Noirdrakkar Tries Aventus: Is Aventus Worth The Hype?

[tehtimmeh]

If it lasted more than 30 minutes it would be worth it. I'm anosmic to whatever's in it during the dry down. That said, it's my daughter's absolute favorite of all time on me, so I caved and bought a bottle.

[Erok32]

The sample I had smelled like pure smoke. Not tobacco smoke, but camp fire smoke. PURE campfire smoke.

[Scentologist]

I love it! From the pineapple beginning down to a leather like accord that is so smooth and classy.

[Redneck Perfumisto]

Awe, come ON man! That wasn't even a fair FIGHT! First of all, Norris' people took Aventus out for drinks and got it all liquored up. Then, a few hours later, in walks Chuck Norris, completely sober. Yet, despite this, Aventus came darn near putting Norris flat on his back. AND AVENTUS DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ARMS OR LEGS. Totally not even close to being a fair fight.

LOL

Yeah. I can imagine the look on the cop's face when Aventus blew into the breathalyzer!

...oh, but the rest of your post? Superb.

Thanks, man!

P.S. Red: what age does Aventus smell like to you?

I'd say 25-35. That's the age I always imagine being when I smell it. Kinda crazy. I really like the suit I'm wearing, too, but it's unlike anything I own. Very comfortable tweedy thing - kind of a slightly natural gray with a touch of brown. The dog is some kind of Jack Russell mix. My hair is more blonde and I look different, too.

Only some of my fragrances do that sort of thing. Kinda neat when it happens.

...That said, it's my daughter's absolute favorite of all time on me, so I caved and bought a bottle.

Not sure how young she is, but that's the cutest "I bought Aventus because of a woman" story I have yet to hear. The SAs at my Saks were telling me about the number of women who buy it for their guys - I don't remember the exact fraction, but it was a pretty significant portion of the sales.

[Duke Hunt]

I'm in the camp that likes it, but finds it grossly over-rated/over-hyped and won't be purchasing it anytime soon.

[senore01]

Creed's Aventus, is one of the few fragrances that indeed deserves the hype. I am not a big fan of creed, nor of niche, if truth be told. But Aventus, man this is good juice. And the compliments. I would even go so far as to recommend aventus as a blind buy to my friends. It is that good.

[silentrich]

I was underwhelmed with my first experience with Aventus as well. I liked the fruity, smokey vibe but didn't find it that impressive. About the 4th time wearing it is when I really started to appreciate and enjoy the mix of the fruit (pineapple and apple), the leather accord, and the touch of patchouli. What won me over was the projection and longevity. It just keeps on giving.

[hednic]

Personally love it and very glad I have a bottle of this in my collection

[MJM_77]

It actually took a bunch of wearings for me to finally fall in love with this scent. Besides the fact that it has received multiple compliments from rather attractive women I actually enjoy the pineapple smokiness that I get on my skin every time I spray it on.

[Redneck Perfumisto]

This is perfect.

There is a lot to be said for enjoying the cheap stuff when you actually enjoy it. One of my most memorable wines was this $2.99 "champagne" that I bought in a gas station quickie-mart. We were short on bubbly, and some of us volunteered to drink the bad stuff. They had overloaded it with a ridiculous amount of sulfite - it tasted like goddamn rubber. But if it was a fragrance, it would have been Bulgari Black. The obscene level of sulfite was perfect - it really took the edge off what normally would have been off-notes. I was impressed. My GF was horrified by the stuff, but I thought it was interesting as hell.

Kinda not surprising how we ended up married to different people!

