le male gaultier

Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier

by

There are so many options when it comes to buying men’s colognes that there are some fragrances which get overlooked. Others, such as, Acqua Di Gio are perennial best-sellers and it seems worn almost universally.

Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier is in the latter category, it is a consistent best-selling cologne since 1995, and widely recognized as one which smells fantastic.

In this post, I want to share my thoughts and experiences with this Jean Paul Gaultier scent and find out if it is really worth all the hype? Note: I have updated this review, some 7+ years after the original post, to expand upon and revisit this cologne.

🌍 LE MALE — AT A GLANCE

Fragrance Family Sweet Aromatic Vanilla
Key Notes Vanilla, Mint, Lavender, Cinnamon, Tonka Bean, Amber, Woods
Season Fall Winter
Occasion Casual, Daily Wear, Dates, Cool Weather
Longevity Around 6+ hours
Sillage Moderate — noticeable, but not overpowering
Rating ★★★★☆ 7.4 / 10

Quick Verdict
A sweet, fresh, vanilla-lavender classic with minty spice, warm tonka, amber, and woods. Still a very wearable casual scent for younger guys, especially in fall and winter, though performance is now more decent than powerful.

What does Le Male by JPG Smell Like?

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

Click here to try: Le Male EDT by JPG

My Full Review

The opening of Le Male is noticeably geared towards the vanilla note. I for one, really enjoy vanilla based fragrances such as this, since it adds a certain smoothness to the presentation.

Beyond the vanilla note, the spiced mint and cinnamon kick in pretty strong from the beginning, along with the lavender. It can be an intense sort of opening, but it settles down fairly quickly to get to the best parts of the fragrance.

What’s interesting is the slight bergamot note in the top, which adds a citrus touch to a freshly spiced start.

As it dries down, the cinnamon starts to drop off for me, and I get more warmth and woods in the undertones. Amber and tonka bean with woods sitting at the base. On top, is still the vanilla, mint, and lavender combination with a toned down spice.

It is creamier with a bit of a powdered element. It all comes together as very sweet with a green minty spice, sort of synthetic smelling, but that is mostly at the opening stages.

What I’m ultimately left with, is a vanilla and lavender fragrance, with the remnants of a powerful mint. Some woods and powder, still coming through.

le male jpg review

This is then wrapped in a warm amber/tonka mix on top of wood. Revisiting Le Male, nowadays, I really do get a  lot of similarities between it and Luna Rossa Sport. At least, in the main notes.

I think that this is such a popular cologne because of the fresh and clean aroma that it gives off. It is a fairly safe scent, which can be worn just about anywhere and it isn’t overpowering either.

Le Male is good at what it does, which is provide a nice scent, versatility, good projection and longevity, and still manages to be quite sexy and alluring to the opposite sex.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

While we’re on the subject of projection and longevity, this is a pretty good fragrance in terms of both. Longevity wise, I usually get 6+ hours of use out of it, which while not spectacular, is usually enough for most daily purposes.

The projection of would rate as moderate, but it is certainly not weak in my opinion either. It is definitely noticeable during the wear to both you and those around you. Also, Le Male does strike me as a bit synthetic smelling overall, but again, I do enjoy this fragrance.

This stuff used to have better performance beyond the 6 hours, but like all older scents, reformulations can happen and alter what we get out of our fragrances. It’s still very good, but doesn’t have that same power that it initially did.

Update: I have a new bottle here in 2023 and it’s still right in that 6 hour range. It hasn’t suffered any further performance declines.

I would say Le Male is a great choice for a wintertime fragrance or even during the cooler days of Fall. That’s when this cologne performs at its best. It is a basic and fairly inexpensive scent for guys to try out and maybe develop into a daily wear.

It’s also something that will mainly be for teens and men in their early 20s. It can be pretty synthetic and simple, not something that’s going to appeal to someone older with an office job.

It’s not something that will make you stand out as unique, and maybe that’s a good thing for some guys.

