Ikon

This was a blind buy inspired by the reviews on this page, especially after someone compared it to Mauboussin M Generation, a sadly discontinued masterpiece (imho) for which I've been trying to find a replacement. Until now. Considering the price, Best blind buy EVER. This is a superb incense fragrance. A veritable symphony of frankincense. Not only incense (of course) but that's the note that strikes me first. For many of us, incense has religious or spiritual associations - for centuries humans of all faiths have offered frankincense to their gods and it remains an integral part of church ceremonial to this day. Historically it's probably the single best known perfume of the ancient world - Cleopatra VII, last of the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt, owned a monopoly on frankincense, which was the source of her legendary private wealth. The name "Ikon" alludes to the painted and gilded icons of religious figures in orthodox Christianity. For me Ikon feels meditative and serene, redolent of dignity and elegance. Masterfully blended, Ikon starts with a citrusy aromatic overture, the presence of frankincense/olibanum immediately apparent, first with iris (or orris?) then enhanced and accentuated with spices and "rock rose" then through to a really nice, warm woody-amber dry down in which the olibanum cedes the spotlight to cedar, supported by vetiver with patchouli harmonising. There is more to Ikon than incense but for me the olibanum is the star of the show and hogs the limelight for most of the performance. Ikon reminds me of Clive Christian V for Men, and feels similar to wear, Ikon feels just as pure and natural, and just as high quality, as V for Men and unfolds in a similar way - classy, serene, elegant A pleasant, high quality incense fragrance that represents incredible value for money at current prices. Inoffensive, friendly, office-safe, and easily wearable by men or women. Performance is unfortunately not stellar, but others seem to notice it and respond favourably after I can no longer detect it. If you like frankincense/incense/olibanum this is one of the best in terms of value for money and a safe blind buy. Thank you Fragrantica! Edit: My unbounded, hyperbolic joy at finding a nice, (and affordable) incense fragrance to rival M Generation and Clive Christian V for Men has faded somewhat - although a truly beautiful fragrance, Ikon becomes a skin scent all too soon. If only it had the longevity of Andy Tauer’s Incense Extreme it would be the answer to all my prayers. Ikon evolves through three distinct stages. The dry down is really nice.

Perfectly masculine, sensual and refreshing. I. Just. Love. It. I bought it for my brother just because I tend to drool whenever I see the gorgeous David Gandy and also because it was really inexpensive. But when he opened the box, removed the magnetic cap of the perfectly sleek bottle and sprayed the fragrance on his wrist, I was totally hooked at that moment. It truly is an icon, it makes a statement when it's slowly radiating around you and it's not a rowdy show of power, nor a pose of romance. Just the image of a sober, strong willed and self-contained man. At first, you get nicely blended but flashy citruses and spices; yet there is a soft edge carefully hidden behind all that flash. Slowly the lemon-ginger mix begins to make way for balmy, more mature and a darker spice blend. I also begin to detect a woody quality at this phase. And I must say it is delicious. Totally manly, totally smooth and calm, totally sexy. And these are the reactions on my -a woman's- skin, think how it will work on male skin... After about 5-10 minutes, I begin to feel the incense note, which makes the fragrance even more charismatic. It feels a bit like resin though, not too dark but rather spicy, but it is so well blended into the overall mixture, it seems to be coming out through a red velvet curtain when it is its turn. I can also tell there's patchouli and cedar but they're not standing alone, blended in the crowd and definitely very soft. In fact, from this point on -15 minutes after spraying- the fragrance is all about soft and subtle spices and a well curbed freshness with an embracing feeling. The image springs to my mind when I smell Ikon is a simply yet tastefully furnished chalet with a roaring fire in the fireplace while it's snowing outside and there's a dark handsome man wearing cream coloured sweater and beige pants and I can get the smell of Ikon emanating slowly into the dim room from his skin, reassuringly and comfortingly. Wow, it seemed like a typical romance novel cover when written out like that :D That wasn't the intention, which you'll understand when you smell this great perfume. And lastly I regret to say this after all these stories but it's staying power is quite low. You'll need to renew it in 3 hours. Ps. Now that I think about it, there couldn't have been a better choice than David Gandy to be the face of Ikon, because he so reflects the characteristics I wrote above. And that doesn't have anything to do with him looking ridiculously superb with just anything. ;)

