I’m done babbling about Santa Fe except to say the drive down from Denver was GLORIOUS! I’d never been in that part of the country before, only having seen it from a plane to-ing and fro-ing from either coast. Omgosh. What stunning vistas! Where I live you can see storms rolling in – but it’s somehow…different out there. Way more majestic. I now know where NORAD is (or at least I think I do – who knows. That thing could actually be in Arkansas for all we know) and Patty now knows there are at least two Culver’s within a 90-min or so drive from her, should she start jonesin’ for Lemon Ice.
During the drive to Santa Fe we talked about Life, Love and Perfume – and I sampled the new CREED, Aventus for Her. I like several of the CREEDs but have never understood the rabid (as in almost unpleasant) fandom that Aventus engenders in the heart of so many perfumistas (usually called CREED Fanboys). I swear, the fights sound like they will turn into IRL brawls! Interestingly, those rabid fans created a negative impression of Aventus – and I dismissed it. Luckily there are no rabid fanboys (or fangirls) for Aventus for Her – yet. So!
What about it, huh? Well! It’s interesting and lovely. It opens a bit like a masculine, which is unusual for a CREED feminine – and I nearly ‘meh’d it because of that. Glad I didn’t because that opening morphs (in lightspeed) into a very pretty green apple & bergamot scent. Wait a bit longer and that morphs (more slowly and quietly this time) into a gorgeous rose and sandalwood scent that holds its own through the peachy-ambery drydown – and y’all know how I love roses and peaches. And you now how I love ‘pretty’. This one really is lovely and I predict it will be the cause of much rabid fandom!
My original sample was via Patty @ Surrender to Chance (surrendertochance.com) but when I came back from Santa Fe, I had a package from my beloved Andy @ Neiman Marcus, containing two fat 2ml samples. I would love to share both of those with you guys – tell me a CREED story . Or a Neiman Marcus story. Or a story about perfume rabies. Or all 3. Whatever works for you. I’ve been great about getting out giveaways so get to it!
I haven’t forgotten about the curtains/the brothel. Ooooh! and Tuberose!
I’ll see you on Tuesday and we’ll yap then!
xoxoxo
I have never tried Aventus and I would love to after reading all of the comments. Here in San Diego, the Neiman Marcus associates are extremely helpful and nice. I love going in there and smelling my way around. Thank you for the chance to start my Creed journey.
I don’t think I’ve tried any of the Creed fragrances so reading everyone’s favorites has peaked my interest. Wendy at the Neiman Marcus in Las Vegas has been my favorite SA….met her when I purchased a Maison Francis Kurkdijan fragrance and she has kept me on her email and call list. She’s sent me samples of fragrances and other cosmetics etc. Very friendly and great service!
I have begun my Olfactive Journey with Creed scents! It was in November of 2014 when I purchased samples of Green Irish Tweed, Aventus, Original Vetiver, Santal and Silver Mountain Water. My heart fell for GIT and for SMW. Such lovely, crisp, natural and luxurious smelling perfumes. Got to adore Creed’s creations. I would love to smell this new perfume. As well I would love to try on Royal Mayfair.
Thank you for the giveaway! Takie care
There’s a small Creed counter in the department store relatively close to where I live. Last year or so I managed briefly to test two Creeds that I found intriguing: Vanisia and Tuberose (I am not a huge fan of neither vanilla nor tuberose, normally). When I came back to sample more, they were gone. The only Creeds, the most popular ones, like
Love in Black, LiW, Aventus, Irish Tweed, Spring Flowers and etc were but I did not find them in the least interesting. Aventus was rather unremarkable. Lately I also managed to sample in passing Aventus for her, and that’s a different story. I’m rather hooked. There’s something about it, something a bit less straightforward than the Aventus one.
So lovely to see you, darling! And so glad you had such a wonderful trip to Santa Fe. I was out that way as a little girl (there’s a funny story about Pike’s Peak) but need to go back and revisit. I’m not much of a Creed fan, although I do really like that Sublime Vanille and their Royal Oud. You had me at “green apple and bergamot” with this one, so will check it out next time I’m near Neiman’s. Thanks!!
Don’t really have a Creed story BUT I like many of them. Sublime Vanille, Pure White Cologne, Asian Green Tea, Royal Water, Bois du Portugal, Erolfa (very underrated), Spice and Wood, Neroli Sauvage, Vetiver Geranium (nice) and others. As far as the men’s Aventus, it does have batch variations more striking than anything I ever experienced in perfume. 🙂
As soon as I hear fanatical ravings about a cult scent, I tend to switch off. As I did for years with Creed until someone sprayed me with Aberdeen Lavander and I ended up with a bottle. It is not groundbreaking but it smells good. No panties on the floor here thank you.
