Creed Aventus Performance

[SonofdavidS]

I work (part-time) in a shop here in Sweden which specializes in ”niche perfumery”(and ”high end” shaving products), meaning high end perfumes and fragrances. Basically the same ”tier” fragrances as Creed (we also sell Creed). We have a selection of over 1500 fragrances but Aventus is the one doing the heavy liftning as it were.

I get to smell Aventus about 9999 a day. Creed no longer are in charge of their own business or branding, neither are they in charge of QC or distribution. Creed was bought by a huge conglomorate known as LVMH. They own a huge chunk of famous brands. Since about 2017-18, Creed has dropped noticably in quality. Staying power, complexity, quality of ingredients are not what they used to be.

Fragrances are made with oils, water, fairy dust and so on. Some batches of specific oils and other ingredients may vary because of the natural origins of some the ingredients. Fragrances need to specify batch numbers for the fragrance as a whole. If you turn a bottle up-side-down you can usually find the batch number.

NOW, there is a whooooooole sub community of Aventus-specific-batch-hunters. One smelling woodier, one smokier, one fruitier and so on. That scene is huge (not joking) and some batches fetch rediculous prices.

So, what am I trying to say? There is probably nothing wrong with your nose. Aventus nowadays is a weak performer and not entitled to its pricetag. Buy ”Explorer” from Mont Blanc. 90% aventus but 15% of the cost and 200% the performance and quality.

I disagree with some of this. I have Aventus from 2016-2018. I have a lot of it. I have smelled current formulation also. They smell very similar. One thing I’ve noticed about Aventus(and many other colognes) is the older they get the stronger and longer lasting they become.

For example, I bought a 17 ounce flacon of Aventus batch 16E21. I still have about a third of the flacon left. When I first started using it in 2017 the performance seemed poor, maybe only 4 hours. Fast forward today, it lasts at least 10 hours. I wore it yesterday and can still smell it on the jacket I wore yesterday, and it’s been 36 hour since first applied.

Back when I started collecting Aventus, people would say the same things about Aventus: that the older batches were better and the 2016-2018 batches were awful. I believed them then but after 7 years, I believe Aventus ages and becomes more potent over time. It’s happened to me for sure.

 

[SalS]

VALOR GOLD | elysian

Experience the bold and inviting scent of Valor Gold, exclusively from Elysian. Inspired by Creed's Aventus, this fragrance is the perfect choice for the modern man who wants to make a statement. With a blend of earthy and fruity notes, Valor Gol...

elysianparfum.com

This “inspired by” smells nicer than Aventus. A young gal in Georgia hand mixes her products. I bought that sampler and I was very impressed. It is a steal for what she charges. One ounce is $49 less a 20% first order discount. She has one for Green Irish Tweed. I also like her originals.

 

[DarkMatter]

I disagree with some of this. I have Aventus from 2016-2018. I have a lot of it. I have smelled current formulation also. They smell very similar. One thing I’ve noticed about Aventus(and many other colognes) is the older they get the stronger and longer lasting they become.

For example, I bought a 17 ounce flacon of Aventus batch 16E21. I still have about a third of the flacon left. When I first started using it in 2017 the performance seemed poor, maybe only 4 hours. Fast forward today, it lasts at least 10 hours. I wore it yesterday and can still smell it on the jacket I wore yesterday, and it’s been 36 hour since first applied.

Back when I started collecting Aventus, people would say the same things about Aventus: that the older batches were better and the 2016-2018 batches were awful. I believed them then but after 7 years, I believe Aventus ages and becomes more potent over time. It’s happened to me for sure.

You are right about some fragrances becoming more ”concentrated” over time due to, but not limited to, oxidation. It’s a big point of debate in the vintage fragrance ”scene”. Now, ofcourse there are going to be variations in performance depending on batch, storaga and even size of bottle sometimes. But i have owned Aventus since it’s release and the overall quality according to me has been degraded. Most noticably in the composition of the scent. Richness and so on. Is it a fart in the ocean where it lasts 12 seconds on vaseline covered skin? No. Has the quality dwindled over time? I say yes.

 

[SonofdavidS]

You are right about some fragrances becoming more ”concentrated” over time due to, but not limited to, oxidation. It’s a big point of debate in the vintage fragrance ”scene”. Now, ofcourse there are going to be variations in performance depending on batch, storaga and even size of bottle sometimes. But i have owned Aventus since it’s release and the overall quality according to me has been degraded. Most noticably in the composition of the scent. Richness and so on. Is it a fart in the ocean where it lasts 12 seconds on vaseline covered skin? No. Has the quality dwindled over time? I say yes.

So be specific, how is it not rich enough? What are the changes that make it more cheap?

