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One of the World’s Best Fragrances Is Selling Way Below Retail, If You Know Where to Look

Forget the dupes.

Close-up of a clear glass Creed perfume bottle with a black textured base and cap on a light surface.Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol
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By Jack Seemer

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Updated

Mockingly or nostalgically, fragheads use the term “drugstore” to describe the smells of their youth.

Davidoff Cool Water. Drakkar Noir. Even Old Spice.

Go ahead and add Creed Aventus to the list.

Close-up of a clear glass bottle with the word "CREW" embossed on it and a black cap.
Creed Aventus is widely considered one of the world’s best fragrances, routinely topping best-of lists.
Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Widely considered a modern classic, if not the single best formulation of all time, Aventus rewrote the fragrance playbook, spawning no shortage of dupes that try to capture its fresh and musky essence at a fraction of the cost.

Don’t bother.

As it turns out, you can score a bottle of real-deal Aventus at CVS, which quietly started selling the fan-favorite fragrance sometime in the last couple years.

The best part? It’s going for prices that even Costco can’t match.

Black textured box of Creed Aventus perfume with silver horse emblem and text on a light surface.
Creed sells 1.7-ounce bottles of Aventus for $380. CVS has it for $128.
Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Designer name, drugstore price

Now through December 27, CVS is selling 1.7-ounce bottles of Aventus for $128 — a whopping 76 percent off compared to the MSRP listed by Creed itself.

If there’s a catch, it’s that stock seems to vary by CVS location, as not every one carries the world-renown fragrance. It’s also difficult to check online, as searches for “Creed Aventus” come up empty its website.

Black square bottle cap with an embossed crown design on a clear glass bottle.
CVS only has the 1.7-ounce bottle in stock.
Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

That said, Gear Patrol was independently able to verify at least three CVS locations in northern New Jersey with Aventus in stock, and plenty of additional testimonials across the US can be read on the r/colognes subreddit.

Pro tip: use Uber Eats to see if any CVS locations near you have the fragrance.

What does Aventus smell like?

According to Creed, the fragrance opens with notes of bergamot and pink pepper, before it develops into a richer blend of pineapple, patchouli, cedarwood and musk.

Close-up of a black textured bottle with a metallic label featuring a horse and rider illustration and the word "AVENTUS.
Aventus opens with notes of bergamot and pink pepper, before it rounds out with pineapple, patchouli, cedarwood and musk.
Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

If it sounds like a crowd-pleaser, it is. Aventus routinely tops best-of lists online, including our own, and it currently it carries a rating of 4.32 out of 5 at Fragrantica.

That said, fragrances are highly subjective, even those as universally praised as Aventus. So perhaps it’s best to judge the juice for yourself.

Try your local CVS …

About the Author:

Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.

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