Warilol

In the search for my perfect mint fragrance I also came across this "cool" one, which should replace the ever-popular "L'Homme Idéal Cologne | Guerlain" from the L'Homme Ideal series. Why Guerlain has made this step, I can not really understand, because I like the Cologne very much, but obviously it was probably due to poor sales figures.

I have tested myself through many colleagues, "Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca | Guerlain" or for example the "Love the way you Taste | Kilian", just to name a few examples. Both also great fragrances, the mint was very authentically presented, but in the end I always faced the same problem: the more realistic and straightforward the mint was conceived, the more boring I found the wearing experience of the fragrance in the end. I've come to the conclusion that while it's exciting and soothing to have that scent note in a perfume like that, I just don't want to wear it. Do you know this feeling? You find a fragrance super exciting, but at the end of the day, it's just not really practical as a perfume per se.

That's exactly where "L'Homme Idéal Cool | Guerlain" comes into play, because here the mint is packed in the conglomerate in such a way that it gives an invigorating freshness, but is not as authentically staged as in the other fragrances tested by me. This may be a negative argument for one or the other, keyword synthetics, but for me it works very well here!

To this well-known Neroli almond, which we already found in "L'Homme Idéal Cologne | Guerlain", joins here namely a citrus mint, which gives the overall picture a tangy, almost limonade-like, slightly sweet touch, without being cheesy and too synthetic. The DNA of the Ideal series, especially the Colognes, lives on here so noticeably.

This green freshness is rounded off by a vetiver beckoning from the far distance, Ambroxan I want to perceive here explicitly not. H/S are not particularly strong, 5-6h on the skin, on textiles correspondingly longer, but for me perfectly okay.

I put me at this point something out of the window and claim that this fragrance is a hybrid of "L'Homme Idéal Cologne | Guerlain" and "Guerlain Homme (Eau de Parfum) | Guerlain", although the influence of the latter appears significantly lower, but in my opinion quite present.

So who is looking for a green and modern-wearable mint fragrance and not immediately expects a realistic representation of that component, because this one can definitely test times. For me, "Cool" is a real insider tip, which is absolutely lost in the L'Homme Ideal series.

It took me 3 years to approach my first Aventus commentary, since it was, as with so many perfume enthusiasts, the first niche fragrance to be added to the collection. But why even write a comment on this legendary little water, actually everything has already been said. The smoky pineapple, we all know that by now. I would rather like to use this comment to share my experiences with this fragrance, to discuss controversies and finally to draw a final conclusion after 3 years of Aventus.


1: Aventus the "Pantydropper" - From niche fragrance to status symbol

I don't really know where this sexist term had its origin, but probably it originated from the vulgar mouth of various influencers, who presented their so-called Parföng collection with the words "Digga" and "Brudi" to the average 14 year old followers on various social media channels. That's probably the reason why many perfumeries now only offer Aventus behind closed showcases, because it's said that the crème de la crème of the big city club scene not too seldom gathers in front of the capital "D" to have a shower with the legendary panty remover. One status to spray on please! Exactly here we have reached the first milestone. Aventus, once a hidden gem among perfume enthusiasts, has now become a viral phenomenon and status symbol.

Personally, I find this controversy rather smiling. Of course, I wore Aventus on dates and was, in a way, guided by its charm, but what can I say, to this day I have never received a single compliment from a woman when I wore this fragrance. I think we all know that a man who is aware of himself does not need a fragrance to win a woman's heart. Of course, a fragrance is a nice gimmick in the process of getting to know a person, but in my opinion a positive response about a perfume is first and foremost linked to the sympathy of the wearer. The term "Pantydropper" is simply shabby and the scent doesn't really deserve to be associated with such associations, what a pity!