[lm6]

Redneck: I couldn't agree more. The placebo with fragrance is strong.. if you pay a lot for perfume or sample something that's 400-500 a bottle, it's natural to instantly assume it's high quality. I see lots of reviews for various brands, Kilian for example, where people say "I don't really care for it but I can tell it's very high quality stuff" .. really? It smells like aromachemicals to my nose. That's why I mentioned the Cool Water/GIT thing.. I wonder if the juices were swapped if people would decide Cool Water was the high quality one because the price indicated as much. One simply needs to look into the backgrounds of many of these noses to recognize their signature, from Sheldrake to Duchaufour to Giacobetti to you name it, these are very skilled noses and they can do magic with synthetics. To assume quality ingredients are used just because it's expensive seems naive, but it's clear that niche perfumes will soon be commonly sold around the $300-350 price point, and if current trends are any indication, $350 will still see bottles flying off the shelf. Dior, Tom Ford and many others are going full steam ahead with faux niche lines to get a piece of the pie. It's understandable, too. Everyone wants to make money.

And I also agree about the thrill of enjoying cheap stuff (especially when you're broke). I read an interview with Franz Ferdinand in Rolling Stone many many years ago and their singer said that the most decadent memories he has are of when he was dirt poor and would save up enough for a bottle of rum or small pleasures like that.. I relate. Bulgari Black is one of the cheapest fragrances to buy and imo it's one of the best. I don't care if you can walk into a Ross and buy it for 10 bucks, it's damn good quality juice and I'd take it over most the Kilians, Nasomattos and Clive Christians out there. Yes, most people are going to say Dzing is better because it costs more and is more exclusive, but all this does is re-enforce my point. I've done many side by sides with those 2, Black smells better (opinion) and longevity/projection is far better (fact), and it's drastically cheaper. I'm just waiting for a niche company to make a Back to Black or Tobacco Vanille knockoff, charge $600 for 30ml, and watch everyone fall head over heels for it, and even if people hate it they'll still wax poetic about how high quality the ingredients smell.

They occasionally do blind taste tests with wine experts and sometimes the results are embarrassing (like the time 2 Buck Chuck (Trader Joes/Charles Shaw) beat out multiple hundred dollar French wines) and I'm certain many perfume fanatics would also end up red faced if put in a similar blind-smelling situation without high price points and fancy ad copy to guide their opinions/placebo.

To me, Amouage is the one house that is worth the premium. There is such a regal and classy feel to them, the bottles are works of art and they make me feel very content when I wear them. It's the one brand in which the visual representation is mirrored perfectly with the fragrances themselves. Whoops, I just realized I'm mashing all these paragraphs out in an Aventus thread! I'll stop now

[Redneck Perfumisto]

Redneck: I couldn't agree more. The placebo with fragrance is strong.. if you pay a lot for perfume or sample something that's 400-500 a bottle, it's natural to instantly assume it's high quality. I see lots of reviews for various brands, Kilian for example, where people say "I don't really care for it but I can tell it's very high quality stuff" .. really? It smells like aromachemicals to my nose. That's why I mentioned the Cool Water/GIT thing.. I wonder if the juices were swapped if people would decide Cool Water was the high quality one because the price indicated as much. One simply needs to look into the backgrounds of many of these noses to recognize their signature, from Sheldrake to Duchaufour to Giacobetti to you name it, these are very skilled noses and they can do magic with synthetics. To assume quality ingredients are used just because it's expensive seems naive, but it's clear that niche perfumes will soon be commonly sold around the $300-350 price point, and if current trends are any indication, $350 will still see bottles flying off the shelf. Dior, Tom Ford and many others are going full steam ahead with faux niche lines to get a piece of the pie. It's understandable, too. Everyone wants to make money.

And I also agree about the thrill of enjoying cheap stuff (especially when you're broke). I read an interview with Franz Ferdinand in Rolling Stone many many years ago and their singer said that the most decadent memories he has are of when he was dirt poor and would save up enough for a bottle of rum or small pleasures like that.. I relate. Bulgari Black is one of the cheapest fragrances to buy and imo it's one of the best. I don't care if you can walk into a Ross and buy it for 10 bucks, it's damn good quality juice and I'd take it over most the Kilians, Nasomattos and Clive Christians out there. Yes, most people are going to say Dzing is better because it costs more and is more exclusive, but all this does is re-enforce my point. I've done many side by sides with those 2, Black smells better (opinion) and longevity/projection is far better (fact), and it's drastically cheaper. I'm just waiting for a niche company to make a Back to Black or Tobacco Vanille knockoff, charge $600 for 30ml, and watch everyone fall head over heels for it, and even if people hate it they'll still wax poetic about how high quality the ingredients smell.

