1 million paco rabanne

1 Million Parfum by Paco Rabanne

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1 Million has once again spun off another flanker in that gold ingot bottle, this time it’s a Parfum version. I hadn’t done any research on 1 Million Parfum before I got a hold of the sample, so I didn’t know what to expect.

Would it just be an amped up 1 Million or closer to Intense? Well, I was actually quite surprised by the direction Paco Rabanne went with this one. So, please continue below as I share my complete thoughts on this scent.

My Verdict

1 Million Parfum takes the familiar sweetness of the original in a more unusual tropical-floral direction, opening with juicy grapefruit, tiare flower, solar leather, and a slightly salty resinous warmth.

The opening is easily the strongest part, creating an attractive beachy character while still retaining the recognizable 1 Million DNA.

Overall, it is an enjoyable and distinctive release, but I would still choose 1 Million Privé, Elixir, or the original ahead of it.

☀️ 1 Million Parfum by Paco Rabanne — At a Glance
Fragrance Family Sweet Floral Leathery Amber
Key Notes Grapefruit, Tiare Flower, Tuberose, Solar Leather, Pine, Ambergris, Resin
Season Fall, Winter, Spring, Mild Weather
Occasion Casual Wear, Dates, Night Out, Social Events, Daytime Around Town
Longevity Around 8–10 hours, providing dependable full-day performance
Sillage Strong early projection that gradually settles without becoming weak
Rating ★★★★☆ 8.1 / 10
Quick Verdict A sweet tropical-floral take on the familiar 1 Million style, combining grapefruit, tiare flower, solar leather, resin, and salty ambergris. The distinctive beachy opening is the highlight, while the later tuberose, leather, and pine dry down is simpler and may become tiring. Strong performance and an attractive youthful character make it a solid release, though it is not the best fragrance in the 1 Million line.

1 Million Parfum Overview

Notes include: grapefruit, solar leather, tuberose, pine, resin, amber

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne One 1 Million Pure Parfum Natural Spray For Men 100ml / 3.4oz

My Full Review

The opening act of 1 Million Parfum does bring to mind for me, the original 1 Million, but with alterations. If you replaced the blood orange with a juicy grapefruit note and added a warm semi-tropical twist to the leather, you’d have a good chunk of Parfum’s start.

I actually like it. It’s sweet, but has a unique flair that I wasn’t entirely expecting. This is a fragrance that does pull off a unique take, while maintaining that clear 1 Million DNA.

The white floral accord here, is really what helps to separate it from the pack. Initially, there seems like there is a good amount of tiare flower in this. That with the ‘solar notes’ and leather, gives this one a sort of island/beachy vibe. 

Yet, later on it will turn into mostly a tuberose fragrance. Anyway, the opening act is that grapefruit, tiare, solar leather blend. Underneath that, is a slightly salty ambergris and resin, which gives this one some more thickness.

It sticks to that track for a while, before the pine notes freshness peaks in. Leather and pine together do have that super fresh aroma, but it sort of stays underneath some of the other ingredients. It’s just a perpetual presence.

The final dry down is pretty simple. To me, it’s a blend of tuberose, leather, ambergris, and the remnants of the pine note. Honestly, it’s my least favorite part of 1 Million Parfum. Which sucks, as that’s what it is for most of the wear, after the first few hours.

It’s kind of a letdown after that opening act. I liked the kind of tropical aroma version of the original 1 Million, it was a nice change of pace from the norm.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here doesn’t feel extreme to me, but it is pretty powerful at first. It does project itself well, but sometimes it seems like it sneaks up on you, especially once that pronounced grapefruit note has fade. But, it’s not disappointing.

Longevity seems to fall in the 8 to 10 hour range. Very good, but not elite, at least on my skin. It does hang around for at least a full workday, so, no real complaints. I don’t know, I was expecting it to be more of a beast, but it’s really solid.

