Simply the best. Nothing else even comes close. Incredible selection with great service. Yes, they'll probably show you more plain and less decadent perfumes at first, but once you let on that you want something complex and luxurious, they certainly have that in spades. An amazing NYC resource. read more

Mindblowing selection of scents. Some of the staff are wonderful and accommodating, and some come across as a little snobby. Strange for a business that likely is heavily based on service. read more

I went on the premise of replacing my gorgeous bottle of Carthusia perfume that I had brought back from Capri and promptly broken to bits (bathroom floor, shards of glass, lots of tears). But here they really do encourage you to try out the scent, as many as it takes to find your perfect match. They're also incredibly generous with samples, which is a good thing as what seems lovely in the store can turn awful a few hours later when the base notes start to show. Unfortunately, the room is so perfumed you may need to step outside to smell the tester strips they'll spray for you. There's still something that makes me ill about paying $60 for a candle (Diptypque Gardenia--it actually smells like the flower), but for a rare treat I would definitely recommend Aedes de Venustas. Even the gift bag is gorgeous. read more

Beware. Item listed as available. Purchased online. Payment made. 15 days, 2 emails and 2 calls later. whoops out of stock. Guess they forgot to refund my $300.00 or bother to contact me. read more

Aedes definitely has one of the best fragrance selection in the city, and there's no scary Saks style pushing-shoving-crazy lady with an atomizer spraying you in the face. I didn't find the staff as helpful as some of the other reviewers (no one could explain what chypre was), but perfume is more about smelling than explaining, so . . . fine. read more

I LOVE this place. I will give that I am a huge perfume junkie. Everything here smells amazing and they have a lot of the high end brands I love, including the complete collection of Diptyque candles (figuer is my fave). Plus, it's owned by the cutest couple on Earth! read more

This store is yummy and tasty and smelly in a good way. Come in here and be overwhelmed with delight and collapse into a world of fragrance like never before. Okay, so that was way wordy, but I like this place - shop here. Website is also a home run. read more

Don't be intimidated by the exceptionally opulent appearance of this great boutique. The owner and staff treat every customer like their celebrity clientele, and they know what they're doing. They spent over an hour happily helping my young niece find the perfect perfume, and she loved every minute of the experience. Don't come here looking for Perfumania brands. Instead, you'll find genuine, world-class perfumes and candles that smell rich and full and authentic. That's not to say they aren't familiar with mainstream brands. Tell them something you like, and they'll show you something better and far more unique. The prices are the same as the giant, faceless stores on 5th Ave, but they come with the type of service and gratitude that you won't find anywhere else. The store is apparently moving a short distance away in the near future - another casualty of insane village building owners. read more

I have been obsessing over this website for a couple of years and have ordered regularly as money allows. I FINALLY got to go here in person last week and was not let down. This place is serious about all things fragrance. I agree with some of the other reviewers saying that the owners were "snooty" but honestly it is to be expected in a place as fabulous as this. The decor and mood of the store was gorgeous and the staff is helpful after they see that you are serious about buying something not "just looking" If you love higher than high end perfumes, this is your place. The finest wines of the perfume world live here. Not to be missed. read more

I live in Los Angeles, so I cannot comment on the store, but I have used their sample program many times...It's just $15 for 7 samples shipped. The accommodate me wonderfully every single time, and the samples are always filled to the top of the vial, unlike some other places I've used. If I'm ever in New York, this will be one of the many places that I'll go to. read more

This is an incomparable store for lovers of superior fragrances. If you are looking for great prices on department store licensed brands, this is not the place for you. This is the place for the just-right fragrance for a special someone. And if that special someone is you, that's beautiful too. The guys know their fragrances and are super helpful. The place itself is unlike any other. It's a crazy little world of the planet's finest artisinal fragrances. Little dogs sleep quietly on the floor. Samples are generously dispensed. Have a question? Just ask one of the guys -- they will bend over backwards to please. If you're not interested in shopping in a fragrance wonderland, and prefer popular fragrances at low prices, save yourself a trip. If you want something special, you must come here. And, yes, the gift wrapping is special, too. read more

