Antidote Viktor & Rolf 2006 Eau de Toilette

A very beautiful fragrance that has completely flown under my radar until now, and fortunately, I was able to snag a bottle at a good price. It’s once again sad to see that even fragrances that aren’t that old are suddenly discontinued, although this one could easily be from the early 90s, in my opinion. However, when sales figures no longer align with marketing goals, production stops in a fiercely competitive industry, and instead, one flanker after another of the supposedly best horse in the stable is launched. The fact that true enthusiasts are no longer getting their money’s worth is just as irrelevant to the executives of fashion and cosmetics companies as the fact that the offshoots often come across as completely thoughtless and hastily thrown together.

But now to "Antidote." Until now, I had only noticed "Spicebomb" by Viktor & Rolf, a fragrance that may be good, but I have always avoided it due to the grenade-shaped bottle, its omnipresence, and the name. That’s marketing that doesn’t win me over as a target audience. Now, really on to "Antidote"! ;-) I don’t know why this fragrance is described as sweet-spicy; for me, it is clearly fresh-spicy - in a way that old-fashioned and modern, barber shop ambiance and street credibility come together in perfect symbiosis.

Even though "Antidote" doesn’t quite reach the legendary "Background" by Jil Sander and is certainly not a clone of it, I perceive a similar fragrance DNA here. It doesn’t always require primarily citrus notes to create freshness (even though they are present here). Mint, cardamom, and lavender provide a more ethereal note. Subtly, a few floral elements join in, while the base is so diverse that it’s hard to highlight a specific fragrance character. Perhaps that is the secret of "Antidote"! It never smells as if everything possible has just been mixed together haphazardly. Rather, "Antidote" achieves a distinct personality through the successful combination of numerous ingredients, which is clear and defined without being intrusive.

The elegant green bottle fits the fragrance very well, which in my eyes can represent a perfectly motivating and invigorating element in everyday office life. Because "Antidote" is undoubtedly a very clean fragrance for me, which may not necessarily be a womanizer or party hit, but absolutely qualifies as the "Best Buddy" with a confident and calm radiance.