Aedes de Venustas Parfum d’Ambiance (room fragrance) was created for the West Village perfume boutique by L’Artisan Parfumeur and perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour. The Aedes de Venustas room spray harks back to earlier Duchaufour creations, Comme des Garçons Red Series Sequoia and Incense Series Kyoto and Avignon, the recent L'Artisan Dzongkha, and the wonderful Eau d’Italie perfumes.
Duchaufour is one of my favorite perfumers. I have owned thirteen of his scents and appreciate their originality, their quirks, their strange accent notes that prevent excessive "smoothness" and instant familiarity.
Aedes de Venustas room fragrance contains Japanese incense, leather, strawflowers, balsam, musk and woods. Of these ingredients, incense and leather stand out. The incense of Aedes' room fragrance is not burning or smoldering incense, but fresh, unburned incense that has a light, slightly powdery, near-vanilla aroma with hints of cedar and sandalwood. A mellow leather note is present throughout the fragrance’s development and is especially noticeable in the dry down if you spray this scent onto skin (I use this on skin as much as I spray it into the air.)
The strawflower fragrance note is described in the ad copy as having a "honeyed bitterness". The strawflowers I know and grow in my garden do possess a hay-like scent when dried — do they account for a touch of sweetness in the Aedes opening? (Or do they add that elusive "tart" aroma I just can’t describe, no matter how often I smell this fragrance?)
The lasting power of the Aedes de Venustas room fragrance is excellent and the room spray adds instant 'warmth' to any space; it's a perfect cool weather fragrance, suitable for use by a man or a woman.
Aedes de Venustas Parfum d’Ambiance is a limited edition offering (4.22 oz. spray/$70). There is also a matching candle (6.2 oz./$60). Both the room fragrance and candle come in handsome matte glass containers with gold accents and are sold exclusively at aedes.
This scent sounds marvelous (I especially like that it does double duty on skin). I always feel strange about spraying scent in a room–maybe it reminds me of lysol or cleaning up after pets. I do love flowers, incense, and candles for scenting a room, though. Have you tried the candle?
Angela: this IS a wonderful scent and believe me, you will get NO “Lysol” flashbacks when you use it. I have not tried the candle. If the Home Fragrance God ever demanded: “To scent your Realm for eternity — what will it be, room sprays or candles!” I would pick room sprays — they scent a space quickly and thoroughly. Plus, candles last a LONG time…room spray turnover is faster and I like to try new ones. Kevin
Oh, that just sounds wonderful. I've been avoiding this one, but not sure that strategy will last much longer… I swear I have something else with strawflower in it, racking my brain but can't think of what it is. Yes, I think it does give a hay-ish note.
Immortelle! I think strawflower=immortelle, which (assuming they're not meaning some OTHER strawflower) is that weird, solar-maple note in Annick Goutal Sables and some of the newer Serge Lutens…
I can't wait to try this, it sounds wonderful! A sample is winging its way here as we speak…
Wore this on skin today for the first time, and it really is a wonderful incense scent…just the right amount of leather (meaning it may not be enough leather for March) and just the right amount of vanilla. It is great as a room scent but think I like it even better on skin.
M: Yes, immortelle…I know lots of people who also use the term “everlastings” for strawflowers. I would love to smell that note in isolation. K
Dusan: I think your love of incense will be satisfied with this one. I've been afraid to ask Aedes just how long this will be available…. K
R: it IS nice on skin isn't it? I think the leather note is more “active” on skin than when sprayed into the air. K