They occasionally do blind taste tests with wine experts and sometimes the results are embarrassing (like the time 2 Buck Chuck (Trader Joes/Charles Shaw) beat out multiple hundred dollar French wines) and I'm certain many perfume fanatics would also end up red faced if put in a similar blind-smelling situation without high price points and fancy ad copy to guide their opinions/placebo.

To me, Amouage is the one house that is worth the premium. There is such a regal and classy feel to them, the bottles are works of art and they make me feel very content when I wear them. It's the one brand in which the visual representation is mirrored perfectly with the fragrances themselves. Whoops, I just realized I'm mashing all these paragraphs out in an Aventus thread! I'll stop now

I'll keep my response to all this truth as potent as possible by keeping it short.

Yup.

And while this may not add anything, perhaps it sums it up. It really pays to know your own nose.

OK - one more thing. Though I love Aventus, and it used to be very unique, there are, now, some very enjoyable designer fragrances that are plumbing the fruity/smoky/sweet thing for all they're worth, and they're all under $100. I've seen people react to them with the same OMG feeling as Aventus. I won't say they're a substitute - everybody needs to answer to their own nose on that one. But when you can love something cheaply, why not?

Bulgari Black is definitely one of the fragrances that I would rescue in the event of a fire. I smell that on other people, and I'm amazed at how great it is. I just hope they never think about discontinuing it - at least not in my lifetime.

[Marais]

I didn't buy the hype, I bought the sample. Then I bought the fragrance. And I'm glad I did.

[noirdrakkar]

Yeah. I have a 10ml sample. To me, Aventus is not an everyday scent. I might wear this once every few weeks, at least until I get a bottle.

[mesaboogie]

I've loved Aventus from the first sniff. In fact, I'm naming my son after it.

[ToughCool]

I sampled Aventus for a week when it first started coming on here. First day I wore it a secretary in my firm said I smelled great. I enjoyed the hint of pineapple but was smitten with the drydown. It wasn't too smoky but nice and professional. However, in the same batch, the more I wore it, the more pineapple overwhelmed me and I just found it ok. I couldn't get the pineapple out of my nostrils. I purchased one Creed in 4 years of being here...legit GIT on ebay..and sold it right away. Maybe its because I realized that I love smelling good but that it isn't that important to me to spend alot on it...or maybe rather spend it on family...but I just can't see myself ever buying another Creed unless I have ALOT of cash to burn. Great hobby but I'm more of a searcher and tester than collector. I can stick with TdH or a lesser designer and move on.

Love this discussion though. Redneck and others hit on some great points!!Cheers

[Kybid]

Ok, I have to share this link
http://www.amazon.com/Victorio-Kitch...owViewpoints=1
I really don't mean to offend anyone with this, I just feel like this is how dramatic some Aventus lovers are in their description of the power of Aventus. These are some funny reviews here. I just think that Aventus lovers and non-lovers alike can enjoy this. Just read a few reviews and if nothing else, just read the review headers.

[silentrich]

I've loved Aventus from the first sniff. In fact, I'm naming my son after it.

Napoleon Dynamite?

- - - Updated - - -

Ok, I have to share this link
http://www.amazon.com/Victorio-Kitch...owViewpoints=1
I really don't mean to offend anyone with this, I just feel like this is how dramatic some Aventus lovers are in their description of the power of Aventus. These are some funny reviews here. I just think that Aventus lovers and non-lovers alike can enjoy this. Just read a few reviews and if nothing else, just read the review headers.

Guy must have been bored to death to write all of those.

[L'Homme Blanc Individuel]

im6: you make a lot of really good points. I am a big fan of Bvlgari Black. It's excellent. So is Fahrenheit. Curve is a huge compliment catcher and I enjoy it. Hanae Mori HM is excellent as well, and can be had for as little as $15.