Seasonally, I’d say, autumn through spring. It’s not a super heavy fragrance and it does have some tropical elements, but I’m not sure that it’ll do well in the heat of summer. It’s already a warm scent, with resin, and plenty of ambergris. As such, it might melt.

Like the other entries in the 1 Million line, this does have a more youthful vibe. Not like the teenager quality of Lucky, rather, closer to Prive. Once it settles, it does have a mature and stylish character.

 

I’d wear this casually, out a night, or walking around town during the day. Wouldn’t really classify it as an office wear. Attractive and it does have a certain sexiness to it. 1 Million Parfum isn’t going to be one you reach for on formal occasions. 

Overall Impressions of 1 Million Parfum

Do I like this fragrance? I do. However, I’m also not blown away by it. I like the opening act way more than I do the draw down. Way too much of a fresh floral between the pine, leather, and tuberose…which, admittedly isn’t one of my favorite flowers.

I don’t think it’s a bad option, though. I do like that they at least went in a unique direction with Parfum, while giving nods to the original. For me, I’d still rather wear Prive (if they still made it) and probably the original 1 Million ahead of this. 

Update: Also, 1 Million Elixir. Since that has come out since this original review was posted.

It wears on me, as it moves along, and I almost get fatigued from that dry down. Though, I can see why there will be people who will be completely into Parfum. I won’t be getting a full bottle, but it’s not a terrible fragrance, and it definitely has enjoyable aspects.

It could’ve been something really different and interesting, but didn’t make it to anything approaching classic status. 

1 Million vs. 1 Million Parfum Comparison

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1 Million EDT is still a best seller after all of these years. Of course, that means that Paco Rabanne is going to continue to release new flanker versions under its banner. The latest is 2020’s 1 Million Parfum. How does it compare? Which smells better? Which cologne lasts longer? Which is the better buy?

Quick Overview

1 Million EDT is still the better-smelling fragrance overall. It is warm, sweet, spicy, leathery, and bold, with citrus, cinnamon, amber, rose, leather, and a grape bubblegum-like sweetness. Newer bottles are not as powerful as older ones, but the scent itself still holds up well.

1 Million Parfum wins more technical categories. It opens with grapefruit, solar leather, and tiare flower, giving it a warmer, sunnier, slightly tropical twist on the 1 Million DNA. It projects better than current EDT bottles and lasts a bit more consistently now.

 

Category 1 Million EDT 1 Million Parfum Winner
Opening Opens with leather, rose, orange, grapefruit, amber, cinnamon, and mint. Sweet, warm, bold, and grape bubblegum-like. Opens with grapefruit, solar leather, and tiare flower. Similar at first, but sunnier, warmer, and slightly tropical. 1 Million Parfum
Projection Still has a bold start, but newer bottles become moderate faster than older formulations. Well above average and stronger at its peak than current EDT bottles. 1 Million Parfum
Longevity Older bottles could easily go beyond 10 hours, but newer bottles are closer to about 8 hours. Usually lands in the 8-10 hour range and is now the more consistent performer. 1 Million Parfum
Versatility Best for casual wear, nightlife, autumn, and winter. Not ideal for office or formal wear. Also best casually and at night, but feels more mature and can stretch further into spring. 1 Million Parfum
Overall Scent The better full scent experience, with sweetness, spice, leather, amber, rose, and citrus holding up better across the wear. Great opening, leather, pine freshness, and solar warmth, but the tuberose and ambergris dry down is less appealing. 1 Million EDT

Tale of the Tape: 1 Million vs. Parfum

1 Million

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

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne 1 Million By Paco Rabanne For Men Edt Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Read my Full Review: 1 Million by Paco Rabanne

1 Million Parfum

Notes include: grapefruit, solar leather, tuberose, pine, resin, amber

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne One 1 Million Pure Parfum Natural Spray For Men 100ml / 3.4oz

Read my Full Review: 1 Million Parfum

Opening

1 Million EDT opens up with a mix of leather, rose, and citrus (orange and grapefruit), that gives the fragrance a sort of  grape bubblegum like aroma. It’s sweet and warm, with an ever increasing spice coming from mostly cinnamon, but also mint.

