Ultraviolet by Rabanne

Smells different and I love it, but the potency dropped on the last bottle I bought. It’s been reformulated, what a shame.

Very good. It’s rare for Paco to miss with a daily perfume for the gym or work… The only time I used it at night, it didn’t perform as well.

I used it back in 2003 and couldn’t appreciate it much; it was a super hot area and it barely lasted. I hardly remember the smell.

It’s a good perfume that has been surpassed. Nowadays it’s dispensable. It’s fine for everyday wear, but it doesn’t excite. You can’t even call it a ‘classic reference’, nor is it recommended as a perfume that ‘says something’. Perfect for a young lad heading out for a night on the town. For someone seeking ‘something’… keep looking. You’ll never get the full experience; it’s good, but today it’s… boring.

A fragrance of love or hate. The first time I bought it, I was disgusted; I perceived it as dirty toothpaste due to the mint, spices, and amber giving it a sweet, aggressive touch. I didn’t like it at all. Three years passed and I bought it again on promotion, and wow, now I love it. I perceive it as white mentholated talc and its performance is quite good. It’s now a staple in my collection. I perceive it as very neutral.

The only Rabanne I absolutely adore, yet almost no one buys. I work in a perfumery and it’s a ghost: nobody orders or even tries it. So forget smelling like thousands of other guys. That’s the beauty of established products that advertising has long abandoned.

The minty opening is soft, and I recognise the oakmoss in the base, well-modulated in the style of the scent. It’s not an ‘ultra-masculine’ fragrance and I see it perfect on female skin. It has a synthetic touch, in a good way, like ‘clean plastic’; the combination is curious but original. Informal, casual, youthful and daytime, it smells current. It’s been in production for over 20 years and I suppose it felt novel in the early 2000s; today it’s even more relevant with the unisex trend. Well done to these scents that were born ahead of their time. It’s soft and I suppose the trail and projection have dropped, as happens with many designers. It’s worth trying and grabbing a bottle before it becomes one of the discontinued ones sold at a fortune.

I tried it today and I really liked it. It’s very easy to understand yet surprising: a modernisation of the classic lavender water that attempts to synthesise the scent with other harmonising notes, highlighting a sweet base that transforms the character into a more futuristic formulation. Once understood, everything makes sense: the name Ultraviolet, the violet of the lavender colour taken further into invisible waves, fits with the Paco Rabanne brand, which always thought this way. Note it launched in 2001 and makes perfect sense: the effect of modernising everything in the year 2000 is encapsulated here. Undoubtedly an icon of its time. It has so much personality and is so easy to wear that any niche brand like Serge Lutens could launch it today and it would be a hit. It has everything; it’s a great perfume. Edit: I just stumbled upon a niche brand called M.Int that copies this mint-lavender-amber composition, substituting the lavender for banana; it becomes a sweet and linear perfume, lacking the interesting fresh-aromatic-sweet nuances that Ultraviolet has. I’m mentioning this to emphasise how good a perfume it is, as it hurts to see such a jewel so undervalued commercially.

Not bad at all. On my skin, it explodes with a mentholated and citrusy opening that then yields to amber spices, but always with that underlying citrus touch. In the end, it smells of wet earth, curious. I understand that in 2001 it was ‘futuristic’ for a man; accustomed to very masculine scents, this was a transgressive surprise by betting on unisex and that fresh-amber combo. Today it resembles many (though the truth is many resemble it, as Ultraviolet paved the way). Just for the bottle and its spray that mimics a CSI-style UV lamp, it’s already worth it. Seasons: spring and summer. Longevity: 5-6 hours on skin, then drops to personal bubble. Usage: perfect as a daily signature. Age: I feel it’s youthful, unisex and simple, ideal to gift to a boy or girl aged 15 to 28 if you don’t know what to put. Price: 100ml for 40 euros, or as low as 30 if you shop around, so quite good.

Futurism is key in Paco Rabanne, from his tin dresses to Ultraviolet. I adore it for being sweet, warm and mentholated; its UV lamp bottle was very innovative. It remains current today and fits male trends. It was the idea that preceded the success of One Million, as they are very similar. For me, it’s the best of the brand.

