Smells like Creed Aventus: Avant body butter

Creed Aventus smells of pineapple, bergamot, blackcurrant, birch, patchouli, musk and oakmoss. Avant is our take on that profile, with pineapple, birch and musk, in a pheromone-infused body butter at $34 a jar.

Where does Aventus come from?

Creed launched Aventus in 2010. The list reads in two halves. Pineapple, bergamot and blackcurrant are the fruit. Birch, patchouli and oakmoss are the dark, woody and earthy side, and musk sits under both.

People ask whether it suits the office or date night. That question comes up because the fruit reads bright and the woods read serious.

What does Avant keep, and what does it leave out?

Avant keeps one note from each part of that list: pineapple for the fruit, birch for the woody edge, and musk underneath. Bergamot, blackcurrant, patchouli and oakmoss are not in our three, so expect a plainer version of the idea with less of the earthy depth.

Think of it as the original with the edges rounded and pineapple as the only fruit. If you liked Aventus for the fruit, that is the part Avant keeps. If you liked it for the dry wood and the earthy depth, none of our six matches that fully, but Oud Timber has the most wood and is the nearest in that direction.

The formula is our own, in a shea butter and cocoa butter base. It follows the profile of the original without being identical to it.

Is Avant a day scent or a night scent?

A day scent, in our opinion, and an early evening one. Fruit over a musk base suits a shirt, a meeting and a dinner that starts at seven. That makes Avant our answer to the office-or-date-night question: it handles both, as long as the date is not a late one.

For late nights we would reach for Rogue 540 instead. Avant by day and Rogue 540 by night is a pairing that covers most of a week without repeating yourself.

How do you wear it?

Put it on your forearms and chest right after a shower, while your skin is damp, and give it time to settle before you dress. On most skin it lasts 12+ hours, longest on damp skin.

Already own Aventus? Wear Avant first and keep the spray for the end. We have not tested that pairing under controlled conditions, so it is an idea to try and not a promise.

What does it cost next to a bottle?

A bottle of Aventus costs about $445. A jar of Avant is $34, about $411 less, or 2 for $59 and 3 for $78.99. There is a free scent swap within 14 days if the scent is not for you.

Bale is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Creed.

Quick answers

• What does pineapple with birch smell like? Bright fruit over dry wood. That pairing is the idea Avant is built around, with musk underneath.
• Who is Avant for? A man who wants a bright, fruit-led scent for the daytime and would rather it did not fill the room.
• How many jars do I need? One is enough to start. If you want a night scent as well, 2 for $59 comes with a free travel tin.
• Is Avant a summer scent? In our opinion, yes. Fruit and musk are light company on a warm day.
• Does Avant work for date night? For an early dinner, yes. For a late night, Rogue 540 is the better pick.

See Avant body butter, or let the scent quiz compare it with the other five.