All of this is surrounded by the embraced of an amber note, helping to give 1 Million some of its boldness and thickness.

Meanwhile, 1 Million Parfum somewhat mimics the opening of the EDT, but really taking it in a different direction. The opening act is when these two are at their most similar.

Parfum kicks things off with grapefruit and what Paco Rabanne refers to as ‘solar leather’. Basically, trying to recreate the sensation of sunlight (which it does) and the familiar leather note.

Along with that, there is a noticeable tiare flower, with which the solar notes blend and help to give this a somewhat tropical vibe up top.

Which start is better? It’s a close call for me. But, I do like the way that Parfum opens up and gives it a new twist, so I’ll lean that way.

Edge: Parfum

Projection

Which of these two has the greater sillage and strength? If we’re talking about the classic formulations of the EDT, I’d say that it had the advantage.

However, I don’t think the newer bottles have the same punch that it once did. As such, Parfum will take this category. The EDT isn’t weak, but I think that Parfum’s high point is greater than the original now.

Parfum isn’t elite, but it is well above average. EDT nowadays, still has a rather bold start, but will become much more moderate at a faster pace than it used to originally.

Edge: Parfum

Longevity

Again, the EDT used to give me a lot more than its current formulation. Back in the day, it was easily over 10 hours on my skin.

Now, it is usually between 8-10, depending on the scenario. Still very good, but not a marathon performer.

Parfum also hits that 8-10 hour range. Yes, the concentration is higher with Parfum, but on me it doesn’t translate into a longer wear.

Update: Now, 1 Million EDT, seems to only hit 8 hours with my latest bottle. It doesn’t really stretch to that 10 hour mark. So, I’m changing this to a Parfum win.

Edge: Parfum

Versatility

So, neither of these fragrances are going to be an office wear scent or something for formal occasions. Pretty much casual scenarios, nightlife, etc.

Each feels more appropriate in autumn and winter. However, Parfum has the edge in that, it can venture deeper into spring than 1 Million can. Parfum can’t venture into the high heat but it’s tropical aspects do lend itself decently to warmer weather.

I will also say, that Parfum does feel a bit more grown up and mature than the EDT. It’s got a well put together style in comparison than the attention grabbing EDT.

Edge: Parfum

 

Overall Scent

It does look like a clean win for 1 Million Parfum. However, in terms of overall experience, I’d still go with the EDT.

While I like the opening act of Parfum slightly more, I don’t think it holds up for the duration. The latter stages become more about tuberose and ambergris, which lessens its appeal for me.

I like the opening act, I like the leather and pine freshness, but the dry down is just okay. And that, is what most of the wear will be with Parfum.

With the original 1 Million, it would’ve been an easy win for it, based on older bottles. Still, I’d rather wear it over the newer Parfum. I like the sweetness, the spice, leather, and hints of rose.

Out of the newer releases in this line, I probably would opt to go with Elixir, if you want something different from the original. I think that one does a better job throughout versus Parfum.

EDT is warm and kind of brash, but I just think that it smells better in totality, when compared with Parfum. It really comes down to how you feel about the back half of Parfum. It’s not my thing, but some people seem to enjoy it.

Winner: 1 Million EDT

Who Should Buy 1 Million EDT?

Buy 1 Million EDT if you want the better-smelling fragrance overall. It is warmer, sweeter, spicier, and more classic, with citrus, cinnamon, amber, rose, leather, mint, and woods. It is best for casual wear, nights out, fall, winter, and anyone who still wants the original 1 Million personality.

Who Should Buy 1 Million Parfum?

Buy 1 Million Parfum if you want the stronger current performer and a slightly more mature twist on the original. It has grapefruit, solar leather, tiare flower, pine, amber, resin, tuberose, and a warmer tropical feel. It is better if you want more projection, more consistent longevity, and slightly better spring flexibility.

