TuxedoMan
Reviews
TuxedoMan
My favourite fragrance of all time!
Pure White Cologne is a luxurious take on the classic "cologne" style of fragrance. Blending the traditional italian chords with contemporary (and somewhat unexpected notes) like the pear and the rice flour note, Creed brings with you this scent an uplifting gentlemen’s fragrance. Very clean and bright - pure as the name suggests. This fragrance opens in an effervescence way with citrus notes of lemon, bergamot and grapefruit leading into the crisp and fresh heart notes of pear, petit grain, galbanum and neroli (but please note that this does not smell like classic neroli as Neroli Portofino and alikes). This Creed Royale Exclusive scent closes with the brand's classic DNA of ambergris and warm white musk. Creed claims "Pure White Cologne is a contemporary homage to the legendary colognes and fashions of the Regency and Victorian eras."
Although reading the notes it may seem as it is a very simple fragrance, PWC is very enticing and exciting. A pure and white cologne that feels to my as happiness in a bottle. A ray of sunlight in a green landscape. It does have this green and powdery fell to it (more green), but the powdery side of it is very minimal - just a touch!
Creed describe it as "Freshly pressed and perfectly tailored, a classic white shirt is the timeless foundation upon which the most stylish of Society – both past and present – build their iconic, fashionable ensembles. A simple, traditional bedrock that paves the way for visionary progress and endless creativity." This is totally what it is. A perfect blended fragrance! Simple, traditional and timeless.
Perfect 10!
Although reading the notes it may seem as it is a very simple fragrance, PWC is very enticing and exciting. A pure and white cologne that feels to my as happiness in a bottle. A ray of sunlight in a green landscape. It does have this green and powdery fell to it (more green), but the powdery side of it is very minimal - just a touch!
Creed describe it as "Freshly pressed and perfectly tailored, a classic white shirt is the timeless foundation upon which the most stylish of Society – both past and present – build their iconic, fashionable ensembles. A simple, traditional bedrock that paves the way for visionary progress and endless creativity." This is totally what it is. A perfect blended fragrance! Simple, traditional and timeless.
Perfect 10!
Aventus and batch variations!
There is a lot of talk about Creed Aventus and the infamous batch variations and reformulations (?).
First of all, let me say that I am wearing Aventus since 2015 and have owned and used 4 different bottles over the past 5 years. I just finished my older bottle this week, a vintage 2013 batch (13W01), I have used a 2015 one (don't know because I didn't care for the batches back then), a 16E01 (2016), a 50ml bottle of 17R01 (my favourite) and have a 20E01N sitting as a backup for a year now.
I love them all! Yes they do smell SLIGHTLY different. You can DEFINITELY notice it, altough in the air they basically smell the same, like Aventus of course! But, to me, that's one of the most interesting and magical things of Aventus. It has a life of it's own. You will find 3 different "sides" of Aventus: you have the SMOKY side; the BALANCED batches; and the FRUITY side.
A SMOKY batch will have stronger notes of birch and musk, the woody an leather accords are more prounced in those batches and it will feel heavier, more dense, smokier .. that's what a smoky Aventus is. With that density usually comes a little more longevity. That more pronounced leather accord from those batches is where people get the similarities with Mancera's Cedrat Boise from (not all Aventus have that - it is subtle though ..).
The BALANCED batches are great to my nose. Exactly what the name suggests, a more balanced composition where none it's different sides shout louder. From my experience the batches that are well balanced have the strongest projection and a really beautiful scent trail and sillage. The vanilla in the drydown is to die for. Really beautiful.
A FRUITIER batch is usually not as base notes dense as the others and have a brighter, fresher and frutier opening. It was only when I got one of these batches that I could clearly smell the apple and the bergamot. For the people who love freshies this is the perfect type of Aventus batch for you. The opening is so uplifting! I feel that the fruitier batches project really well for the first hours but then sit closer to the skin. Even with those I always get at least 8h longevity with Aventus (YES, even the newer 2020 batch).
With all being said, please bear in mind that the same batch can also smell and performe differently with diffent Seasons of the year, temperatures, humidity, and of course in different skins.
This is how Aventus as ALWAYS been through the years. It is a masterpiece fragrance. All those batch variations are completely normal and to be expected with the natural raw materials that the house of Creed is known for using. It can be off putting, of course, sometimes you don't know what you get. But fortunately, you can easily buy samples to try and test them first. And as I said, IT'S ALL AVENTUS. Those are small nuances, noticeable (sure) but minor, an untrained nose won't pick it up most of the times.
