Aventus

Since 1760, Creed has created fragrances that delight and beguile, but perhaps none has garnered as much love and success as Aventus.  Launched in 2010, Aventus is already Creed’s bestselling fragrance of all time and has become somewhat of a legend in the world of perfume aficionados.  But what is it that has led to its meteoric success, and is it deserved?  The scent itself, while having all the hallmarks of a typical Creed scent (refinement, class and likeability), is something very special.  It is unquestionably masculine, but also surprisingly gentle, having none of the abrasiveness typical of other hyper-masculine scents.  In addition, it is both assuredly classic and contemporary; managing to be timeless and modern simultaneously.  This all serves to create a scent that is ageless, versatile and classy, something that all perfumers dream of doing.  While Aventus may not be to everyone’s taste, I think you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would find it particularly offensive, or who would even dislike it, making its popularity completely understandable.  When creating the phenomenon which is Aventus, the father and son team of Oliver and Erwin Creed were able to strike the perfect balance of fruity, woody, floral and smoky notes, which don’t fight for dominance, but instead work seamlessly together.

The Scent:

Aventus is surprising in that for such a masculine scent, it is decidedly fruity.  However, the fruit is restricted to its opening notes with the bitter, tart notes of bergamot, the mouth-watering sweet and sour notes of apple and pineapple, as well as black currant, which is tangy, ammoniac and slightly “cat-like”.  As a person who generally doesn’t like fruity scents, I think it is this variety of notes (bitter, tart, sweet, sour, tangy and ammoniac) that saves Aventus from being overly sweet and cloying.  The top notes are immediately followed by the leathery, tarry notes of birch (which adds to the scent’s smoky undertones), the earthy notes of Patchouli and two gorgeous florals, rose and Moroccan Jasmin.  As for the base notes, we have musk, vanilla and ambergris, which add warmth and soften the whole structure.  Finally, there is evocative oak moss, which brings a beautiful “forest floor” element to the scent.  As previously mentioned, the scent is very well balanced, with none of the ingredients taking over completely.  On the positive side, this helps create a classy, classic scent which, in my opinion will stand the test of time.  On the other hand, it’s not a scent that I would call bold, daring or audacious.  However, that is not to say that it is not impactful, in fact, its quiet charm has spawned hundreds of imitators, and its legacy will live on for many years to come.

Top Notes: Bergamot, Black Currant, Pineapple, Apple

Middle Notes: Birch, Patchouli, Rose, Moroccan Jasmin

Base Notes: Musk. Oak Moss, Vanilla, Ambergris

Sillage and Longevity:

The quality of Aventus is clearly evident when it comes to its performance.  While not a monster when it comes to sillage, I would definitely rate this scent as strong-moderate to strong (depending on how much you put on).  However, the fact that the fragrance is so appealing, means that even though it will get you noticed, it is still safe enough to be worn in close quarters, like an office.  With regard to longevity, Aventus is an extremely good performer, lasting at least 8 hours.  In fact, when I wore it on a night out, one of my friends contacted me the next day to say that she smelt it on herself when she got home after hugging me goodbye.  This is a testament to the high ratio of oil to alcohol Creed use in their fragrances.

The Verdict:

I feel that it is unfortunate that much of the focus regarding Aventus is on the fact that it is an extremely expensive scent.  This should not come into consideration when judging whether a scent is successful or not, just as a scent that is extremely inexpensive should not be disadvantaged because of it.  Now, whether it is worth buying just depends on what one is willing to spend.  In my case, it took many months of indecision before I finally broke and bought my first bottle.  At a whopping $450.00 (Australian) a bottle, who wouldn’t hesitate forking out that kind of money for a fragrance?  Ironically I think that it is exactly the exorbitant price that will end up saving Aventus from its own success.  Far too often fragrances that are extremely successful initially become so ubiquitous that people start to despise them.  The fact that Aventus is so expensive puts it out of the reach of many, meaning that it may avoid this sad fate.  All in all Aventus is a wonderful scent and in my opinion deserves all the praise that is lavished upon it.