Venenum 32

EDIT TO UPDATE 3/8/24: Ok... so I need to buy a new bottle since I had returned the last one. Apparently I adore this fragrance. I do wish it had better performance but the scent itself is SO WELL DONE. If anyone is wondering about the "spicy notes" - they are not overdone or overpowering at all - very well-balanced. I am hoping that with time this beauty will just get a heavier sillage/projection as it matures. I have been noticing this happening with other perfumes of mine that I almost gave up on. Now nearly 3/4 year later their performance has jumped up a significant amount. And it isn't too often that I find a fragrance/scent that I absolutely adore. I need to try the Cartier one now... Does anyone else know of any other fragrances that are similar to this? ORIGINAL POST: I am so sad this didn't work out. It smells AMAZING and is exactly what I've been looking for. But it just isn't strong enough. I can only smell it when I put my nose to skin/clothes. And even then it dies down within the hour to being barely detectable. Wow does it smell fantastic but it needs to be 2-3× stronger - and it would still not be a very strong fragrance. It is a soft-spicy lactonic woody fragrance. Very beautiful but it is frustrating me. So I think I need to pass it on. If this had better performance it could be one of my favorite perfumes ever. I have and love Piano Santal, which is definitely similar. My quest for more lactonic-woody fragrances continues. This has been my favorite genre of perfume, along side gourmand. I recommend this for someone who doesn't mind a light fragrance, where they may not smell it a lot themselves but others around them can perceive it. I've tried overspraying it too... can anyone confirm if this gets better performance after maturing for a while? Would love more recommendations for similar fragrances too.

This is exquisite to my nose.... a comforting warm mug of milky chai, gently sipped as you walk around in the silence and peace of a new dawn, breaking on a early summer day. It is evocative of that specific state...when the world is still, your mind relaxed, your soul calm, your heart open, and you just enjoy the stillness and the silence of everything atound you that's imbued with the golden light and growing warmth of the returning sun. Where you can just be. This is a really realistic chai black tea, warming spices and the most divine and relaxing laconic leaming sandalwood note. It reminds me somewhat of 'Starlight' by Xjerkoff, which I also adore, the difference is this one is less cardamom leaning, and focuses more on cumin and other spices, backed by a black tea and sandalwood base. Whilst the Xerjoff one is bright, sweet and more of a high pitched perfume that sings to the celestial skies, this one is more mellow, a cosy sunrise light, rather than the bright spark of 'Starlight'. It is savoury and doesn't go too sweet, whilst it is more of a low meditative chant that feels more grounded to the earth beneath us. I don't understand the complaints that this one doesn't last either, it lasts rather well on me for an l'artisan perfume, which are often short lived beauties. I really need to get myself a full Bottle of this, as along with 'Starlight' (which I already own) they're both the best example of this sort of style scent I've found that, whilst with similarities in the scent itself, both create a different emotional state in myself. I totally love the both of them. Edit - treated myself to this as a full bottle and couldn't be happier. I'll look forward to wearing this a lot in the autumn weather.

Holy jebus, I love this. First, the bottle is badass - snakey and ambery and mysterious. But who cares about the bottle? This stuff is so freaking delicious. You are greeted with chai tea -- just spicy enough to be interesting but not so much to offend the nostrils (and nearby humans). Yes, this has facets of milk tea - but the lactonic note is not super strong or sour. It feels comforting the way a hot milky tea might feel (I think of the Cowboy Junkies song "Cold Tea Blues" when I wear this scent). The real magic happens at the drydown where the most delicious soft spicy flourish lingers -- so warm, so beautiful. This is a perfect scent for cold weather. I don't get any vanilla here but this is one of those fragrances that is blended so well that to pick out individual notes is to miss the point. L'Artisan has been very hit or miss for me (mostly miss) so I was surprised to have fallen in so deeply with this one. Extreme love and lust all around. 10 hell yeahs/10 hell yeahs

Sadly finished a bottle of this and it's sad because i already miss how comforting and cozy it has been to wear this fragrance, it reminds me of the good smell of a cozy calm living room. It's especially good for cooler autumn days or early spring when winter is leaving but spring flowers didn't start to bloom yet. I agree on the name being badly matched with the actual notes, i couldn't see anything narcotic and poisonous in it. The opening has a soft cinnamon feeling which is not annoying or overly present, short after Venenum evolves into a milky sandalwood and i get hints of basmati rice too...the projection is discreet and after about 5 hours it's a skin scent. Stays waaay longer on clothes, i m able to smell it after days on a sweater and i love that, it makes me want to cuddle up in it and sip tea,maybe tea with milk with some cinnamon butter cookies.

