Hello Perfume Posse! Cierge De Lune by Aedes de Venus’s came out earlier this year but it seemed to slip under the radar a little. A couple of reviews, a little bit of online chatter but nothing compared to the usual release from Aedes de Venus’s, which have had an excellent track record of bringing out fine fragrance.
So recently I went online to Surrender To Chance to grab a couple of ml so I could get my sniff on. Living at the armpit of the world means that we don’t get all the stuff the big city folk get, and if we do it’s often years behind, so thank everything for sample/decant services. Otherwise I’d be stuffed.
Cierge De Lune by Fabrice Pellegrin for Aedes de Venustas 2016
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Musk, powder
Heart: Madagascar vanille, red pepper, black pepper, yang-ylang, hedione
Base: Suede, musk, amber, ambrosian, incense
My nose captures the peppers right away and added to the fluffy musk/powder it’s a fun and interesting opening. It’s a bit like my imagination of how a schnitzel feels when landing in the spicy flour of its first coating. HA! This moment lasts surprisingly well before the ylang adds its creamy, oily, banana overtones and I want to say vanilla but we aren’t talking the usual Guerlain ideal of vanilla. In Cierge De Lune’s heart it’s been kept dry and powdered, like a cake mix before you add the wet ingredients, before it becomes delicious.
My skin isn’t throwing any of the night flower or the evening references so many other reviewers get and we used to grow the cactus that this fragrance is based on. It’s stirring no fragrant memories for me sadly but I do think the scent has the idea of a night flower if you’d never smelled datura, gardenia or jasmine then from a picture you could easily think this is how they’d smell. It is narcotic and alluring, just in a different way.
Dry down is a warm amber, lightly dusted with musks and amorphous woodiness. Too elegant to be the bro-Woods but not specific enough for me to pick. Totally comfortable wear, I can easily imagine this becoming a go-to scent for mid season and winter. Longevity is excellent and projection moderate to low.
Further reading: Non Blonde and Scented Hound
First In Fragrance have €210/100ml
Surrender To Chance have samples starting at $7/ml
Which of the Aedes de Venustas fragrances have you tried?
Portia xx
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Hi Portia, Cierge De Lune is my favourite of the EdV perfumes I have tried so far. I like smooth, creamy woody scents and the incense is lovely. Copal Azur is pure smoky incense, which is maybe a bit too dry for my taste. Oeillet Bengale is very sweet, but it’s about carnation so what else can you expect?
Interesting Neva that you say Oeillet Bengale is very sweet, I find its spicy and a little dry but now you have me questioning my memory. There’s a sample here somewhere…….
Portia xx
Howdy, Portia! Thanks much for putting this one out there– as you say, it kind of fell under the radar (especially for me, who didn’t even realize they had a new one out). I’ve sniffed most of their other scents and though I thought them well done, none ever seemed to hook me. But this one … it sounds like it could be The One from Aedes for me. Must snag a sample. Thanks, dear!
Hi Ann,
Lovely to see you.
I expect an AdV newbie to be launched with enormous fanfare, wonder why they didn’t. Maybe their following is so strong nowadays that they don’t need to?
Portia xx
This sounds too tempting not to try. Especially as I’ve been exploring powdery scents as alternative fragrance to wear for comfort, or I when I just want something quieter. I did like Oeillets Bengale, and the bottles are very beautiful. I just wish I could easily justify the expense. I have to sample this one though. It just might be exactly what I’m looking for! I did see tha they sell a trio of travel size bottles, thought if I really loved the fragrance I would splurge for that beautiful presentation.
Hi fleurycat,
They are pretty expensive, it’s a big investment.
I have not seen the trio…….. going looking now.
Portia xx
Aedes is one of my favorite houses – I love what they do with incense, and I like that their frags aren’t overly sweet like so many on the market these days. I own Iris Nazarena (one of my all-time favorites), and Palissandre d’Or and Copal Azur are on my FB wish list.
I tried Cierge de Lune and thought it was pleasant, but I’m not much of a vanilla fan to start with. I did get the night-flower vibe. Anyone who likes the idea of a smooth floral-leaning vanilla that isn’t sticky-sweet should definitely give it a try.
I’ll be trying the new Aedes frag soon; that purple bottle is amazing!
Must. Not. Blind-Buy. Because. Of. Bottle… [hides credit card from self]
Hi Stina,
Yes, I loved Iris Nazarena too but at the time I tried it I think I was madly lemming Impossible Iris by Ramon Monegal and so I didn’t buy it. I should go back and give it a try.
Portia xx
P, darling – what did you think of the Monegal Impossible Iris? It took me a long while to fall in love with a Monegal, try as I might. Impossible Iris was the first step!
xoxoxoA
I have not tried all of the Aedes de Venustas fragrances since the first ones did not impress me. Something was about them, they tried to hard or they were typical B. Duchaufour (his style usually does not suit me), I don’t know. This one sounds interesting though, maybe a bit like Iris Poudre (musky, dry, floral without the aldehydes and retro glam)? How would you say the two compare?
Love, Marie
Hey Marie,
I haven’t worn Iris powder for years but even so I’m not getting any correlating bells ringing. You’ve made mew want to go back and find out though.
Portia xx
Oh, my gosh! What a pretty bottle! I feel like a goober – I don’t recall ANY of the Aedes scents, though I know I’ve tried them (I have, right? sure I have). And these notes don’t thrill me. But OMG! That PRETTY bottle. SO pretty! xxoxo
Hey Musette,
Remember the first one? I think it was a rhubarb chypre? Very elegant.
Yes, the bottles are to die for. Big and hefty, beautifully proportioned.
Portia xx
Ugh, that bottle is GORGEOUS. I’ve definitely tried a couple, in their store… have you been there? You’d love it, like your great-aunt’s parlor… I agree with Tara that they are dry/unsweet, they tend to read a little bit like room spray to me (not a criticism.) Sort of an “ambience” smell.
Hey March,
My great Aunt’s Parlour? There is clearly a cultural difference going on here, my family are from rural farm stock so my memories don’t involve parlours at all, mainly huge eat in kitchens.
I do have a friend though in LA whose living room was full of walnut, velvet, art and taxidermy. I think that’s what you mean?
As to AdV, I’ve not been there yet but one day hopefully. NYC is always a rush rush time and I only get to a very few of the frag venues.
Yes, love that you think of these as slightly ambient. Now that you mention it I can get that too.
Portia xx
I have tried them all and bought Iris Nazarena, Palissandre d’Or, Copal Azur and Cierge de Lune. I think this line is really well done and am looking forward to Grenadille d’Afrique which is launching this month. They all have a dry, very slightly masculine touch to them to my nose, which is a nice counterpoint to all the sweet stuff on the market.
TaraC,
You are a BIG fan. I have loved them all too and hope to have a few in my collection one day too.
Portia xx