FAQ: 1 Million EDT vs 1 Million Parfum

Which is better, 1 Million EDT or 1 Million Parfum?

1 Million Parfum wins more categories, but 1 Million EDT smells better overall. Parfum performs better in current bottles, but the EDT has the better full scent experience.

Does 1 Million Parfum last longer than 1 Million EDT?

Yes, based on current bottles. 1 Million EDT used to last longer, but newer bottles are closer to about 8 hours. 1 Million Parfum usually lands around 8-10 hours.

Does 1 Million Parfum project better than 1 Million EDT?

Yes. Current bottles of 1 Million EDT still start boldly, but Parfum has the stronger peak and holds its strength better.

What does 1 Million EDT smell like?

1 Million EDT smells sweet, warm, spicy, leathery, citrusy, and amber-heavy. It has orange, grapefruit, cinnamon, rose, leather, mint, amber, patchouli, and woods.

What does 1 Million Parfum smell like?

1 Million Parfum smells warm, leathery, floral, slightly tropical, and ambery. It opens with grapefruit, solar leather, and tiare flower, then moves into tuberose, pine, resin, amber, and ambergris-like warmth.

Which one is better for nights out?

Both work well for nights out. 1 Million EDT has the classic sweet-spicy clubbing style, while 1 Million Parfum feels a little more mature and modern.

Which one is more mature?

1 Million Parfum is more mature. It is less brash than the EDT and has a more polished solar leather and floral direction.

Which one is better for winter?

Both are good for winter. 1 Million EDT is warmer and sweeter, while 1 Million Parfum has better current-bottle performance.

Can you wear 1 Million Parfum in spring?

Yes, 1 Million Parfum can work deeper into spring than the EDT because of its brighter grapefruit, tiare flower, and solar feel. It is still not ideal for high heat.

Should I buy 1 Million EDT or 1 Million Parfum?

Buy 1 Million EDT if scent is your main priority. Buy 1 Million Parfum if you want better current-bottle performance, a more mature style, and slightly better versatility.

1 Million vs 1 Million Royal

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1 Million has been a staple men’s fragrance from Paco Rabanne for a long time now. The original eau de toilette formulation has spun off many flankers under this banner, including the commercially successful 1 Million Royal.

But, the question is, how do these colognes compare? Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: 1 Million vs. Royal

1 Million

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

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne 1 Million By Paco Rabanne For Men Edt Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Read my Full Review: 1 Million by Paco Rabanne

Royal

Notes include: mandarin orange, bergamot, cardamom, lavender, violet leaf, cedar, sage, benzoin, patchouli

Buy from Amazon: Royal

Read my full review: 1 Million Royal

Opening

1 Million EDT opens up with a blend of leather, rose, and its citrus notes (orange and grapefruit). This combination gives the fragrance a sort of  grape bubblegum like aroma.

It’s sweet and warm, with an ever increasing spice coming from mostly cinnamon, but also a cooling mint.

All of this is surrounded by the embraced of an amber note, helping to give 1 Million some of its boldness and thickness.

1 Million Royal opens up with a blend of notes vying for your attention. The mandarin orange and bergamot citrus are sitting on top of the mix, giving this an initial lightness and brightness.

Underneath, the warm spiciness of the cardamom and benzoin notes are already coming through. Royal will have more of a cardamom spice versus other notes here, but early I get a decent amount of sage and a touch of patchouli.

The latter, is only noticeably if I really focus and basically press my nose up against where I sprayed.

As we move along, the spiciness will tone down. I start to get a greater ratio of the lavender versus the cardamom and the benzoin will also begin to claim the top spot.

Which do I like more? While Royal has a very good opening act, that I enjoy greatly. I still prefer what the original Paco Rabanne 1 Million brings to the table.