2: Romance among men and improved business relations

While Aventus is usually not recognized by women and is considered an ordinary fragrance, it is a true magnet among men. I could tell you countless stories where I was approached on the street by strange men, who then got into conversation with me because of the scent and literally fell around my neck. It creates a certain kind of connection when someone wears an apparently "unknown" scent for which you had to pay a lot of money. Somehow interesting and I think this doesn't happen with any other scent. But it gets really exciting when a scent helps to give you a certain advantage or look at you in your job. As a test engineer, I am in close contact with customers every day, and I am usually on the road at all levels of the business. The other day I had to supervise an inspection in plant construction at a large chemical company. Several craftsmen and the technical manager of the company were scurrying about on site. After a short conversation, he began to sniff the air and replied only: "Who is wearing this perfume here? Hey, isn't that AVENTUS?" The craftsmen were visibly puzzled and annoyed, especially when he started to create a cloud of perfume with his notepad so that everyone could perceive the scent. When I said I was wearing the scent, he couldn't get out of his rapture. "Best perfume people, the man here has taste, but very expensive, 100 ml costs almost 300 €" I find it incredibly interesting what an effect a scent can have, even if he used it here to brag. Nevertheless, it has created a certain connection between me and the technical manager, my reputation with him has increased even more, completely independent of the technical component. I am sure that this is not possible with any other scent! Whether I find this good or bad, I do not want to judge at this point.


3: Batch hysteria, maturation processes and Creed's dilution tactics

No Aventus without batch discussions! That's something that just about every Aventus fanboy has to put up with in some form or another during his perfume journey. I too, especially at the beginning of my passion, have let this tiresome topic drag me down again and again. YES, the differences are there, definitely! Meanwhile it is probably no secret that earlier batches were "smokier", the newer ones apparently "fruitier". But honestly, what is the point of this insight? What is the point of this eternal search for the Holy Grail or batch? Constant checks of the shelf life on the back of my hand, is it smoky now, or rather fruity? Is it as good as my bottling from 2015, or should I rather spend 1000€ for a vintage batch? ERROR! At the latest after I tried all the Dupes out of frustration and copied Aventus already annoyed, I realized that I'm completely losing the fun of a fragrance whose DNA I actually find absolutely great and unique.

In my opinion, Aventus 2020 is still an absolutely great fragrance that you just have to give it some time to mature, which is exactly what happened with my bottle. After 3 years the shelf life of 8 hours is absolutely satisfying, while the fruity top note is still there just like the first sprayer.

I'm sure that the scent has been reformulated many times in the course of regulation, but somehow I don't care anymore as long as the scent creates magic when sprayed on and tells a story as it progresses. Why does a fragrance always have to last 12 hours? I'm now relatively relaxed and enjoy Aventus to the full, now even more than ever before. A fragrance that for me is still one of the best in the perfume landscape after all these years. It's been copied many times, but not a single dupe comes even close to the depth and quality of the original. When I spray on Aventus, I have the feeling of squeezing out fresh fruit on my hand. Nothing smells of alcohol, nothing is synthetic, just great!

Finally, a piece of advice to all Aventus wearers: Think less, enjoy more!

I am always fascinated when I look at some of the releases of my absolute favourite fragrances. When I do this, a journey into the past automatically begins in my head, in which I reflect on my situation at that time and revel in memories.

This one probably came on the market in 2009, my God, at that time I had just started studying and my biggest problem was the recurring question of where to party on the weekend and how to get home. Funnily enough, I can still remember exactly which fragrances I used back then: It was a mix of Boss Bottled, which I used to steal from my dad, or some 5€ scents from the drugstore, I think there was even a certain scent of the brand Playboy, shame on my head back then.

At that time, it probably wouldn't have occurred to me to have a look at niche fragrances from a certain Maison Francis Kurkdjian. The chance that I would have labeled him as a boring fresh laundry fragrance would have been quite high, and I would have had no understanding that a fragrance can actually cost more than 100€.

Well, times change, now I'm sitting in my home office and my nose keeps wandering to my sweater, which got a few splashes of that divine water this morning. A clear, airy purity, which is gently rounded off by a light-floral touch. The citric mentioned in the pyramid is MFK-typical for me and results rather as already described in a generally fresh opening, without the bergamot lying in my nose as otherwise genre-typical.

