Aedes de Venustas by L'Artisan Parfumeur

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Aedes de Venustas L'Artisan Parfumeur 2008

7.8 / 10 91 Ratings

A popular perfume by L'Artisan Parfumeur for women and men, released in 2008. The scent is spicy-smoky. It was last marketed by Puig.
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Main accords

Spicy

Smoky

Woody

Resinous

Oriental

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Orange

Pink pepper

Heart Notes

Frankincense Iris

Iris

Everlasting flower Rose

Rose

Black pepper Musk

Musk

Base Notes

Woody notes Benzoin

Benzoin

Coffee

Leather

Opoponax

Patchouli

Perfumer

Bertrand Duchaufour

Ratings

Scent

7.891 Ratings

Longevity

7.359 Ratings

Sillage

6.561 Ratings

Bottle

8.171 Ratings

Value for money

6.313 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet · last update on 11/22/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Fille en aiguilles

Whips and Roses

Reviews

6 in-depth fragrance descriptions

07/05/2015

8Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Drseid
828 Reviews

Drseid

Helpful Review 2

Duchaufour Done Good...

Aedes de Venustas (original 2008 version) goes on with very gently peppered carrot-like stark iris with a tinge of clear benzoin-derived sweetness. Moving to the early heart the gently spiced iris remains, now joined by fine co-starring radiant frankincense and natural smelling cedar, with relatively sanitized patchouli rising from the base in underlying support. During the late dry-down the iris and frankincense both recede, with a newly emerged patchouli infused vague woody accord taking the fore, with significant support from the remaining benzoin that now showcases its powdery vanilla-like facet through the finish. Projection is on the low side of average with the composition appearing close to a skin scent at times, but longevity is excellent at about 12 hours on skin.

Aedes de Venustas by L'Artisan is the kind of composition that is hard not to like. It has a great nose behind it in Bertrand Duchaufour, and he certainly didn't hold back on his skillful blending techniques here. The iris immediately makes itself known right on skin application, but this is not your powdery make-up like iris seen in so many compositions today. Rather, this iris is more clinical and carrot-like. Joining the iris is just the slightest hint of peppery spice and sweetness, neither of which detract from its natural impact. Adding to the rather impressive natural effect of the composition in its key mid-section is the arrival of a gorgeous cedar wood and frankincense tandem that meshes perfectly with the iris with none of the notes overpowering the others. During the late dry-down the benzoin that was so subtle and lacking powder earlier, used as a slight sweetener to the iris turns slightly powdery as it joins what can only be described as "vague woods." Usually when one hears those words it is a precursor to mentioning the use of the dreaded woody synthetic norlimbanol, but honestly if it is used here I can't detect it, with the woods coming off as completely believable, just not easily identifiable. The late dry-down is less impressive and more mundane on the whole than the rest of the composition's development, but really this is an extremely minor quibble as in the end the whole thing is pretty darn good. The bottom line is the $185 per 100ml 2008 L'Artisan version of Aedes de Venustas is a fine example of Duchaufour at near the top of his game, earning it an "excellent" 4 stars out of 5 and an enthusiastic recommendation to all.

11/29/2015

8Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Meggi
1018 Reviews

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Meggi

Top Review 22

Hare and Hedgehog

A sample of a rare fragrance to pass on? With frankincense in it? Do I want it? What a question! My heartfelt thanks for this go to Gerdi.

At the start, I am greeted by an old acquaintance, a bright frankincense note reminiscent of "Cardinal," here with pepper. But after a few minutes, the Duchaufour shimmer begins. Delicately floating smoke and pastel-nutty pink pepper on mild fruit; orange is plausible. It is so ethereal and the sillage is so restrained that it requires some concentration.

Concentration in dosing, on the other hand, should be avoided. For then two oddities emerge: After an hour, there is a yeasty note, which, combined with the fruit, smells like Alsterwasser (or Radler, etc.). However, this fades during the second hour. Around noon, a kind of red wine note comes to mind. German, for example - of a somewhat lighter, fruitier kind, I think. Strange with the alcohols. Well, at least we follow the old adage: Wine on beer, I recommend that to you…. Although the red wine eventually recedes, we accept the subtle appearance better and exercise caution when applying, so that the cup passes directly by us….

With more careful application, the already mentioned floating blend emerges, of which I find it very difficult to name the ingredients, not an isolated case with Duchaufour. Frankincense, of course. Rose works practically always with such rich fruity-floral interjections. Moreover, the queen of flowers gains weight anyway. I share the tobacco and coffee thoughts of my predecessors only marginally. For me, rose/frankincense is definitely at the forefront. I would still attest to a certain tea-like fragrance.

The complete further development can also be characterized for me as a rose-frankincense scent. The rose has turned dark red, and I suspect that the tipsy wine impression had its origin there. If this rose were louder, it would be montale-penetrant. Used moderately, it is in its restrained opulence quite Grande Dame.

Surprisingly, the frankincense seems to set itself on the overtones of the rose as well. The reason is probably that it is still rather bright frankincense, which mixes with the fresh parts of the rose scent, while the lush-voluminous, yet no less fruity part sways underneath.

In my opinion, a line could be drawn from the various strictly oriental rose-frankincense knockouts through Frederic Malle's Portrait of a Lady (still quite strong) to Aedes de Venustas as an ethereal-floating, yet undeniably characteristically distinctive variant of the theme due to the type of rose used.

