VIKTOR & ROLF
Spicebomb Dark Leather
2024
PERFUMER
Jean-Christophe Herault
Carlos Benaim
bergamot
pink pepper
black pepper
allspice
nutmeg
cardamom
cinnamon
incense
iris
lavandin
styrax
sandalwood
vetiver
tobacco
leather
suede
‘A powerful and enigmatic fragrance, revealing a blend of smoky woods and warm spices. Complex and refined, it embodies a multi-faceted masculinity: sensual but powerful, subversive but refined. Unveil Spicebomb Dark Leather Eau de Parfum: an enigmatic masterpiece by Viktor&Rolf that embodies the allure of forbidden encounters. Like the illicit touch of dark leather against bare skin, this fragrance reveals mysterious leather notes intertwined with smoky woods and warm spices. This scent is for the confident and daring, those who forge their own path. Spicebomb Dark Leather echoes Viktor&Rolf’s multi-faceted masculinity with its explosive blend of spicy black pepper and nutmeg, complemented by the allure of smokey incense and cinnamon. Spicy and intense, it resonates with individuals who thrive on adventure.’ – Viktor & Rolf
Spicebomb is one of the better DNA’s that the world of designer fragrances has had to offer in the past 12 years leading up to this release. My favorite remains the sweeter (and ironically less extreme) Spicebomb Extreme, but I also appreciate the original EDT and some of the other flankers. So, although I’m not the biggest fan of leather fragrances, I was definitely interested in trying Spicebomb Dark Leather.
So, what does Dark Leather add to this DNA that has seen some redundant flankers already in my opinion? Is it different enough to warrant its existence? I’d say it is. Not to my liking per se, but it does what it set out to do well.
The opening minute on skin surprised me a bit. I’d smelled it twice on paper and felt mostly the familiar spices. On skin, not only does the leather come through almost instantly, there is also a fresher tinge that I wasn’t counting on. I’d argue there is quite a strong shower gel vibe underneath Spicebomb Dark Leather and for the first couple of hours it’s fresher and more aromatic than I expected.
A little bit herbal and definitely not as sweet as I was expecting given notes of cinnamon, incense & tobacco. Other sources (I’ve now adjusted the notes above as well) list lavandin, cardamom as well as other additional notes, which feel more reflective of the scent. I must say, I don’t smell the tobacco that much on first wearing and at least, this does not give me the same feeling of Spicebomb Extreme, despite it being compared a lot on sites like Fragrantica and having a lot of overlapping notes; to me they go in very different directions. I think this may appeal more to fans of the original, or of course, leather fragrances.
The spices from the first EDT are prominent and so is the leather. And it’s a good leather scent in my opinion, although as mentioned, with a fresher, herbal tinge rather than dark or resembling the initially provided notes for the first hours. It’s a modern leather couch or bag, not a wild, dirty, ‘farm’ or ‘forest’ leather fragrance. I find it almost clinical, clean. This is how I picture Le Labo making a leather accord.
The leather goes in another less expected direction in the drydown for me. Where it does get sweeter and warmer as promised, but it’s not the sweetness from Spicebomb Intense for example, instead I get the sweeter, iris-heavy leather, with even some floral tones that remind me of a darker, more masculine take on the ‘make-up bag leather’ from for something akin to Byredo Animalique. It becomes a bit more earthy, sweet, but in a bitter way. Seems like a lot of a synthetic sandalwood or labdanum replacement in the base (like javanol); reminded me a bit of Nasomatto Sadonaso in that regards. The spices by this point have lost all their sharpness and the fragrance starts to feel a lot flatter texture-wise.
Overall, this is not really one of my favorite Spicebomb fragrances, but I wasn’t expecting that given the leather focus. It provides what it promises and should make a lot of fans of the Viktor & Rolfs that are looking for a leather fragrance or just a new addition to the Spicebomb collection happy.