I can't explain exactly why this fragrance is so perfect for me, but you might think it was put in my cradle. When I presented this fragrance to my mother - which, by the way, I do with everyone, she always follows my collection eagerly - she immediately went into raptures and said with bright eyes: Ohhhhh, lily of the valley! She was immediately thrilled, just like me

Fascinating, a fragrance from the year 2009, which only knows how to enchant me in 2020. at some point, what belongs together comes together.

Even though most of the fragrances from Xerjoff are less appealing to me because of their DNA, I have noticed this one, in addition to Nio, a very great citrus scent. While Nio didn't make it into my collection due to its steep price, I was able to purchase this one at a good discount price.

As the owner and lover of the Silver Mountain Water of Creed, which is compared to this scent here, just like its ancestor Mefisto, I want to venture a description of the flanker Gentiluomo.

If you want to depict the fragrance, imagine the following scenario: A respectable, well-dressed gentleman wears Silver Mountain Water and has his hair done by an Italian barber. The result is a powdery fragrance creation that bears some resemblance to barbershop fragrances, while still retaining the familiar silvery and clear DNA of the Creed classic.

A wonderful and high-quality fragrance, which leaves a beautiful, clean and bright musk on the skin, while I also want to recognize green nuances here. What I particularly like is the fact that bergamot and lemon play a rather subordinate role here. They give the fragrance a certain freshness, but do not result in the citrusy effervescence that is usually found in fragrances that have those components in the top note.

Even though the fragrance is quite linear and simple, its quality is, in my opinion, clearly noticeable. I would also like to give a positive assessment of the shelf life. The fragrance radiates noticeably during the first 4 hours, even for me as a wearer during this time. Even after a normal working day of 8 hours it does not want to disappear from my wrist, on my clothes it lasts for days.

Lovers of the above-mentioned Creed fragrance should take a closer look at this Xerjoff. If the original was too scratchy and metallic, you might like this powdery interpretation.

I must admit, I only became aware of the creations of the Le Male creator relatively late. This may be due to the fact that I absolutely dislike his probably most prominent work of his own fragrance collections, the BR540. Too sweet and sticky, I like to take flight. That Mr. Kurkdjian can also be discreet and is taking a fresh direction with his aqua scents, I could only find out after a deal in the local souk on my own nose. Blindly the Aqua Vitae Forte wandered into my collection, a good decision, as I had to realize later!

If you are a newcomer to MFK fragrances, you are often faced with a large, indomitable mountain of terms and additives. "Forte" who was the one who made me think about this aqua vitae. Okay, apparently it is supposed to be "stronger", more long-lasting! Sounds good, but if I may believe the opinions here in the forum, it probably smells different than the normal version? Which one is better?

To cut to the chase: For me, there's no reason to go back to the normal version, the aqua vitae. It generally seems a bit softer, even diluted, and does not have that great durability that can be attributed to the Forte. As far as the DNA is concerned, the latter simply appears fuller, spicier and generally more balanced.

But enough banter and comparisons, after all, this is about the Aqua Vitae Forte!
The fragrance itself is relatively easy to describe: A creamy dream of tangerine, feminine floral, paired with a subtle, masculine spice. This impression changes only slightly as the fragrance progresses, the scent itself is rather linear. For a fresh fragrance the durability is absolutely great, it will easily survive a working day! Even though bergamot and lemon are listed in the fragrance pyramid, this one is not a typical citrus-fresh scent as it is known from the designer segment. As already mentioned, here the scents are more of a floral creaminess

Because of this, one might want to attribute a more feminine tendency to this one. However, this pleasant, subliminal spiciness also makes it very wearable for the masters of creation. Whether in the office or in the evening on a date, somehow the fragrance radiates a certain elegance and seriousness, almost luxury in my opinion

Kurkdjian's signature is clearly visible in this fragrance as well. This typical softness, almost an aura, creamy and very nicely rounded. Performant, valuable and in my eyes always worth its money