Icon Elite

Icon Elite (2016) – Alfred Dunhill Family: Woody Spicy, this fragrance evokes sophistication and confidence, making it an ideal choice for men seeking understated elegance with a contemporary touch. Top Notes: Cardamom, Bitter Orange, Bergamot and Lime A vibrant and slightly citrusy opening, with the aromatic touch of cardamom bringing a spicy freshness right from the start. Bitter orange and lime balance this freshness with very refined bitter and citrus nuances. Heart Notes: Vetiver, Black Pepper, Blue Sage and Juniper In the heart, the fragrance gains depth with the earthy and dry character of vetiver, while black pepper and juniper add a spicy and slightly wild air. Blue sage brings a clean and herbal touch that contrasts with the other spices. Base Notes: Ebony, Sandalwood, Suede and Labdanum The closing is intensely woody and enveloping. Ebony and sandalwood provide a noble, dark and warm base, reinforced by suede that adds a velvety and slightly animalic touch. Labdanum closes with sweet resin and amber, giving depth and sensuality to the base. Longevity: Good, lasting an average of 7 hours or more on the skin. Projection/Trail: Strong in the first two hours, becoming more moderate afterwards, but still noticeable throughout the day. Icon Elite is a versatile perfume, but with a more serious and refined touch. Ideal for: Professional environment or business meetings Evening dates and sophisticated dinners Social events in mild to cold climates Avoid on very hot days, as its resinous and woody base can be heavy. Best Season: Autumn, winter and spring nights — when the weather favors denser and more elegant fragrances. Final Score: 9.1/10 Icon Elite is a fragrance that conveys authority, elegance and masculine discretion. Its olfactory construction is balanced between freshness and depth, making it an excellent option for those looking for a spicy woody perfume with personality, without being invasive.

I absolutely love Icon,,,,to the point of buying 4 bottles cuz its batch code 5049,,,,so I thought lets see, I need another winter scent etc since CH Prive to me is not everyday all day kinda thing....soooo I bought Elite...have it for about 3 hours now....not bad,,,not great imo....I realized my interests changed in that I no longer enjoy florals in my scents unless its combined as a fresh fruity etc etc....in heavier colognes like this one or L'uomo etc it seems to be the first thing my nose picks up and somehow bullies all the other scents within to the side if you will....prob allergies as my head gets tight with these scents...had to get rid of La Nuit...silly me,,,should have known and remembered that...lol,,,,have it on now of course and the dry down is the best part...so far opening after reapplying on other arm seems to be sharp and a little harsh,,,...I dunno dont love it....wont buy again as I see so far....got 100ml for 50 taxes and delivery,,,,so mmmmeh'.....no where close to Icon,,,,even though its suggested some elements are similar,,,ya well not in the smell Ill tell you that...will update see if it changes....oh well...looks like my CH Prive is still the king of the 'heavier' styled colognes etc! im soooooo trying to love it,,,but just dont feel it yet! and with the never ending search for a good daily winter kind of scent,,,the thought crossed my mind to buy Savauge for the first time ever....club me on the head like a baby seal now!!!! LOL

Dunhill Icon Elite is quite underrated and might be my favorite of the Icon line (the original Icon being another contender). A woodsy yet fresh masculine fragrance, very enjoyable if you like dry wood accords and aren't big on the sweet, powdery vanilla bombs that are common in the "classy men's fragrance" niche nowadays. Icon Elite starts off dry and peppery and quickly dries down to a nice creamy sandalwood and leather base with the earlier notes lingering in the background. The leather here is rather soft and tame, not that harsh leather accord that gives some people headaches -- Icon Elite is a first and foremost woods-forward fragrance. It's not a "leather frag" by any means so don't let that chase you off. Performance is very good on my skin. I can't give a specific hour range but it's one of those that sends up pleasant wafts of itself until I wash it off in the shower, gently reminding me it's there throughout the day. The presentation is also great as is the case with the entire Icon line. Icon Elite appears to be the cheapest of the lineup as well (as of this review), making this an easy blind buy recommendation for fans of masculine woodsy fragrances and bottles that can double as self-defense tools.

The sandalwood is strong in this one. A definitive icon of masculine scent (pun intended). First smelled it on a strip at the departmental store. The opening was too citrusy for me. Immediately threw away that strip. But then I had a change of mind and asked for the promoter to spray it on my wrist. Now, we speak business. On my skin the opening was more tolerable. I could immediately recognized the woody elements there. And thus, I bought it without even waited for the middle notes and the dry down to came. So how it turned out to be? Sprayed it immediately after I paid for the 100ml version. And the rest of day was showers of compliments from various people that I met.I knew I smelled so good that day. Definitely a worth buy. One of my signature smells as what my colleagues said. Very woody but yet soft and sweet, pleasing to the nose. Longevity is moderate for me and the sillage is good. Not too projecting but not too subtle. How can I not love it. And this is the only perfume which I don't mix with another fragrance when I decant. It doesn't work. It is so perfect on its own. The best in Icon series I guess.

OK I got the 3 Icons now, but I have not tried the original Icon yet, so I can only compare this one with the "Absolute" version, and they are totally different, I find this elite version pretty comfortable, not to fall on my "love" category, but good, I love the bottles of these flankers, they look very nice. I may do an update in regards performance and longevity, but so far I think it will be gone by the end of the day. At the end of the day, the fragrance was still present and had evolved very nicely, I will rate it at least 4 stars out of 5. Update: I finally got the 3 icons and I think this is the best of the 3, well I might need to wear more the original icon, but this one has brought compliments more than expected and men asking me what I was wearing, it has a great performance, and I think it has a better performance at night, and longevity is a beast, will last until next day at least on me. I may restock just in case, but this definitely stand out in a nice way.