ARMAF
CLUB DE NUIT INTENSE MAN EDT
2015
Lemon
Pineapple
Bergamot
blackcurrant
Apple
Birch
Jasmine
Rose
Musk
Ambergris
Patchouli
Vanilla
I usually stay away from full-on clone brands like this, but as someone who’s trying to provide a wide coverage of extensive reviews, it only made sense to pitch on on the ever popular Club de Nuit Intense Man (EDT).
Probably the most popular Creed Aventus clone on the market. And it is very close to Aventus, if not 100%, than 90% or more. I haven’t smelled it side by side, but from memory, I’d say this and maybe Tiziana Terenzi Orion reminded me most of the (2 batches of) Aventus that I was familiar with.
A lot of the discussion surround CDNIM has been about it being harsh or lower quality smelling. I think that’s overstated. Or at least, this batch does not have it. I do think it’s a bit sharper, but I also think that’s what a lot of people are missing in Aventus these days. I’m not invested into different batches much, so I’m not speaking from my own experience here. I just hear a lot of mention of Aventus being too weak, too soft, not smoky enough.
The perceived lower quality I get from the Armaf actually is what makes it feel a bit rougher and rugged. So is that a pro or a con? I was bracing myself for a ‘terrible and harsh’ opening, but it’s realy not that bad at all, at least on my sample. It’s a bit harsher, but if I sprayed Aventus or some other variants of it, I wouldn’t even have noticed something was off.
I was kind of expecting this to be more fruity and citrussy, as many of the clones I’ve smelled are, but CDNIM actually nails the mossy green hue of Aventus. My favorite rendition as of now is V Canto Adux, which opens very similarly. I feel Adux is significantly nicer, smoother and a bit warmer in the drydown. CDNIM performs better based on my first impression and it’s a lot cheaper as well though.
I have zero interest of putting a (terrible looking) bottle of this on my shelf, but objectively speaking, if you want Aventus and you don’t want to spend hundreds…either get Club De Nuit Intense Man or maybe Terenzi Orion on a discount (also a amazing performer). For quality, go for Adux or even something like IO-KO I-Mirage 23 if you want to splurge. I want to defend Aventus as someone who preaches to value originality, but with Creed’s exorbitant price hikes, they make it very hard to do so.
I felt that Aventus has had its time for several years now (although I’m sure retail store sales numbers for Creed disprove my feelings). The hype is definitely way over its peak. I heard that there should be a new (possibly limited edition) Aventus flanker coming later in 2023 to regain dominance.