I have come to understand in the fragrance world you have different types of noses. Some trained and some not so trained. You also have different taste of fragrance. What smells good to me may not smell good to you. Fragrance is an art and art is of one's own interpretation and my interpretation of this is that this is one AWESOME fragrance for what you pay for it. I think I paid 14.99 for a 4.2 OZ bottle. As others have noted yes you will get atleast 8 hours out of this diamond in the rough and it projects quite well for the first few hours after application. What does this smell like? let me say it has been compared to Dirty English by juicy couture and I agree it probably resembles that more than any other but only at a stage of the fragrance. Ikon has three stages or phases it goes through.Upon application the first scent it smells like is John Varvatos at the top but only last for a few minutes then as it settles to the middle notes you get Dirty English and it stays that way pretty much through the rest of the scent but when it gets to the drydown you still have the Dirty English vibe but with Ambre by baldessarini thrown in there. I have owned all three fragrances and all are good but Dirty English was a dissapointment because it lacked longevity and projection and so did John varvatos. Ambre I love and have no issue with it. Ikon in my opinion takes the weakness of all these fragrances and makes it into something beautiful. This is Def a fall/winter fragrance and I can not wait to rock this when it's starts getting colder. Others have noted this to smell like a camp fire and I can see the comparison but to me this is like burning cinnamon incense or when you are grilling with wood and after the fire has down you get an aroma of smoldering ash.....I freaking love it lol All in all for the price you pay for this and the fact you get 8 hours from this is every bit worth having and some. I highly reccomend it. A+++++++

I am fascinated by the conflicting reviews of this juice, especially since the newer reviews are mostly negative while the older reviews are overwhelmingly positive. To me, it straddles the designer/niche divide, which is incredible given the price point. To me, "niche" means something that is not designed to please everyone, something that leans closer to being an olfactory painting than something that gathers compliments. (So by this definition, most Parfums de Marley are designers, while the Encre Noir line is niche). The niche part of this is the church-type incense note, the labdanum, and the artemesia/clove note, which combine into an accord that evokes the style of Amouage. This is balanced, however, with lavender (unlisted), a smooth, semi-sweet cardamom, cinnamon and amber, all of which make this accessible. This is not, in ANY way, generic, and my bottle (purchased in 2023) has very nice performance, wafting off my chest and shirt for a solid 6 hours. One warning: This one smells quite different in the air/sillage than when smelled down a shirt or nose to skin. Nose to skin, there is a one hour phase where this has an excretory character, but this never comes through into what you or others will smell in the air. I think some of the negative reviews can be explained this way. This is very masculine, and more than a bit mature, so (most) women and guys under 30 will not have nice things to say about this. But for the right person, especially lovers of Amouage fragrances, this is an incredible value.

What a beautiful fragrance Ikon is! This one was a blind buy for me also, and I'm so glad I snatched up a 4.2 oz bottle at Marshalls for less than 15 bucks! It is fall here now, and I wanted something this morning for cold mornings, but brighter cool days with some sun...this is perfect! :-) A warm sharp spicy sweetness greets the nose on the first spray. The lemon is minimal, as the cardamom and ginger add an almost juicy warmth. Oh so smooth, so warm and so sexy! The spices continue into the heart with cinnamon and cloves and the orris and labdanum add a resinous earthy sensuality. This avoids the usual trite fruits, citruses and herbs and gets right to the good stuff. The only florals are resiny, cool and smooth; and the drydown...wow! Incense, amber and patchouli give it an exotic flair, and the cedar and vetiver keep it dark and woody, but refined...I think I found a great winter scent here, folks! If you like warm, spiced resiny scents with an incensy finish, grab this up when you see it. Sillage: good Longevity: very good Overall: 4.5/5 Zirh scents are (sadly) underated. Their skin care line for men is excellent and I have all three of the mens scents, (Zirh Classic and Corduroy ar ethe other two) and they are also great. This company knows men, their skin and how a guy should smell, no matter what the occasion. I recommend any of this houses scents to anyone who wants to smell expensive, but not pay through the nose...

This fume is surprisingly well crafted for the $15 I dropped on it many moons ago. It gives off a tempting burnt leather and incense vibe to start that slowly mixes with a smoked amber and labdanum note over its long life. It is also a bit spicy and resinous in its presentation - no notes truly reveal themselves as it is quite "blended" yet surprisingly smooth and rich. I highly doubt there is real orris in here as it would be outrageously priced, but the effect is present by giving a rich and warm accent to the amber and spices. This vaguely reminds me of Bvlgari Black with its smoked rubber/incense/tea note mixed with a richly sweet base - Black goes the way of rich and creamy vanilla in the drydown whereas Ikon remains more masculine in its rich, spiced amber drydown. I also feel that Black's top notes hold the rubber/smoke note that burns off after an hour or two and Ikon's smokiness lasts thlthrough the heart notes. Like many have said before, this is an absolute treat at this price and you would be hard pressed to find a better way to spend $13 for a 4oz bottle! I wish you all the best in your life and may you find your dreams infinitely easier to achieve! Day 25 - With or without Listening to: Tool - Parabola

