West Village niche perfume boutique Aedes de Venustas has launched an eponymous fragrance under their own brand name. A prior fragrance, also called Aedes de Venustas, was made for the L'Artisan Parfumeur label. The new chypre scent was developed by perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, who also did the fragrance for L'Artisan.
AEDES DE VENUSTAS honors the past, present and future of perfumery with its first signature scent. Housed in aubergine glass the bottle disrupts classic rules of design with its round and square shape, hinting at the unique construction of the fragrance housed within its body. The circumference of the cap is uniquely positioned and adorned with the AEDES insignia. A baroque yet futuristic ambience emanates from the skin as soon as the fragrance is applied, embodying the magic that is the AEDES DE VENUSTAS boutique. The mind questions, but the heart knows; a new experience anoints the wearer as it weaves a sensuous spell like no other before it.
The composition of AEDES DE VENUSTAS Signature Eau de Parfum is a world onto itself. There is no trace of the traditional fragrance pyramid. The construction is round, luxurious, voluptuous and addictive. The scent’s chypre character is pierced at its center with the ephemeral green freshness of rhubarb accord; the axis around which the fragrance revolves, like the wearer emanating its memorable sillage. Embodied and embodying; AEDES DE VENUSTAS Signature Eau de Parfum is the past, present and future of perfumery in simultaneous revolution.
Perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour describes the perfume as “a game of supports in an unexpected, even improbably olfactory architecture because the green effect increases while the heavy dark resinous incense and chypre accord is largely deceasing and getting more abstract.”
The notes feature rhubarb, tomato leaf, red currant, green apple, honeysuckle, vetiver, hazelnut and incense.
Aedes de Venustas Signature Eau de Parfum is available in 100 ml, $225, and can be found now at Aedes. Matching soap and candles are also sold.
(via press release)
Disclaimer: Aedes de Venustas is a long time advertiser at Now Smell This.
Sounds interesting, and the bottle is gorgeous. Too bad the price is prohibitive (for me, anyhow).
Would love that bottle in 30 ml! But it does sound great.
I am intrigued by the notes and I like the bottle; particularly the the cap.
The cap is perfect. For a moment I was worried it was one of those squeeze atomizers like they used on Viktor & Rolf’s pear thing, but it’s just a cap, luckily.
Yes. It’s a clever and smart design.
I’ve never been a Duch fan, but this one sounds positively awful! I’m sure “round construction” is perfumer speak for linear, which is not my preferred style of perfume. And the following line from Grain de Musc’s discussion of this is enough to keep me far, far away:
“For several weeks during the development of Séville à l’aube, a sharp, tangy green smell permeated Bertrand Duchaufour’s lab. At times, it was so powerful we had to work in a nearby café. This turned out to be “Coeur de rhubarbe” (“rhubarb heart”), the core accord of the signature fragrance Bertrand was developing at the time for Aedes de Venustas…”
That confirms my fandom, since it makes it even more compelling to me, LOL…
That said, I do think BD has answered the question of whether or not a perfumer can make too many fragrances. I don’t get as worked up about a new one as I used to.
😀 You’re game, Robin!
But I agree with your observation re: too many perfumes. Personally, I think genuine creativity takes a bit more time and work.
I hate to put it that way, because for all I know, he worked for years on this, and also would not be at all surprised if he makes fewer than the average, & just seems like he makes more because everyone who works with him includes his name in the press release.
But it definitely makes it less exciting when there are so many releases under his name.
Excellent point, but from reading Denyse’s article, I didn’t get that impression.
And I have not yet read her article, so not claiming I know what I’m talking about, LOL…
That bottle is spectacular… but like you, I too wish they’d offer it in 30mL! Or maybe even a 15mL travel spray 🙂
I’m looking forward to sampling it though.
The scent sounds very interesting, but not necessarily my kind of thing – would love to sniff it though. It’s the best of both worlds to me when much effort is put into both the bottle (which is spectacular BTW) *and* the scent.
The notes don’t really sing to me…since I don’t live in NYC, I guess I’ll never have the chance to sniff and considering the price point, that’s okay. Pretty bottle, though.
“A baroque yet futuristic ambience emanates…”
Drat! I was going to use that. 😉
Why did they discontinue the old one? I have to admit, I don’t care for rhubarb as a perfume note, too strident, and this one has been described as “violent”. I agree with some of the other comments, there’s been too much BD. It’s not that I don’t like some of his creations, he can be brilliant (and sometimes, not!), but there are other perfumers out there that I’d like to smell more of, and it seems every niche brand on Earth is trying to sign Duchaufour. One style of perfumery is simply not enough. And it’s a very polarizing style, for me, often not wearable…. Still, I guess I’m saving money….
Why did who discontinue what old one? Aedes still lists their first custom designed fragrance on its website.
I don’t know if it’s still in production or not, but assume they wanted to do one under their own name.
The spray cap reminds me of Victor & Rolf’s “Eau Mega” 🙂
I like rhubarb if it’s done well – the new Jo Malone White Lilac & Rhubarb is pretty nice, and Smell Bent’s Mots Verts had a great rhubarb.
I realized at one point when I was reading a list of BD’s scents that I must not be a very big fan. I owned one of them, Amaranthine, from that huge list.
That’s the one I wear, too! And Mon Numero 1 is very nice. Actually, those 2 are it.