Reminds me a little of the Roja Dove Haute Perfumerie inside Harrod's. Honestly, it's a bit too smelly and overwhelming for me. I have yet to find something that I truly love. read more

Fantastic selection of hard to find fragrances, and great service. You may find brands like Annick Goutal, Serge Lutens, and Etro at Barney's, but the fine folks at ADV will have specific scents that are not available in the big stores. I fell in love with a gardenia scent from Goutal after the very kind man sprayed 7 different similar fragrances for me. The boy ended up with a really sexy, citrusy cologne that I loooooove. Perhaps the most fun part of my visit (aside from smelling everything in the store and running around giggling like a giddy five-year-old) was playing with the two fluffy Shih Tzus who lie on the carpets inside in the air conditioned store. Super cute, and sweet, and in a funny way, I swear they epitomize the luxurious atmosphere. Lucy, the white one, is my favorite. Beautiful displays and great scents. read more

Amazing selection of hard to find fragrances! I first discovered them online when I was searching for a US carrier of an Italian perfume. Great website with very informative blurbs about each fragrance. And you can also get samples when you order online. But visiting the store is a worthwhile experience. read more

Gorgeously decadent perfumerie that stocks the worlds best perfumes, candles and skin/body care products. Wonderful place to pick up a gift as well as a treat for yourself. Great staff, attentive and knowledgeable! (Psst and quite cute!) read more

If you have a serious love for scent then you must venture to this splendid store. Not only do they have the most coveted artisanal perfume lines, they let you linger with their well curated scent collections as long as you like. You absolutely must go if you are in NYC. read more

they offer local nyc messenger service and were super helpful over the phone :) lovely selection.

If you are a novice, go here and learn. If you are a pro, go here to geek out and gush about your very special fragrance that the staff totally gets. read more

It is obvious that this is the best perfume store in NYC ... The choice and quality is the best and the manager never failed me on choosing a new fragrance. I shop regularly there. Very and highly recommended read more

Wow... this place delivers on all fronts! The most eclectic chic range of fragrance and beauty products, hands down, in the city. informed, professional and extremely helpful, grown up staff who, I've witnessed over many many years, go out of their way to accommodate their clientele. The vision and passion of the owners shines through in every detail. Always fully stocked or able to get the items requested at moments notice. Eager to help with lovely (and impressive) gifts. RUN -- don't walk, to this place!!! read more

After I called them about the problem with my order they were very apologetic and promised to mail out my package as soon as possible. And I received the package in 4 days! And with a lot of free samples too. So I'll give them credit. All in all, I still like the store, their selection is impeccable, a lot of their products are not found anywhere else. So even though it can be a pain sometimes, BUT, I think I'll still shop here in the future. read more

Dreamy. The selection is incredible and the store's decor is a gorgeous setting for exploring everything they have to offer. They are happy to let you browse in peace, without excessive hovering, but do feel free to ask questions; I've always found the staff very knowledgeable when queried. read more

Wow. Really. So many perfumes all in one tiny shop. A bit overwhelming because there are so many. I need to go back to peruse more before picking my scent. As others have said before, the shop itself is quite beautiful with a dark interior with velvet chairs and drapes and candles all over. Lovely. read more

After a month and seven days and several phone calls every week for the past three weeks I called today to get a refund on something I did not receive. I was also supposed to get an email once my product arrived and was shipped. In the phone call today I was told my order was sent yesterday and gave me the option to get my money back or send the product back to them once I got it at the end of the week. During on my phone conversations with them in the past weeks they kept saying it'll be here next week it'll be here by the end of the week it'll be here next week. Their customer service sucks I would never buy anything online from them ever again. I cannot give an opinion on personally shopping there. Some advice to this retailer, this is why Amazon is putting you out of business.. read more

