, jasmine, lily of the valley, lemon blossom, orange blossom, green tea, cedarwood, guaiac wood, and amber. 1 oz, $25 (18 euros), 3.4oz $47 (42 euros). Available at Amazon.com, New London Pharmacy; be sure to check for bargains at Marshall’s and TJ Maxx. In Europe, any pharmacy carries the full Roger & Gallet range.
91 Comments
Nick: I wear this frequently, either by itself or layered with other frags. It is fantastic in the summer with O de Lancome spritzed over the top, or a more sultry pairing of it with SJP Covet.
It also works really well with woods and vetivers, Encre Noir for instance.
On its own it can last all day in spring or summer. January 13, 2014 at 8:08am
Ariadne: Very grateful to hear of other things to layer with Encre Noir! January 13, 2014 at 10:11am
Nick: Another combination that works is Encre Noire with Ferragamo’s Tuscan Soul, to provide yet another twist on a colognesque fragrance. January 13, 2014 at 12:00pm
Jillie: Nick, what fascinating layering! It would be just lovely to add some zest to Covet, and I imagine it would be a great pairing with my summer favourite, O, especially now that this has been reformulated and lacks a little something. January 13, 2014 at 10:13am
Nick: Thanks, I am a layering freak really.
Gentlemens’ fragrances, unless they are exceptional, are often so one dimensional. So I often venture towards so called unisex or so called feminine frags.
Layering adds the option of taking a frag once step further into more interesting territory, often tangentially. January 13, 2014 at 11:58am
Anne of Green Gables: Thanks for these great ideas, Nick! January 13, 2014 at 10:16am
Victoria: What a brilliant layering suggestion, Nick! Since I have Encre Noire, I tried it the moment I got home, and it’s terrific. Green tea and citrus soften and brighten the dry vetiver of EN, and I’m enjoying the combo very much. Thank you! January 13, 2014 at 11:49am
Nick: Most welcome January 13, 2014 at 12:11pm
Merlin: I’v found O’de Lancolm to layer well with several things: inspired by you I just tried it with L’Occitane’s Vert and that works nicely too. It goes well with Terre d’Hermes too. Unfortunately I’v had less success with layering encore Noir January 13, 2014 at 3:34pm
Anne of Green Gables: I’m always fond of green tea themed perfumes beause the first perfume that I fell in love with was L’Occitane’s The Vert (I’m still angry that they decided to discontinue it only to relaunch a similar one at a higher price). I still have some solid perfume of The Vert left and Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea kind of became a replacement. I should give the Roger & Gallet one a try. I recall smelling the soap and liking it but I think I haven’t tested the perfume yet.
The annoying thing is that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find Roger & Gallet products in pharmacies here. BTW, I love the video clips that go with each fragrance line at the Roger & Gallet website. January 13, 2014 at 8:08am
Cornelia Blimber: In Amsterdam also it is hard to find. It is not in pharmacies, drogisten (drugstores ) don’t carry it. To my knowledge only De Bijenkorf in Rotterdam have it. On my next trip to Rotterdam I will try it!
Nicks’ idea of layering sounds interesting. January 13, 2014 at 8:34am
Cornelia Blimber: Correction: Ici Paris has it in the Web Shop. I googled. As I never buy something on line, I didn’t know that. January 13, 2014 at 8:39am
Anne of Green Gables: The largest selection I saw so far was at the pharmacy in the Munich airport but I know one very old-style pharmacy in town which have some of the products. The problem is that the list of the retailers on the R&G website isn’t up to date.
This is off topic but I saw the picture of your cat in another post and Oscar is a beautiful cat! I envy you so much. January 13, 2014 at 10:15am
Cornelia Blimber: Thank you, Anne! Oscar is a beauty. But wait and see, you will have a cat as well, in the future. January 13, 2014 at 12:12pm
Victoria: I remember seeing Roger & Gallet soaps at a pharmacy in Amsterdam last year, but I don’t remember if they had perfumes. But as Anne says, the website doesn’t seem to update their list of retailers. January 13, 2014 at 12:00pm
Cornelia Blimber: Do you remember the location of that pharmacy? January 13, 2014 at 12:09pm
Victoria: It was not too far from the Rembrandt’s house, but unfortunately I don’t remember the exact location. January 13, 2014 at 12:27pm
Cornelia Blimber: That’s already the right direction, thank you! I will find it out. January 13, 2014 at 12:47pm
Victoria: If I see it anywhere else in the Netherlands, I’ll be sure to let you know. Of course, Austenfan might know more, since she mentioned liking R&G perfumes. January 13, 2014 at 2:16pm
Victoria: I’m also annoyed with L’Occitane for this same reason. Their higher priced perfumes aren’t significantly better to justify the price hike.
