Note Pyramid
Bay Leaf
Invictus
Gym bags and changing rooms are where a great many bottles of this end up, and the Rabanne Invictus Eau de Toilette Gift Set is the version bought as a present rather than for oneself.
The fragrance suits that sort of life rather well, and that is not an accident. Grapefruit at the top is bitter and sharp, which the nose reads as clean, and bay leaf keeps it dry and green rather than letting it drift towards sweetness. Underneath, guaiac wood brings smoke, ambergris a warm saline quality and patchouli a bed of earth, so there is enough substance to survive being sprayed onto skin that has just been showered. Five materials, no clutter, and nothing fussy about the way they have been put together.
At eau de toilette strength it goes on bright, calms down within the hour and then stays close for the rest of the day. That is the right behaviour for a fragrance worn in company at close quarters, and it is why it works as well at a desk as it does after training. Two sprays will do, and three is the ceiling rather than a habit to get into.
As a gift the set removes the two things that make buying fragrance awkward, which are guessing at a size and hunting for paper and tape the night before. It is a safe present for a brother, a son or a colleague, and it does not read as too personal a choice in any of those cases. Anne Flipo, Dominique Ropion, Olivier Polge and Véronique Nyberg are the perfumers behind the composition.
The house is French and began in the fashion trade, with a first collection in 1966. The perfume side was established in 1968 by Puig of Spain, which took full ownership of the brand 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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