Aedes de Venustas is inarguably a special place and I wanted to love it. HOWEVER, be warned that they will put you in your place and value you as a customer only if you actually are a customer. The store is lovely and you'd be hard pressed to find another store with as discerning and as wide of a range as their selection. Miguel was established enough as a nose to be able to identify his product by smell (even noticing that scents on the tester papers had layered from being held together). My Mr. and I were in the store the other day because I was hoping they might have something similar to Slumberhouse, and I just like to collect perfumes. As we began to look around, Miguel asked us if we needed any help, as is customary. I wanted to look around the store first, and I have a tendency of not wanting to take sales associates away from other customers who are in the store before me so I declined. After getting a chance to poke around a little and after they made their sale, I went back up to Miguel and it went a little like this: Me: Your selection is a little overwhelming. :) Miguel: That's why I asked if you needed help. :I (Ha! Okay, well, I didn't mean for that to come out as offensive, but maybe it could have been taken that way so I'll give him that.) Me: I tend to like soft fruity florals like En Passant. I don't like anything too powdery. Miguel: Would you like me to show you a few recommendations? Me: Yes, please. He walks around to several fragrances and spritzes them on test papers and hands them to me. They're all pretty good recommendations and I decide between L'eau by Serge Lutens (aldehydic floral) and Water Calligraphy by Kilian (aquatic floral). He doesn't really say anything of his own accord though, the way a sales associate at Creed might tell you enticing stories behind the fragrances they're pushing (Bois du Portugal was Frank Sinatra's signature, Spring Flower was Audrey Hepburn's). At this point, I asked him about samples of two fragrances my Mr. was interested in. He told me they have a policy of offering only one sample so Mr. would need to choose between the two, and that they have an online service that allows you to buy 7 samples for $27.50. Sadness. I don't understand why they couldn't decant the samples in the store while we were there for us to purchase at the same price and save both sides the hassle of shipping. I decide on purchasing the L'eau anyways and then Miguel offered a sample of Water Calligraphy. I asked him that instead of the Kilian, to let Mr. get samples of the two that he wanted to try. So they do that and add a sample of the Water Calligraphy as well. Their policy on samples is confusing because if you purchase something online with them, you can get up to 7 samples free. If I had gotten the L'eau online, I could have gotten Mr. all the samples he wanted. I find it pretty bizarre that when you purchase in the store, they're stingier with sampling--up to 3. I'm scared to think of what would have happened if I had wanted a sample of Shalini. On the other hand, it was still nice of them to decant the samples and I appreciated that they threw in the third sample. You know what they say... gift horses... mouths... Maybe I'm just spoiled from superior experiences in purchasing fragrance. It's just that I'm a big proponent of samples for something as personal as fragrance and I just couldn't buy a bottle without smelling it on me first. Honestly, it won't stop me from dropping by when I want to pick up some of the harder-to-find fragrances. A lot of places are like Aedes, where you aren't worth their time if you don't buy from them. However, if I want Frederic Malle, I'm heading to the upper east for the brick-and-mortar Frederic Malle because I can wear my weekend bumpkin clothes and still get as many samples as I need for future purchases (+ the smelling columns!) read more

Still madly in love with this shop. Have gotten so much help discovering what I love and learning about notes that I started looking into perfumery classes/schools! Wanted to send some love and encourage anyone who loves beautiful fragrances to go, or at least check out the website and start playing with the sample service to start their own path to perfume nirvana. read more

I used to love this place and Carl was always so kind and helpful. But the person at the counter now is rude, rude, rude. The word disdainful actually came to mind. Great perfume selection but the store is so dark and saturated with the scent of thousands of perfumes that have dripped the floor over the years --- its hard to concentrate. And the fact that they will "no longer identify a scent through notes" --- strikes me as silly and downright pretensions. read more

Great great customer service! The staff was extremely nice, and also gave me a plenty of samples so I can try on. The store is very relaxing and gorgeous. The only store I would go to get my perfume now on! read more