Elizabeth Arden Green Tea is another great option, and it’s very similar to Roger & Gallet. January 13, 2014 at 11:59am
Caroline: Victoria, I’ve not seen Roger & Gallet at Nordstrom (nor on their site) in a long while.
I did see an extensive R&G array the last time I was in Clyde’s on Madison in NYC (assume they take phone orders). It’s a shame there aren’t more places in the U.S. to sample this brand (at least in my neck of the woods). Curious about their osmanthus as well. January 13, 2014 at 8:52am
Victoria: Thank you for letting me know, Caroline. That’s where I used to buy their products in the US, but it definitely has been a while. It’s a shame it’s hard to find, because the perfume collection is varied and has so many interesting and affordable options. January 13, 2014 at 12:01pm
machula: I love Roger & Gallet’s Cedrat. It’s my go to summer juice. Never fails me – always a feel good fragrance, bright and fresh. I purchased their The Vert as a present for a friend and she loved it. The price point is also nice.
Their soaps are also nice to scent closets.
anybody tried the red Jean-Marie Farina scent? January 13, 2014 at 9:11am
Austenfan: I am familiar with that one in the body cream. It is a little more complex than their cédrat. More like an old fashioned cologne. I like using the body cream when I am wearing something like Goutal’s Eau du Sud. January 13, 2014 at 9:29am
Cornelia Blimber: Austenfan is right. I have a very old (empty) bottle ”Johann Maria Farina gegenüber dem Neumarkt, Echt Kölinisch Wasser” . January 13, 2014 at 10:21am
Victoria: I have tried the body cream too, and I agree, it’s fantastic, especially for layering with other colognes. January 13, 2014 at 12:04pm
Victoria: I have a sample of it, and I just put it on a blotter to compare. It’s more of an old-fashioned cologne, but by this I mean that it’s dry rather than sweet. If you like Cedrat, you’ll enjoy it too, although it’s darker in the drydown with a stronger mossy note. Not sure if you’ve tried Hermes Eau d’Orange Verte, but it reminds me of it a little bit. January 13, 2014 at 12:03pm
Cornelia Blimber: This decription reminds me of Acqua di Parma Colonia Assoluta. January 13, 2014 at 12:15pm
Rachel: Why did L’Occitane discontinue so many perfumes all at once? I liked their Green Tea and Jasmine. January 13, 2014 at 10:10am
ula: yes, that one was lovely. They seem to introduce and discontinue perfumes very quickly at L’Occitane, I think it’s very annoying, they had some very nice ones January 13, 2014 at 11:47am
Victoria: They’re being sneaky! They’ve introduced a new higher priced collection, so the old perfumes were discontinued to make room for it. January 13, 2014 at 12:04pm
Annikky: I’m a fan, too, and hope to find another bottle before it disappears entirely. It’s my fist choice for a scented shower, especially in the summer. January 14, 2014 at 3:27am
Jillie: It’s great to have some less expensive stand-bys that actually don’t smell cheap! I sometimes use the Arden Green Tea, so I shall look forward to trying this as an alternative.
While you were describing it, I was thinking about L’AP’s The pour un Ete, and I wondered if this was anything like that? The L’AP is another I like when I am hot, but it isn’t cheap, so I am not extravagent with it! January 13, 2014 at 10:17am
Victoria: I agree! I don’t want to feel guilty applying cologne with a generous hand, and Roger & Gallet’s quality is very good, especially for the price.
The pour un Ete seems more floral and sheer to me, but also less tea like. It vanishes so rapidly on me that I gave up on it, but I still like the idea of a green tea and jasmine perfume. January 13, 2014 at 12:24pm
Merlin: L’occitane’s Vert actually smells better on me than the L’artisan. I think the L’occitane one smells more like it has black tea in it? Whenever I smell it I get a bit of a caffeine rush, lol!
The L’artisan reminds me a little of dirty plant water – like I should have cleaned out the vase sooner! January 13, 2014 at 3:42pm
Andy: I have to agree on the L’Artisan–it comes across very screechy on my skin, and expensive for something I would want to use for simple refreshment in warm weather. I was just smelling it today actually. In the end I preferred the L’Occitane green tea with jasmine concept. It smelled better on me and wasn’t as cost prohibitive. January 13, 2014 at 4:45pm
Victoria: I also get more of a tangy tea note out of L’Occitane’s tea.