However, it won’t have most people around you hating you for wearing it either, and a ton of people will simply find it appealing…and that’s sometimes all we need from a scent.

It’s been such a popular fragrance for so long, that it doesn’t have the same unique vibe, it may have once had. But, you’re still going to get something that is nice and attractive to wear.

Overall Impressions of Le Male

Overall, do I still like Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier? Yes, I do. I no longer think that it’s the best JPG fragrance, as that title now belongs to Ultra Male and a few others. It’s still high ranking on the JPG cologne list.

Bottles of Ultra Male have been discontinued (update: they continued production), but you can buy them online, and the sillage and longevity are fantastic.

gaultier le male

The original Le Male is still an awesome fragrance to wear and always super popular. For me, it is a nice scent to revisit from time to time, because it does bring back plenty of positive memories.

I really enjoy the vanilla/tonka/amber blend that comes through towards the middle of the wear.

For younger guys, this is an easy one to use as an all-around fragrance. For older guys, I’d go with something else. It’s not the best option for someone looking for a more serious kind of cologne. Closer to a playful or casual wear.

The only real downside, is the performance is just decent, but not amazing. However, this JPG scent is usually pretty affordable, which make the performance less of an issue.

Le Male FAQ

Is Le Male still worth buying today?

While I do think that tastes have changed since the 1990s, Le Male will still create new fans moving forward. It probably doesn’t appeal to everyone in the same way and JPG has created more modern flankers to keep up with the times. Yet, this one still does a lot of things well, and for a cheaper price…I think it’s worth trying out.

Can Le Male be worn in summer?

Inside? Sure. In the heat? Not really, unless it’s more of a mild summer day. In the higher temperatures, it’ll start to degrade in how enjoyable it’ll be..

Is Le Male better than Le Beau or Le Parfum?

I think that Le Male Le Parfum is better and I’d probably go with Le Beau before Le Male, also. I’m not a massive fan of Le Beau EDT, so, I don’t think that it’s way better or anything. Le Male Le Parfum has really modernized that Le Male DNA and should probably be your first choice from Gaultier, if you want a daily wear.

Is Le Male better than Ultra Male?

Personally, I enjoy wearing Ultra Male more than I do versus Le Male. Le Male is a better daily wear, but I really like the loud and bold energy that Ultra Male brings to the table. Here’s my comparison post between Ultra Male vs Le Male.

Le Male Elixir Absolu vs. Ultra Male

by

Le Male Elixir became a wildly popular flanker of the original Le Male and then JPG released the follow-up, Le Male Elixir Absolu. This series just keeps producing hits.

So today, I wanted to compare Absolu to another favorite fragrance from this line, Ultra Male. How do they compare? Which smells better? Which lasts longer? Which is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Ultra Male vs. Le Male Elixir Absolu

Ultra Male

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

Read my review: Ultra Male

Click here to try: Ultra 

Elixir Absolu

Notes include: lavender, tonka bean, plum

Click here to try: Le Male Elixir Absolu

Opening

Ultra Male is noticeably missing the same level of powdery quality as the original Le Male and has a sugary sweetness like Elixir. But with 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 a bubble gum-like aroma.

It packs a punch and is thoroughly enjoyable.

Elixir Absolu drops the mint note from the original Elixir. Instead, you get plenty of lavender with some warmer spice and the new addition of a plum note.

The plum actually isn’t too heavy at the start for me. It’s also less tart and sweeter than I expected.

I’m not sure what the spice is here. Kind of smells like cumin mixed with a bit of cinnamon.

Lavender is a stronger focus with Le Male Elixir Absolu. There might be some iris in here or it’s just how the lavender and tonka bean are coming across.

Which start do I like more?

I’ll go with Ultra Male. Elixir Absolu isn’t at its best upon first spraying, it does take some time to settle into a better fragrance. I think the opening act is its weak spot, which isn’t the case for Ultra.

Edge: Ultra

Projection

I am going off of the bottles that I own of each of these fragrances. My bottle of Ultra Male is from years ago, so, I don’t know if the performance has weakened since (I haven’t read anything about it) then.

