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By S Bin Shaheen, Fragrance Expert at Perfumeo. Last updated September 2026.
Hawas Ice arrived in 2023 with a name that sets an expectation, and the first question most people have is whether it delivers on it. The short version is that it does, briefly and genuinely, and then it becomes something else. Knowing that in advance is the difference between liking this fragrance and feeling misled by it.
The short answer
Hawas Ice smells like cold citrus and crisp apple with a twist of star anise, opening into sweet plum and orange blossom, then settling into a clean musk, amber and driftwood base with a dry mossy edge. The frozen impression is real but it belongs to the first few minutes. What follows is fresh, sweet and clean rather than icy.
The notes
- Top: Apple, Italian lemon, Sicilian bergamot, star anise
- Heart: Plum, orange blossom, cardamom
- Base: Musk, amber, driftwood, moss
One correction worth making, because it is repeated everywhere. Numerous retail listings describe Hawas Ice with mint, lavender, marine accords or frozen patchouli. None of those are in it. The cold effect comes entirely from the citrus pairing and the star anise, which is a more interesting piece of construction than a mint note would have been.
How it actually smells, minute by minute
The first five minutes
This is the phase the name is selling, and it works. Italian lemon and Sicilian bergamot arrive sharp and cold rather than sunny, apple gives a crisp green bite, and star anise adds a faint liquorice coolness underneath that reads almost mentholated without any mint being present. It genuinely feels chilled.
It is also loud. Reviewers consistently describe a single spray filling a room, and several compare the opening to blue raspberry sweets.
Twenty minutes to two hours
The ice melts, and this is where expectations need managing. Plum and orange blossom come forward with cardamom behind them, and the fragrance turns noticeably sweeter and rounder. Anyone who bought it purely for the frozen opening will feel the shift.
It remains fresher and cleaner than the original Hawas throughout this phase, but it is not a dry or austere fragrance. The sweetness is real, and it is the most common criticism, with some wearers finding it juvenile.
Three hours onwards
The best part for most people. Musk and amber give a clean warmth, driftwood adds a salty mineral quality, and moss brings a dry green edge that keeps the whole thing from turning into a plain sweet musk. It sits close to the skin from here and stays pleasant for the rest of the day.
Is it actually icy?
For about five minutes, yes, and honestly more convincingly than most fragrances that make the claim. After that it is a fresh sweet fruity fragrance with a clean base. If you want something that stays cold and sharp for hours, no fragrance at this price does that, and expecting it will leave you disappointed with an otherwise very good bottle.
The honest criticisms
Three come up repeatedly and all are fair.
It gets sweet. The plum heart brings back much of what people were trying to escape by choosing Ice over the original. It is less sweet, not unsweet.
It is loud. Two sprays is the ceiling and one is plenty indoors. Over-application is the most common complaint about this fragrance by a distance.
Fresh bottles underperform. This is the one almost nobody mentions and it matters. Community reports consistently describe Hawas Ice improving after two to four weeks of settling, with new bottles smelling thinner and sharper than they eventually will. If your first wearing disappoints, put it away and return to it in a fortnight before forming a verdict.
Set against that, the praise is equally consistent: excellent performance for a fresh fragrance, genuinely versatile, and one reviewer reported it surviving basketball, unexpected rain and a shower and still being detectable afterwards.
Performance
Seven to nine hours on skin, with the strongest projection in the first two to three hours before it settles closer. Clothing holds it substantially longer. That is strong for something built around citrus, which normally disappears fastest of all.
Who should buy it
Hawas Ice suits you if you want a fresh fragrance for warm weather that still lasts, if you found the original Hawas too sweet and want the same character dialled back, or if you need something for an office or shared space where a heavier fragrance would be unwelcome.
It suits you less if you dislike sweetness generally, since the heart will find you, or if you want a genuinely austere cold fragrance rather than a fresh one.
When to wear it
Spring and summer are the obvious fit, and it is one of the better options for genuine heat. In the UK its real advantage is enclosed spaces rather than temperature, since British summers rarely get hot enough to make the original uncomfortable. It works year round for daytime, and it is a sensible gym and travel choice.
How to wear it
Two sprays maximum, one indoors. Apply to moisturised skin on the chest and neck rather than only the wrists, and add one to a collar if you want it noticeable through the day. Do not rub. And give a new bottle a few weeks before judging it.
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Frequently asked questions
What does Hawas Ice smell like?
Cold Italian lemon and Sicilian bergamot with crisp apple and a twist of star anise, opening into sweet plum, orange blossom and cardamom, then settling on musk, amber, driftwood and moss. Frosted at first, fresh and sweet after that.
Does Hawas Ice contain mint?
No, despite what many listings claim. The cold impression comes from the citrus and star anise. There is no mint, lavender or marine accord in the composition.
How long does Hawas Ice last?
Seven to nine hours on skin with strong early projection, and considerably longer on clothing. Very dry skin shortens it, and a moisturiser first makes a noticeable difference.
Is Hawas Ice sweet?
Yes, though less so than the original Hawas. The frozen opening gives way to a sweet plum heart, so it is a fresh sweet fragrance rather than a dry one.
What season is Hawas Ice for?
Spring and summer primarily, and it handles heat better than most of the line. The clean musk base means it still works in cooler months for daytime wear.
How many sprays of Hawas Ice should I use?
Two, and one in an enclosed space. It projects strongly enough that over-spraying is the most frequent complaint about it.
Is Hawas Ice better than the original?
Neither is better. Ice is crisper and cleaner in the opening, the original is warmer and more versatile across a British year. Our full comparison of the two settles which suits you.
The verdict
Hawas Ice is a genuinely good fresh fragrance with performance well beyond what its style usually manages, let down only by a name that promises more coldness than any fragrance can sustain. Buy it for the crisp opening and the clean base, not for a permanent chill.
Hawas Ice is in stock as genuine sealed stock with free UK tracked delivery. For the wider range, see every Hawas fragrance compared.
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