What's going on here? Released in 2008 you say? But wait...this doesn't smell like a smudge of lipstick on my collar or baby lotion or toothpaste or even pineapple fruity soap. This is a very bold statement to make in today's marketplace! Spice is heavy yet masculine. Think mulled wine at Christmas but without the sweetness; citrus, ginger, cloves, cinnamon. It's absolutely gorgeous! It is a re-hash of Dunhill's 1984 cologne called Edition, but it has been sanitized somewhat. The weird dirty funk of Edition has been taken out to leave something much drier and sharper. The warm incense and woods drydown is so good I will have to find some way of taping my face to my wrist for the rest of the day! Men of good taste need never smell like a teenage girl's toiletry bag ever again. NB: I don't think this will suit casual use. Conjures up a nice suit jacket, shirt and cufflinks. (Thanks to Gypsy Perfumista for your sterling review, I bought this blind from TKMaxx and was not disappointed! Keep up the good work!)

Zirh Ikon is amazing bang for the buck. initial notes are mainly cardamom, ginger and I also smell the sweetness of cinnamon while it evolves into a spicy incense with cloves and vetiver in the dry down. at different times in it's scent life Ikon reminds me of dirty english, Jacomo de Jacomo, Azzaro Silver Black, Elizabeth Taylor's passion for men ( another good under rated incense frag)though I would be hard pressed to say it smells like any one of them. it's almost like they took bits and pieces of all of them, blended it and surprise, it actually works!! projection is decent and I get a good 5 hrs plus longevity with 4 sprays. The pure black bottle with it's magnetic cap is the epitome of masculine cool and it suits the juice inside perfectly. looks nice sitting on your dresser. one of the best cooler weather perfumes. I got a 125ml FB for about $12. This would be a great addition to my wardrobe at any price. at the ridiculously low prices you can find IKON at, it's a no brainer !! love it. 8.5/10

Zirh Ikon EDT Citrus and ginger are the predominant top notes, with a hint of cardamom and what a fantastic opening it is! After several minutes, the middle notes of cloves and cinnamon are detectable and I believe they remain ever so faintly in the final dry down. The base notes I detect are incense and amber, and I also get a hint of an animalic accord, which may be the labdanum listed in with the other middle notes. So, what lingers for several hours is a spicy-sweet, slightly musky combination which is really wonderful. Let me put it another way: I find this potion to be quite compelling. It is masculine, but not macho. Very high class. The handsome black bottle includes a magnetized silver colored lid. I don't know what this sold for back in 2008 (when it was launched) but it can be had now for under $15.00, and it is a bargain! House of Zirh, you have a winner!

An absolute masterpiece. 10/10 easily. Not for the faint of heart or those that only like light citrus. The best, most modern, sexy, deepest, and clearly most mysterious of the zirh scents. All of the zirh scents are quality, the other 3 are a bit lighter. This scent has more depth than the other 3. Instantly you get the cloves, followed right behind by incense, then cinnamon done well, balanced with citrus. Beautiful at first spray, through drydown and 4 hours later. When I first smelled this scent, I bought it 3 years for the first time at age 32, I instantly fell in love with it. This scent along with CK Dark Obsession and Mandarina Duck Black all have that incredible, sexy, mesmerizing smell to them, that says instantly, I want and need to have sex right now. Zirh Ikon is incredible.........

I recently obtained a 100ml bottle of Zirh Ikon as part of a much larger order. I must say, I am very pleased with this fragrance! Zirh Ikon is expertly blended, and whomever created this fragrance has some real talent. It’s t is a rich, spicy smooth incense fragrance, that matures into a warm incense heavy fragrance on the skin. I am impressed with the quality of this product, and it has decent lasting power as well. I am very much into incense & incense fragrance..(see my collection) and this is one that I’m pleased to add! It’s smooth and gentle enough to have mass appeal...but expertly crafted enough to really stand out in the crowd. Zirh Ikon, for incense lovers and fragrance aficionados, alike....... The Verdict : EXCELLENCE

IKON is simply a gorgeous and mysterious scent. If only it lasted and projected better it could be one of my favourites. It opens aromatic and spicy, but it is dark already, it is a pitch black scent throughout its whole short lifespan. By the time it evolves into the woody incense base it is nearly gone. I would love to experience it longer. I think it is time to take it out and use it on my hair where it lasts longer than on my skin. Interesting and elegant composition, serene and dark. It doesn't suit a casual clothing and it would feel very off with light colours. Whether you are male or female, dress up in black, be very dapper, and then, with the proper attitude, you can sport it. My black little heart enjoys this a lot.