I have never had a bad Neiman Marcus story (the lady at the Tom Ford counter was a little cool, but they all kind of are…), especially where the Creed counter was involved. That’s where I discovered both Royal Oud and Virgin Island Water, and got an amazing sample of Chanel 19. 🙂
My FIL though, has a whopper. He went in dressed as he usually does (polo shirt, jeans) to go buy a tuxedo and was told that he couldn’t afford what was sold there! He promptly left and wrote a letter to the company, but didn’t hear anything back and thus, has stopped shopping there. He hasn’t gone into Neiman Marcus in over a decade now.
There is something different and wonderful about the views, the horizon, the sky in the mountains and deserts of the southwest US. A trick of the light, perhaps?
Aventus is the only scent from Creed familiar to me, and I admit I was put off by the rabid fandom. That was some time ago, so smelling it now I would likely think it deserving of its reputation. I’ll have to look for it next time I see it at a perfume counter. I like apple in fragrance. I’d like to try Aventus for her, too. I wonder if these his and hers scents would work well together. And I feel silly admitting I love the Creed bottles. A pretty cap gets me every time.
I’d love to try Aventus for Her and see if this is the Creed I truly adore! As for an NM story – I met Francis Kurkidjian in NM last summer! I have pictures and everything! I only fawned a little. OK, a lot.
You know, I’ve only tried Creed’s Jasmal, and was underwhelmed — too delicate, didn’t last. I guess I’ve never gone through the others, even though the local Nordstrom’s has the line. I have been meaning to sniff Love in White since I’ve heard that’s Michelle Obama’s scent.
I love the Perfume Baby’s experience with perfume rabies — I’ve had the same experience, but I regret nothing!
Mainly know Creed from LT diatribes which are funny. Tried the white flower one he quite frothed about and found found it not horrible.
I have visited the Neiman Marcus In King of Prussia, PA. I was not treated well at the makeup counter, I wanted to exchange a concealer for color and they would not without a receipt.(Kevin Aucoin, and I specifically went there because it is not sold anywhere else near me, I live about 40 minutes away) But the SA at the Jo Malone counter gave me a very nice decant of Blackberry and Bay, which is what they were promoting at the time. It was really nice and my friend said I smelled delicious:) The only Creed Fragrance I have tried is Virgin Island Water, i loved it, but it did not last very long. I would love to try Aventus for her. Thanks for the giveaway!
Thank you for the giveaway! I’m sure like many budding “perfumistos,” Creed was my entryway into upmarket scents…in particular, when I was about twenty and accompanying a somewhat posh friend to Neiman’s and got bored watching her try on stuff. The masculine, flask-like bottles drew me in, and I could tell the sales associate was a little iffy about whether or not he should divulge that these were…ahem…”fancy scents.” He definitely tried to steer me back towards AMen and Hanae Mori. Green Irish Tweed and SMW were my true entrypoints. I immediately recognized GIT as a scent family that I recognized from way too many 90’s magazine scent strips. While I was never rabid in my Creed enthusiasm, I do go through phases of exploring different houses. Since that entry into “niche perfumery,” I do find it funny to look back and think how amazing I thought all those scents were (some of them are…but not all) when I had the whole fragrant world in front of me! On the plus side, it’s been easy to sell off the Creeds in my collection that I no longer want since they fetch rabid fandom on ebay. That said, I still love the first two I encountered plus many others–Windsor, Feuilles Vertes, Acier Aluminium, Original Vetiver.
Thank you for the giveaway!! I have several Creed’s, including a pretty old bottle of Aventus that smells pretty darn good. My only beef with that house is that I have to use like SKIFTY sprays to even smell anything. Lots of compliments though.
Just won a decant of the Pure White Cologne a few weeks ago, it’s very nice.
I love Creed gardenia. It is the only Creed that works me. I do love the Creed bottles.
I’ve got no Creed stories. I love the fragrance counter at NM but the SA’s are relentless and just constantly pester me. I like to just sniff my way around. If I need help, I’ll find it but they ask, and then they watch and stalk me. Usually I just end up leaving because it’s so uncomfortable.
My Creed story is simple – my first encounter with “niche” perfume was Creed’s Imperial Millesime and I fell for it completely. My thoughts went like…aha, citrus and bergamot, oh and then something salty..well, can it be parsley?..wait…this is miraculous. And after that I fell down the rabbit hole…
I like Creed but I have not tried Aventus for her so far so thanks for the giveaway.