What I would like to clarify here is the following: Aventus is as good now as with the older bottles. Please don't get caught into this batch variation rabbit hole. The performance is still there, the smell is the same (with the same batch variations), the quality of the ingredients is the same, the pacaking changes but only minor things, sprayer is great, it's all Aventus as we know it. What DID change is the price that is sky rocketing nowadays and that is what is pissing people off. If it's worth it, is up to you! If you look careful online you can find stores that sell the 50ml for arround 150-60 euros and the 100ml for 200 euros (that is acceptable for me). It's Aventus, it's pricey. We know that.
Concluding, I finished my 2013 bottle this week and had a new 2020 bottle that I used for a week everyday and then let rest in the box for a whole year! AFTER that MACERATION time, I sprayed the 2013 batch on one hand and the 2020 on the other. The 2013 leans to the smokier side, and the 2020 batch is frutier. Both smell great like Aventus! 2020 lasted 12h on my skin and the 2013 lasted an extra hour and a half (total of 13,5 hours). The 2020 one projected more strongly for the first 3 to 4 hours mark and then became closer to the skin. The 2013 one sat closer to the skin during the wearing. I was very pleased with that. After that I gave them a full day wear and realized I like the new 2020 batch more then my prized vintage bottle. With all the batches from the bottles I have owned (and also bought a LOT of samples/decants along the years to try) my Aventus experience was always very similar: 8,5 to 14h of longevity (usually 12h); strong projection for the first 3 hours and always THAT AVENTUS DNA through years of wearing it. Please keep in mind that Creed fragrances are often linked with cases olfactory fatigue, specially Aventus. I fell that happening. It's not an easy fragrance to test, so if you are testing it don't keep trying to smell it all of the time and ask for other people to smell it. YOU WILL BE SURPRISED. Also notice that YOU CAN'T really compare a vintage older bottle to a brand new fresh one. It didn't have the time to age. And even if you leave it still macerating, you still can't compare bottle because of different maceration time. To make things worse with older bottles they can start going bad (specially the top notes). For sure they WILL go bad, it's just a matter of time. If you're looking for a good LAUGH look in forums for old threads about Creed batch variations. The batches people PRAISE NOW were also being THRASHED BACK THEN. Really, go look for it. It's a mind trap. The previous one is always better .. the vintage one, the unobtainable one is always be the holy grail .. "my neighbour's wife is better than mine" .. Come on, we are better than that.
IN SUMMARY
AVENTUS IS STILL AVENTUS! The quality, smell and performance are still there. Maceration time is a real thing and will bring the performance up. Test if for yourself if you can. The only problem with the actual Aventus is the price (it's going up!) but you can still find it new in stores for 200 euros for a 100ml bottle. That's an acceptable deal IMO. PLEASE save your self some time and money and don't go chasing for "magical" vintage or older bottles, clones or whatever. You want Aventus? It's NOT discontinued. It's up for sale. Just grab one. It's the same Aventus we love. Fragrances are to be worn, experienced, felt. If you love and want Aventus, just get it. I'ts a beautiful fragrance.
Your friend
TuxedoMan
First of all, let me say that I am wearing Aventus since 2015 and have owned and used 4 different bottles over the past 5 years. I just finished my older bottle this week, a vintage 2013 batch (13W01), I have used a 2015 one (don't know because I didn't care for the batches back then), a 16E01 (2016), a 50ml bottle of 17R01 (my favourite) and have a 20E01N sitting as a backup for a year now.
I love them all! Yes they do smell SLIGHTLY different. You can DEFINITELY notice it, altough in the air they basically smell the same, like Aventus of course! But, to me, that's one of the most interesting and magical things of Aventus. It has a life of it's own. You will find 3 different "sides" of Aventus: you have the SMOKY side; the BALANCED batches; and the FRUITY side.
A SMOKY batch will have stronger notes of birch and musk, the woody an leather accords are more prounced in those batches and it will feel heavier, more dense, smokier .. that's what a smoky Aventus is. With that density usually comes a little more longevity. That more pronounced leather accord from those batches is where people get the similarities with Mancera's Cedrat Boise from (not all Aventus have that - it is subtle though ..).
