The Pick: The aftershave calling you to adventure

The House of Creed are known for their dynamic, adventurous fragrances. This is their most exciting yet.

‘Bold, fearless and determined, the Viking man lives life full of purpose and never settles. He pushes himself to be fearless in all aspects of his journey with the grit and vigour to break boundaries – all in pursuit of the challenge and his thirst for discovery.’

So says Creed, the iconic perfumers responsible for creating signature scents from Green Irish Tweed to Virgin Island Water. Their latest, Viking, is a valiant men’s fragrance that bottles the rugged, fearless spirit of boundless exploration – and is a must-have investment for any modern man who lives against the grain. Riling against your office job? Feel choked in a suit and tie? Then splash on some Viking, and sate your purer, more natural tastes.

Comprised of 80% natural ingredients, Creed say that Viking was inspired by the incredibly-crafted longships, a centrepiece of the Viking Age and one of the greatest design feats of the ninth century. A symbol of voyage and undeniable perseverance, longships were carefully designed for the skilled seaman – and embodied unbridled determination to conquer.

Viking – the brand’s first new scent since the introduction of Aventus in 2010 – was the brainchild of Olivier Creed, Sixth Generation Master Perfumer, who wanted to bottle his passion for being on the sea. As a result, the fragrances base notes are reassuringly woody – with Indian Sandalwood, Haitian Vetiver and Absolute Lavadin cropping up – and it boasts a natural heart of peppercorns, rose and peppermint.

Top notes include the exotic and thoroughly natural bergamot and lemon, finishing off a fragrance Olivier is incredibly proud of and keen for customers to try. “I was inspired by the unwavering commitment to discovering new territory,” he says, “both physically and metaphorically.”

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