1 Million Paco Rabanne vs Issey Miyake Comparison

L’eau D’Issey by Issey Miyake and 1 Million by Paco Rabanne are two of the more popular men’s fragrances out on the market today. Both of them have been around for quite a long time and are still best sellers even after years of public consumption. So, what if you’re in the hunt for a new scent to wear and you’ve narrowed it down to these two colognes? Which cologne smells better? Which lasts longer? Which is more versatile? In this post, I want to put Issey Miyake and the original 1 Million cologne head to head to see which is the best option.

Tale of the Tape: L’eau d’Issey vs 1 Million

1 Million by Paco Rabanne

Notes include: Mint, Grapefruit, Rose, Patchouli, Amber, Cinnamon, White woods, Blond leather, Blood orange, Spice notes

My original review

Buy here: Paco Rabanne 1 Million By Paco Rabanne For Men Edt Spray, 3.4 Ounce

L’eau D’Issey by Issey Miyake Tale of the Tape

Notes include: citrus, spice, musk, amber, and woods

My Issey Miyake Review

Buy here: L’eau De Issey By Issey Miyake For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 6.7 Oz

Opening

The opening of L’eau D’Issey is just ok in my opinion. It’s a spicy citrus scent that doesn’t really wow and is probably the weakest part of the fragrance.

The yuzu and lemon are nice, but it comes across as dry and spicy, thanks to nutmeg and tarragon. It’s a bit too sharp, with some additional tobacco and woodsy notes. Not saying it’s bad, just not my favorite part of this scent.

1 Million starts out with a candy-like grape scent that is bolstered with smoothness provided by leather and rose. Though, this is surrounded by a warm spice as well. Just not nearly as sharp and it’s mainly cinnamon, which leans into that candied sort of vibe.

Both fragrances get better as they go along, but 1 Million is the one that starts out ahead.

Edge: 1 Million

Projection

The Paco Rabanne scent is a heavy hitter when it comes to projection. Issey Miyake is no slouch, but it is more of a moderate type of cologne.

Update: Newer bottles of 1 Million aren’t as strong as they used to be. The sillage is still good and better than Miyake, but it’s not a huge margin any longer.

Edge: 1 Million

Longevity

Both of these scents hold up well, 1 Million is a stronger scent, so it seems like it’s there longer even if it’s the same amount of time. I’ve had no problem with either of these quitting early.

Update: Miyake has always gotten me 6-8 hours of wear. 1 Million used to be 10+. Now, it is more like 8-9 and closer to 8. Sometimes, they are equal, but mostly it’s still the Paco Rabanne.

Edge: 1 Million

Versatility

Now, here’s where Issey Miyake has an advantage. 1 Million can be limited to nightlife and when worn lightly on casual occasions. It also doesn’t work too well in the summer heat. L’eau D’Issey on the other hand almost works well year round and I’ve worn it on just about every type of occasion and it never felt out of place.

Edge: L’eau D’Issey

Overall Scent

I have to admit that I prefer the scent of 1 Million more. 1 Million is a sweet cologne and that does weigh on some people as time goes on, it can get on my nerves, and I only wear it when I’m in the mood.

Issey Miyake isn’t my favorite scent but I like it and others seem to like it on me. Issey Miyake is the better choice for casual wear on a daily basis, but 1 Million definitely has something to it.

I have had L’eau d’Issey as a daily wear in the past, so I do like it quite a lot, particularly the drydown. It would easily be my choice if I needed an all around fragrance versus 1 Million.

If you like citrus/woodsy smells, go with L’eau D’Issey, as the drydown period is much better than the opening.

I wear 1 Million more often, so I’ll go with that. It doesn’t have the same level of power that it used to, but it’s a fragrance that I do like throwing on. In terms of pure smell, it gets the slight edge.

Winner: 1 Million

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.