Ultra Male has a fresh element to it, but it is a heavier scent that creates a massive cloud and projects like crazy. Really, it’s an absolute monster for a designer cologne. Probably the strongest of all that I own, at the moment.

Is it an easy win for Ultra? It’s a win, but not easy. Le Male Elixir Absolu is also very powerful, pretty much the same as the original Elixir. If you’ve tried that one, expect more of the same. 

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with what either of these two brings to the table. However, one clearly has an edge, and it’s Ultra Male.

Edge: Ultra Male

Longevity

Ultra Male at the low end lasts 9 hours for me. At the higher end, well into double digit hours. Most of the time, it goes towards the 12 hour mark. The last few times that I’ve worn Ultra Male, that’s what its done.

Elixir Absolu matches the original Elixir with a 9-10.5 hour time frame. It’s no slouch with how it performs in comparison. A very good designer cologne, in this respect.

It’s a close contest between these two, but Ultra seems to have the edge at the high end. It can add a few more hours on top of what its competitor is capable of. 

Edge: Ultra

Versatility

This is a category, where I think Elixir Absolu has more of an edge.

Neither of these fragrances is formal. Both are best in autumn and winter. In that sense, they are similar.

But, I think that Elixir Absolu would be the better daily wear scent between them. I’ve always liked Ultra Male as more of a nightlife scent, when I want something fun and powerful to spray on.

Each of them also lean much more youthful, in how they come across. But, I think the Elixir version has more refinement when compared to Ultra. I’ll give it this category.

Edge: Elixir Absolu

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two scents do I enjoy more? It’s a close call, because as of now, these are my two personal favorite colognes from this line. I own bottles of each of them and obviously wear them around quite a bit.

In comparison, I still think that I prefer wearing Ultra Male a bit more than Le Male Elixir Absolu. It’s not a massive advantage, but I still think there is a bit of a separation for me.

The opening is better, a tad greater performance, and I think it holds on to its top spot throughout when compared to the high marks of Absolu. 

Elixir Absolu is quite nice in its dry down phase, which is why it rose so quickly on my list. Both of these are bold and fragrances that might not be the best picks for some people. For instance, if you’re looking for something more suitable for professional environments, neither of these is going to be ideal.

Winner: Ultra Male

Le Male Elixir Absolu Vs SWY Intensely

by

Le Male Elixir Absolu follows on the heels of the very popular Elixir, as a part of the best-selling Le Male series from Jean Paul Gaultier. It’s entry as a bold and somewhat sweet cologne, is naturally going to draw plenty of comparisons with the other usual cold weather choices.

Stronger with You Intensely by Emporio Armani, is one of those usual choices. But, which of these men’s fragrances is actually better? Which lasts longer

Tale of the Tape: SWY Intensely vs. Elixir Absolu

Stronger With You Intensely

Notes include: pink pepper, cinnamon, toffee, lavender, sage, suede, amber, violet, vetiver

Click here to try: Intensely

My Full Review: Stronger with You Intensely

Le Male Elixir Absolu

Notes include: lavender, tonka bean, plum

Click here to try: Le Male Elixir Absolu

Read my review: Elixir Absolu

Opening

Stronger With You Intensely opens with spice as well, though it’s warmer here and doesn’t linger as long as in the original. Pink pepper really takes the spotlight, with cinnamon and sage rounding out the blend.

I notice the sweetness in Intensely shows up earlier. That toffee accord mixing with cinnamon and caramel really gives Intensely a more energetic personality.

Elixir Absolu opens differently yet familiarly compared to the original JPG Le Male Elixir. It drops the cooling mint note. Instead, you get plenty of lavender with some warmer spice and the new addition of sweet plum.

The plum actually isn’t too heavy at the start for me. It’s much less tart and sweeter than I expected it would be.

I’m not sure what the spice is here. It kind of smells like cumin mixed with a touch of cinnamon. The plum can carry a bit of spicy character too, but I’m personally getting cumin.

