Our take
What does Ultraviolet smell like?
Paco Rabanne launched Ultraviolet in 1999 in a futuristic purple bottle that suited the couturier's world. Jacques Cavallier composed it. The opening is spicy, which was unusual for a women's perfume at the time. Pepper and pimento come first. Coriander and a fresh almond rest on Brazilian rosewood. The heart softens the tone. Violet and osmanthus, with its apricot and soft leather facets, meet a more classic rose and jasmine. The base is plainly oriental: vanilla, patchouli, amber and cedar. It is warm and a little powdery. It lasts, too. Ultraviolet sits somewhere between Mugler's Angel for the patchouli and a drier spiced amber. It skips Angel's caramel, which makes it easier to wear. Looking back, it is one of the odder women's launches of the late 1990s.
When to wear it
An oriental for winter evenings. Two sprays on the chest are enough, as the vanilla base grows with body heat.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber, Woody family. Ultraviolet is one of 35 creations by Paco Rabanne in our encyclopedia.