Truth be told, this scent is a complete unknown, likely because it hit the shelves over 22 years ago and influencers have never picked it up. It’s a classic that flew under the radar; synthetic yet well-executed, with a name and colour that worked against it. It opens with a potent, artificially sweetened mint, which, combined with amber and a spicy touch, creates a body that smolders thanks to the oakmoss. It finishes with that earthy, vanilla-laden blend that reminds me more of Le Male than other Paco Rabanne offerings, all wrapped in a very own smoked aura. Comparing is like wading in puddles; I haven’t tried Bond No. 9, but its green and smoky base brings to mind the original Cedrat Boise or even Creed’s Aventus. It also recalls the earthy facet of Le Male or the green vanilla of Lolita Lempicka’s Green Lover. They aren’t the same; these are just my olfactory delusions. It has everything to be a daily signature scent, as it’s rarely seen on anyone these days; it steers clear of the overbearing tonka bean sweetness flooding the market. The longevity is decent, and while it doesn’t project much, it’s noticeable if someone draws near. Its fresh, green, and slightly sweet opening makes it versatile for several seasons, and of course, it’s not for formal situations. For all this, I defend Ultraviolet, a brand with many years that lacks the recognition it deserves and, in my opinion, turns millions of times more than its flanker Ultrared, which, unintentionally, included those tonnes of tonka bean that young people love now that companies are chasing that trend.

Mint predominates, constantly accompanied by amber. It came out in 2001 so it’s somewhat dated. At first, during my first two days, I didn’t feel anything like a woman wearing it. But I’ve now used it six times, and I can finally see it’s for men, although I don’t feel ‘macho’ with this fragrance. I think it’s an interesting alternative for spring days or non-hot summers, as an escape from the citruses that abound in those times. It doesn’t last long; on me, it projects for 40-60 minutes and then lingers for less than 4 hours.

It’s a good perfume, ahead of its time. I thought it no longer existed and recently I managed to get a new bottle (it no longer has the plastic on the sprayer); the aroma is as I remember it, in my case with very good longevity although little projection; I remember the old one as stronger, but hey, this doesn’t disappoint me. Now that I’ve used it, I realised it reminds me somewhat of Mancera’s Cedrat Boise, does anyone else experience the same?…. It could be a signature perfume… very pleasant, I think it’s worth it for the price.

Although I’ve already reviewed this, comments on a perfume you use to exhaustion always sharpen; you always find new facets. This is the least valued line from Paco Rabanne, abandoned by the house to the point that sometimes there aren’t even testers in perfumeries. These are the ones that pass us by until we notice them, and Ultraviolet smells very different from the usual. Twenty-one years have passed and it maintains itself with its ups and downs, managing to have several generations use it as a signature, something rare that few fragrances achieve. For me, it has more notes than the blurb says: an unusual mint and lavender predominate, and the amber gives it a soft sweetness. Oakmoss and vetiver provide that characteristic dry, smoky touch, creating several layers. The mint is potent at the start and the lavender stays high, but soon the light smoky sweetness envelops them. It’s fresh and green, but neither cloying nor extremely fresh; it’s in an intermediate point leaning towards amber. Over time, that green freshness gives way to a vanilla that adds creaminess to the soft smoky amber, though with less power. The original potency has diminished over the years, but it still has decent longevity and projection. Its aroma is versatile for any age: the sweet notes draw it to the young, while the moss/vetiver appeal to the more mature. It’s perfect for everyday use or dressing up to go out in any season, except extreme heat. Paco Rabanne used to be imaginative, not just in packaging but in proposals that contributed to perfumery. Ultraviolet still has life thanks to its adaptive aroma, its price, and its loyal users. Wait for them to give it the opportunity it deserves. Remember, Ultraviolet.

This has been a good fragrance, unfortunately discontinued. It wasn’t a love at first sniff; it’s one of those that took me time to understand; I met with a brash amber, but then the softness of a light vanilla came along to give skeleton to the chords. It will never be gourmand or sweet, not at all; it’s truly fresh, ozonic, with a notable amber accent. I’d venture to say it’s one of the best ambers I’ve smelled. In total, it’s a light fragrance, with good projection and longevity, not invasive at all but with personality. It generated compliments here and there but was never a mega-hit. I like it for the rest.