Fragrance comparison

L'Original vs Icon Racing

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 21 Oct 2026 1,036 ratings analysed

4 wins

L'Original

Andree Putman

4.3268 votes

Rank #15,964 Fresh SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

Icon Racing

Alfred Dunhill

4.02968 votes

Rank #25,278 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L'Original takes 4 of 7 categories.

L'Original
Choose it for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Icon Racing
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

L'Original4/7

Icon Racing3/7

Ratings & consensus: L'Original
Community sentiment: L'Original
Longevity: Icon Racing
Sillage & projection: Icon Racing
Value for money: Icon Racing
Versatility: L'Original
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: L'Original

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

L'OriginalAndree Putman

Icon RacingAlfred Dunhill

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.32/ 5 · 68 votes

Have 37%Had 16%Want 48%

4.02/ 5 · 968 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

Category winnerL'OriginalRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

40%Like

3%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

68 votes

37%Love

40%Like

11%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

968 votes

Category winnerL'OriginalMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityIcon Racing

SillageIcon Racing

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value41

¤ Price value65

Category winnerIcon RacingBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

woody91%

warm spicy83%

floral74%

aquatic65%

marine56%

citrus100%

aromatic91%

fresh spicy83%

warm spicy74%

white floral65%

lavender56%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both fresh spicy and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Notes

DriftwoodPepperWater LilyCardamom

No top / heart / base split published

Top

GrapefruitCardamomBergamot

Heart

Orange BlossomLavenderPepper

Base

MuskGuaiac WoodVetiver

InformationalShared notesPepper and Cardamom. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer91

Fall52

Winter30

Day100

Night31

Spring100

Summer97

Fall0

Winter22

Day–

Night–

Category winnerL'OriginalMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men35

Unisex59

Women6

Men93

Unisex5

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,964

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#25,278

PerfumerLaurent Le Guernec

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerL'OriginalHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

L'Original by Andree Putman is an airy, quiet woody aquatic fragrance that feels like wet gravel and clean linen. It side-steps the usual bright citrus openings, choosing instead to blend cold water lily with a dry, peppery driftwood base. It is a skin scent designed for those who prefer subtle, personal office wear o…

Reviews →

Icon Racing by Alfred Dunhill is a Woody Aromatic fragrance for men. Icon Racing was launched in 2017. The nose behind this fragrance is Laurent Le Guernec. Top notes are Grapefruit, Cardamom and Bergamot; middle notes are Orange Blossom, Lavender and Pepper; base notes are Musk, Guaiac Wood and Vetiver.

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, L'Original or Icon Racing?

L'Original takes 4 of 7 categories. L'Original is rated 4.32/5 from 68 votes; Icon Racing is rated 4.02/5 from 968 votes. Choose L'Original for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Icon Racing for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, L'Original or Icon Racing?

Icon Racing lasts longest (Icon Racing 62/100, L'Original 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, L'Original or Icon Racing?

Projection is very close: Icon Racing 57/100, L'Original 56/100 for sillage.

Do L'Original and Icon Racing smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Pepper and Cardamom.

Is L'Original or Icon Racing better for summer or winter?

For summer, Icon Racing is the stronger pick. For winter, L'Original is the stronger pick. L'Original suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in L'Original and Icon Racing?

L'Original features Driftwood, Pepper, Water Lily and Cardamom. Icon Racing has top notes of Grapefruit, Cardamom and Bergamot, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lavender and Pepper, a base of Musk, Guaiac Wood and Vetiver.