cf L'Artisan Parfumeur's website: Fragrance Notes: Masala Chai, Rice, Sandalwood So the spices, tea and milk listed here stand for the chai tea and are not to be considered separately, so the masala chai icon - which exists in fragrantica's notes - should be used here to avoid misinterpretation ... and where does the bread note come from when it should be rice? Venenum is the hot and spicy masala chai tea you would love to sip when coming in from the chilly outside, cupping your mug to warm your fingers and inhaling the fragrant steam. Joint by the sandalwood this is such a cozy perfume, perfect for this time of the year and the colder months to come.

My husband and I used to go to a delicious Nepalese restaurant called Kathmandu. Every time we went, I would get the restaurant's signature Kathmandu tea– a spiced, milky, masala chai black tea whose aroma was enough to make me fall in love with it before sipping. That comforting, aromatic experience is captured beautifully in this beautiful snakey bottle. This is exactly the kind of gourmand a gourmand-skeptic like me enjoys. I always love it when an appealing bottle houses an equally appealing fragrance! Beautifully blended. Moderate longevity and surprisingly polite sillage for the heaviness of the notes.

I've just tried (reformulated) Santal Blush, and it's quite similar to Venenum. However, Santal is very thin, it lacks depth and doesn't have the cozy factor that Venenum creates well. It is also spicy and a bit creamy, but it smells a bit more synthetic and basic woody than V. Go with Venenum, it's a better and more memorable creation. Someone in comments asked if Venenum has been reformulated- I first got a factory sample from the official website. Yes, the projection was weak, so I decided to find an old bottle with a bee. It took me a while to find it, but unfortunately, there is no difference.

I’ve gown up with Indian chai and to my nose this is not a straight up Indian chai. I would say this is another drink which is warm milk with chai spices, little bit of sugar and saffron (though) not in notes. There’s sandalwood and hint of tea in the background. The perfumers website also has rice listed in the notes but I didn’t smell any. It gets to the dry down pretty fast with a soapy sandalwood like the sandalwood soaps that you get in India. I enjoyed every stage of this journey and want the FB if it wasn’t so expensive! A lovely cosy scent for cooler months. IG/Tiktok: @wilddew_vibes

I bought a bottle of this back when it was designed with the golden bee on the bottle. Years later as the weather starts to become cooler I find myself craving for the creamy, smooth and delicious smell I remembered. Finally took the hit on my wallet and bought it. It's the same scent, I love it just as much but I am starting to think have they reformulated it? I found this time the juice is less potent, it has a weaker projection, still a good longevity on fabrics but seems to be faster to fade on skin (am I alone in this?)

I love sandal wood, especially lactonic sandal wood. That is why I love both By Killian - Sacred Wood and Chlo'e Santalum. However, this one is totally different. The spicy warm Chai tea opening makes it very interesting. The dry down is not exactly lactonic sandal wood, it is more like rice or wheat-scented sandal wood but I also love it. Another love at first sniff to dry down. Moderate sillage and longivity. If you like Chai tea and sandal wood, blind buy should not be a problem.

Irresistibly warm, buttery cookies smoked with spices fresh out of oven, dried orange, wholegrain rye bread, and ginger milk tea on the side. It's more of a night scent for me, because that's when I crave for such treats. The fulfilling warmth and goodness that it radiates, lures me to sleep. This one is a exceptionally well harmonised gourmand, unlike Cartier Declaration. + I normally hate chai latte, but the richness of the scent changed my mind 7.8/10

This is an incredibly beautiful milky, sandalwood, chai. I agree with the majority of the reviews saying so. The spices are dry and sweetened just enough. This isn’t gourmand, but then again it almost is. This is sandalwood made edible. I love this scent. This is one I would carry with me and respray throughout the day as needed. L’Artisan has great sales in the winter. Keep your eye out. I bought my bottle on sale last year.

A cozy kitchen at dusk. The sunlight is gentle and golden. A kettle hums on the stove, and every so often a little cloud of cardamom‐and‐cinnamon steam rises into the air. On the table, a bowl of fluffy rice sits beside a warm, crusty loaf of bread. The aroma of the bread mingles with the soft scent of sandalwood incense lazily curling through the room. This is comfort in a bottle.