Shopped here for a very specific (and very expensive) gift for my brother. He told me exactly what to ask for because this is not a typical shopping destination for me, as shopping is not a typical practice for me either. My brother told me it could be pretentious here and the staff could be difficult with people at times. Apparently I caught them on a perfect day. From the moment I was buzzed in, to the moment I left the staff here were incredible. I was greeted by a young woman who refereed to me as "precious lovely", which is much nicer than the usual words my wife describes me with! Seriously, she was very nice. She introduced me to their little shi-tzu dogs, who were also extremely nice. The owner, I presumed anyways, is a very nice Venezuelan ex-pat who is also extremely nice. I don't know much about special scents and stuff, but my brother tells me this is the place. They even have this special incense from France that is like no other (the name escapes me at the moment) The only downside is the pricetag, but it is very special stuff so you are getting what you pay for. I will for sure return, but mainly for special occasions. Don't be intimidated by the appearance of the place, it does look like Maria Attoinettes boudoir, but as I've emphatically said the staff here make you feel comfortable, even if you come dressed like a slob like me. It's a great place! read more

New York City is a great place to be in for fragrance lovers. Being one myself, I love to explore new creations from niche fragrance houses. I am a big supporter of small, independent houses with unique perspective and attention to details and quality. I buy my fragrances both online and in-store (Twisted Lily is my favorite spot in town for the great selection and the friendly, knowledgable customer service). Aedes, on the other hand, is the worst experience I have had shopping for fragrances anywhere, and here is why: I've been in here a few times over the years, most of the time with a friend who is a fragrance collector, sometimes by myself. My experiences were all mediocre at best here at Aedes. The sales associate Frederico (I might be wrong about the name but he's medium height and undercut hairstyle both times I saw him) has serious attitude toward me, and it was obvious from the look on his face. My assumption was because I look young and look casual, he didn't think I have money to buy anything. He didn't bother offering any help when we walked in, after my friend and I sprayed a few scents on the plotters, he spoke up with disconcerting tone behind the counter without looking at us, "let me know if you need any help," to make us aware of his annoyance. I am usually a self-sufficient shopper who likes to do my own browsing instead of letting salespeople recommending things because I know my taste and what I am looking for. I asked him about a scent similar to Black Amber by Agonist, and he pointed to their house brand, as expected; I know they want to promote their own line, which are all nice and well-done in my opinion, but it was not in line with what I were looking for. Compared to sale associates at Min New York and Twisted Lily, SAs here at Aedes are not as knowledgable; they are more concerned whether you are ready to buy right away or not. I know they have some celebrity clients due to the location, hence the snobbish attitude. If you look at Osswald in Soho, they offer a lot more expensive lines, but the sale associates never pressure or give customers bad attitude. Another bad thing is he told me they only offer 1-2 samples (which I've read from one of the comments here), while he gave the other guy in the store 4 samples. To be honest, the store is too small, and air is too stuffy to truly smell or experience anything without sampling them at home. If you just want people to come in and buy then leave right away, you should have a takeout window with that buzzer so people can write down their order and swipe the card, take it in a paper bag then leave, it would be much more pleasant than having to deal with bad sale associates. In this day and age, people always complaint about young people gluing their eyes to the phone and not interacting with anyone; this is the case where technology does improve your social experience, ordering products and samples from Luckyscent and other online stores are much more enjoyable and non-aggreviating, and its worth the prices paying for samples. I bought from Osswald and Twisted Lily solely based on my experience in store, anything can be found online these days, it's not like any of these products can't be purchased online. Sadly most of the lines offered here at Aedes are probably not even considered niche anymore since they are so widely available. My friend did make a purchase for a bottle of Idole from Lubin, he confirmed later that Fre wasn't very friendly even though he bought something. Save yourself some time and hassles by going to other places that actually want your business. Frederic Malle opened a store nearby, and Diptyque is not far away, soon Barneys will be in the neighborhood which will seriously take away business from this store. If you are looking to find niche fragrances, Osswald or Twisted Lily are the places to go. read more

One of the NYC top perfume houses. It has a huge collection of expensive niche perfumes. A great place to visit and try out new niche fragrances. Compared with MiN New York and Oswald, they have different marketing targets. So even though you have been to the other two, Aedes is still a place worth to visit. read more

