The hand and nose of master perfumer Olivier Polge are easy to identify in this impressive perfume Flowerbomb created for the Viktor & Rolf brand in 2005.
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Prior to his move to the Chanel house as the head of perfumes, Polge worked with various brands to create some of the best-loved sweet, floral, feminine scents on the market.
Below is our detailed Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb perfume review so you can decide whether to add it to your collection.
Upon its 2005 release, Flowerbomb has described as an oriental scent with a floral heart and a hint of mystery to its base notes. An iconic bottle design makes it instantly recognizable in any collection.
Who are the perfumers?
Olivier Polge was not the only perfumer to play a role in the creation of this scent which was created by a team consisting of:
- Polge
- Carlos Benaim
- Domitille Berthier.
The story of Polge, who is the son of a master perfumer of the influential Grasse region of France is well told.
The perfumer looked to make his way in the world outside the creation of fragrances but returned to the industry and is now the head perfumer at Chanel.
In contrast, Carlos Benaim has been one of the top perfumers in the world since entering a training program with the International Flavors and Fragrances group in 1967.
The Moroccan-born perfumer was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the Fragrance Foundation in 2014.
Dmitille Berthier is the final nose to be named as part of the creation of Flowebomb but is also one of the most respected perfumers in the world.
Berthier is now a senior perfumer at the International Flavors and Fragrances Foundation because of her success in this sector.
How does it smell?
When first applying Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf, the top notes of this oriental perfume which is infused with the sweet combination of citrus and florals found in bergamot.
This fruit is known for its usual green color and sweet citrus fragrance which has become a staple of the perfume industry.
Combining bergamot with tea gives the top notes of Flowerbomb its first hint of oriental mystery alongside the clean, crisp scents of osmanthus. The opening notes of Flowerbomb are sweet and floral-infused dominated by the tea and bergamot fragrances.
At the heart of the Flowerbomb fragrance are the floral notes which linger to create a long-lasting scent that creates an opulent and luxurious perfume that creates a floral aroma loved by millions.
Combining the florals but continuing the sweetness which was found at the top of the scent is made easy with the inclusion of jasmine and rose scents which add to the earlier scents which transform the scent with the mingling of flowers and sweetness.
Continuing the movement of the scent as it takes on a more floral nature, the transformation includes the use of an African orange flower which recalls the earlier notes of bergamot found in the top notes.
The heart notes of Flowerbomb live up to the name of the perfume with the use of orchid and freesia as the last two fragrances to emerge from the scent in its middle platform.
As a long-lasting fragrance, Flowerbomb has a dominant base layer that pushes forward long after the scent is applied with musk breaking through the sweetness of the earlier notes of the fragrance.
Alongside musk, the base of this perfume has been created with patchouli bringing a little oriental mystery to the fragrance.
Patchouli is a member of the mint family of herbs and brings through another level of sweet scents to this oriental perfume which was designed to bring luxury to the body of any wearer.
Where should I wear it?
Classed as a heavy perfume with a series of dominant notes pushing forward throughout the more than eight-hour life of the scent, Flowerbomb is more suited to evening events than everyday wear.
The mix of sweet, milky florals make this a perfect fragrance for parties and dinner events with friends and work colleagues.
The addition of musk at the base of the scent allows the wearer to trust the sweetness of the fragrance will not be overpowering but is cut through with a little masculinity at the base.
The avant-garde nature of designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeron is reflected in the design of this perfume which was first released in 2005 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Dutch design house.
As with all aspects of the work of Viktor & Rolf, the line between art and fashion has been crossed once again with the creation of Flowerbomb which brings together the sweet and mysterious nature of the brand in the form of a perfume.
What’s the packaging and bottle like?
For Viktor & Rolf, the design of the packaging of their signature perfume was just as important as the perfume itself and led to a move to find a stunning design to stand out from the perfumed crowd.
Eventually, Viktor & Rolf turned to Fabien Baron to create what has become an iconic marketing design.
The design comes from one of the best-respected members of the French fashion industry who trained as an artist and sculpture but turned to magazine publishing and art direction later in his career.
Baron created what has become known as a diamond granite design in pink materials with a simple rose gold label at the center of the bottle.
The large stopper adds to the sense of luxury and opulence which is found in the packaging of the spray applicator to the sweet, oriental scent itself.
Selena Marc is a fragrance enthusiast, freelance writer, and dog mom living in Houston, Texas. When she's not writing about her favorite new perfumes, you can find her enjoying yoga or a morning hike.