I love this stuff. I was shopping for green/fresh scents and was given a sample of this - WOW. Instant buy. No regrets but its not as long lasting as others I own. I dont think it opens that much versus others on the market, but god almighty its just such a beautiful scent to catch on the wind. I just love it, and luckily I got the last one at my local spot.

This scent is decadent, spicy, and playful. It’s the seduction of a priest who tends to a poison garden. I bake him sweet spiced pastries and he sends me dark blooms and sonnets filled with yearning. The sillage and longevity is just enough so that it’s our little open secret. Definitely worth a try; the whole Botanique collection is gorgeous.

I smelled this and thought “this smells exactly like chai!” and then read the notes and went - oh that’s why! It’s a beautiful spicy, milky, vanilla perfume. Would work best in cold weather I think. Unisex but I’d say the sweetness makes it lean slightly feminine. Really unique and nice one to have in the collection.

Yesterday I was in Indian restaurant and drink really tasty, authentic (ang o god, not so sweet) masala chai. And this fragrance is the same! Finally spicy tea, warm and cozy and without vanilla or tonka!! Hell yeah!

To me extremely sandalwood dominant, it's actually hard to notice anything else. I tried a sample but I'm in love with the bottle. Hoping I can buy from someone it didn't work for.

On my skin it smells like horchata and I kind of love it for fall!

Five spiced version of Le Labo 26. Interesting oriental gourmet!

Chai in spray format? I'm warming to it. Allow me to spill the tea: On first testing (after blind buying - so it was my own fault!) this was all set up to be a grave disappointment: so mild it seemed weak, so gentle it verged on gutless, so smooth that it lacked real interest. Now I'm rowing back hard on all those demerit points - because after it's spent a few months resting out of rotation in the dark, it appears to have pulled itself together and is now ready to really do the business. At last, I can really smell the aromatic spices, really pick up the wafts of tea and revel in the genuinely milky-creamy-lactonic zone of contentment it offers. Best of all, there's an especially genuine and delicious rice (not bread) note in there, which was the niche quirk that I'd bought it for myself, but which I couldn't detect at all when my bottle was just fresh out of the factory. So, if you scraped together the pennies to buy this and then seethed because it was a bit of a letdown - give it some time and try again later before you decide to evict it. There ARE things I still can't forgive: ridiculous pricing, iffy longevity and a bit of a lack of originality. Like me, you may realise with a start that this is actually L'Artisan's lower-budget ripoff of Affinessence's high-class heartbreaker Santal Basmati, and actually making a pretty good stab at smelling very very similar to it. Venenum is not simply a dupe (and it's even less assertive on performance than SB), BUT it's "close enough", and very significantly cheaper, so manages to bring S Basmati's ultra-luxe smellscape within temporary reach for us non-millionaires. Venenum's still not cheap by any normal standard, though - L'Artisan's asking price for this is way over-ambitious in my view - and its discreetly milky charms really don't stick for long to human skin - it's most likely to waft away entirely by only 2 or 3 h in no matter how lavishly you spray it on yourself. So the first time around, I was seriously peeved: wasn't this just a niche-scam shell game, a weak but pleasant nonentity dressed up in emperor's new clothes and sold off at a gouging, greedy 'exclusive' premium? Well actually no: it's far better than that but you do need the right method to unlock its value. There IS a key to getting your money's worth and managing to stay in the scented playground a little longer. Venenum lasts aaages more, and smells just as lovely, on fabrics - so if you're willing to apply the magic tea/milk/sandalwood sawdust formula pretty thickly, all over your clothes, then it can be MADE to work and to stay working for nearly a full working day. Regular reapplication would be even better, though. It's gentle and lulling and perfectly unisex too, if sweetish sandalwood with very discreet spice is your jam. One for the laid-back and the minimalists - there's nothing edgy, loud, 'challenging' or weird here - and it really does need a bit of empty space and calm to unfold properly. It's never going to beat out the biggest sandalwood beasts (Santal 33, Tam Dao etc) - this is a sweeter and milder experience altogether. Not crazy, but cosy; maybe even comforting. So I'll be making an exception to the 'one in one out' rule and keeping this around for a little longer: it does deserve the house room after all.

