When it comes to men’s fragrances, Creed is one brand that’s certainly made a name for itself in recent decades. It often touts its rich history–though this may be exaggerated; overall, the brand is secretive enough that it refers to itself as “the most mysterious fragrance company in the world!” On top of that, with the prices they command, are Creed fragrances a worthwhile purchase?
In today’s installment of Is It Worth It?, we’ll discuss the house of Creed by looking at their philosophy and (alleged) origins, and examine three of their bestsellers (Green Irish Tweed, Aventus, and Royal Oud) to answer this question.
The History of Creed
The House of Creed was established in London, England by James Henry Creed in 1760, making the company 260 years old. Originally, it was a tailoring house, but they also made scented gloves and fragrances by commission. At the time, England was a very dirty place and sanitation was non-existent. Bathing was actually quite discouraged, so the aristocracy and royalty of the time who could afford fragrances would buy them to mask the scent of the smells of the day. The scented gloves, for instance, could actually be held over one’s nose, should the need arise!
King George III loved fragrances, and he commissioned Creed’s first fragrance, “Royal English Leather,” in 1781. In 1854, Creed relocated to Paris, and in 1870, the company received Royal Warrants from monarchies across Europe. In 1970, a sixth-generation member of the master Creed perfumer family, Olivier Creed, made Creed Fragrances available for the public for the very first time. In 1985, Green Irish Tweed was launched and quickly became a crowd favorite. In 2010, after 250 years of perfumery, Creed launched Aventus to great acclaim and it became an instant hit.
The Mystery of Creed
Creed’s history is not entirely without controversy, however. It appears that no flacons made prior to the 1970s are currently known to exist, nor does any publicly available information that supports their claims. This has led some to believe that the vaunted history of Creed is an exaggerated marketing ploy. The ostrich plumes found on some Creed labels have also been criticized, as they bear a striking resemblance to a Royal Warrant, without being such in reality. We’re not sure which version of the story is true, but what is not in question now is that Creed is a highly regarded perfumer today.
Creed’s Fragrance Philosophy
In the consumer market, many companies will take advantage of the fact that customers often believe a higher-priced product must be of high quality, as well. That’s one of the main reasons we do this series, to check and see if the price truly matches the value.
Creed claims that it’s using the highest quality ingredients in an old, hand-mixed infusion process abandoned by other manufacturers, which supposedly leads them to have a superior product. Among fragrance enthusiasts, many take note of variations in scent between batches, which would seem to support their claim to a handmade product (in contrast to other perfumers, who are able to produce identical batches using technical processes and chemistry).
What We Think of Creed Fragrances
We have three fragrances from Creed, which we considered in this review. Note that prices are subject to change.
- Green Irish Tweed -This is a Gentleman’s Gazette house favorite. In fact, it’s part of our list of classic men’s fragrance recommendations! It costs roughly $310 for 1.7oz. This is one of the most famous fragrances from this house. It is a cult favorite of many fragrance lovers, and it has been copied and mimicked by perfumers all over the world.
- Top Notes: Lemon, Verbena from India, Peppermint – Middle Note: Violet Leaves – Base Notes: Florentine Iris, Sandalwood, Ambergris
- Aventus – This is the bestselling fragrance of the brand, and it costs roughly $325 for 1.7oz
- Top Notes: Bergamot, Blackcurrant Leaves, Apple, Pineapple – Middle Notes: Pink Berries, Birch, Patchouli, Jasmine – Base Notes: Musk, Oakmoss, Ambergris, Vanilla
- Royal Oud – This is a more niche, woody, and oriental fragrance, and costs roughly $375 for 1.7oz.
- Top Notes: Lemon, Pinkberries, Bergamot – Middle Notes: Cedar, Galbanum, Angelica Roots – Base Notes: Sandalwood, Oud, Tonkin Musk
We usually take a closer look at the components of the products we examine in this series (including fabrics and other construction elements). But for fragrances, that would require a chemistry setup and that is well outside the range of what we know how to do! We’re not Bill Nye the Science Guy, So instead we’ll look at the overall appeal of the fragrances and how well they wear over time.
General Appeal
We are all very big fans of Creed fragrances here at Gentleman’s Gazette. They are well-rounded, sophisticated, and distinctive without being overpowering or too extreme. It’s a highly subjective measure, of course, but they look, feel, and wear like a gentlemanly scent. The bottles are elegant and masculine, and feel heavy in the hand.
Longevity
As for how long they wear, the three fragrances we’re testing here all have excellent longevity and sillage (the degree to which a perfume’s fragrance will linger in the air when worn; this comes from the French word for “wake,” and is often interchanged with the word “projection”). For longevity, we’re talking about how long this fragrance is going to last on the skin.