L’Artisan’s tea cologne just doesn’t deliver enough to justify its price, and then, if you’re willing to spend that much, you might as well go for Bulgari’s Eau Parfumee au The Vert. January 14, 2014 at 7:50am
Merlin: I have to admit – the Bulgari version has never appealed to me…
A pricey one I do like is Osmanthus Interdite. I actually got a used tester of the L’artisan for about $10 (without lid) but I don’t enjoy it enough to use very much.
Perhaps it is the tanginess of the L’Occitane that makes me think ‘black tea’ rather than green. I need to go re-smell:) January 15, 2014 at 5:21am
Victoria: At least, Osmanthus Interdite lasts well, so while pricey, it lingers well enough.
Not sure if you’ve tried Bulgari’s White or Red Tea scents, but those were very good too. Some like them better than The Vert. January 15, 2014 at 9:22am
Alessandra: Yes, I do in fact prefer bulgari’s white tea to any other of its tea waters. It’s an extraordinary cologne, very elegant too. Another one of my faves for the summer (or the gym). I don’t like bulgari’s green tea at all. I think it has a note that annoys the hell out of me but can’t for the life of me detect it accurately. January 15, 2014 at 11:13am
Victoria: Bulgari’s green tea is definitely on the soft side, and if you want something fresh and crisp, it may not work. January 15, 2014 at 11:51am
G: I love Roger and Gallet! I bought a super-discounted pack of their soaps recently, mix of 4 soaps for 5 euros. Their rose scent is delightful
I will have to try their fragrances, a good Green tea scent is hard to beat. January 13, 2014 at 11:09am
Victoria: That’s a terrific deal! I have just finished their Rose soap, and I think that I need to replenish my stock. 🙂 January 13, 2014 at 12:28pm
maja: That deal is fantastic! My local pharmacy carries everything from the line and I often buy something as gifts for my friends. Everybody is always happy. 🙂 The Rose soap is my favorite and I’m thinking also of buying the little perfume. I have Eau de The Vert in shower gel and it’s really refreshing and delicate. Plus no parabens and ugly stuff. And I am going to try Gingembre again, I liked it last time but second sniffing is necessary. 🙂 Can you tell I am a fan? 🙂 January 14, 2014 at 2:42am
Victoria: Me too! 🙂 The last time my mom visited she raided my soap basket for R&G rose soaps. I mean, what rose lover can resist the pink bars packaged in crinkly, pleated paper? January 14, 2014 at 7:56am
Nick: R&G are often available at reasonable prices on Amazon & eBay. January 13, 2014 at 11:53am
Victoria: Just the other day I was thinking that whenever I need something, I don’t even think about the brick & mortar stores first. I immediately go to either Amazon or Ebay. 🙂 January 13, 2014 at 12:29pm
Austenfan: I love Roger et Gallet. I’ve only tried their body creams but they are excellent value for money and smell great. They used to have a Linden scented one that I was quite fond of. I also like the new Osmanthus fragrance. January 13, 2014 at 1:34pm
Victoria: Osmanthus is charming, isn’t it? It’s another one in this category of easy to wear, easy to like colognes. January 13, 2014 at 2:23pm
Austenfan: It is very charming, not Mitsouko of course but then it’s not pretending to! January 13, 2014 at 3:10pm
Victoria: Exactly! The same perfume could easily be launched by a niche brand, priced much higher, and nobody would have been the wiser. Thank goodness R&G still stays affordable. January 14, 2014 at 7:47am
Andy: I would love to smell this if I could only find it, and the rest of the Roger & Gallet line as well. I do like EA Green tea, since it doesn’t remind me of “green tea” scents at all, which actually tend to be headache territory for me. I suppose a good example of that quality is in CK One, for the first hour or so of wear. Even though it may not be exactly a green tea fragrance, it reminds me of those sorts of citrusy, vaguely floral accords that make me run the other way! January 13, 2014 at 4:51pm
Victoria: Have you tried Tommy Girl? The name aside, it’s surprisingly androgynous. The only thing is that it’s definitely radiant and bright a la CK One. January 14, 2014 at 7:51am
Andy: I haven’t tried Tommy Girl but have read about it. It sounds like I might enjoy it! January 14, 2014 at 8:30am
Alessandra: I was wearing it for a little while in the summer whilst in high school…. it’s awesome! January 15, 2014 at 11:10am
Annikky: One of the great things about Belgium is the wide availability of R&G products. And my favourite thing about R&G is that the scents come in small bottles as well. When I have this irresistable urge to buy something scent-related, but know I really shouldn’t, R&G colognes and shower gels are a good compromise. The Vert is nice and I also like Bois d’Orage, especially as an oil.
