Our take
What does Paco smell like?
Paco Rabanne launched Paco in 1996 as its first unisex fragrance. The recyclable aluminium bottle nods to the designer's love of metal. Inside, Amalfi lemon and mandarin go off fast, sharpened by coriander and a hint of pine. The heart is less expected. A light tea sits with jasmine and lavender, and cyclamen adds a watery freshness. The whole thing smells like a freshly ironed white shirt. Nothing in it leans masculine or feminine, which was the whole point in the mid-nineties. In the base, musk and sandalwood soften things while cedar keeps some dryness and tonka barely rounds it off. It's hard not to think of CK One, released two years earlier, and the kinship shows. Paco is a little greener and more herbal, and less soapy. Some retailers now struggle to stock it.
When to wear it
A summer eau de toilette to share with a partner. Spray it generously on clothes, because it evaporates quickly on skin.
It belongs to the Citrus, Aromatic family. Paco is one of 35 creations by Paco Rabanne in our encyclopedia.