Well, I don’t have a Creed story. because I have never owned a bottle, but I always wanted to try Virgin Waters, because of my love for B&B Coconut Lime Verbena and because of the notes I figured Virgin Waters would be a more expensive version of Coconut Lime Verbena. I still intend to buy a bottle of Creed when I can afford it, but I would love to try Adventus for her, this sample would get me close to owning to a bottle as I ever have been. Best of luck to everyone!
One of my favorite perfumes, except for longevity, is 10 Corso Como. I always have Aventus as a recommended like scent when I purchase. Would love to try.
The first time I smelled Aventus was a few months ago and I was pleasantly surprised. I had seem many posts the last few years hyping it and it kind of put me off. I’ve tried quite a few scents over the years that were hyped and normally was let down.
Aventus however was fantastic. Fresh and pungent fruits, smoke, and a cliche drydown that wasn’t off putting…
I’m glad I finally checked it out. Renewed hope. I really want to sample Aventus for Her and see how my wife takes to it.
I have tried only a few Creeds. One thing that made me less excited to try them was hearing a story from a friend about a Creed salesperson who was all about name-dropping the celebrities who wear Creed perfumes. Audrey Hepburn, Joe Montana, yea yea yea. That does NOT make me, personally, more interested in a perfume! But if anyone on Perfume Posse said good things, I would definitely be wanting to give it a sniff 🙂
Totally not a Creed fanboy, and the very first time someone mentioned Creed and “panty-dropper” in the same sentence, i shuddered and hightailed it out of there, never to consider Creed agan.
Then two years ago someone gave me a decant of Creed Royal Oud and I liked it enough to buy a bottle. Then a bottle of Fleurissimo, followed by Imperatrice Eugenie, Jasmal, and Iris Tubereuse! Who knew? (But I still abhorr the “PD” phrase. Right up there with “old lady” or “Grandpa’s aftershave”)
I did get perfume rabies, sort of, from a sample of vintage Mitsouko parfum extrait. It was worth the contact dermatitis to sniff the equivalent of a flawlessly cut diamond.
I’m pretty interested to smell Aventus for her.
Ok, a Neiman Marcus story.:
When I was very young my family lived in Texas, where my mother learned to love Neiman’s.
Every year the Christmas catalogue would be delivered and my Mom would immediately turn the pages to those fantasy his/her gifts and read them to us.
Through those catalogs I learned that people could indulge their senses, as well as their every whim. Want a one-of-a-kind luxury car? Why not one for each? Want a specialty kitten bred for you or a trip around the world? It could happen.
Maybe that’s how I learned to indulge my senses – as a chef, jewelry collector, perfume lover. Or maybe that’s just how I learned about the thrill of shopping.
Anyway, it might not be a bespoke pet or an extravagant getaway but I think CREED is pretty luxurious and I’d certainly like to try the new Aventus for Her.
Good luck, everybody!
I used to shop at the Fashion Island NM, in the 80’s. I loved their popovers with the strawberry butter in the Zodiac cafe. I think that’s what it was called! Long ago memories…
That’s my NM!! I love it. The Amazon that works behind the counter (seriously, she’s over 6′ and gorgeous!) is very sweet. I alos love that the GM always has cookies for the fuzzy patrons that come in with their humans. I still miss I. Magnin’s, though…
Rina, seconding you on I. Magnin! I got their catalogs for years and loved them, and then got my heart broken when I finally made it out to San Francisco, only to find the store had closed. Waaah!
Good heavens. Well…I’ve never tried a Creed scent, and I’ve never gotten rabies. I also don’t think I’ve ever bought anything at a Neiman Marcus, but my mother has given me jewelry from it; does that count? It’s quite pretty. Geez, I ought to be disqualified based on this comment. But I really do want to try Aventus for Her, just to see what all the fuss is about.
The first time I ever walked into Neiman Marcus I had on ratty jeans, athletic shoes and an old tee shirt. I went to the perfume section and was immediately treated as though I was royalty. This was the absolute best retail experience I ever had in my entire life. I left with a ton of samples and the well wishes of every sales associate with which I came into contact. Loved it. Thanks for the giveaway. I’ve always wanted to try Creed.
The first Creed I ever loved was Virgin Island Water. It was a party in a bottle to me and I still drag it out for a spritz or two each summer. My youngest son now has the full bottle and I have the decant but we’re both happy. I love driving around New Mexico and am always surprised at the differences within the state. Mountains, desert, reservations, cities, mesas, ski areas. An amazing part of the country.