I know the last several years and even from the beginning, Creed has had to alter ingredients because of regulation changes in the EU. So yes I’d agree the scent has changed. But I have to be honest, I’ve tried so many Aventus dupes and while they all smell great, none smell as good as Aventus, especially in the opening. And I believe that as much as possible, Creed tries to do just what they say on their packaging, which is using the highest quality ingredients possible. I believe them.

I’ve smelled many different interpretations of pineapple, but none can hold a candle to the pineapple smell in the opening of Aventus.

 

[DarkMatter]

So be specific, how is it not rich enough? What are the changes that make it more cheap?

I know the last several years and even from the beginning, Creed has had to alter ingredients because of regulation changes in the EU. So yes I’d agree the scent has changed. But I have to be honest, I’ve tried so many Aventus dupes and while they all smell great, none smell as good as Aventus, especially in the opening. And I believe that as much as possible, Creed tries to do just what they say on their packaging, which is using the highest quality ingredients possible. I believe them.

I’ve smelled many different interpretations of pineapple, but none can hold a candle to the pineapple smell in the opening of Aventus.

Look, I am not a perfumer nor am I a chemist. I have not done a clinical or empirical test of the composition of the fragrance. I am merely a fragrance lover and I have been in the ”business” as it were for over a decade. Scent is subjective, what I smell…you might not. Scent is often connected to memories and moment associations. Do I have objective facts that Creed has ”cheapened” their fragrances? No. No company in the world would come out and say that their product is not up to par, especially not a luxory brand. What I do know is that the CEO of Our company recieved an explanatory email regarding trouble sourcing ingredients, changes in bottle distributor, quality control outsourcing and so on. Meaning that the company experienced a lot of friction during the selling of said company and the transition to new ownership. Now, we employ professional perfumers in our company and they ran many tests on Aventus because we recieved MANY complaints from costumers regarding longevity, sillage, difference in scent and so on. Many of whom were not ”experts” or collectors or any part of a fragrance community ”hive-mind”. What our perfumers did is they do a ”basics” test. I don’t know if that is formal nomenclature but they basically smell individual notes, and compare it to Aventus. Then they run different batches through a machine which will give you a procentage of a chemical, substance or other ingredient in what they are testing. They also smell-tested new bottles but from older batches and pitched them against newer ones. I don’t have the exact numbers because that is according to the company, ”company-restricted”. Meaning only select staff with proper ”clearing” can partake in the information. What they came up with was a difference in concentration in some ingredients. That alone does not mean that a fragrance is ”cheapened” but it does mean that the composition is different. The reason for that? Only Creed knows. What I also know is that we sell on average 4 bottles a day of Aventus, and in 2021 alone we had over 60 returns and double the complaints. More than any fragrance in our stock. Every person I work, whom all have a deep passion and sometimes obsession with Fragrance say that there is a difference. If you search online then you will come to the conclusion that we are not alone in this matter.

In the end, if you like it and if you Can’t tell a difference then you do you. That is the beauty of fragrance.

The biggest difference I can tell is that the ambergris is less pronounced so is the birchtar. That signature Aventus smoke has been muted. The fragrance is overall fresher with more focus on the opening and the pineapple is not as sweet and creamy. More sour. The base is more woody with an aquatic touch. I get on average 4-6 hours of longevity on skin with good projection for about an hour.

We have a ”First release” bottle in store and comparing to a new bottle its like the new is an ”eau fraiche” or ”cologne” version of Aventus.

 

[Jopete]

Ya besides wet shaving as a hobby I first started collecting fragrances, I have a few creeds and a couple that I purchased before 2010 along with a few other brands.
Aventus did change from the early batches as what most would describe as watered down but this also goes with a lot of other perfumery that is not the same as the earlier batches.
There are a lot of “inspired by “ Aventus and I’ve tried quite a few, Parfums Vintage makes some of the better ones and probably have around 15 different variations of Aventus alone, although for a copy it is still pricey although a lot of people prefer their version to the current original.

I got tired of it and now mix my own perfumes and aftershave’s and sourcing it overseas as well as getting individual notes to “tweak “ different perfumes lead me down a rabbit hole and another expensive hobby, although it is a lot of fun since different types of scents are practically endless limited only by your imagination.
I have given them as presents and I am being asked for more, although I don’t sell them often I would give a small decant spray for those that insists especially the “Aventus “ version I much prefer than the current original and the dozens of different inspirations out there.

I am deciding on which type of scent or perfumes other than Aventus would you guys recommend I should work on next that would make it worthwhile to invest my time and money?

Also does anyone else mix their own scents? Would love to hear your story..

 

[Juanmosey]

About $535 a bottle after tax here. I think Skin Bracer smells better.