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Today, we have another cologne comparison post, and it’s a versus battle between two Paco Rabanne scents. The competitors are: 1 Million Prive vs. Invictus. Prive is of course, the flanker fragrance to the now classic 1 Million, while Invictus has enjoyed huge success since its release, in its own right. The question is however, which cologne is the better choice? Which smells best? Which gives greater performance? Is there a clear winner?
Tale of the Tape: Prive vs. Invictus
1 Million Prive
Notes include: tonka bean, apple, cinnamon, myrrh, mandarin orange, tobacco
Click here to try: Paco Rabanne 1 Million Prive Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce
Read my original review: 1 Million Prive Cologne Review
Invictus
Notes include: grapefruit, sea notes, mandarin orange, bay leaf, jasmine
Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Invictus Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce
Opening
Invictus opens with a citrusy candy-like aroma of a blend of orange and grapefruit notes. This is joined by an aquatic element, that gives it a summertime vibe. Invictus strikes me as something for college aged males and maintains that youthful aroma throughout.
Meanwhile, 1 Million Prive, is darker than both its original counterpart and Invictus. It’s sweet but warm and spicy. I’ve likened the smell of Prive’s opening few minutes to that of cinnamon applesauce. Now, it’s not an absolute lock stock comparison, but I think it fits.
Between the two, Prive, is just so much better and more interesting in my opinion. It’s both masculine and seductive. Plus, it could still be worn by younger guys.
Edge: Prive
Projection
Both of these scents are fairly strong. 1 Million Prive is the stronger of the two and the one that maintains its sillage throughout the wear. In my experience with Invictus, after a few hours, it becomes much quieter and doesn’t have the same impact that it once did.
Edge: Prive
Longevity
Neither of these scents is weak sauce in terms of performance. Yet, there is once again, a clear winner. 1 Million Prive consistently gives me 9-10 hours of wear. Meanwhile, I get 6-7 usually when wearing Invictus.
I think it is the citrus notes that cause it to under perform its Paco Rabanne mate. Prive doesn’t go to the extremes that the original 1 Million did, back in the day, but it’s still a great performer.
Edge: Prive
Versatility
I thought that this might be the category that Invictus takes one, based on the fact that it can be worn in any weather situation, while Prive isn’t great in the highest temperatures.
The problem is, I think that Prive has much more use in a wider variety of social situations. It is more mature and can be worn with a suit, while at the same time, being a damn good club scent.
Invictus can seem to immature for some older guys and would sometimes feel out of place as well. So, I’ll give a very slight edge to Prive in this category.
Edge: Prive
Overall Scent
It’s a clean sweep for 1 Million Prive. Understand that: I’m not even an Invictus ‘hater’. Heck, I’m wearing Invictus Intense right now. It’s just that I happen to think that 1 Million Prive is now the best Paco Rabanne cologne.
Yes, it’s better than both the original and Invictus…and the other flankers.
Update: 1 Million Prive has been discontinued. It’s pretty difficult to find bottles too, at least for a reasonable price.
None of this is to say that Invictus is bad. Again, it has its charms and use. For me, it’s not even a contest, as to which I would rather wear if I had absolutely had to choose. Especially, if your older than say around 25 or so, 1 Million Prive will just come across as the more refined cologne.
I enjoy both at times, but it is just far more often 1 Million Prive. Invictus could still be a good bet for younger guys, but Legend would probably be even better than it. The original Invictus has kind of been cut out of consideration, with at least two of its flankers being a better fragrance.
Winner: Prive
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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.