Edge: 1 Million

Projection

1 Million EDT used to be quite a strong fragrance. If we were talking about older bottles, it’d take this category for sure. Now, it’s still got a strong start, but moderates much more quickly than in the past.

Royal isn’t a heavy fragrance. Though, it has a lot more power than you think that it does. It’s kind of diffuse and the cloud that it creates around you is much more like a mist for most of the wear.

I’d say at its peak, Royal is probably a 5-8 foot radius cologne, in terms of its projection. After that, it’s going to spend a ton of time in that 3-4 foot range. Not bearing down on you, but I’ve noticed it hanging around without having to press my nose to my skin.

Which packs more punch? Nowadays, these two are about even with what they provide. 1 Million EDT feels a bit heavier, but it doesn’t project itself any further in my experience with each.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Older bottles of 1 Million would last well past 10 hours on my skin. With my latest bottle, that number sits closer to 8. It’s taken a step back for sure with its performance.

Royal, on the other hand, gets me about 8-8.5 hours of wear. Has never been a super long lasting cologne, but it matches what I get with the EDT.

In this category, I’ll call it an even match.

Edge: Push

Versatility

So, neither of these fragrances are going to be an office wear scent or something for formal occasions. Pretty much casual scenarios, nightlife, etc.

Each feels more appropriate in autumn and winter. However, they can also been worn at night in the spring, if it’s not too hot or humid out.

Both of them trends younger, but neither is completely juvenile. Both have more of a fun and mass appealing style versus being anything too refined or serious.

I don’t really see a distinction in this category either.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two colognes do I prefer?

It’s a very even match in terms of how each fragrance performs. But, which one of them smells better?

With Royal, I do like the change of pace. I like the warmth and spiciness that it provides, while still having some of the citrus notes and the benzoin in the dry down period.

I go back and forth between preferring 1 Million Elixir and Royal. Those are my 2nd and third favorites from the line, based on what’s available right now.

However, I still like the EDT a bit more than those two. Prive was my favorite, but now, 1 Million EDT is still the one that I’d go with.

I enjoy the opening act with the leather and citrus a bit more than the start of Royal. With the newer cologne, the opening is my favorite part of it, but it’s still not as good as 1 Million. Plus, the original is better in the dry down.

It doesn’t have the same power that it once did, but it is the more interesting fragrance for the entirety of the wear. Royal has a great start, but the rest of it isn’t nearly as good.

So, I’m picking the original 1 Million here.

Edge: 1 Million

5 Colognes Similar to 1 Million Elixir

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1 Million Elixir is one of the more recent flankers of the long running and best-selling 1 Million line from Paco Rabanne. Now, maybe you like this scent a lot, but want something a little different. Maybe you’re looking for an inexpensive alternative that smells a lot like it.

Well, I’m going to present options on this list that have a similar style or give an inspired by take on the Elixir formula.

Fragrances that smell like 1 Million Elixir

million elixir review

Inspired Option

Error 419 by Dua– This is one of the ‘Error’ scents that Dua releases, where they don’t use the designer’s name in their ‘inspired by’ formula. 419 is a mimic of 1 Million Elixir.

Basically, if you want a cheaper alternative that tries to smell as close to Elixir as possible, this is currently the best bet.

You still get the apple, davana, vanilla, etc. It’s all there and in an extrait de parfum formula. I haven’t tried this one from Dua, but I have bought probably 12+ fragrances of this sort from them in the past. The usually hit the mark extremely close.

Absolutely a Similar Style

Stronger with You Absolutely– Sweet, warmth, and vanilla are going to be the main overlaps between Absolutely and Elixir. These two are not identical, but share a lot in terms of style.

With Elixir, I get plenty of the amber note. With this Armani, it’s a mix of the resinous elemi and the ‘glaze’ of that signature chestnut note. They both have a hint of smoke at times.

This one is spicier and has a boozy rum note in there too. Sweet, the dry down is where they feel closest to one another. Absolutely is close to being my favorite of the SWY series, but that’s currently a title held by Intensely.

