Dunhill
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The black pepper jolts forward with sharp, almost aggressive intensity, immediately joined by bergamot's citric brightness—a brief moment of clarity before everything darkens considerably. Within moments, the pepper begins its transformation into something smokier, more complex, as the composition's woody and leather foundations surge upward to dominate the opening accord.
Saffron's earthy-spicy character weaves through the now-prominent oud and leather, creating an almost medicinal warmth that sits heavily on the skin. The black rose and jasmine emerge as supporting players, adding dusty, slightly green dimensions rather than floral sweetness, whilst tobacco leaf's subtle sweetness prevents the composition from becoming too austere or unwearable.
What remains is primarily the interplay between oud's resinous warmth and Tuscan leather's muted, aged quality, with tobacco leaf providing a subtle sweetish anchor. The spice gradually recedes, allowing the woody-leather combination to deepen into a skin scent that feels more like an olfactory second skin than a noticeable fragrance by hour four.
Icon Absolute arrives as a decidedly grown-up fragrance that rejects sweetness in favour of austere elegance. Carlos Benaïm has orchestrated a composition where leather and oud form an almost menacing backbone, whilst the spice accord—driven by black pepper and saffron—creates a restless, peppery heat that prevents the fragrance from ever settling into comfort. The heart notes reveal themselves gradually: black rose adds a slightly dusty, almost medicinal quality rather than romance, whilst Egyptian jasmine emerges thin and austere, refusing the creamy indulgence you might expect. Instead of floral prettiness, the jasmine reads as green and slightly bitter, caught between the tobacco leaf's sweet-smoke whisper and the oud's resinous darkness.
This is a fragrance for the minimalist dresser, the person who favours charcoal, deep browns, and leather in their wardrobe. There's something deliberately literary about Icon Absolute—it evokes mahogany-lined studies, the leather of well-worn books, the acrid smoke of a cigar recently stubbed out. The woody accord dominates throughout, though it's a restrained woodiness that never becomes cedar-fresh or bright. Instead, the oud and Tuscan leather create a muted, shadowed quality, as though the fragrance exists perpetually in late afternoon light.
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4.2/5 (230)