The BALANCED batches are great to my nose. Exactly what the name suggests, a more balanced composition where none it's different sides shout louder. From my experience the batches that are well balanced have the strongest projection and a really beautiful scent trail and sillage. The vanilla in the drydown is to die for. Really beautiful.
A FRUITIER batch is usually not as base notes dense as the others and have a brighter, fresher and frutier opening. It was only when I got one of these batches that I could clearly smell the apple and the bergamot. For the people who love freshies this is the perfect type of Aventus batch for you. The opening is so uplifting! I feel that the fruitier batches project really well for the first hours but then sit closer to the skin. Even with those I always get at least 8h longevity with Aventus (YES, even the newer 2020 batch).
With all being said, please bear in mind that the same batch can also smell and performe differently with diffent Seasons of the year, temperatures, humidity, and of course in different skins.
This is how Aventus as ALWAYS been through the years. It is a masterpiece fragrance. All those batch variations are completely normal and to be expected with the natural raw materials that the house of Creed is known for using. It can be off putting, of course, sometimes you don't know what you get. But fortunately, you can easily buy samples to try and test them first. And as I said, IT'S ALL AVENTUS. Those are small nuances, noticeable (sure) but minor, an untrained nose won't pick it up most of the times.
What I would like to clarify here is the following: Aventus is as good now as with the older bottles. Please don't get caught into this batch variation rabbit hole. The performance is still there, the smell is the same (with the same batch variations), the quality of the ingredients is the same, the pacaking changes but only minor things, sprayer is great, it's all Aventus as we know it. What DID change is the price that is sky rocketing nowadays and that is what is pissing people off. If it's worth it, is up to you! If you look careful online you can find stores that sell the 50ml for arround 150-60 euros and the 100ml for 200 euros (that is acceptable for me). It's Aventus, it's pricey. We know that.
Concluding, I finished my 2013 bottle this week and had a new 2020 bottle that I used for a week everyday and then let rest in the box for a whole year! AFTER that MACERATION time, I sprayed the 2013 batch on one hand and the 2020 on the other. The 2013 leans to the smokier side, and the 2020 batch is frutier. Both smell great like Aventus! 2020 lasted 12h on my skin and the 2013 lasted an extra hour and a half (total of 13,5 hours). The 2020 one projected more strongly for the first 3 to 4 hours mark and then became closer to the skin. The 2013 one sat closer to the skin during the wearing. I was very pleased with that. After that I gave them a full day wear and realized I like the new 2020 batch more then my prized vintage bottle. With all the batches from the bottles I have owned (and also bought a LOT of samples/decants along the years to try) my Aventus experience was always very similar: 8,5 to 14h of longevity (usually 12h); strong projection for the first 3 hours and always THAT AVENTUS DNA through years of wearing it. Please keep in mind that Creed fragrances are often linked with cases olfactory fatigue, specially Aventus. I fell that happening. It's not an easy fragrance to test, so if you are testing it don't keep trying to smell it all of the time and ask for other people to smell it. YOU WILL BE SURPRISED. Also notice that YOU CAN'T really compare a vintage older bottle to a brand new fresh one. It didn't have the time to age. And even if you leave it still macerating, you still can't compare bottle because of different maceration time. To make things worse with older bottles they can start going bad (specially the top notes). For sure they WILL go bad, it's just a matter of time. If you're looking for a good LAUGH look in forums for old threads about Creed batch variations. The batches people PRAISE NOW were also being THRASHED BACK THEN. Really, go look for it. It's a mind trap. The previous one is always better .. the vintage one, the unobtainable one is always be the holy grail .. "my neighbour's wife is better than mine" .. Come on, we are better than that.
IN SUMMARY
AVENTUS IS STILL AVENTUS! The quality, smell and performance are still there. Maceration time is a real thing and will bring the performance up. Test if for yourself if you can. The only problem with the actual Aventus is the price (it's going up!) but you can still find it new in stores for 200 euros for a 100ml bottle. That's an acceptable deal IMO. PLEASE save your self some time and money and don't go chasing for "magical" vintage or older bottles, clones or whatever. You want Aventus? It's NOT discontinued. It's up for sale. Just grab one. It's the same Aventus we love. Fragrances are to be worn, experienced, felt. If you love and want Aventus, just get it. I'ts a beautiful fragrance.
Your friend
TuxedoMan
2 Comments
