Our take
What does Ultraviolet Man smell like?
Two years after the women's Ultraviolet of 1999, Paco Rabanne released the men's version in 2001. Jacques Cavallier composed it, and the metallic purple bottle is hard to miss. The opening pairs Italian mint with Russian coriander. It feels cool and slightly peppery. The heart is less expected, with ambergris meeting black pepper for a dry, mineral effect. The base rests on crystallised moss and patchouli, with vanilla softening it all. On skin it quickly turns powdery and fairly sweet. Some find it flat. Others like it precisely for that roundness. It captures the futuristic men's fragrances of the early 2000s well. Next to 1 Million, a later men's scent from the same house, Ultraviolet Man is quieter and more powdery. The mint never smells like toothpaste here, because the vanilla pulls it toward candy.
When to wear it
For autumn and winter, in the evening or on weekends. Two sprays will do.
It belongs to the Woody, Spicy family. Ultraviolet Man is one of 35 creations by Paco Rabanne in our encyclopedia.
