Dunhill Icon
Dunhill (2015)

So disappointing. I was in love with this fragrance for the first 30 minutes - neroli, bergamot and black pepper making a nice contrast, with a green bitter kick. A little sweet, a little spicy, a little zesty. Along came the mid, and the lavender came in to add a nice aromatic element. But a suggestion of something chemically-bitter began to emerge - it smelled like the old PABA-based unscented sunscreens. It was just a little background accent, so the scent was still in positive territory.

Then came the drydown. At 5 hours, the sunscreen smell was still radiating at arm's length, and it was 95% of the entire scent. This may be a personal chemistry thing, but I don't understand how no one else seems to notice this. Usually fragrances get better during the drydown, but this one works the other way. Very sad.

This fragrance has a lively, upbeat feel with its green opening notes. I detect a subtle spiciness in the background, which I think comes from a blend of black pepper and cardamom. The neroli note is present but not overpowering, and I can see how some may draw comparisons to Neroli Portofino. However, this fragrance adds a green, spicy twist to the basic neroli recipe. Overall, it's an inoffensive and pleasant scent, and I have no complaints about it.

A young man's bubblegum smelling fragrance. The neroli notes are there and there's nothing unpleasant about this fragrance - it's a easy one - but there's no deep character and saying power. I just can't get over the overly playful bubblegum note.

A masculine, fresh, citrusy, and peppery neroli opening gives way to a leathery vetiver dry-down. Surprisingly versatile, unlike Terre d'Hermes, which it is often compared to, even though they're nothing alike in my opinion. I feel the perfumer Carlos Benaim tried to one-up his CK Eternity with this one - same versatility. Good performance, wearable up to 30 degrees Celsius.

Masculinity Level: Patrick Bateman brown-nosing his way to the top of the corporate ladder by day, but also murdering homeless people by night.

Dunhill Icon, a little spicy, fresh, woody and floral. It's a great scent but I'm not really sure how to classify it, probably a fougere, but maybe a chypre. There's nothing not to like about the scent. On the opening I detect neroli tempered with a sweet bergamot. As it dries down it becomes more floral with the lavender coming through and slight cardamon, there is also that woody note. I don't get any distinct leather or oud notes in this. It's a beautiful fragrance, masculine, refined and sophisticated. My main criticism of Dunhill Icon is it's so-so performance. Dunhill Icon lasts about 4 hours on my skin. It projects moderately well for the first two hours and then becomes a more intimate scent. If only the performance were better then this would be an outstanding fragrance. This fragrance is versatile, suitable for work/office or for a social occasion. Overall I give it a thumbs up for a worthy and enjoyable fragrance to wear, even though the performance could be better.

I knew nothing about Dunhill fragrances before I bought this...in fact I'd always been rather put off by their stuffy logo and graphics. It was their generous 2ml sample bottle that got me hooked.

This is so easy to wear. It has a soft, white musky, hazy, sweet, powdery warmth to it and a vague, orangey, soft fruit citrus that makes it perfect for work situations and general everyday use. The dry down is mildly woodsy and very nice.

It's not my 'usual' type of fragrance but the quality of the composition and blend attracted me. Look for offers and reductions and pick up a bargain.

Oh, and the bottle is astonishingly beautiful.