One of the amazing things about fragrance, especially in the niche fragrance world, is the element of discovery. It is a world where there never seems to be a point where you know everything that it is out there. There are so many independent and niche perfumers that hidden is small cities and large metropolitans across the world that you never seem to come to the end of the discovery of new scents. What’s also amazing is when you can find a shop who knows and understands these fragrances, the artists behind them and the stories in which they are derived from. In any passion you are involved in, it becomes less and less about the social capital of the passion and more about the essence and craft involved in it. You end up forming a community among those who share the same passion, and that community will also become a safe space for exploration, discovery and freedom to fully immerse yourself into where your heart flutters and your mind runs free.

I was having my normal conversation with my friend, who is also my self-assigned sales rep at the local store where I grab my fragrances and do a bit of discovery, and I was telling them that I was traveling to New York for an extended weekend trip for friends. In that conversation, I was informed that there was a small shop in New York that was amazing and they specialized in niche, independent fragrance houses that were not mainstream. Of course, that sent my internal happy meter through the roof. When I landed in New York, I made sure to put time on my schedule to visit that store, and I will never regret it. Aedes Perfumery is a wonderful perfume boutique on the Lower East Side of New York City, nestled right on Orchard St. and in a way could be described as unassuming at first glance. When you walk into the boutique, you are transformed into a different era in time, when warm tones on the walls, regal shelves that are filled with fragrances, candles, and much more. It truly feels like you are walking into a mid-century home or parlor, where the ceilings are low, there are plants and different textures, and the aroma of the space is a fragrance enthusiast dream. It is very comfy, cozy space and the sales representative was incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful. We ended up having an hour conversation, we explored the different brands that were located in the boutique, to the history of the owners and their journey through the fragrance industry as executives and how the opened Aedes Perfumery. After minutes of an amazing fragrance conversation, the boutique executive pointed me towards the relaunch Aedes De Venustas line, the boutique’s own fragrance line and I tested many of the scents they had. After some deliberation, I landed on Palissandre D’or…