New Viktor & Rolf Fragrance: Spicebomb Night Vision

Viktor & Rolf have released a flanker to their Spicebomb fragrance entitled: Spicebomb Night Vision, a new Eau de Toilette for Men. 

The concept behind this fragrance is centred around the provocative voyeur. The marketing campaign is very targeted towards evoking a mysterious sensibility. Are we being watched? Do we enjoy being watched? The powers of seduction under the city-green lights. 

Sounds awesome to me. But ultimately it's something of a misfire. Imagine going to see the movie Sliver at the cinema, only it's Sharon Stone watching one of the Baldwins getting naked. (Forget which one, not Alec). 

Let's put the video to one side and focus first on the bottle. 

The grenade bottle is back, slightly larger and with a green glass-tint to accentuate the Night Vision theme. It's iconic, it stands out, I'm onboard. 

The Spicebomb scent

I've read some sniffy and excoriating reviews on this scent, but it's really not as bad as they say. It's true that this scent isn't a very natural scent. It does give off a synthetic musk, but I've got to like it. I've been walking around for the past week, got a dozen or so compliments. 

People are struggling to place it, because it's unlike anything out there. It has a hybrid, cross-breed smell like an Alien or Azzaro, but it's not playing in anyone else's sandbox. And that's not gay slang! 

You will get some green notes, it is fresh, spicy. I got cardamom straight away and that does settle down. I couldn't locate the tonka bean nor the roasted almonds, but I did get register the black pepper on the dry-down which was pleasant. 

Overall opinion on Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb 

It's a hit for me, but it feels like a deflected goal. That it looks great in real-time but when you play it back in slow-motion, you'll release it's a complete fluke. Make sense? Ok let me explain.

So I didn't like the commercial. The concept is cool, like the Nigh Vision idea. But not a fan of the seedy undertones and the lack of any kind of subtlety. That could be an age thing. I gather this is for a younger market. 

The fragrance has gotten me a lot of compliments, although it's not a powerhouse scent. Not a trailblazer like a Tom Ford or a Dior Savage. I'm getting curious compliments, one girl even asked what shower gel I'm using. 

I'm personally a fan of the scent. The silage was around 5 hours and I've been wearing this to the gym, to the coffee meetings and I'll probably take it on holiday next month. 

I don't think it's going to pull out any trees. But it will raise an eyebrow or two. 

Available at Debenhams RRP 50ml - £55 90ml - £72