Note Pyramid
Bay Leaf
Invictus
What is unusual about the Rabanne Invictus Eau de Toilette Gift Set is how little is in the fragrance, given how widely it is worn.
Five materials, and they are arranged in two clear blocks. Grapefruit and bay leaf make the top, the first bitter and pithy, the second dry and green with a savoury edge that keeps the citrus honest. Guaiac wood, ambergris and patchouli make the bottom, and they go smoke, salt and earth in that order. There is no transitional middle to speak of, which is why the fragrance feels like it changes gear rather than unfolding, and it is also why it is so easy to recognise on somebody else.
The eau de toilette concentration gives it a bright, assertive first twenty minutes and then a long, closer stretch that will see out a working day. It is a daytime scent that can be pushed into an evening, and it handles heat better than most things with smoke in the base, because the grapefruit holds its shape rather than going sour.
Sets of this are bought in quantity around Christmas, and for good reason: it is a present that requires no knowledge of the recipient beyond the fact that he is a man who washes. There is nothing to measure and nothing to send back, and it will not sit unopened on a shelf the way a more particular choice might. For a younger man it often turns out to be the bottle he keeps going back to. Anne Flipo, Dominique Ropion, Olivier Polge and Véronique Nyberg worked on the fragrance between them.
Rabanne is a French label that came out of fashion rather than perfumery. The designer's debut collection was shown in 1966, and the Spanish group Puig built the fragrance business from 1968 before taking over the brand entirely in 1987.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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