Aedes de Venustas - Cierge de Lune

A blooming cactus sets the tone for this glamorous take on the dark side of vanilla. Cool and clear like moonlit desert air. Velvety and sensual like a midnight sky – Cierge de Lune is inspired by the scent of the mysterious night-blooming cactus with the Latin name Selenicereus grandiflorus. It is colloquially known as the ‘queen of the night’ – a name that has been adopted across countries. France is an exception, where the rare cactus is better known by its common name, ‘moonlight candle’.

The poetic names are no coincidence. The spectacular flower of the cactus opens after sunset and closes at sunrise. This is what allegedly prompted Queen Marie Antoinette of France to summon the painter Pierre-Joseph Redouté, known for his watercolour paintings of flowers, at midnight so that he could capture the fleeting bloom of the cactus from the New World.

Today, Karl Bradl, co-founder of Aedes de Venustas, and perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin recreate the beguiling scent of these fleeting and impressive flowers. Cierge de Lune carries an exciting range of olfactory nuances – from high crystalline notes to a nocturnal hint of spicy vanilla, interwoven with the finest threads of incense. For his first collaboration with Aedes de Venustas in 2016, Pellegrin drew on a rich portfolio. ‘Our bourbon vanilla is the most honest of all natural ingredients,’ he says. Unlike its Tahitian counterpart, with its hint of yellow-brown leather, bourbon vanilla smells more of wood and amber. This variant forms the heart of the composition, revealing its darker side. A lively breeze of hedione transforms the delicious pod into a cactus flower, whose immaculate petals unfold with ylang-ylang.

Glittering like moonlight, pink pepper sparks make the velvety blend shine enchantingly, while black pepper adds its fascinating effects: starting with mineral, incense-like aspects – incense, a reminiscence of the olfactory theme of the Aedes de Venustas line – to resinous, smoky and dark chocolate notes. Then, as a final metamorphosis, musky ambrox underscores the deep, velvety accord, transforming the nocturnal bloom into a flattering second skin.

Cierge de Lune takes you on an olfactory journey deep into the desert. The eau de parfum envelops the skin in a rare, regal floral scent.

Aedes de Venustas Cierge de Lune is now presented in a high-quality, sophisticated bottle: peacock blue accents highlight the ribbed bottle. The cap is matt black and embossed with the brand's insignia. It is a harmoniously sleek yet powerful and striking design with which Aedes de Venustas begins the next chapter in its success story.