1 Million Privé by Paco Rabanne is an Amber Woody fragrance for men launched in 2016 as an Eau de Parfum. The nose behind this fragrance is Christophe Raynaud.
1 Million Privé is a flanker fragrance to the original iconic 1 Million cologne. It’s part of the Paco Rabanne Million collection, although this fragrance has been discontinued.
The keynotes of this Amber Woody scent are Cinnamon, Tobacco, Myrrh, and Tonka Bean.
The press release from Paco Rabanne:
Red carpet, photographers and spotlights. Hollywood, Paris, London, Saint Petersburg. Luxury, opulence, glamour, vacuity. A dash of boredom and an overdose of bla bla bla. A glance right and a wink. Cling! He takes her hand and leads her. Together, they run, get lost and hide. She’s the Bonnie to his Clyde. In the line of fire is the pure pleasure of maddening, invigorating adrenaline that thrives on shivers.
A safe opens with a snap of the fingers. They’re there. Sparkling, intense and precious: the famous gold bar and the insolent diamond. As the door closes behind them, the world in hot pursuit, the partners in crime go over the film in private. At daybreak, they are gone. A legendary scent lingers in the air. A finger to the lips. What was that? Shhhh… Silence is golden. The future is theirs.
| Perfume Name | 1 Million Privé |
| Brand | Paco Rabanne |
| Year Released | 2016 |
| Concentration | Eau de Parfum |
| Scent Family | Amber Woody |
| Gender | men |
One of my good friends recently gave me a small decant of this fragrance. Here are my thoughts on this scent.
What does 1 Million Privé by Paco Rabanne smell like?
1 Million Privé smells like apple pie, but it’s definitely not as sweet as someone might think once they hear something smells like apple pie. I think it’s more the cinnamon in it that brings this to mind. It is apple pie with hints of blood mandarin, enveloped in a cloud of tobacco, tonka bean, and myrrh.
The original 1 Million has that slight bubble gum opening, while this fragrance has the cinnamon apple pie vibe to it. However, it’s certainly still not a gourmand. It certainly feels a bit more mature than the original. The mandarin and Tonka bean mix of 1 Million Privé is reminiscent of Code Profumo, although the Armani is much more powdery and deodorant-like to my nose.
| Top Notes | Cinnamon and Blood Mandarin |
| Middle Notes | Tobacco and Myrrh |
| Base Notes | Tonka Bean and Patchouli |
My Experience
The scent opens with that classic 1 Million opening, although it’s not as youthful and bold as the original. Instead, I can pick up a more fruity tonka bean combination with just the slightest hint of something darker.
As Privé continues to dry down, it becomes much more of a sweet tobacco and cinnamon spice scent that I really love. It gives it this lovely coziness, with the patchouli giving the scent a bit of an edge. It’s not a super complicated scent, but that doesn’t make it any less special.
The final dry down gives me tonka bean, cinnamon, tobacco, and myrrh. Myrrh is really an outstanding note in this fragrance. It gives this beautiful layer of depth and smokiness.
Sillage & Projection
Projection-wise, Privé performs really well. It’s not as intense as the original, but it still performs above average, in my opinion. The sillage is strong for the first few hours and moderate thereafter.
Longevity & Versatility
This is a great scent for the colder months of fall and winter. Like the original, it’s simply not a scent for the summer. I tried it once in the summer before, and it was quite cloying. This is something you could wear to the office if you don’t overspray, but personally, I feel it would be completely out of place. This is a fragrance made for nightlife, and that’s how I also wore it.
The projection of this scent is also really solid. Every time I wear it, I get at least 8-9 hours of wear. It also tends to stick a bit longer to my clothes.
Closing thoughts
Like the original, I feel this scent is made for the younger crowd. However, I feel someone should never steer clear of a scent just because someone recommends it for a certain age group.
This is a pretty unique scent, in my opinion, and if you already have a range of winter fragrances, I think it is still worth adding it to your collection if you love it. In general, I would classify this scent as being well worth its price. However, with it being discontinued, the price will most likely skyrocket.
That being said, if you somehow get your hands on a sample, I think that will last you quite a bit, as this fragrance isn’t very versatile.