Paco Rabanne 1 Million

[Possum-Pie]

I made a suggestion in another thread of 1 million as a nice frag. for a 23 year old who wasn't "into" fragrances and was shot down with the accusation that it is a "teen" fragrance that is too cloying and sweet. I have only tried it once from a tester in a dept. store, but I liked it. I didn't find it gourmand at all, and actually received a compliment from a stranger...something that never happens with me. What are your thoughts on 1 Million? I know some "Fragrance snobs" poo poo anything that is easy to find, inexpensive, and popular, but is that fair in this case?

[Mervin]

1 Million is that elusive fragrance that I would love to love but unfortunately hate hating it. It starts out super strong and sweet to my nose which slowly gives way to spice and leather, with a backdrop of sweetness still lurking around. The reason I would love to love it is for the very opening of it which is absolutely exquisite and also for the fact that others seem to adore this fragrance with it being a massive compliment getter. However...unfortunately as I said, I hate hating this fragrance. I enjoy the opening but after the first 10 minutes it just decends into a sweet, spicy, leathery mess on my skin which gets right up my nose and stays there due to the sillage and longevity of this beast.

In short, the opening is outstanding but I very quickly get tired of this on my skin and its just too cloying for my liking which is a shame.

[Possum-Pie]

1 Million is that elusive fragrance that I would love to love but unfortunately hate hating it. It starts out super strong and sweet to my nose which slowly gives way to spice and leather, with a backdrop of sweetness still lurking around. The reason I would love to love it is for the very opening of it which is absolutely exquisite and also for the fact that others seem to adore this fragrance with it being a massive compliment getter. However...unfortunately as I said, I hate hating this fragrance. I enjoy the opening but after the first 10 minutes it just decends into a sweet, spicy, leathery mess on my skin which gets right up my nose and stays there due to the sillage and longevity of this beast.

In short, the opening is outstanding but I very quickly get tired of this on my skin and its just too cloying for my liking which is a shame.

LOL, fair enough. I don't "love it" but I did enjoy it the time I tried it. YSL L'Homme Libre was like that. I loved the opening that was sort of sweet...then it settled down into an "ok" fragrance I just think that some prejudice exists when some people hear "dept. store" or "popular" Not that these are as sophisticated as say a niche like Serge Lutens but they have their place. My only hang-up is that I don't want to smell like every college kid out there, but living in a rural area like Gettysburg, PA there aren't that many people wearing any fragrance to compete with!

[bigsteve]

1 Million is a nice frag. Women like it alot. I don't buy into the claim that it is just a clubbing scent for younger guys. I also don't buy the claim that you won't stand out because "everyone else" is wearing it. *Maybe* that is true in some clubs or on some campuses, but I have yet to smell it on anyone, anywhere around where I live (major metro area in midwest USA).
I've tested this juice a few times and like it... and you can see by my wardrobe that I am a guy who leans toward the very different "powerhouse" scents.
My younger daughter is giving me a small bottle of this for xmas, and I can live with that.

And I don't really think there are too many "fragrance snobs" here on BN. Maybe a few, but not many. It is just a matter of folks having different tastes and perceptions.

[P77]

This is a fragrance which smells good to me but I don't have any compulsion to own. I actually do think its due its sheer popularity which makes me averse to owning it. However, sure, their are many popular fragrances that I love and own but the difference with 1 Million EVERYONE seems to have jumped on the bandwagon. I see school kids, college kids, uni, and older [not mature] people wearing it. Similarly I find people at the gym covered in the stuff, at uni and at clubs. It seems to have become the go-to scent for people who don't really have an interest in scents and similarly it has become the go-to for people buying a male a perfume as a gift. It's become the no-brainer. A combination of the above leaves me dis-interested.

I'm not too concerned however. It's not a bad smell so its actually good thing so many people seem to wearing it

[Teach13]

I liked about every stage of it. My wife liked it. It projected well, but not at the beast-level others claim. It stayed on me for 8-10 hours strong. While I liked every stage...I never fell in love with ANY stage, so I finished (and enjoyed) my sample, but have no desire to buy a bottle.

[Possum-Pie]

This is a fragrance which smells good to me but I don't have any compulsion to own. I actually do think its due its sheer popularity which makes me averse to owning it. However, sure, their are many popular fragrances that I love and own but the difference with 1 Million EVERYONE seems to have jumped on the bandwagon. I see school kids, college kids, uni, and older [not mature] people wearing it. Similarly I find people at the gym covered in the stuff, at uni and at clubs. It seems to have become the go-to scent for people who don't really have an interest in scents and similarly it has become the go-to for people buying a male a perfume as a gift. It's become the no-brainer. A combination of the above leaves me dis-interested.

I'm not too concerned however. It's not a bad smell so its actually good thing so many people seem to wearing it

I hear a lot of people on BN say "I don't care what other people think, I wear what I like." meaning some of the strange niche fragrances...but they they DO seem to care what other people think in that if a lot of folks jump on the fragrance bandwagon with a popular frag. (think acqua di geo/1 million) they won't wear it b/c every one else is. You even admitted it is a nice smell. I truly wear something only b/c I like it. If I like it, even if every teenybopper kid around is swimming in it, I get it. I own Acqua di Geo and enjoy it. I probably will get 1 Million. I think I will go squirt on some Calvin Klein Eternity now... BTW if someone buys you 1 Million for Christmas, PM me and I'll buy it from you!

[hednic]

I personally like it.

[del]

It's a decent scent. After a strong, sweet opening, it sits quiet on my skin until my body generates enough heat for the scent to project. Like Teach13, it is an enjoyable frag, but I don't see myself purchasing a bottle.