As the scent progresses, the frankincense-rose note slowly darkens. Opoponax, leather, and wood as the main culprits do not manage to change the character of the fragrance. It remains true to its line, although at an increasingly very, very low volume, until late afternoon. The overall restraint of the appearance is therefore not a scent wasting away, but obviously intentional.

Ethereal-floating frankincense with a portion of fruit or here fruitier rose. Was there something? And so a (purely individual) comparison with Sancti by Les Liquides Imaginaires arises - coincidentally, I had just tested that a few days earlier. Instead of rose, there is citrus fruit used there.

In short: Aedes de Venustas may be the more varied, considering the unbeatable aromatic diversity of the rose, content-wise more voluminous, thus the more impressive of the two fragrances, it was simply bad luck for him in this case that Sancti - like the hedgehog in the fairy tale - was already there. Mr. Duchaufour deserves high praise for creating such a restrained variation of the rose-frankincense theme, but the less trodden concept is pursued by Sancti. Therefore, I see it today a hare's length ahead.

02/26/2015

8Scent 7.5Longevity 2.5Sillage

Terra
646 Reviews

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Terra

Top Review

Coffee Tobacco in the Church - so indecent and so beautiful

finally a scent that is simply beautiful. Absolutely not ordinary, well thought out, refined but full of authenticity. Aedes de Venustas is, in my opinion, completely underestimated and probably one of the greatest incense fragrances by Duchaufour, if not the most fantastic. In the opening, I smell a very authentic, genuine, and unpretentious incense; the orange and pepper merely highlight existing, fruity, and sparkling aspects without changing the character of this fragrance ingredient. It is wonderfully done, smelling very harmonious. However, there are several fragrances that work in this rather authentic direction. Many, however, hardly transform and remain there, simply staying a very bright, clear, and genuine incense. But Aedes de Venustas offers a lot of tension and development. It becomes darker, almost slightly sweet. A wonderfully authentic coffee note comes in; it is now difficult to name individual components. In the overall picture, the scent now smells like a very good pipe tobacco. Not too sweet, no heavily flavored tobacco. A good tobacco, a light coffee note. This bright incense, however, runs through the entire scent progression and integrates fantastically into the overall melody. This ensures that the rather cozy or almost gourmand notes of coffee and tobacco always retain something clear and bright. The scent is truly beautifully crafted and thought out, and that is exactly how I will feel very comfortable today.

05/23/2012

7Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Arioch
86 Reviews

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Arioch

Helpful Review 10

Smoky Tobacco

"The Temple of Beauty" is a cheesy name for a perfume. However, L'artisan rarely disappoints, and so I thought I would test this scent. The bottle is unusually dark and appears extraordinarily elegant. This elegance somehow matches the fragrance.

"Aedes de Venustas" - This temple wafts an extraordinarily complex aroma into my nostrils. A strong note of incense, which I quite like, sets the tone to unite with the overall concept of the fragrance.
The fragrance pyramid suggests a multitude of ingredients, but nothing can be recognized apart from the incense. You can even dismiss the orange right away; there is nothing fruity about it at all. That overall concept, which cannot be differentiated, is a delight. Take a cigarette and roll off small bits of tobacco to smell. That is roughly the scent, layered with incense. Of course, it is not as dominant or spicy as real tobacco - but it is more pleasant. And that can also be worn as a perfume. It may be that this association with tobacco is caused by the coffee... that’s always a thing for me when coffee or cocoa is involved.

Regardless of one's stance on tobacco, I am a non-smoker myself - I quite like Aedes de Venustas. L'artisan has once again managed to create an interesting and wearable perfume that is definitely worth testing. I can also imagine that for some, the floral notes might develop better, which I believe would add an extra beauty to this scent.

02/06/2021

8Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

Vrabec
70 Reviews

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Vrabec

Very helpful Review 8

En Voyage chez l'Artisan Parfumeur: 13 Aedes de Venustas - a true incense scent

If it weren't already February, Aedes de Venustas would have prompted me to get a pure incense fragrance for winter. Because it became clear to me while testing just how much there is still to discover.
The scent starts warm, fruitily sweet. An orange infusion in the sauna is the first impression I have.
The steamy orange is quickly replaced by the incense that everyone knows. Very authentic and beautiful, in all its resinous aspects. A brew of pepper underpins this without stealing the show, but provides a sparkling spicy foundation. These two are the only scent components that play a role at first. Musk is perceptible, although not very much, but nothing more. Which is not a problem, on the contrary, with the incense it sweeps me off my feet. It projects very softly and yet smells so familiar, so beautiful.
I don't often encounter incense in perfumes, but it is either toned down with vanilla or tonka or similar, or overshadowed by other smoky heavy components. Here, however, all elements pay homage to the incense, elevating its individual characteristics and setting focal points. Except for the pepper (and the orange - which completely disappears 2 minutes after the start), I wouldn't consider any ingredient from the scent pyramid to be independent; they merely act as enhancers.
So the incense is at the center, without being overdone, it appears so gentle that it reminds one of a tea scent. It lies in the air so buttery soft, as if someone had walked through the room with an incense burner. It smells distinctly sacred, but let's be honest, hardly anyone goes to church anymore, so one can claim this scent for oneself simply because it is beautiful.

I would see the scent more on men, although it is certainly a very mild fragrance. Therefore, besides winter, it is definitely wearable in spring as well, also because there is somehow something very fresh in the air.

Thank you for reading my comment.

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