Aedes de Venustas, the New York niche perfume shop that is a mecca for niche perfumistas, commissioned Bertrand Duchaufour to create a signature scent for them under their own brand called Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum, launched in 2012. Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum was inspired by the first Aedes de Venustas located at 9 Christopher Street in the West Village in NYC. I remember the first time I walked into that store. It’s opulent interior, done up in deep dark colours, rich textures and with luxurious details – the black paper blotters with the Aedes de Venustas insignia in gold, velvet drapes, soft lighting. I had never seen anything like it. So, what does Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum smell like? On me, it opens with an energizing note of zesty, tart rhubarb. It has a green undertone that links to a note of tomato leaf, which is herbaceous, earthy and slightly bitter. Together, they create a sense of freshness, of garden newness. They’re joined by woody, rooty and bitter vetiver, and at this stage, the tomato leaf recedes, allowing the rhubarb and vetiver to create an accord that is the foundation of the fragrance that remains present throughout the development of scent, but morphs as it blooms over time. The vetiver is tempered and sweetened with honeysuckle and red berries. Incense adds a resinous darkness that somehow seems to amplify the rhubarb's green aspect, which is bolstered by a note of green apple, taking Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum back to a slightly damp, earthy greenness that rounds out any harshness. At the base, hazelnut finishes the fragrance with its creamy, rich, comforting aroma. Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum has a drydown that’s slightly smoky, rooty and sophisticated. Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum captures and echoes the shop’s aesthetic while also declaring that there is a new and exciting future for niche perfumes and that Bradl and Gerstner have embraced it. But at the end of the day, it is a gorgeous fragrance to smell on your body, and that will always create well-deserved praise in the niche world. Notes: Rhubarb, tomato leaf, vetiver, red berries, honeysuckle, incense, green apple, hazelnut and honeysuckle.