[döfä91]

I find it a very nice fragrance. I usually hate cloying and too sweet fragrances, but to my nose this is not like that. For example, i can't wear at all some "more appreciated" fragrances like LIDGE, or A*Man but this one i can. It's true that it is popular amongst teens as well, but it's not limited for just teenagers, imo an older guy can wear it too.

The fact that it's popular, easy to find, etc. does not change or affect to my views in any way. I agree with Possum-Pie that i don't find it to be a gourmand.

[OctaVariuM]

I have mixed feelings now. I loved it when I first started getting into scents, but after wearing it every day for many months back then, I've grown a little bored of it.

[My_pep_pep]

I got it for Christmas last year. My stepmom said she walked to the counter and said "Just give me what's most popular". She doesn't have a clue that this is not how I would choose a fragrance!

I nearly returned it unopened but decided to try it. It's actually not surprising that I like it, because I like spices and some sweetness, which I get from 1M. It's borderline too-sweet but something saves it from being too sugary (not sure what). I like it and I'm glad I didn't return my gift bottle!

Still, I have to admit I don't wear it very much. When I'm in the mood for something like this I reach for Chergui first (ducks).

[Possum-Pie]

I have mixed feelings now. I loved it when I first started getting into scents, but after wearing it every day for many months back then, I've grown a little bored of it.

Yea, I think that is true of any frag. When I first got Montale Dark Aoud, I wore it several times a week and got kind of sick of it. Now I still love it, but only wear it occassionally.

[El_Guapo]

1 million is a tough one here on BN. I think a lot of the hate comes from the top notes which are really dominated by the "bubble gum" note.

I myself don't like the top notes, it does smell like pedophilia in a bottle.... however, the heart and base is really nice (you just have to wait about two hours). To my nose the soft leather with a touch of sweetness and cinnamon. It's light and fun... and never serious.

[Ken_Russell]

I too like One Million and I don't see any reason not enjoy this.

[noirdrakkar]

I really like it.

The idea of it being a clubbing-only scent is closed minded.

[joydas_1]

Always a part of my collection...but yes it sure is an evening date / party scent in my openion

- - - Updated - - -

Always a part of my collection...but yes it sure is an evening date / party scent in my openion

[timmy-j]

Just got a bottle a couple days ago in the mail after testing it at Macys andcan really liking it. I don't really hang around many cologne wearers, so I can honestly say that I have never smelled it on anyone, so it being overly popular doesn't affect me much. But I can say that after wearing it a couple days in a row, I can see myself moving on fairly quickly. The "honymoon" phase may last alittle less than it has with some other colognes. That being said, I still think it's a very nice fragrance that I do enjoy wearing.

[barclaydetolly]

Right now, I don't love one million, and don't plan to buy it; but it's far from a bad fragrance. I'd wear it, even though I'm 47 and never go "clubbing." It has the clubbing reputation due principally to its marketing strategy (its target audience seems to be young men in their early 20s), and the fact that it's so popular among that crowd; but it's wearable, if you like it, by anyone.

[MikeJ]

I enjoy it. Just got my bottle in a few days ago so I haven't worn it much, however it is going to be my SOTN tonight

[bigsteve]

I enjoy it. Just got my bottle in a few days ago so I haven't worn it much, however it is going to be my SOTN tonight

Cool

[Stayclose]

One million is a good fragrance but for what it retails for its not worth it to me. I'd rather buy a bottle of madame rochas for men or any other of the budget frags. It just does not offer the bang for your money.

[comfortablynumbbg]

It's definitely not as teeny or loud or obnoxious as some people make it out to be. It's warm, sweet, but the cinnamon gives it a classy finish, I mean it's good stuff. On me this thing is tame as hell however, not loud at all, it lasts a workday but very close to the skin, no idea how some describe it as a nuclear bomb.

[MrFragranceReview]

I have yet to still try this one but, I've smelled it on some people and I didn't particularly care for it so haven't really had any desire to really give it much attention.

[Renato]

I made a suggestion in another thread of 1 million as a nice frag. for a 23 year old who wasn't "into" fragrances and was shot down with the accusation that it is a "teen" fragrance that is too cloying and sweet. ...................

I missed that thread. Sometimes this forum can appear a bit schzoid. If someone says a scent is an "old man" scent then they get blasted, but then in other threads there is no problem saying something is a teen scent - which if one thinks about it is pretty much doing the same thing, only with the ages at the opposite end of the spectrum.
Regards,
Renato

[onethinline]

Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb is a good one to try. It could be described as having a more sophisticated take on some of 1 Million's accords.

[noirdrakkar]

Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb is a good one to try. It could be described as having a more sophisticated take on some of 1 Million's accords.

Just wait until everyone and their brother wears Spicebomb. It will go from a Basenotes favorite to one of the most complained about in the community.

There is so much hypocrisy on One Million.

In 2009, the community was all over it because it was unique and exclusive.

It becomes a Frathouse favorite and half of the people on here are disowning it.

And this month a flanker of it comes out (which is purportedly nearly identical) and people are on the train again.

[CaliDude]

I too have received a compliment with this. However, this is one of those fragrances that I like to smell, but just not on me. I think it smells good from afar, but when worn, it's just a bit too synthetic for my taste.

[senore01]

Paco Rabanne One Million is a great smelling fragrance. My personal opinion is that it is better suited for a younger gentleman but that is my subjective opinion. Personally, I do wear it occasionally and I am anxiously waiting to get me hands on the new perfume version. I have always enjoyed Paco Rabanne fragrances. Enjoy your bottle.

[Bigsly]

I think it would help if the OP was more specific. Is this hypothetical 23 year old a philosophy grad student or is he living with his parents and delivering newspapers in the neighborhood?