Invictus Gift Set

Rabanne Invictus Gift Set opens on grapefruit, sharp and a little bitter, over a marine accord that gives the whole scent its salted, open-air quality. It smells clean and mineral rather than sweet, bright at the top with something cool and wet running through it. The freshness has a weight to it, grounded rather than merely zesty.

The marine heart is the centre of the composition, saline and faintly animalic underneath, with a white floral touch keeping it from going purely aquatic. Gaiac wood closes it, smoky and dry, giving the freshness a woody amber base to sit against. Invictus moves from citrus through salt water into warm wood, and that contrast between the cold opening and the warm finish is the whole idea.

Anne Flipo, Dominique Ropion, Olivier Polge and Véronique Nyberg composed Invictus for Rabanne in 2013. Monsieur Rabanne showed his debut collection in 1966 and the house released its first fragrance, Calandre, a metallic rose in a metal and glass bottle, in 1969, with its fragrance identity drawing on the couture work in metal that made its name.

Invictus is long lasting with moderate sillage, so it stays with you all day while sitting closer to the skin than it first suggests. It wears through all four seasons, the salt and citrus made for warm weather and the gaiac wood giving it enough warmth for the cold. It fits professional wear, casual days and a night out equally well. It is offered here as a gift set.