Again, though, they never quite match perfectly. This is one to check out if you’re a fan of Elixir, but want to switch things up. I might slightly prefer Absolutely to Elixir, but it’s more of an even contest.  Stronger Absolutely Review

Royal Relation

1 Million Royal– 1 Million, Elixir, and Le Male Airlines are fragrances that I would use to describe what 1 Million Royal smells like.

I bought a full bottle of this when it came out. The main similarities with Elixir are the amber and the sweetness. However, this one really comes out with a spiciness provided by the cardamom note, ala, Le Male Airlines.

Lighter on the vanilla. But, that benzoin, cedar, amber and general 1 Million foundation is all there. But, Royal having a split in terms of fragrance influences, it’s going to have a different smell beyond those similarities.

The back half of the wear gives you a stronger lavender influence, with a fuzzy sort of vanilla, woods, and the remaining cardamom spice.

Another one that stands separate from Elixir, but some of you might prefer this edition to our target scent. Royal Review

Victory 

Invictus Victory– Victory or Victory Elixir are two alternatives by Paco Rabanne, that you might like more than 1 Million Elixir. These do have the sweetness, but the openings of each aren’t too similar to what we’re after.

The dry down is where its at. Vanilla, tonka bean, amber, wood. Both of these Invictus flankers have a closely related middle and finishing act to 1 Million Elixir.

I’m not even much of a fan of Invictus as a line, but these two are actually really good and are colognes you’d probably be into if you like Elixir.

Personally, I think Victory Elixir is a bit better than the original Victory. Smoother with slightly better performance than its predecessor. Not a massive gap between them, but a really good option, that isn’t like the original Invictus; but is closer to this 1 Million flanker.

Another Elixir

Le Male Elixir– Probably the least like our target, out of the bunch. But, it has style elements that make me put it on the list.

Vanilla, tonka bean, benzoin are the notes most reminiscent of 1 Million Elixir. This one has a strong mint, up top, with a powerful sweetness. Warm, somewhat cloying, and intense. Honey and tobacco also have a role to play here.

Not the number 1 pick, as an alternative that smells like our target cologne, but one worth considering in the same ballpark stylistically. Possibly, Ultra Male too.

After having a full bottle of this for a while, I think that I’d lean towards having 1 Million Elixir instead. I would have said I preferred Le Male Elixir at first, but these two have diverged somewhat in my enjoyment of wearing them. Le Male Elixir Review

1 Million Royal by Paco Rabanne

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1 Million Royal is the latest flanker fragrance of the highly popular line by Paco Rabanne. It was released in 2023 and slowly seems to be getting more attention. It took me a while just to get a hold of the bottle, since it was only recently released in the US a week or so before writing this. How does Royal smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

1 Million Royal Overview

Notes include: mandarin orange, bergamot, cardamom, lavender, violet leaf, cedar, sage, benzoin, patchouli

Buy from Sephora: Royal

million royal review

My Full Review

Here’s how Paco Rabanne describes it: Powered by your inner confidence, enter the 1 Million Royal kingdom with the ultimate fragrance of defiant self-expression, made for you by Paco Rabanne. Unconstrained by convention, find the freedom to live by your own rules with 1 Million Royal: a flamboyant fresh woody blend that collides with a distinctive sensuality to unleash what makes you uniquely you. Claim the stage; you’re the king. It’s time to rise.

1 Million Royal opens up with a blend of notes vying for your attention. The mandarin orange and bergamot citrus are sitting on top of the mix, giving this an initial lightness and brightness.

Underneath, the warm spiciness of the cardamom and benzoin notes are already coming through. Royal will have more of a cardamom spice versus other notes here, but early I get a decent amount of sage and a touch of patchouli.

The latter, is only noticeably if I really focus and basically press my nose up against where I sprayed.