Beautiful, and super cool on the blotter. At L'artisan Parfumeur I'd narrowed down my two favourites to Le Chant de Camargue and this - and both share the "rice and sandalwood" type of accord, with a change in their top notes. This one has masala tea while Le Chant has bergamot. This one is a spicy, cool, unisex tea. I don't find it sweet personally (why is Fragrantica calling this an "amber vanilla"). It's not groundbreaking, but it's well-done and effortlessly cool. Scent: 9/10 Projection: Soft Longevity: Average Polarity: Perfectly unisex

Is Venenum meant to be eaten, or to be a poison ? Is it wood burnt to ashes, or your comforting tea on rainy afternoons ? In spite of its composition, Venenum does not arouse a feeling of cosiness. It admittedly has a trendy vibe (imagine drinking a chai latte in a cool bar with the typical fashionable furniture made of raw timber), but its spices prevent it from being reduced to a well-mannered scent. It's perfectly crafted, but it seems to verge on untidiness at times. Apart from that, this fragrance is rich, long-lasting,and steady.

Venenum is simply an Indian Chai. Black tea, spices, milk and sandalwood; sweetness in a bottle. I seem to distinguish anise, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves (which would make sense for a Chai) but really, nothing takes over, nothing is aggressive, it's a very soft mixture. I must say that with such a name, I was not at all expecting such a pleasant and comforting scent. It's perfect for fall and winter, for curling up by the fire with a nice cup of chai tea in hand. I really like it, one of my favorites from L'Artisan Parfumeur.

A nice light bright soft spicy chai. Quite musky on the drydown, fairly citrussy, enjoying that unique note labelled "bread", there is something salty about it and I am reminded a little of SJP stash. Baruti chai has spoiled me, it's the queen of chai frags, but it's not for light wear - one spray will knock your socks off. This one is a nice light one you can get away with wearing in the summer, or around people without acquiring a trail of sniffing maniacs which you must admit is a plus in these social distancing times.

I really like the scent but it’s way too similar to Cartier Declaration. A much lighter, more sophisticated version, but absolutely similar. I can’t believe cardamom isn’t mentioned in the notes, because it’s very dominant. Spicy notes doesn’t cut it. I do love it, but I don’t care to buy a watered down version of Declaration (which I love), not for this price, and not with the poor projection and silage this has.

This is a gorgeous scent, smells exactly like the chai latte at my favorite tea shop. I sprayed it on my clothes and the projection is rather weak, however, and it only lasted about an hour or so. Shame because it's lovely and I would totally buy a full bottle if it lasted/projected more. As it stands, it's far overpriced. It would be a lovely scent for cozying up with a good book.

For me this one smells like a very aromatic matcha latte (or even chai latte) with a ginger bread. Not overly sweet, it just has so many spices and textures/flavors (?) in it. After a couple of minutes can smell a bit soapy, which, I guess, is from the black tea note. Very elegant and smooth perfume but not very long lasting (at least on me).

A comforting spiced black tea. The lactonic notes soften the spices just enough to give it a sweet edge but I can't distinctly pick it out. Reminds me of the chai concentrates used at coffee shops. Oddly calming. Triggers memories of studying at the library on a quiet, bright spring day. For me it's a peak "lounging around at home" scent.

A very nice milky spice scent. Well executed, natural but with sub par longevity—though I think this might be better in warmer weather (Today in the PNW we have snow on the ground). This reminded me of other perfumes I own, notably Stash by SJP. I wouldn’t pass up a stellar grey market deal but I’m also not going to seek it out either.

This is a very nice creamy lactonic with a sizable kick of chai spice and some astringency. Very rich and warm, though not quite familiar enough to me to be as cozy as I would want. Definitely more exotic to my nose. Would love it if it didn't have the bready-sandalwoody dry down. As it is, its still a respectable 8/10 in my book.

Reminds me of what’s trying to be piano santal or Santal blush. Last time I tried this, I got the spicy, smooth sandalwood. But this time, it’s too much powdery rice. Very very floral leaning almost. I wanted more bready ness and lots of spicies. This isn’t even milky. It’s very tame.

A sexy fragrance with spices and black tea. Unisex, more for fall and winter, I can smell tea with spices and sandalwood. Tea is the star! Creamy, warm, cocooning, perfect with Netflix, during a week-end, for brunch, etc I cannot detect milk in the scent. 8/10

I have an almost full bottle barely used, just without the packaging. If anyone is interested in a swap please contact! Le Labo or Diptique would be an ideal swap if possible!