Lavender is the main focus with Le Male Elixir Absolu. What’s interesting is I get the sense of iris floating around in this mix. Haven’t seen anything from Gaultier mentioning this though.

Which is better? 

The opening for sure goes to the Stronger with You. While I like Absolu overall as a fragrance, the opening act is kind of messy and probably its worst part.

Edge: Intensely

Projection

This is a pretty close call. Both of these fragrances are quite powerful, have a large projection and a heavier dense feeling at times while wearing them.

I might give the edge to Elixir Absolu, as I think that it might have a slightly farther reach with how it projects. But, they’re about the same in my experience.

Edge: Push

Longevity

I get 11-12 hours with SWY Intensely. It’s a really great performer for a designer fragrance.

Does Absolu go beyond that? No, but it gets somewhat close, at least closer than many other colognes would. With the Gaultier, I get 9-10.5 hours of total wear from it. Still really good, just doesn’t hit the same level.

So, the Armani has the definite edge in longevity, with about equal projecting power.

Edge: Intensely

Versatility

Both of these fragrances are best worn autumn through early to mid-spring. Elixir Absolu isn’t as thick or cloying as the original Elixir can be, but it’s not exactly light either.

Within that, though, I think that SWY Intensely is the better option for date night or some other nightlife event versus Absolu. Neither is a formal sort of fragrance, but I think that the Armani can fit in better on a day to day basis.

Not a massive difference, but Intensely has the edge.

Edge: Intensely

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two fragrance do I prefer?

Le Male Elixir Absolu has quickly become one of my favorites from JPG. The opening act is a bit rough, but the dry down is quite good and something that I have enjoyed wearing.

I started wearing it almost exclusively versus the original Le Male Elixir. It’s smooth, sweet, and the lavender with a touch of plum is great. The performance is also great.

However, in comparison to Stronger with You Intensely, I don’t the Absolu is as good. The Armani is more versatile, is more consistent, has a bit better performance, and I think smells slightly more appealing than the Gaultier cologne.

Intensely is the best from the SWY series, in my opinion, and is also going to be the better choice for most men here.

Winner: Stronger with You Intensely

Best Le Male by JPG Fragrances (Ranked)

by

Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier is a series that has been going for about 30 years, at this point. In that time, the brand has released plenty of new editions or special bottles under this fragrance title.

While most of these scents are no longer available on the market, there are some which are more recent, that can be tracked down. On this page, I want to rank the Le Male colognes that I have reviewed on the site, and update it as newer releases emerge. 

Best Le Male Colognes (Ranked)

Still My Favorite

Ultra Male– This one is not going to be a daily wear for most. Even for me, it’s one that I only go to on occasion, and for that reason it may not be the one that you buy. But, I do still think it’s my favorite.

Ultra Male represents a lot of the qualities that I like about JPG colognes. It’s bold, out there, and doesn’t  need to be a signature scent. I’ll wear something else for the day to day, but I want some fragrances in my collection that hit hard and are borderline obnoxious.

Ultra gives you a massive pear and cinnamon combination. It’s sweet and spicy and fills up a room. I’ve got an older bottle, so, I’m not sure if they’ve toned it down in more recent bottles…but this is very potent juice.

Lavender, mint, and vanilla also come through. Later, the lavender and vanilla are the main attractions, along with some amber.

Ultra Male isn’t the Gaultier for everyone or every use case, despite its popularity. Though, it’s a very good release for what it is. Ultra Male review

A Better Elixir

Le Male Elixir Absolu– Yep, this has already climbed up to the second spot on my list of favorite Le Male fragrances. I’m not sure if this one has gotten a positive reception since its release, but I wear this one way more often than the original Elixir.

Admittedly, the opening is kind of shaky and not my favorite. Once we get into things, I think Elixir Absolu really starts to shine, and I thoroughly enjoy wearing this.

This one opens with lavender as the big player, along with some warmer spice, and the plummy sweetness. Now, it’s not a juicy plum note, it’s subtle but present.