In comparison to 1 Million Elixir, this also has a sweetness and amber-like heart thanks to that benzoin. However, Elixir is much sweeter, floral, and vanilla based.

Royal seems to have something giving it a light vanilla effect, but the note isn’t actually listed (probably benzoin, creating that sensation).

Royal also shares plenty of similarities with Le Male Airlines by JPG. I have a full bottle of that fragrance and they definitely overlap.

Notably, they share notes of: cardamom, lavender, citrus, and cedar. But, they aren’t exactly the same in terms of smell. Airlines is sweeter and much more cardamom dominant. The cardamom itself seems to be a different type in Royal, spicier with less of the citrusy facets.

I like Royal more than Airlines thus far.

As we move along, the spiciness will tone down. I start to get a greater ratio of the lavender versus the cardamom and the benzoin will also begin to claim the top spot.

That’s mostly what the dry down is all about. A sort of fuzzy vanilla amber aroma of the benzoin, lavender, the remaining cardamom, and a generic fresh woody cedar note.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Royal isn’t a heavy fragrance. Though, it has a lot more power than you think that it does. It’s kind of diffuse and the cloud that it creates around you is much more like a mist for most of the wear.

3-4 hours into the wear I can still smell it on me and I’ve had one other person comment positively on it during my first initial test. This was hours after I had sprayed it on my arm, not even on the usual pulse points.

I’d say at its peak, Royal is probably a 5-8 foot radius cologne, in terms of its projection. After that, it’s going to spend a ton of time in that 3-4 foot range. Not bearing down on you, but I’ve noticed it hanging around without having to press my nose to my skin.

On me, this lasts somewhere in the 8-8.5 hour range. Good enough for most uses, but not incredible either.  Royal is actually a parfum concentration and the performance basically reflects that higher level of perfume.

It does fall slightly short of what I got with Elixir. Almost the same sillage, but Elixir lasts up to 10 hours on me.

Seasonally, probably going to be more of an autumn and winter wear. It’s actually nice in moderate temperatures, so, spring will be fine in most places. That’s especially true in the evenings.

It’s about to officially be summer here in a few days, which has limited a lot of my testing to indoors, as it’s not a fragrance that is built for the heat. It’s actually not terrible, since Royal isn’t overly thick and heavy, just not ideal.

1 Million Royal does skew more towards being a nightlife fragrance, but it isn’t completely out of place in a variety of other situations. It’s just not really a formal type of cologne.

It can really be worn by a man of any age, since it doesn’t have the same level of candy-like sweetness that some other fragrances in the 1 Million series can. It’s very much like 1 Million Prive, in that regard.

As I wrote earlier, I’ve already gotten a complement on Royal and this one indeed feels like it’s going to have mass appeal. I think that I’ll use my bottle mostly for casual and nightlife wear.

Overall Impressions of 1 Million Royal

Overall, do I like 1 Million Royal? Yes, to me it’s on par with Elixir. I do notice the similarities, but these are ultimately different fragrances. Royal is warmer, spicier, and doesn’t have that Elixir sweetness.

I wasn’t sure that I was going to like this and was worried that I’d have a full bottle of the stuff just languishing on my shelf. Royal turned out to be better than I expected and I will get plenty of use out of it.

It’s actually much closer to Le Male Airlines than the other 1 Million scents. It’s like they fused that Gaultier cologne’s DNA with some of the 1 Million fragrances’ and then added more benzoin. All resulting in 1 Million Royal.

I think that the opening is really great. The citrus gives it a nice energy and the balance of the spiciness, benzoin, and lavender is near perfection at that point. Enough sweetness to not be overwhelmed in either the spicy or sweet direction.

Performance is solid. Not a monster projector, but Royal does have a nice ability to project and leave a scent trail. Longevity is about what you’d need in most scenarios.

I recommend giving this one a try, if you’re a fan of the 1 Million series. It’s different of course, but that same sort of vibe and style is present here. I’m glad that I bought it.