I think many people trick themselves into believing if something costs more, it must be "better" (whatever THAT mans). But it doesn't necesarily work that way. Price is more often dictated by a sales strategy. It takes more purchases of a $70 frag to bring in the same profit that a $200 frag makes. On the other hand, the $70 frag is in more stores and more affordable, thus is WILL sell more... but on the other hand (a 3rd hand?! You mutant!), in order to sell more, a $70 scent has to appeal to more people. Designer houses often create fragrance-pop since it's easier to sell Pop than Art. Note that I said "often" not "always." There is fragrance art to be had for under $100 a bottle.

I also think that many people trick themselves into believing they have to like what other people like. They buy popular stuff because they're think they're supposed to, or because they want to be part of the in-crowd. Or they join the backlash against something popular because they want to be part of THAT crowd. It's silliness. And it brings me back to the silliness of judging scents based on anything other than the smell.

Noir says Aventus smells like just smoke on his skin by the 2nd hour. That's the only wise way to judge a scent when considering a purchase: judge it by how it smells on one's own skin. On my skin, Bleecker street turns into a mess in the drydown, mostly but not entirely disappearing at the 4 hour mark. It's a bummer since I adore Bleecker's opening. Ah well. Not all scents work on all people and it would be a shame to lay down big bucks for something that doesn't work on your own skin. And that's the beauty (and wisdom!) of sampling first.

The hypers rave about it.
The backlashers slam it.
But the only opinion that matters is the person whose nose is smelling it. Hype has no smell. Always trust your own nose. The nose knows

[noirdrakkar]

I think many people trick themselves into believing if something costs more, it must be "better" (whatever THAT means). But it doesn't necesarily work that way.

Agreed. What if Kouros was $150? What if Amen was $200? What if Terre d'Hermes was $280?

Price is more often dictated by a sales strategy. It takes more purchases of a $70 frag to bring in the same profit that a $200 frag makes. On the other hand, the $70 frag is in more stores and more affordable, thus is WILL sell more... but on the other hand (a 3rd hand?! You mutant!), in order to sell more, a $70 scent has to appeal to more people. Designer houses often create fragrance-pop since it's easier to sell Pop than Art. Note that I said "often" not "always." There is fragrance art to be had for under $100 a bottle.

Agreed. If Aventus were $70 at Macy's, half the country would wear it and Basenoters would hate it.

I also think that many people trick themselves into believing they have to like what other people like. They buy popular stuff because they're think they're supposed to, or because they want to be part of the in-crowd. Or they join the backlash against something popular because they want to be part of THAT crowd. It's silliness. And it brings me back to the silliness of judging scents based on anything other than the smell.

Yeah I know a lot of people who feel obligated to say fragrances are good just because everyone else is. In all honesty, I'm starting to like Aventus (and if it were only $100, it would be an instant purchase). But I'm never afraid to condemn a fragrance that most Basenoters like, nor am I afraid to wear fragrances that are considered overused or cliche. Niche lovers are the 1% in real life and the 99% on Basenotes.

Noir says Aventus smells like just smoke on his skin by the 2nd hour. That's the only wise way to judge a scent when considering a purchase: judge it by how it smells on one's own skin.

The pineapple actually returns a little bit. I have to breathe on my hand to get it to come back because this fragrance causes severe olfactory fatigue.

The hypers rave about it.
The backlashers slam it.

And I'm somewhere in between. I agree with the hypers on the smell. I agree with the backlashers on the cost.

responses bolded

[papillo]

The pineapple opening is a ten. It's worth buying just for that. The rest of it is a solid 8.5. That being said I would never wear this every day. I love it once a week and it always smells like the first time. From what I've read here and seen on Youtube wearing this to often causes nose fatigue and I think that's why some may have oversprayed it.

In my experience it's real calm and wonderful until your body heat goes up and you sweat a little. That's when it starts to project like a beast. Suddenly you understand why some people were sent home.

