There is a small joke buried in Flowerbomb, and it is right there in the bottle. Viktor & Rolf, the Dutch design duo known for their theatrical, conceptual fashion, shaped the flacon like a hand grenade, then filled it not with anything destructive but with the most generous, optimistic bouquet they could build. A bomb of flowers. After two decades it remains one of the best-selling women's fragrances in the world, and the joke has long since become an icon.
It arrived as a kind of statement.
An explosion of a thousand flowers
Flowerbomb launched in 2005, marking the tenth anniversary of the Viktor & Rolf house. The brief, more or less, was excess: an explosion of a thousand flowers, a fragrance that would be unapologetically rich and sweet at a time when much of perfumery was drifting towards the clean and the minimal. It took a quartet of major perfumers to pull it off, Olivier Polge, Carlos Benaïm, Domitille Bertier and Dominique Ropion, and the diamond-grenade bottle was the work of the art director Fabien Baron.
What it actually smells like
Big, sweet and floral, with a sticky, almost caramelised warmth that sets it apart from cooler bouquets. A whisper of tea and bergamot up top quickly gives way to the floral heart, jasmine, rose, freesia, orchid and orange blossom layered thick, before it sinks into a patchouli, musk and vanilla base that turns the whole thing warm and faintly gourmand. It is rich and enveloping, projects beautifully and lasts for hours. Subtle it is not, and it never wanted to be.
The £195 question
A larger bottle of Flowerbomb sits around £195 in the UK. For the money you get a genuine modern classic and that witty grenade on the shelf. You also get a sweet-floral signature so popular and so widely imitated that almost everyone has smelled it, on a friend, a colleague or a stranger in a lift.
Which is the reason an alternative market exists. People love the warm, generous bloom of Flowerbomb without necessarily wanting to spend close to £200 on something quite so familiar.
Flower Bomber: the 35% interpretation
This is where we come in, and we will be straight about what we are. Our Flower Bomber is Aromara's interpretation of that floral-explosion character, not a counterfeit and not a Viktor & Rolf product. It carries no branding and makes no claim to be the original. It chases the part that matters: the tea-and-bergamot opening, the thick jasmine, orange blossom, freesia, rose and orchid heart, and the warm patchouli and musk base.
The difference is in two numbers. Ours is built at 35% extrait concentration, roughly double a standard eau de parfum, so the bouquet holds for seven hours or more rather than fading by lunch. And it costs £4.99 for a 5ml to test it properly, against £195 for the original. We guarantee the wear time in writing, with 60 days to send it back for a full refund if it does not last.
Our guide to extrait de parfum explains why concentration matters, and the strongest perfume dupes in the UK shows where our range sits. If you prefer your florals leaning gourmand, the story behind La Vie Est Belle is a natural next read, and our Pure Bliss is the one to try.
Frequently asked questions
Who created Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb?
It was composed by Olivier Polge, Carlos Benaïm, Domitille Bertier and Dominique Ropion and launched in 2005, for the tenth anniversary of Viktor & Rolf.
What does Flowerbomb smell like?
A big, warm, sweet floral: a touch of tea and bergamot over a thick bouquet of jasmine, rose, freesia, orchid and orange blossom, on a patchouli, musk and vanilla base. Rich and enveloping.
Is Aromara's Flower Bomber the same as Viktor & Rolf?
No. It is an independent composition inspired by the same character, built at 35% extrait for longevity and sold at a fraction of the price. It is not affiliated with Viktor & Rolf.
Aromara is an independent UK fragrance house. Our fragrances are original compositions inspired by the character of well-known designer scents. We are not affiliated with Viktor & Rolf, and all trademarks belong to their respective owners. Every Aromara fragrance is made in the UK at 35% extrait concentration, with a 7+ hour longevity guarantee and a 60-day money-back promise.