Le Male vs Ultra Male by Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier’s fragrance, Le Male, has become an absolute classic and perennial best seller. It’s spawned an insane number of flanker fragrances, all put in slightly different versions of that iconic torso shaped bottle.

One of these flankers, Ultra Male has become quite a force on its own terms, as well as being a personal favorite of mine.

But with all of its great qualities, how does it stack up against the original Le Male? After having bought and tested each of these fragrances, I want to compare the two and lay out what the differences are and which of these two colognes is the better bet.

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Ultra Male vs. Le Male: Tale of the Tape

Le Male

Notes include:  orange blossom, mint, lavender, woods, vanilla, tonka bean, cinnamon, and more

Click here to try: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male By Jean Paul Gaultier For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Oz.

Read my original review: Le Male by JPG

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Ultra Male

Notes include: vanilla, pear, amber, woods, cinnamon, cumin, sage, lavender, mint

Click here to try: Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male for Men Intense Spray, Eau de Toilette, 4.2 Ounce

Read my original review: Ultra Male Review

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Opening

Of course there is going to be a lot of overlap between these two fragrances. However, Le Male is much more geared towards being vanilla, woodsy, and powdery.

The opening of Le Male is all about the vanilla and its spices, mint and cinnamon. All of which are present in Ultra Male. As it dries down further, that’s when lavender and woods come in, and take away some spiciness.

There is a pleasant bergamot note up top with Le Male, also. I like how it and the cinnamon play off one another early. Obviously, very reminiscent of what I get from Ultra, too.

While, Ultra Male is noticeably absent of the same powdery quality and has a sugary sweetness and an added pear note.

What it does have is a burst of initial spice, mainly from the cinnamon note.  Pear, vanilla, and light citrus round it out and give it an aroma akin to bubble gum.

It’s kind of hard to give it to one or the other, it’s really about personal preference, and I like Ultra Male more. I’d give it a slight edge.

Edge: Ultra Male (slightly)

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Projection

While both of these scents strike me as moderate, I think Le Male falls to the weaker end of that spectrum, and Ultra is towards the stronger end. Le Male is noticeable and can project well for a few hours, at least.

In fact, Ultra Male also comes out with more of a bang before settling down into that upper moderate range. Ultra Male actually has a rather large projection radius at first, but quiets into a moderate.

Go easy with the sprays or give it time to settle. Neither are bad, nor weak, but Ultra is stronger. I’ve sometimes used it like an air freshener and it will stick around pretty loudly for a long while.

Edge: Ultra Male

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Longevity

Through personal experience, I tend to get 6-7 hours with Le Male, which is certainly respectable.

Le Male used to have better longevity, but newer formulations, seem stuck in this 6-7 hour range. I will say that with my newer bottle, it’s definitely closer to that six hour mark than getting near or above seven.

With Ultra, I usually get at least 8, more likely 9, and sometimes even longer. Ultra Male has very good strength and is damn near elite in that regard. After having this cologne for two years, a colder climate will yield me 10 hours, pretty regularly.

Realistically, 8-9 hours is all you really need in almost every situation, and Ultra fills that role nicely. But, if you need a bit more, this flanker can provide that.

Edge: Ultra Male

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Versatility

They both serve the same purpose. Nightlife type fragrances that are built for cold weather. There is really no difference in this regard.

However, after spending more time with Ultra Male, I feel that Le Male, is the better casual scent and daily wear.

Update: Coming back to this post with my new bottle of Le Male, it’s definitely the better everyday cologne versus Ultra. Still not a formal fragrance, but an easy one to go with for younger guys.

Ultra Male can be too bold at first, which can limit it in certain situations. Plus, in near quarters, it can still project itself strongly sometimes (even after time has passed). I’m changing this category to Le Male.

Both of these scents are going to better for a younger man. Teens through mid-twenties for most guys. Neither of these is what you’d term a formal cologne.

Edge: Le Male

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Overall Scent

I love Ultra Male right now. In the past, I have really enjoyed wearing Le Male, and I think that it is still a great cologne. However,  I think JPG, just made Ultra Male a better scent.

I mean, Le Male has been around for 20+ years at this point, so it’s not surprising that they surpassed it eventually.

I do enjoy coming back to it from time to time. When I got a smaller bottle, I wore it for like a month straight, before setting aside Le Male once again. The mix of creamy and powdery aspects can really draw me in, but the same sweetness eventually grates on my nerves, and I’ll move on to another fragrance.

I could wear either and be perfectly fine, but I enjoy how they altered the notes in Ultra Male and got rid of the powdery excesses of the original.

Granted, I believe that they are discontinuing Ultra Male, so the time to grab a bottle may be limited…but while that lasts, that’s what I’m going with.

Update: It seems like the reversed course and then brought it back. Who knows how long it sticks around with the influx of Le Male flankers like Elixir, taking attention away from it.

It might be a good idea to pick up a bottle of Ultra Male and one of the cheaper Le Male clones. That way you could have both, if you desired.

Winner: Ultra Male