Our tests showed that the fragrances will last 10 hours or longer, which is excellent. They will get you through your day or your night out. This means you’ll need very little of the cologne to smell great all day long. This is something that cheaper perfumes can’t often reproduce. However, it’s important to keep in mind that while a high degree of quality may guarantee greater longevity, there are also a handful of techniques to make your scent last longer no matter its pedigree.
Our Final Verdict: Are Creed Fragrances Worth It?
In summary, we can’t independently verify the history of the company, the claims they make about the product quality, or the production process. However, they do make fragrances with long life and projection, and which have (in our opinion) excellent scents. These are, after all, usually the two main reasons that anyone would want to wear a fragrance.
Colognes are an incredibly personal choice, so we say if you love the fragrance then yes, it’s worth it. There are many websites out there that you can visit which will let you buy samples of the fragrance for less than the high price of a full bottle, or you can go to a local store to try the fragrances in person. Keep in mind that the scent might vary from batch to batch, but perhaps you might not even care. Remember that unlike other products, we can’t break down the components and look at the quality, though our personal experiences are supplemented by as much objective data as is available to us.
Creed is definitely a high-end purchase, and although there are many alternatives out there, if you’re the kind of person that likes the real thing, this is a splurge that will last you for years. We urge you to consider the price-per-wear and how important fragrances are to you. If fragrances are an important part of your life, then the cost-per-wear is probably worth it to you.
If it’s in your budget, consider buying the 3.3oz. bottles; this will give you a discount per ounce. For example, with Aventus, a 1.7 oz. bottle is $182 per ounce, a 3.3 oz. bottle is $131 per ounce. There is even a huge 17 oz. bottle, which is $62 per ounce, but that also means it’s $1,005 a bottle. If Creed fragrances can’t fit in your budget, all is not lost. There are many alternative fragrances out there which we will cover in another post, so stay tuned!
Have you tried scents from Creed? What’s your assessment of their value? Share with us in the comments!
Where does Creed fit in the fragrance hierarchy?
Outfit Rundown
Today, I’m wearing a blue and white checked long sleeve dress shirt tucked into a dark pair of green dress pants with a brown leather belt. I’m accenting that belt against my brown leather dress shoes and I’ve got some amazing Fort Belvedere shadow stripe brown socks on as well. If you would like socks like these and other great accessories, check out the Fort Belvedere shop.
Hi, I think the feather may more resemble the Prince of Wales, not so much a Royal Warrant. Thanks for a good article
Ah, but the Prince of Wales’ insignia is still a royal warrant, it’s just different to the Queen’s, for example. The Duke of Edinburgh has his own Royal Warrant arms, as seen in Penhaligons, and other members of the family have had their own warrants too.
$375 for 1.7oz/50 grams?
That’s daylight robbery. No matter how “well-rounded, sophisticated, and distinctive” the scent may be. So I have to continue my life without it…
They are worth every cent(or penny). Great colognes, and your article has done a good job on these three fragrances.
Thank you, Femi!
I agree with the gent above on the feather although when I’ve seen them as such, it usually means a Royal Warrant. Perhaps not in this case. Don’t really know but it might make you feel better about ponying up a couple hundred quid for cologne if HRH Charles endorses it. He is impeccably attired whenever you see him.
Used all three in your sample and agree; they’re very good.
I agree with the gentlemen above .worth every penny
I donโt always wear fragrances these days, but when I do itโs Creedโs Silver Mountain Water.
Have you checked Caswell-Massey’s Jockey Club or other frangrances?
Hi Thomas! We’ll check that out :) Here are some of the guides that we did for other fragrances:
8 Classic Fragrances for Gentlemen โ Scents & Colognes from Dior, Creed, Guerlain & More
10 (More) Classic Fragrances for Gentlemen
Some Creed scents are just too much, too loud even suffocating!
Try Clive Christian and or Kilian of Paris. Same price range but more unique with a verifiable history and clear component list.
Thank you for sharing, John! We’ll take note of your suggestions.
In addition to the last and projection, one factor that has to be considered is how long it will last in the bottle. Meaning, will it change when it gets older that one year or will it remain potent and true.
I have found that colognes can change with the plastic in the spray bottle starts to deteriorate or some other physical or chemical reaction occurs after some time. I would never buy a bottle that lasts more than a year, regardless of the cost-per-ounce discount.
Creed has been one of my favorites for many years. Vetiver is the scent Iโve been accustomed to wearing. The prices are as mentioned astonishing. They cause me to wince, but thankfully itโs not often I need a replenishment. Nicely done article. Thank you!
I’m new to the high end cologne so the article was very informative. I look forward to trying some in the future.
I have tried creed but I just can’t wear it. It just doesn’t get to me and can’t understand why then the high price.
Maybe its just the flavor that isn’t my type.
