OPULENT SCENTS

To create the first stand-alone fragrance for New York's beloved olfactory boutique Aedes de Venustas, proprietor Robert Gerstner said, he and partner Karl Bradl, along with perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, followed a simple credo: "No limitations." The result, Aedes de Venustas Signature Eau de Parfum—also available as candle and soap—is robust and vibrant with, Gerstner says, a "constantly changing" unisex aroma that surpasses any single ingredient's scent, whether Madagascan vetiver, tomato leaf, or incense. The perfume's green, rhubarb core emanates throughout its lighter and heavier notes, paying no heed to the traditional top-base-bottom fragrance pyramid. Even the crimson-tinted glass bottle's packaging—a burgundy velvet box inspired by a swatch of fabric cut from the store—was chosen to connote the boutique's feeling of indulgent opulence. ($225; aedes.com)

ANTHONY ROTUNNO

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