PS The comparison with an FB update is genius. January 14, 2014 at 3:22am
Victoria: 🙂 Thank you!
Yes! And those little bottles are hard to resist, especially since they come in different colors and they’re so easy to carry in your purse. Bois d’Orange is my other favorite for its woody orange blossom drydown. January 14, 2014 at 7:54am
rainboweyes: I’m located in Southwestern Germany and the R&G line is widely available at our local pharmacies. I haven’t tested The vert yet but I love Fleur de Figuier! As for light, summery tea scents, Mediterraneo by Carthusia is my favourite staple. January 14, 2014 at 4:24am
Victoria: Fleur de Figuier is such a sophisticated floral oriental (with a subtle gourmand twist), and I’m enjoying the soap very much.
Mediterraneo by Carthusia is great in the heat, isnt’ it? I went through a big decant of it a couple of years ago, and I might revisit it again for the summer. January 14, 2014 at 7:57am
Melissa: After reading this review yesterday, I popped into the pharmacy near my work (Tschiffley’s Pharmacy in Dupont Circle, Washington DC) where I thought they might carry this. They did — for $51 for 50 ml and $71 for 100! So much for that impulse buy. January 14, 2014 at 4:14pm
Victoria: That seems too high! You’re right, not a good impulse purchase candidate. January 14, 2014 at 4:21pm
Alessandra: That’s so weird. I do know that european products cost a lot more in the US – Santa Maria Novella is a perfect example…. it’s quite cheap in Florence, in fact -, but that is AN AWFUL LOT MORE! Wow. January 15, 2014 at 11:09am
Victoria: The markups can be incredible! R&G price in the US is surprisingly high, as I’m discovering. It wasn’t like this before, though. I remember buying some of their perfumes at Nordstrom’s and paying a much more reasonable sum. January 15, 2014 at 11:52am
Gozen: I’ve checked the Roger and Gallet website and they have the message “We regret to inform you that we have closed our US operations in the US…” Does anyone know why? I’ve just discovered the R&G line within the last 2 years and am sad that I may not be able to buy locally now. January 14, 2014 at 11:51pm
Victoria: How disappointing! Perhaps, they’ve lost their distributor? Well, eBay and Amazon are the only options remaining, and I will try to see what other light green tea cologne I can find that’s more easily available. January 15, 2014 at 3:25am
Merlin: A long time ago a department store in South Africa stocked Roger & Gallet – at least the soaps, but not any more.
I may be in Germany in March and I’m hoping to pick some of these up. They are certainly more affordable than the other scents I would be able to get there (that are not available where I live): Parfums Generale, Arquiste, Hermessance, Anne Gerard, Histoire de Parfums etc etc…
All those sound fabulous – but totally above any acceptable budget! January 15, 2014 at 5:16am
Victoria: R&G also have a whole new range of new scents that I haven’t noticed before, so you will have a lot of choice. I just smelled their almond scented cologne during my lunch break, and it’s very pretty. January 15, 2014 at 9:21am
Alessandra: Who said almond? Oh wow!!! I didn’t know they had that in the line… actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it! Is it new? Brilliant, can’t wait to sniff it… waiting for AP’s reissue of the best almond ever 🙂 January 15, 2014 at 11:06am
Merlin: Ok, I need to try find out what is available in Germany so I can look up reviews ahead of time. Nothing as frustrating as being faced with a large range, having only half an hour and not knowing where to start! January 15, 2014 at 4:20pm
Alessandra: See, that’s what’s brilliant about this whole thing. I do tend to use these sorts of fragrances when I visit the gym and right after it. That’s exactly the time when I need something light and crispy and still classy. Normally, I, too, would use Elizabeth Arden’s green tea – especially in its sadly discontinued spicy variation, which was AWESOME -, or Bulgari thé blanc , or Guerlain aqua allegoria herba fresca, but this would be an immensely valid cheaper alternative. Thank you!! January 15, 2014 at 6:27am
Victoria: Oh, Herba Fresca is fantastic for a quick refreshment. Same with Aqua Allegoria’s Mandarine Basilic. It smells so uplifting, and it lasts ok too, especially for a cologne. January 15, 2014 at 9:24am
Alessandra: I agree!!! In fact, I had both Guerlain’s waters and a few summers ago, it was all I was using (except for bois des iles at night)… especially mandarine basilic. It just seems a bit of a waste of money to wear that for the gym, tho, haha, so I think I’ll rely on roger and gallet. You have no idea how this post came in handy… right on time! 🙂 January 15, 2014 at 11:07am
Merlin: Whenever I wear Herba Fresca someone tells me I smell like toothpaste so although I love it I have brome circumspect about where I wear it. Also I find the Mandarine Basilica does not last very long on me. Pampelune is a lot better on this front… January 15, 2014 at 4:19pm
Merlin: Eek, I meant ‘become circumspect’… January 15, 2014 at 4:23pm
Victoria: And your “brome” got me on a trail of The Bourne Identity (brome, bourne…), conspiracy theories, spies, and then, finally, perfume to wear if you work for the CIA. Fresh and innocuous Herba Fresca could be it, I suppose. 🙂 January 15, 2014 at 4:37pm
Victoria: Hmm, must be the mint in Herba Fresca. I also heard the same comment before, but I still like the perfume. January 15, 2014 at 4:24pm
Merlin: Turns out ‘brome’ is actually a word!
