Grenadille d’Afrique by Aedes de Venustas – Undina’s Looking Glass

Hi there ULGers, Another find in the Decant Demolition 2025 oeuvre Grenadille d’Afrique by Alberto Morillas is one of the much lesser known Aedes de Venustas fragrances. It was released in 2016 and had a flurry of scentbloggosphere reviews and then radio silence. So it’s quite nice to refind it, even though about 70% has evaporated and it’s definitely had oxygenation. I’m seriously loving this extrait version though and you can still find it available at Aedes and other major niche retailers.

Grenadille d’Afrique by Aedes de Venustas

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Bergamot, Lavender, Violet, Juniper, Vetiver, Labdanum, African blackwood, Vanilla, Musk

Lavender, Juniper and dry grass vetiver all jump out immediately when I spritz Grenadille d’Afrique. This is a calm and classy fragrance with no screech or overwhelming fireworks at opening. A smooth, clear, cool and unusual opening. Like walking into a very expensive wooden hotel in the mountains that has a spa on site and forests outside. I can smell the beeswax and resins used to keep the wood pristine.

Grenadille d’Afrique or Grenadilla of Africa, means African Blackwood. A small tree from the driest parts of Africa, Senegal and Eritrea to South Africa that is threatened with extinction from overharvesting. The wood is used in musical instruments and furniture.

Once we reach the heart a spicy, charred wood emerges. It’s dark and meditative. Deep. Slowly it sweetens as the vanilla and labdanum come through. Not amber or candy sweet, just a lift. A smoothing off and rounding of the ingredients. Now Grenadille d’Afrique starts to smell very expensive.

Dry down is very nice too. An amorphous vanilla/woodsy fade to nothing

Did you try, or buy, Grenadille d’Afrique? Might you?
Portia xx