This is one of the great shops in manhattan: a small place that specializes in niche fragrances for men and women (all of their fragrances are unisex). A couple of things really set them apart. First, their selection is stellar...literally hundreds of hard to find fragrances line all four walls and I found it almost dizzying trying to partake of them all. Second, the customer service is absolutely amazing. The guy who helped me stayed with me for 45 minutes as I sampled something like 30 different fragrances. He gave advice, was patient, and made sure all of my questions were answered. Try to get that in dumps like Macy's or Bloomingdales! Third, they were happy to provide me with hand-decanted samples of some of the fragrances I was waffling on so that I could try them on my own time and see if I liked them. What a fantastic way to guarantee future sales! If you love niche fragrances and want to find them all in one small store on one of NYC's best streets (Christopher Street) in the West Village, then look no further. Yes, the fragrances are a little pricey, but they're worth it. And the experience at Aedes de Venustas will justify every penny. read more

I never miss an opportunity to hit this store when I am in the 'hood. Great selection of unique scents. I have always experienced good, helpful service. I particularly appreciate the free samples. If you're looking for a new perfume or on a quest for more of that soap you bought in Paris try AdV. read more

Let me preface this by saying that I shamelessly admit that I am a frangrance snob. I undoubtedly refuse to purchase fragrances from a department store, no matter how high-end. I came here to get my Holy Grail of patchouli fragrances; Santa Maria Novella's Patchouli. I was helped by two very handsome and friendly gentlemen. I was not hurried, haggled, nor made to feel intimidated. I had a wonderful conversation with one of the gentlemen about my love of incense and bohemian type scents by the likes of my favorite perfumer.. Bertrand Duchaufour. They made me several samples as suggestions to take home, most notable among them, La Liturgie des Heures by Jovoy (comparable to Avignon by CDG, only much better and longer lasting) and L'Artisan Parfumeur's Bertrand Duchaufour exclusive for ADV. I'll be back next time to get both. This little shop fulfills my aesthetic and luxe factor when it comes to niche and artisanal perfumes. I look forward to my return. read more

Almost certainly the best, most diverse selection of fragrances in New York. Cute store, too.

It's so great to see these guys so dedicated and truly LOVE what they do!!! What a gem in the city!!!

if there is any serious drawback to shopping here it is simply the multitude of choices. i found the staff to be very friendly and happy to connect with me from my starting point (Serge Lutens) and develop options from there. while they carry an outrageously varied selection, their own offerings should not be overlooked. currently contemplating their COPAL AZUR:) one customer mentioned their unease with the " ring bell to enter ". this is simply the reality of small square footage in Manhattan. it allows the shop owner to keep loads of inventory in all the usable space, not have to watch the front 10 feet like an eagle on the Hudson river:) get over it. it actually benefits the customer:) its a great enterprise, well thought out and beautifully presented. dont be shy, bring your nose over here:) read more

One of the best escapes in NYC. It may seem too private at first- low light, opulent, house music- but the owners and staff are there to help- and their offerings are more than sublime. When you walk in get ready for a mellow, rarified experience. My only advise is dont sample too many perfumes in one try- my only migranes came from that! But even the headache had an enjoyable decadence to it- I will only buy from here - the owners are true gentlemen and the staff follows suite. This store is able to satisfy uptown, Brooklyn and out of town with perfect ease. I hope they are here forever! read more

I absolutely love this shop! I encountered it when a friend from California had it on a list of NY shops to visit. We walked in and were immersed in a world of lovely niche fragrances. I walked out having purchased Creed's Jasmal. Since then I've been shopping with them for 9 years. They are very pleasant and ready to guide you to fragrances based on notes you like and will decant fragrances you desire to test before purchasing. I didn't feel any coldness from the staff. In fact, it has been a lovely experience from the start and continues being so to this day. read more

Every Parfum-a-holic should visit this shop. It is, without a doubt, one of New York City's best fragrances boutiques. They carry hard to find parfum, colognes, and Eau de Toilettes that you truly can adopt as a signature scent without worrying about smelling them on every other person you pass on the street. In addition they carry lovely home fragrances, skincare, and bath and body products. A worthwhile indulgence. read more