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I've always loved smelling good and wearing colognes in public, but it wasn't until 2 years ago that I began to take a keen interest in fragrances. After watching tons of videos and learning more about fragrance collecting and colognes in general, I started ordering decants on Parfumo.

Among the very first bunch of decants was also a very popular fragrance by Creed, called Aventus. Although it was probably one of the worst batches of all time (early 2024, can't remember the exact batch code), I still really enjoyed wearing it and after the 10ml vial was empty, I kept looking for a decent replacement that wouldn't break the bank.

Cue the Aventus clones. Almost an entire genre inside the fragrance bubble, there are so many "alternatives" out there you'd probably need an entire warehouse just to store all of them.

Over the last 2 years, the following Aventus alternatives were (or still are) part of my collection:

- La Rive Black Water. An extremely pineapple-heavy scent with an incredibly weak performance. Typical La Rive, it's a top note blender that completely evaporates off the skin once the (admittedly very realistic) pineapple note is gone. Even though it's laughably cheap at around 8-10 Euros, I wouldn't buy it again. It's just not worth the hassle for the few minutes of pineapple heaven!

- Al Haramain L'Aventure. That hideous bottle aside, it's a decent clone with a mediocre performance that, oddly enough, is almost identical to the OG. What I missed was just a tiny bit more fruitiness. Also, at some point during the drydown I got a strange synthetic undertone that almost ruined the entire scent for me. Again, I think in the grand scheme of things, it's just not worth the money.

- Montblanc Explorer. Probably one of the most hyped Aventus dupes out there, I just couldn't resist buying a bottle of this legendary cologne. Was it worth it? Absolutely not, unfortunately. I'll probably be stoned for saying this, but I just don't think it lives up to its extremely high expectations. The performance is weak and the smell is just too synthetic. If anything, this is more of an Aventus cologne dupe than a clone of the OG Aventus - but I'm getting ahead of myself. Overall, Explorer just isn't for me!

- Armaf Club de Nuit Intense Man EdP. Do I even need to introduce this fragrance?? CDNIM EdT was one of the first clones of Creed Aventus, and even after all these years, there is still a loyal following who swear by this fragrance. Maybe it was the fact that I went with the EdP instead of the EdT, maybe it was just a bad batch, maybe the bottle needed a bit more maceration... This was one of the worst experiences I've ever had with a cologne. Performance-wise, it's an absolute atomic bomb and its presence fills an entire room with just 2 sprays. That wouldn't be too much of an issue, if the citrus note wouldn't be so incredibly synthetic and overwhelming. Toilet cleaner, mosquito repellent - you name it. Also, that famous statement "it's just the opening bro, after 15 mins it smells amazing" turned out to be a complete, utter lie. I sold the almost full bottle to a friend and wrote off the entire CDNIM series - or so I thought!!

- Armaf Club de Nuit Precieux I. A few months after my horrible experience with CDNIM, a new hyped clone fragrance appeared out of nowhere: CDN Precieux I. I was able to smell Absolu Aventus at a store and really enjoyed it, so a clone of it sounded like a really nice idea. At first, I was hesitant to invest in yet another CDN fragrance. But as it turned out, the 50 or so Euros were a very good investment: Precieux I is unlike any other CDN. The harsh citrus note is almost completely absent, instead there's a sweet, almost floral fruitiness with pineapple, caramel and jasmin leading the way. Performance is on beastmode level, but that's to be expected with Armaf. To this day, Precieux I remains one of my favourite fragrances of all time.

- Goldfield & Banks Bohemian Lime. And now for something completely different: This one is a really light, summery and fresh interpretation of the DNA. While you're trading performance for naturalness, the really hot temperatures (32°C and above) is where it shines. If the OG is too heavy for you and you're looking for a freshie that scratches the Aventus itch while you're sweating your a** off, this one is a no-brainer!

- Versace Eros Energy. There's a well-known candy in Germany and Austria called Nimm 2, and if you’ve ever eaten it, you know exactly how Eros Energy smells like. Similar to Bohemian Lime, this one is a lighter take on the Aventus DNA that doesn't take itself too seriously. Overall though, I highly prefer the Goldfield & Banks.

- Creed Aventus Cologne. Not a clone, but rather a flanker of the OG, this one feels like if Montblanc Explorer, G&B Bohemian Lime and Chanel Allure Homme Sport had a baby. Again not the strongest in the performance department, there's no denying only the finest ingredients were used in this perfume. I was lucky to find a half-empty bottle for a very good price on Parfumo, so this was a bit of an impulse buy. Honestly though, if you’re able to look past the price, this is also a very nice and fresh Aventus alternative for the high temperatures!

- Avapari Smoky Pineapple. I'd consider myself very lucky for managing to get one of the last 50ml bottles of this sacred juice, before Avapari decided to discontinue it for good. You want an actual, 1:1, carbon-copy clone of Creed Aventus? This is it. Nothing more, nothing less. Imagine one of the earlier, fruitier batches of Aventus. No bs, no "twist", no nothing. Just Aventus in its purest (and truest) form. It's a shame Avapari gave up on this fragrance in favor of other clones of fragrances I've never even heard of!

- Loewe Esencia Elixir. While Bohemian Lime or Aventus Cologne represent the lighter, more summery take on the Aventus DNA, this one sits on the complete opposite end. A very dark and extremely mossy interpretation with a really strong performance. This thing is definitely no joke and you gotta be careful not to overspray it. Gone is the fruitiness or the citric freshness. What remains is Aventus' older brother who's considered the black sheep of the entire family. An "enfant terrible" if you will. I really like it and it's probably my favourite out of all the clones I've mentioned so far!

- Rasasi Hawas Black. Spoiler alert: If you already own Esencia Elixir, this is completely redundant. Also a very dark interpretation, this one manages to reclaim just a tiny amount of the fruitiness of the OG, but is otherwise almost identical to the Loewe. Performance is also weaker, but at least it's significantly cheaper than the latter so definitely worth trying if money is all that matters to you.

Bottom line: Even though I've never smelled any of the Supremacy's and there's still a bazillion other Aventus clones out there, I think I've covered most of what this DNA has to offer in all its facets. The rabbithole probably couldn't be deeper and more complex, but I'm glad I fell into it. Despite the prevailing view in the fragrance community that Aventus is hackneyed and boring, we're far from done when it comes to its clones and alternatives - and I love it!!