Nice little Christmasy scent that flirts with connotations of midnight mass. You'd swear there's a hint of evergreen in this mash up, but regardless the vibe is there nontheIess. I get a slight hint of Narsisco Rodreigaz For Him mixed with a stick of Big Red, black liquorish and incense laced fir. All this in a moderate and classy tone without coming off too mainstream. It really is nice for what you pay. I can see myself taking my family Christmas lighting and drinking hot chocolate while wearing this refined and interesting fragrance. Great bottle and presentation at a phenomenal price point. Quality wise, Zirth Ikon smells just about as good as any overpriced bottle of Chanel on the market. An absolute safe blind buy.

Let's be honest here, most of the people giving Zirth Ikon negative reviews are doing so just because of it's low price point. This scent is better than many of my pricier bottles, and almost always keep it in rotation on my favorites shelf. When you first wear Ikon, it tricks you as feeling nothing that special, but If you keep coming back off and on within a 6 month span, it will slowly begin to reveal it's secrets. Deep masculine incense heavy on the cinnamon and evergreen. It has to be what the Ghost Of Christmas Past was wearing during his encounter with Scrooge. Trust me folks, Zirth Ikon is that good. It's my number one Christmas/holiday fragrance, just edging out Michael Kors (MKM) by a hair. A safe blind buy.

continuo a domandarmi il motivo per il quale ho bollato questo profumo come qualcosa di inindossabile, tanto da averlo lasciato nella mia lista di scambio per mesi. poi, per caso, mi sono imbattuta nelle recensioni, e l'ho riprovato. e l'ho gradito, pure tanto. si tratta di una bazzecola, di una colonia super economica che parte in maniera estremamente mascolina con cardamomo, chiodi di garofano, note agrumate e zenzero. epperò, pazientando un pochetto, si assiste ad una evoluzione assai interessante, su incenso, vetiver e legno di cedro. le note di fondo, benchè ambrate e resinose, mantengono un insieme di freschezza che perdura per ore. molto buono!

First reason to love Ikon: it cost me $9.00, with shipping, for 75 ml. Second reason to love Ikon: smells like Dunhill Edition with incense. Third Reason: Mature, comforting, classy masculine scent in a quality bottle with nice magnetic cap- great presentation. Mysterious, dark, smokey, a little sweet. Fourth Reason: performance is not as bad as some say. It’s on par with many modern fragrances that cost much, much more. Anecdotal, I know, but: I sprayed on the the back of my hand at 9 pm- I could still smell it after the gym at 9 am. Not bad at all. Fifth reason: You will spend more on dinner than a bottle of this great juice! Easy purchase! So good

What a gem from Zirh! This unknown cheap fragrance is one of the nicest incense smell on the market! It's a neat, elegant, linear, soft, very mildly-spicy incense that feels so classy & mature to wear. When I first sprayed it on a piece of paper tissue I was disappointed. It felt so plain & soapy. I sprayed it on my wrist just because I was testing it versus Antonio Banderas's Spirit Night Fever, who I blind-bought with Ikon. Minutes later & I was blown away! This is wonderful incense on the skin. So charming! What a bargain! If you like incense, this is a must try!

First time when i wore this Oh !! what the hell of this smell, It's smoky and woody too much. i endure to smell, half hour later it is so nice. I am very surprise that the first note could be changed to a soap and fresh in the mid note. So, if you have it and wear it on the first time dont judge to sell to another cause the mid note is very very nice scent. Recommended, if you are a man who need a fresh scent without citrus, fruity or aquatic this is a one choice you should select. Longevity is good, 5 sprays for 8 hours in summer.

Oh no, I just read RobbieX's review below, after ordering a few backup bottles of this that I used to like a lot except its poor performance. If the scent is also changed to the worse I won't be happy. This used to be a weak but magnificent spicy incense. The opening is a bit generic, but still very pleasant, and the austere incense drydown a wonderful touch, and also the point when I start to wish it was much much stronger. Let's see. If they keep the dry incense I will be happy after all.

The sprayer is abysmal. The fragrance is ok in the opening but the drydown on my skin is nothing short of fabulous, however, not on my clothes. On my skin, a couple of hours in, the blast of incense is phenomenal; it is spot on church incense. idk what they have done with the base notes here, but with this one they have nailed it big time. And all of this for €10??? WUT? I'll update on longevity, later on.