Ultrared Men by Rabanne

I tried it on a decant and it smells like a modernised Le Male: less 90s vintage, more avo-vanilla and fresh, but keeping the vibe. I loved it, though with so many similar options, I’m not sure if I’d take it home.

Rabanne’s Ultrared smells of caramelised orange blending blood orange with praliné, creating a perfect balance between citrus and sweet.

A proper perfumazo for cold autumn and harsh winter. It’s excellent in every way; I already have my third bottle. It opens with a juicy candied orange that bursts sweet, but doesn’t last long before giving way to praliné with moderate tonka bean, the best phase that projects and attracts compliments thanks to the acidity of the blood orange base. As it dries down, vanilla and patchouli soften the scent, making it cosy and close. It’s a gourmand through and through, with just the right acidity, ideal as a winter signature. Lasts several days on clothes and is very masculine. No doubt I’ll keep using it.

What can I say, I’m sad because I can’t use it; I live in a warm climate. In the cold it’s a shot: all the notes are noticeable, sometimes the blood orange, other times the chocolate, other times the vanilla. The trail is unique. The vanilla hit is similar to Eros but finer and more enjoyable. It smells like a decent poker player, elegant and well-mannered. It’s a mix of elegance and party that isn’t defined by one or the other; if you use it in a context without connecting it, it loses its essence. It’s perfect for elegant parties. Pity that in the heat performance drops and delicate notes like the blood orange and vanilla trail are lost. In the cold it’s a 10/10.

It smells like a vanilla ice cream over an orange one melting, with caramel everywhere. It has faint aromas of vanilla and creamy things. It’s a delight if you love sweets or your partner will love it. In the sun or tropical heat, even if you apply a lot, the sun eventually kills it and dries it out badly; it doesn’t damage the sweetness but it doesn’t perceive the same. On clothes it lasts until a day or until washing. In the cold it’s a shotgun: it projects and floods the place. It’s a crazy sweet ideal for dates. I wouldn’t use it at meetings because it’s too strong; it’s perfect for special outings or parties if you want to smell different.

Rich and super soft! But I feel it doesn’t last at all. Has it been discontinued or what? I have one from 2020. It’s strange that the box says ‘Made in France’ and the bottle says ‘Made in Spain’, quite odd.

A hidden gem. Perfect for going out to a party 🤙.

Ultrared by Paco!! I bought it and returned it the next day. It gave me a headache from being so strong. It’s too sweet and heavy, it reminds me of the tobacco air freshener in taxis. It doesn’t fit in my collection, of course, respecting everyone else’s tastes.

I met Paco Rabanne Ultrared Man thanks to a friend, I think he was the only one in my country who knew it and spoke highly of it. When he tested it one day walking down the street, he went straight into the store to buy it back in 2008/2009. They asked fortunes for years after its discontinuation and it always left me intrigued. Until in 2021 it appeared at a ridiculous and accessible price. How right he was, the day I tested it I ran to buy a bottle and months later I bought another as a spare. It’s a gourmand à la A*Men without the nuclear and overwhelming aspect. It comes with almost candied orange and the dry down is praliné (chocolate with hazelnuts) plus a patchouli that gives it a sweet pastry base. It lasts wonderfully, on clothes for 12h and on skin it radiates for 3h, I feel it gives heat and radiates a sweet apralinated balm. For medium seasons and harsh winter, in summer it’s unviable. Informal and youthful, for a pair of black Converse, semi-distressed jeans and a check shirt, that vibe of the late 2000s. It’s in my top 3 of Paco Rabanne, a gem for those with good taste. If they bottled it in a Creed bottle they would sell it without raising suspicions.

Fresh, sweet and slightly acidic blood orange. The praliné and vanilla do the rest. Like a Mugler made with Puig’s nocturnal sweets. It gets compliments; if you are a current non-alcoholic nocturnal gourmand, give it a try, you might find what you’re looking for, it’s cheap and not mass-produced.

Top fragrance, grabbed it at a bargain price and it was a total blind buy success. It opens with a sweet, citrusy blood orange that brings freshness and brightness. Then the orange fades and the almond praline and tonka bean come out strong. It projects well for a few hours before becoming more intimate and sweet due to the vanilla. Lasts 5 or 6 hours on my skin. Smells different and delivers. I see it for fresh spring or autumn days. As it evolves, it smells very similar to Lolita Lempicka (it smells like my girlfriend), so I see it as unisex. It deserves a place in your collection.

I got it recently and I’ve really liked it. It starts with a handful of orange candies (with liquor) that, although sweet, smell fresh, accompanied by tonka bean. After an hour, the praline takes centre stage with a very good balsamic and chocolatey aroma. At four hours, it leaves a vanilla base with patchouli and a bit of a kick (like pepper or ginger; I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s so in Ultra Zest). It met my expectations: trail for 4 hours and then skin scent, totaling 8 hours on my skin. The bottle is pretty but the atomiser leaves something to be desired when pressed (common in Paco Rabanne as with One Million). Recommended if you like wearable gourmands. I see it as youthful but unisex leaning towards masculine due to the dry-down.

Human behaviour is striking. When it was discontinued, everyone said: ‘jewel of perfumery’, ‘beast bomb’, ‘wish they would bring it back’. Now that it’s back, they say: ‘generic scent’, ‘doesn’t project’, ‘there are better ones’. I think with all discontinued fragrances that yardstick is used. Will the same happen with other things?

I think it’s a cologne and I suppose this batch comes discounted as it’s a re-release. I notice the sweetness of the blood orange, but the fresh opening feels to me like strawberry gum. It’s linear in that gummy perception with wearable sweetness, nothing like Joop. It wins at the end when it’s settled. Moderate trail, 3-4 hours duration because it’s surely been reformulated (we over-apply and then what). On paper it lasts all day sticking the nose to it and on clothes 5-6 hours. Versatility and season: back of the wardrobe and for heat, although I’ve tested it at 10-20 degrees. Would I buy it again? It’s okay but it doesn’t surprise me. Would I recommend it? No. You have to buy it blind on sites like Brasty or Notino.

By god, what a beautiful perfume, you grab the One Million and add many well-ripe fruits and you get this exquisite treat. Projects for about 4 hours on my skin and lasts 9 hours skin deep, it’s gorgeous.