Lavender, tonka bean, and some smooth sweetness highlights most of the wear. Performance is great and it’s a better formula than the first Elixir. Elixir Absolu review

Best Daily Wear

Le Male Le Parfum– This is the one to go with, if you want something that’s going to be an easy to wear and attractive cologne for day and night use.

It opens with a prominent cardamom note and some other spice (pretty sure it’s cinnamon). Lavender and vanilla already begin to emerge. However, early on the iris is the main focus of this scent.

The dry down? Lavender, vanilla, and amber.

This is a really good cologne for most guys. It’s an easy no brainer sort of wear. There are plenty of other iris fragrance options. A more recent release, Society Extreme, is one that I bought and like more than this Gaultier.

Yet, I have to give this one its due, even if I tend to like the bolder Le Male scents. Le Parfum review

First Elixir

Le Male Elixir– I’m going to put Elixir here. It’s still one that I like, but Elixir Absolu has pulled away as my favorite between them, to the point that I barely spray this one on anymore.

This is still likeable, but you’re going to have to appreciate a very sweet and loud sort of cologne. This one is warmer and thicker, with its honey note and amber. Yet, it has a cooling spiced opening act with mint.

Lavender, honey, amber, tobacco, and tonka bean are major players here. The scent does develop and has different facets to enjoy during the wear. I’d like Absolu more, but some of you might still want to go with this one. Le Male Elixir review

Lover

Le Male Lover– I don’t have too much experience with this one. But, when I tried it out, I liked what it does. If you don’t like the Elixir entries to this series, Le Male Lover could be a good alternative for you.

It’s a better version of Le Male In the Navy. More complex with a better use of vanilla and the oceanic accord. In the Navy feels much thinner and has less going on than does Lover.

Based on my limited testing with this, I’d put it about equal with the original Le Male. It’s good, maybe I’d find it to be a notch below, if I gave it some more time. But, if you find it at a discounter, I think it can be a good pick up.

The Original

Le Male– I’ve gone through so many periods over the years of loving this fragrance and then not wanting to wear it at all. That’s basically what happened again with my latest smaller bottle of Le Male.

Yes, it’s the original. Yes, it’s a classic. It still has its positives and can be worth it, but I’m not always enamored with the result.

It opens up spicy and with its vanilla already coming out and never leaving. It’s a mix of coolness and warmth, before the smoother lavender and vanilla blend really take hold. Orange blossom is another floral note in the mix.

At times, Le Male is creamy, but it does have more of a powdery finish overall. Still a nice buy. Le Male review

Not so Terrible

Le Male Terrible– You probably won’t find many bottles of Le Male Terrible still around, but just in case, I’ll put it on the list since I’ve already reviewed it. It came out back in 2010.

Overall? It’s pretty good. Quite similar to the original Le Male, but Terrible opens up with pink pepper in lieu of the mint note, along with a grapefruit.

Cardamom is also missing from the mix. Lavender and vanilla are still the leads with this one. However, vetiver, pink pepper, and amber also lend support to make it more of a unique blend.

If you can find this for really cheap and want a different take on Le Male EDT, it warrants a try. Anything above $50-60? I’d almost certainly pass. Le Male Terrible review

Fly with JPG

Le Male Airlines– Airlines had potential. The opening act with the cardamom is really attractive. Much of the time, this one feels like a relative of 1 Million Royal. Overall, it’s a nice cologne, just not one that you need to have.

My bottle was $30 or so, a few years ago. Even with that being the case, I don’t wear Le Male Airlines very often. I wore it a few times in autumn and winter, just to go walk outside with.

Light citrus and artemisia break up the usual Le Male pacing. The Cardamom is really amped up here, but it still has the familiar mint and cinnamon combination in the blend.

The back half is less fresh and spicy. It’s cooler and softer, with the lavender and some woods taking hold of the composition. Airlines review

On the Ocean

Le Male in the Navy– I’m not sure if bottles of In the Navy are still easy to find a decent price, but honestly, don’t bother. This isn’t a worthwhile fragrance and I would rather wear Airlines versus this, any day of the week.