‘It is an oat-like grass grown for fodder or ornamental purposes.’ says my on-line dictionary.
And I am thinking – wonder how that smells…
Yes, it is the mint, but I like, in particular, the mint in the scent:) I think it’s really nice together with the herbal notes, and always makes me feel a bit more sprightly!
I find it fresh, but not innocuous – I don’t think I would use it if I was trying to be anonymous. Can you imagine:
‘Miss Parker! I always knew there was something off about that woman… Perhaps it was that she always smelled like toothpaste…’ January 15, 2014 at 5:04pm
Victoria: Oat hay smells wonderful! I have a bag that I use for baths, and it has a nutty, milky scent.
For the rest, I can’t even type, because I’m shaking with laughter… January 15, 2014 at 5:07pm
Merlin: It would have to be a CIA agent played by Steve Martin:) January 15, 2014 at 6:22pm
Victoria: 🙂 January 16, 2014 at 4:44am
Alessandra: it does smell like toothpaste a tiny bit, but that’s why I love it. It’s not the usual green cologne, it’s got personality, thanks to mint, basically 🙂
but yeah, I understand that not everyone might want to smell like toothpaste hahahah. I tend to have a soft spot for it January 15, 2014 at 5:54pm
Victoria: I don’t mind it either, but I would love a mint scent that smelled like Moroccan mint tea with orange blossom. Someone else posted this query in our perfumer recommendation thread, and I thought that it was such a great idea for a fragrance. January 16, 2014 at 4:46am
Alessandra: Wow. That’s great, yes!! We should probably send the ‘pitch’ to Parfums de Nicolai, I have a feeling that they might be the ones ready to make the dream come true January 16, 2014 at 5:10am
Alessandra: Re: R and G’s almond – it’s amande persane, right? It’s not available in Italy, according to the website, that’s why I had never seen it.. right, another thing to buy in Paris at the end of feb. My list is becoming shockingly long and way above my total finances (pharmacy cream topup and R and G are the cheapest things on the list, hahaha) January 15, 2014 at 11:17am
Victoria: Yes, that’s the one. Interesting (but not surprising, I suppose) that the stores have different selections depending on the country.
I already can imagine how much fun you’ll have in Paris! 🙂 January 15, 2014 at 11:50am
Alessandra: Hahaha! Yes, me too 🙂 January 15, 2014 at 1:27pm
Alessandra: I discovered roger et gallet’s bar soaps thanks to my grandma, who used to buy box sets… and to this day, their soaps are the thing I love the most. I do buy the other products, as well, but boy, their soaps are otherworldly – package included. They make for a very lovely present at anytime. January 15, 2014 at 11:23am
Victoria: Aren’t they! The pleated paper around each bar is so charming. January 15, 2014 at 11:53am
Alessandra: that’s what I am deeply in love with, yes! January 15, 2014 at 1:27pm
Rowanhill: The travel sized R&G spray bottle dry oils are fantastically practical, albeit being made of glass. My Bois d’Orange oil clocks more air miles than Nuxe’s Huile Prodigeuse. However on a recent sales hunt to the City2 Inno, Shiso was my favourite from the soaps I sniffed. January 15, 2014 at 12:34pm
Victoria: I got a generous sample size of Bois d’Orange oil with my pharmacy purchase, and I agree, it’s terrific. Since it’s a spray, I find it much easier to use than the pour bottle of Nuxe, although both of them are in heavy rotation.
I haven’t smelled Shiso, but I’ll have to try it. January 15, 2014 at 2:53pm