This is a nice spicy gourmand. I was a bit afraid of the lactonic qualities, but the milk is not overpowering, even though it is noticeable.

Smells like semisweet chai with cookie on the side with sandalwood slowly emerges (and eventually dominates) <3

Straight up Chai latte + gingerbread. Really lovely but too foody for me to wear...

Gnarly opening. Spicy, woody, grassfed cow milk with some cookies. It’s okay

I generally enjoyed the La Botanique line, but I’m still undecided about this one. Although cardamom isn’t listed, I’m convinced it’s quietly present, as it’s the very first nuance I perceived. The rice and sandalwood pairing is quite on trend and faintly recalls a well-known fragrance in the same vein. Unfortunately, there’s a persistent human-skin-like, slightly bitter, dirty facet that kept bothering me throughout the opening. As it develops, the scent turns noticeably damp, and the heart was genuinely disappointing for me. Thankfully, the drydown shifts into something much softer, evolving into a gentle rice-steam accord. The creamy, smooth texture of sandalwood pairs beautifully with the rice at this stage. The sweetness is kept much lower than in comparable fragrances, which ultimately made the final phase rather pleasing. I plan to revisit this one at a different time. The line itself is clearly thoughtful, elegant, and refined, and giving this fragrance another chance feels only fair. Real notes are: Rice powder, santalum album, masala chai (camellia sinensis) Tag(s): chai tea latte, rice, offputting

I'm a huge fan of Gris Charnel, so I wanted to give this a test run. The spiced tea aroma is totally up my alley, but like one or two other reviewers mention, there's seems to be a bit of a cumin note lurking around. For me, it was quite noticeable for about the first thirty minutes. Genuinely, it was a body odor smell. And not the sexy, musky, warm skin kind. Just a straight up haven't-showered-in-a-few-days accord. After that it simmers down into a lovely, enjoyable chai vibe. But the rather unpleasant opening will keep me from purchasing, especially at such a price point.

fell very flat for me unfortunately, it just smells like a whisper of a chai scent. Very faint, very soft, very tame. You get the masala chai and the rice steam upfront and it’s a spiced musky starchiness, but as the scent develops it really is just a powdery spiced sandalwood with not much depth to it. I think this was just lacking character or any complexity, and the lack of projection and longevity didn’t help its case.

Smells like a waxy Crayola crayon 🖍 on me. The milk 🥛is peaking through the Sandalwood🪵 is fragrant. The bread is trying to step forward but it's translating as premium Crayola Tan. Not in an off-putting way. It's also reminiscent of the pages of a library book📖 .It's actually beautiful but not in a distinctive nature and surely not enough to buy a full bottle.

Similar to Gris Charnel but with BO cumin smell in the opening. Gris Charnel dries down a bit fresher, this is warmer than that. I like everything about it but the cumin smell really puts me off. Somehow if I sprayed it on fabric, that BO smell doesn’t show up. So maybe it’s my skin chemistry.

The opening is a very comforting sweet milk and sandalwood. The savory scent last about 2 hours, then the sandalwood turns into screechy iso-e super. I wish that milky sandalwood note could last longer. Very disappointed.

No similarities with piano santal. This has some coldness about it. It does not wrap you as a warm blanket. More spicy than warm.

Drinking a chai tea in wood shop. Zero sweetness and I dont get any lactonic notes. Unisex leaning masculine.

i didnt get the chai / bread / gourmand. spices and florals. still botanical

I’m so sad that this didn’t work on me because I swear I’ve worn a sample of this before and I DID like it, and boy did I pay a lot for this. The opening is beautiful and just as I expected it to be, but the spices are more ‘itchy nose’ (so pepper than I suppose?) than, say, cinnamon or clove, which is what I would expect from chai. But that’s not what broke the deal for me: this really smells like body odour to me! Maybe it’s the sandalwood, because I’ve had that problem before with sandalwood-based scents. Either way, I’m super disappointed and wish it was sweeter and more lactonic.

on my skin it smells like focaccia with cumin and a glass of milk, how is Basilica Milano Fragranze not in the reminds me of section??? not sure where everyone in the comments gets their chai from but this smells nothing like chai

Agree with many others: on me, it smells like an Indian restaurant too, and I wouldn’t want to smell like that, sorry.