Peppermint, vanilla, ambergris, and an oceanic accord. I thought that it might have some style with its simplicity, but was ultimately disappointed.

I do like the peppermint in the beginning, but the rest of the way its a watery mix of vanilla and ambergris. Nothing too spectacular here and not one to track down. In the Navy review

5 Colognes Similar to Le Male Le Parfum

by

Le Male Le Parfum has quickly become the most popular or at least seemingly most talked about flanker from the long-running Le Male by JPG lineup.

I’ve actually warmed up to this fragrance, after not particularly enjoying the first bottle that I bought. Turned out to be a bad batch, that lacked a lot of the cardamom spice. Which, is a large part of this cologne’s appeal.

But, what fragrances are similar to Le Parfum in smell? What are some cheaper alternatives. On this page, I will keep a running account of the options.

Fragrances that Smell Like Le Male Le Parfum

Inspiring Parfum

Error 404 Attar by the Dua Brand– For those who are looking for a cheaper alternative that is ‘inspired by’ the JPG fragrance, Dua has that covered with Error 404 Attar.

I’m going to start out the list with a few options that are directly attempting to smell like our target fragrance. I haven’t tried either of them out, but I’ve owned over a dozen fragrances from Dua, and they do a great job at recreating a very similar scent.

The Imagine fragrance that I bought from them, which was inspired by the popular LV fragrance, was really good.

The Error 404 series is all based on the JPG Le Male line.

The Cheapie

Glacier Le Noir Alhambra– I’ll add it to the list, since it’s like $20 per bottle. Alhambra has their versions of most popular fragrance formulas, some are better than others.

I haven’t tried this one out, the reviews are mostly positive, but there are also a contingent of people who weren’t too happy with this.

But, if you’re solely fixated on the price alone, you might be willing to go for something that is somewhat similar. Personally, I’ve had better experiences with Dua’s releases, so I’d go that way first.

Breaking the Code

Code EDP by Armani– The vanilla in Code eau de parfum makes it smell the most like our target out of the Amani Code lineup. But, I think Code Parfum is the better fragrance.

Still neither of them are exactly like Le Parfum with how they smell, but are similar enough that people should like these a lot, if they’re into the Gaultier cologne.

This is close in the opening to Luna Rossa Sport, with its use of lavender and tonka bean. So, you’re swapping out the iris in Le Parfum, but you’re getting a creamy/powdery infusion from that tonka bean note.

Sweeter and smoother versus the spicier Le Male Le Parfum.

Suede and wood will also be there, but the vanilla is going to be the main focus and everything else is in support. Just one that can give you a different aroma with a close enough style.

A Possible Alternative

Guilty Elixir by Gucci- Another option that doesn’t smell the same, but has similarities. Now, I do have to say, I didn’t think this one was all that great and prefer Le Male Le Parfum to it.

However, there seems to be a large contingent of people online who really love this.

It too starts off as a spicy fragrance with a blend of vanilla and iris. Here, it is more of an orris butter, a richer take on the more powdery iris in the JPG.

It does get powdery, has a fuzziness from benzoin, and an amber base. Mostly, the dry down is that vanilla and iris with those notes sitting underneath.

Plenty of overlap, even if, ultimately these two are distinct fragrances. Elixir review

More Extreme

Gentleman Society Extreme by Givenchy– If you want a more complex (and to me better) use of iris and vanilla Society Extreme is a great release from Givenchy, that I’ve been wearing for months now.

You get a spicy top, this time it’s: peppermint, sage, and nutmeg. Plus, a coffee note which really sets this one apart to me and the whole presentation much better than the original Gentleman Society.

Again, this isn’t one to go with if you want an exact copy of the JPG cologne, but it’s got a similar style and structure as to what we’re looking for. Nice performance and around the same price as the Gaultier (might even be cheaper at times). Society Extreme Review