Good article though
I bought the three sampler set from Creed. Aventus, Aventus Cologne, and Viking. No matter how I tried, they would not substitute Green Irish Tweed for Viking. I prefer the Aventus Cologne to Aventus. The Viking is fine, but not something I would pay that much for in a larger size. I have many colognes and they all work differently on me – and those around me. I receive the best compliments on Giorgio Armani’s Aqua Di Gio Black. It just works for ME. The history, whether real or lavish marketing ploy, matters not. If you wear it with confidence, you will be happy with your purchase. Nothing makes your day more than some one saying “YOU SMELL GOOD!”
I am with you on that one. Few women nowadays seem to appreciate men who smell enticing or with good taste. Part of the pervasive crudenessin the world I suppose.
I started wearing creed back in 2007s and I stopped at 2013 because after 2013 they are all watered down.
Hi guys,
I have several Creed fragences in my colection and I have been a big fan of them for years and yes, they are a bit pricy, however, you get something really nice for your money and so far everyone around me loved the smell and the nice aura it creates around you. Thus I am defintely one who would suggest to buy them if possible.
Nice article but don’t agree with longevity of 10 hours. Aventus I have is extremely disappointing and last 2-4 hours and poor projection. Never buying again.
I tried a spray of Aventus on my arm and didnโt work with my body chemistry at all. I had read all the hype and was ready to spring the $$ for it but, oh well. Onward ho!
Had creed Aventus last year, wore it in few occasions and although it did smell wonderful I had cheaper designer fragrances that I just couldn’t stay away from like dior Fahrenheit for example
So I sold it, would I buy another creed. No I wouldnt.
Let’s be honest. People wear this just for the popularity
Hello, I really like Creed colognes, but, by far my favorite is
Parfums Pineapple Vintage Intense. It smells so good. I’ve had more compliments with the pineapple intense than with the Creed. Although I could get enough of the Creed adventus,
until I came upon the pineapple intense.
Green Irish Tweed was my first bottle of Creed and it definitely stays with you for hours but as the bottle aged (I have had it for 7 years but since I own 15 bottles of Creed and 25 other bottles of cologne) it intensity has worn off. I still have half the bottle left so I am trying to use it more frequently to use it up. Spice & Wood, Royal Mayfair (Windsor), and Santal are my favorites.i don’t get the appeal of Adventus.
I am with you on that one. Few women nowadays seem to appreciate men who smell enticing or with good taste. Part of the pervasive crudenessin the world I suppose.
With respect to the Creed feather logo and the Prince of Wales symbol/warrant, the Creed example is a near approximation to that of the Prince of Wales. There is no indication in the article or elsewhere of the year the Creed Company symbol or the Prince of Wales crest first appeared though I would think that the Prince of Wales feather symbol substantially precedes the Creed Company example. Because the Creed Company symbol so closely parallels that of the Prince of Wales, it seems likely that the Prince of Wales symbol strongly influenced design of the Creed symbol. And the Prince of Wales symbol IS the symbol for the Prince of Wales Royal Warrant. Still, if one is going to create a company logo, using a royal warrant as a model is somewhat understandable though technically unethical.
Ted R. Crim
It’s My life creeds
I too favor Creed. Currently I favor Aventus Cologne over Aventus itself. I first began with the Millisime Imperial. I eventually purchased the large flacon. Over time I have found its intensity to actually increase! In fact, itโs almost too strong now and I seldom wear it. Now I favor Vetiver in the Spring, Virgin Island Water in the summer: it is so good and truly makes you feel tropical, and Aventus Cologne for Fall-Winter. I do recommend the largest flacons if you can purchase them. The travel atomizers are beautiful and make traveling with such an expensive purchase more secure. And become acquainted with the sales staff at places like Nordstromโs: they will often give you lots of samples! In fact, I received the atomizer free with the purchase of the flacon, and they periodically offer a โfree refillโ of the atomizer to customers! There can still be deals to be had! The ultimate thing Iโm still trying to manage is importing! Creed is far cheaper if you can buy it in England from places like Suffrageโs. They are not allowed to ship it to the US (because it is cheaper? I would love to know the real reasons for this! I suspect an agreement to keep a higher price in the US? But if you have contacts in Europe who could purchase it for you, that would be ideal! My two cents….)
Amazing brand! I like all the products. Creed Green Irish Tweed gives you a classic as well as a fresh look. You can spray it on knees, elbows, and wrist.
Really glad I found this review. I bought a bottle if Green Irish Tweed this week and I love it. It;s not too heavy at all and I can see myself wearing this year round as Kyle mentioned. I also have John Varvatos and Aqua di Parma in my arsenal. The Varvatos is heavier, more of a winter scent, but the GIT will be my go to for now. The wife loves it also.
Glad it helped, Rob! :)