Viktor & Rolf
Viktor & Rolf
714 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Red pepper snaps across the skin with immediate intensity, the apple and grapefruit playing supporting roles rather than leading the charge. Saffron materialises almost simultaneously, introducing an earthy complexity that signals this won't be a straightforward fruity-spicy romp.
The habanero chilli blooms with genuine heat, whilst cinnamon leaf softens the edges with its herbal sweetness. Provence lavender emerges as the composition's unexpected diplomat, threading between the warm spice and cooler citrus notes, creating an almost three-dimensional structure that rewards closer inspection.
Tobacco and benzoin reshape the narrative entirely, introducing a creamy, slightly honeyed character that domesticates the earlier aggression. Cedarwood and amberwood provide a woody-amber framework that persists against the skin, though notably this is where Infrared's weakness shows—longevity dips considerably, leaving whispers rather than declarations by the four-hour mark.
Spicebomb Infrared is a fragrance that burns rather than merely warms. Carlos Benaïm has constructed something deceptively elegant from what could easily have become a one-dimensional spice delivery system—instead, he's created a dish where each ingredient demands your attention without overwhelming the plate.
The red apple and grapefruit open with genuine brightness, but they're immediately ambushed by red pepper and pimento, which strip away any illusion of sweetness. This is not a fruity fragrance that happens to have spice; it's a spiced fragrance that borrowed fruit as a vehicle. The saffron threads itself through, adding a dusty, almost metallic quality that prevents the composition from tipping into culinary territory.
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3.9/5 (1.2k)