It's the question I've been asking myself for the last month. Considering you're reading this article, I can only assume you've been wondering the same. So I took it upon myself to try as many of Creed's fragrances as I could, so you don't have to.
The Creed brand has a legacy of hype. Many online channels, blogs, and perfumeries unanimously love the scent. Green Irish Tweed and Aventus being held as the best Creed perfumes.
I was skeptical. $350 can buy you many things, and putting that all on something that depends on something as subjective as smell… I wanted to try each of Creeds lineup to see if any were worth it for me.
You should never buy a scent blind, and I'd encourage you to sample if you can. So keep in mind what works for my skin as well as my nose, may be an entirely different experience for you.
I live down the road from a wonderful shop called World, which has all of the Creed fragrances on display to sample. They were kind enough to spend a week indulging me with a series of spritzes
Green Irish Tweed
- Top notes of lemon, peppermint and verbena.
- Heart notes of violet leaves.
- Base notes of iris, sandalwood and ambergris.
The legendary Green Irish Tweed, my first fragrance of the bunch, and the most disappointing. Creed's website states "Green Irish Tweed is loyally worn by today's Hollywood leading men who personally ask for it by name." For the life of me I can't see why.
Given all the raving reviews, I was excited to see what it smelled like.
The initial profile was not pleasant, it's supposed to be a fresh fragrance but I found it quite assaulting. Something that you smelled twice just to ensure the severity of your first response was justified. Over the course of the afternoon, it didn't get any better which was unfortunate considering it was quite overpowering.
A companion of mine also received a spritz on his wrist. After a few hours to let it dry down, neither of us could stand it. Considering this was the first perfume we had tried from Creed, we were shocked that we both agreed it was awful.
Vetiver
- Top notes of bergamot, mandarin, orange (bitter), leaves (green).
- Heart notes of pepper (white), coriander, berries (pink).
- Base notes of cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver, amber (grey) and musk (tonkin).
- Scent Type Citrus
Silver Mountain Water
- Top notes of bergamot, mandarin and neroli.
- Heart notes of ozonic notes, tea (green) and blackcurrant buds (cassis).
- Base notes of sandalwood and musks (transparent).
- Scent Type Water
On my left wrist, Vetiver. On my right, Silver Mountain Water. I wandered down the street and asked a few strangers which wrist they preferred. 5 sets of people preferred the Silver Mountain Water, while others slightly recoiled at how strong the Vetiver was.
Silver Mountain water was a definite favorite for me. It sits in the aromatic end of Creed's lineup, allegedly a favorite of David Bowie. It smelt incredibly fresh, reminding me of black tie parties, sitting in a cab watching big city lights pass by in a blur. It wasn't pompous, and had a modest projection that smelt comfortable but luxurious. It's something I'd try to use somewhat sparingly, but a definite yes for my collection.
Bois Du Portugal
- Top note of bergamot.
- Heart note of lavender.
- Base notes of cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver and ambergris.
- Scent Type Woody Oriental
Day 3 was Bois du Portugal. I love woody scents as they tend to be a bit more subdued but add a degree of richness and character to a perfume. This was my third favorite of the Creeds. Something I'd love to have in my collection, but not as a starter. Tobacco and anything woody I find to be very easy to pick out in a perfume, and in the case of Bois du Portugal, the wood definitely makes itself known. It's very pleasant, light and something you could wear every day. A winner in my book.
Expect a compliment after a hug, but it's not something that projects across a room. After a full days wear, it definitely became more and more subdued compared to the Silver Mountain Water and Aventus.
Creed Aventus
- Top notes: of bergamot, apple, blackcurrant berries and pineapple.
- Heart notes: of jasmine, rose, birch and patchouli.
- Base notes: of oakmoss, ambergris, musk and vanilla.
- Scent Type: Aromatic Fougere
A clear winner, but not at first.
This was my second sample after the Green Irish Tweed. So my expectations were tempered, but excitement was still high. My initial impressions in the first half an hour were not favorable. The top notes were quite invasive and I ruled it out as a fragrance very quickly. It didn't have any character, or make me want to go back for a second sniff. My companion at the time enjoyed the initial spray, but neither of us thought it incredible.
As the fragrance entered the dry down. It completely changed.
Over the course of a few hours, it had calmed down to a wonderful, intoxicating aroma. It projected well, it had a very pleasant fresh, sweet smell without being overdone. We exchanged a flurry of messages. "I can't stop smelling my wrist', I say. "Neither can I,' was the response back.
As the fragrance entered the dry down. It completely changed.
Walking down the street I'd suddenly get a whiff of something incredible. Lifting my wrist to my nose, it was the Aventus.
Over the course of a few hours, it had calmed down to a wonderful, intoxicating aroma. It projected well, and smelt pleasant and sweet without the aggressiveness of the Green Irish Tweed. We exchanged a flurry of messages. "I can't stop smelling my wrist', I say. "Neither can I,' was the response back.
After several days of sampling, Creed Aventus, Silver Mountain Water and Bois du Portugal are my pick. Aventus being the absolute winner and the fragrance i'll be sticking with for 2021.
With any vanity purchase like perfume, clothes, jewelry and so on. Often times it's how the product makes you feel more than any quantifiable measure. For myself, Aventus was the perfume that made me feel most like me. It's bold, unique and extremely pleasant for my taste. So when looking at something for yourself, i'd wait for the perfume that makes you feel the same.
If you're looking to pick up some Aventus, Amazon only have the cologne however you can order directly from Creed's website.
If you have any questions, feel free to ping me on Twitter as that's my most active social media platform.