I feel exactly the same way. I wish i could smell like the opening all the time im not a huge fan of the smokey dry down.
That being said i got a nice compliment this past weekend. I was at a store and one of the workers came up to me and said " you smell really good" she eventually asked one of her co workers to ask what i was wearing if she wasn't around when i was checking out and then subsequently came to me to ask again. It was about a couple of hrs after i sprayed and she said she could smell me around the store at the areas i was walking by and i didn't even smell it anymore at that point. I only had 2 sprays from a decant too.

on a side note, dogs love this smell on me, twice i have attracted serious attention from random dogs wearing aventus

[Tropics]

I also think that many people trick themselves into believing they have to like what other people like. They buy popular stuff because they're think they're supposed to, or because they want to be part of the in-crowd.

Absolutely on the money. Sheep behaviour. I have no problem whatsoever in going against the crowd, if a frag is crap i say it's crap and couldn't care less what fanboys/shills think. I'd have no problem knocking seven shades of shit out of Aventus too if it wasn't any good.

Is Aventus worth the hype? In my opinion, yes, it's one of a very few that actually is.

[L'Homme Blanc Individuel]

on a side note, dogs love this smell on me, twice i have attracted serious attention from random dogs wearing aventus

Y'know, I think that's the only aspect of Aventus that hasn't already been beaten to death: do pets and/or barnyard animals think it's worth the hype? LOL!

I'm waiting for a "I just tried Acqua Di Gio. Is it any good?" thread. As we all know, people only buy that one to mock the snobs

[LupeX]

"Niche lovers are the 1% in real life and the 99% on Basenotes." - This statement is so profound.

In doing some research on fragrances I recently ventured onto a female beauty blogsite. The post was about the author's favorite fragrances and those she finds sexy on her man. She raved about Aqua di Gio the exact same way basenoters rave about the powers of Aventus. I quote:

AQUA DI GIO
"This is another scent that I think would smell good on every male. Very clean, very sexy, very I-smell-hot-but-I-don't-try-too-hard. Hubby also has the deodorant of this and I swear to you, his t-shirt pits smell fantastic."

In the C-Section following the article out of about over 100 posts at least 80% of the raves were on Lacoste Essential, Aqua di Gio & Issey Miyake (there were random mentions e.g. John Varvatos Vintage, Marc Jacobs for men).

If you are looking for compliments take a hint from 99% of females out there. It is no small wonder that ADG is the top selling male fragrance of all time. I am under no illusions, fragrance community members are part of a very niche subculture. & by no means is Aventus the end-all-be-all of life and living.

If u think Im pulling stuff out of my @$$, I will cite & U see or yourself

http://www.frmheadtotoe.com/2011/11/...-perfumes.html

PS:I own AVENTUS & it is all that, but I am convinced that it is over-priced and totally unnecessary. Aqua Di Gio is prly even a better fragrance. But my bank account doesn't want to hear that crap!

[L'Homme Blanc Individuel]

LupeX: that just might be one of the wisest posts I've seen on this forum in a while!

[noirdrakkar]

Yeah I agree with Lupex. AdG is really good though. If it were a niche fragrance, it would be Muhammad Ali.

[senore01]

Aventus smells divine on me and I have very difficult, fragrance eating skin. Aventus with its pineapple opening and smoky undertones is a work of genius. I am amazed at the number of compliments I received each and every time I wear aventus. Last week a female NYPD officer could not stay away from me. It is an excellent fragrance. Well made and one of the creed fragrances that actually lasts. Every gentleman should look into Aventus.

[noirdrakkar]

^ well said

[SirSmells]

I, too, have the Z01 batch, and am really liking it. I had the X02 before and was hoping it would be similar, and it is very much. Believe it or not, on my skin, I get very little smokiness with the Z01 though. Basically 12 hours of the top with very subtle hints of smoke. Strong patchouli for me in the mid/drydown. Jealous anyone? Haha

Two sprays max for me.

[mt219]

interesting review man. i really liked it. i enjoy aventus, but then again, i've only tried one batch