Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb Eau de Toilette - A New Men's Fragrance

Remember when Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb stormed the world in 2005 and succeeding years? Now the company's new men's fragrance, Spicebomb ($95), has grabbed the spotlight.

Spicebomb offers the promise of a concentrate with an explosive personality…Deliberately powerful, exaggeratedly sensual, decidedly audacious…The bottle, a reworked custom-built grenade for a perfume made up of explosive scents, is encircled by a black band that cannot contain the force of the fragrance. An olfactory explosion is ineluctable.

An explosive encounter between two accords with detonating tones (these adjectives have me running for cover): the first burst fuses zesty, fresh notes (bergamot and grapefruit), while the cold spices (elemi and pink pepper) leave their icy bite. The second, addictive accord combines a middle note of incandescent spices (cinnamon, pimento, and saffron) with a wholly masculine combination of leather and tobacco as well as the brute force of vetiver.

The top notes are bergamot, grapefruit, cinnamon leaf, and pink pepper. The heart notes are lavandin, chili, saffron, and elemi. The base notes are vetiver, balsam fir, tobacco accord, and white leather accord.

Something tells me that Spicebomb will have unisex appeal and widespread popularity. Spicebomb was created by Olivier Polge, profiled in WWD's Beauty Inc this month. His "pedigree" is impeccable. Following in his perfumer father's footsteps (Jacques Polge is Chanel's in-house nose), Olivier works at International Flavors and Fragrances. He has created an all-star line up, including Guerlain Cuir Beluga, Balenciaga Paris, the infamous Flowerbomb, and Dolce & Gabbana The One for Men. He's a gorgeous man too (sorry, had to mention it). Why is it that these French guys who create perfumes are always so good looking?

Dutch Designer, Rolf Snoerun, remarked, "He [Olivier] has a complexity in his work that we find mysterious. We recognize his signature because of that. It's never a one-dimensional scent." Polge loves woody notes and enjoys working with certain spices. Like me, he loves bergamot. Unlike me, he loves patchouli. I love the fact that he has been contemplating the return of the chypre. "I have a hard time differentiating what is modern and what is not," he told WWD. "Often, modern things are a good revamping of something old" How true!

Right now, Spicebomb is a Nordstrom exclusive. I haven't been able to get over to smell it. The reactions on Facebook have been varied, with a lot of love by spice lovers. If you like spicy, woody fragrances on your guy, you'll need to check out Spicebomb. Father's Day isn't that far off - if you need an excuse.

Photo courtesy of Viktor & Rolf