10 Best-Selling Men's Fragrances in France

Read detailed reviews of each of the 10 best-selling men's fragrances in France. This article will help you choose the scent that's right for you.

By Daniel Pescio, Brazilian perfumer based in Paris.

The world of men's perfumery as we know it began in 1965 with Brut by Fabergé. A few years later, this field would experience a small revolution with the introduction of a new molecule, originally used in cleaning products, called dihydromyrcenol.

Valued for its ability to provide stability and extreme freshness to aromatic compositions, this molecule gradually replaced lavender essence, enhanced citrus freshness, and became a key component in men's fragrances.

First featured in Azzaro Pour Homme, followed by high dosages of 10% in Drakkar Noir, and finally an overdose of 20% in Cool Water by Davidoff. The latter, created by one of the greatest perfumers of all time, Pierre Bourdon, became one of the most copied fragrances in the history of men's perfumery.

Dihydromyrcenol could be considered the anabolic steroid of men's perfumes. However, some perfumers work without this ingredient, and with great mastery.

Brutes, muscular models, androgynous figures, dandies, and champions, the archetype of male beauty evolves with the aesthetics of its time. Today, we have plenty of testosterone and little originality. That is the state of men's perfumery in recent decades.

Is there someone to blame in this story? Do men's perfumes share a common theme in each fragrance? Or is it conservative masculinity dictating the rules and tastes of the contemporary man?

Historical aspects show that for over two centuries, men have maintained the same hygiene habits, and perfume is an extension of that ritual.

Men inherit the gesture of applying cologne through friction, either to perfume themselves or while using aftershave. This gesture is ingrained in the collective unconscious of Westerners.

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Best-Selling Men's Fragrances in France:

1) Invictus - Paco Rabanne

Invictus by Paco Rabanne — photo by www.conexaoparis.com.br

Paco Rabanne made a mark in the fashion world in the 60s with his first collection, a true Dadaist manifesto, featuring dresses made of metallic materials. The style he proposed broke with the clothing aesthetics of the time and became an artistic expression close to the plastic arts.

In the world of perfumes, his provocative and daring personality has inspired his fragrances since 1969, but it was from 2008, with the great success of One Million, that Paco Rabanne returned with full force, overshadowing great classics like Eau Sauvage from Dior. With the ingredients that made the predecessors famous, Invictus features a sexy, semi-nude model, a sculptural body, an archetype of power, seduction, boldness, and youth.

Exploring some codes of mythology, the commercial film features one of Australia's rugby gods, Nick Youngquest, seemingly stepping out of Magic Mike XXL! And if you want a body like his, it's possible by visiting pacorabanne.com. You will have access to the Invictus Body training program.

Invictus explores the world of sports through the fantasy of the desire to be a champion. Who hasn't dreamed of stepping into a stadium or arena, hearing a crowd scream your name and being the object of desire for everyone? That's the role of this new fragrance, marking a new era in perfumery.

Olfactory family: Woody Aquatic, a neo-marine trend different from 90s perfumes, with a salty, metallic note contrasted with slightly sweet notes. Melon, grapefruit, bay leaf, guaiac wood, and ocean notes like tsunami.
Good side: Trying a marketing success on your skin, it's not every day that this is possible. Plus, it won't go unnoticed, as this is the perfume of power.
Bad side: The metallic notes are more than strange. As we say here, "bois qui pique", or "spicy wood" to define Ambre Extrême, present in this perfume.
Reasons to try on your skin: To feel like a champion! But be careful, this might be an illusion!

2) Bleu de Chanel - Chanel

Today, launching a perfume implies years of planning and, above all, a lot of money. Not to mention that in a completely globalized world, the fragrance must appeal to all. In the case of Bleu by Chanel, the ingredients that made it a success are: Gaspard Ulliel, a beautiful French actor known in Hollywood; Martin Scorsese; an easily accessible fragrance; and quality Chanel ingredients.

Olfactory family: Fougère with notes of lemon, grapefruit, mint, lavender, Australian sandalwood, vetiver
Good side: Quality of Chanel's raw materials.
Bad side: Nothing innovative about the perfume, but it's not a disaster.
Reasons to try on your skin: I would suggest you try Allure Homme Sport, Allure Edition Blanche, Chanel Pour Monsieur, and Egoïste.

3) Terre d'Hermès - Hermès

Elegant, minimalist, sober, and refined, Jean-Claude Ellena's style, the exclusive perfumer of Hermès, is unmistakable. His perfumes, which are not always gender-defined, are references and inspire the world of perfumery. Monsieur Ellena is perhaps the only perfumer today who does not resort to using dihydromyrcenol in his fragrances. A noble choice that proves the capability of a perfumer considered one of the best currently to not yield to convenience. Jean-Claude Ellena is very friendly and generous, always in search of new green and refreshing notes.

For the creation of Terre d'Hermès, all ingredients harmonize with the brand's elegance and the perfumer's mastery. The fragrance speaks to us of the contrasts of colors and textures between earth, water, and air, and conveys a feeling of connection with nature. The fragrance is used by men and women worldwide. Terre d'Hermès has a woody and mineral base.

Some famous perfumes created by Ellena include: Déclaration by Cartier, Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert by Bulgari, First by Van Cleef, Eau de Campagne by Sisley, Cologne Bigarade by Frédéric Malle, Bois Farine by L'Artisan Parfumeur...

Olfactory family: Woody Citrus with notes of grapefruit, orange, mineral notes, shiso (green and minty notes), flint, vetiver, benzoin, oakmoss.
Good side: A sign of good taste, elegance, and refinement.
Bad side: None.
Reasons to try on your skin: Quality of the ingredients, great fixation, elegance. I recommend the classic Eau de Toilette, and especially the delightful version Eau Très Fraîche, with bitter oranges from the Mediterranean.

4) One Million - Paco Rabanne

One Million by Paco Rabanne photo by www.conexaoparis.com.br

This is the champion of past Olympics. It was the number 1 perfume for several years and came to relaunch the oriental genre for men, but this time, it's a sweet men's oriental. With the image of a millionaire playboy, the golden boy of nightclubs!

The Paco Rabanne brand belongs to a Spanish corporation, PUIG, which currently owns several famous brands like Nina Ricci, Valentino, Jean-Paul Gaultier... In all their developed projects, the product image is based on very precise archetypes.

In the case of One Million, it's the young magnate who has power at the snap of his fingers. It's immediate power; he has everything at his feet: women, money, gold, fame, and power, all with much ostentation.

Olfactory family: Oriental with citrus notes, mint, rose, spices, patchouli, cedar, amber, tonka bean, tobacco, and leather.
Good side: Asserted sensuality, ostentatious style.
Bad side: Oriental with a hint of "déjà vu"!
Reasons to try on your skin: To test a sweet oriental men's fragrance.

5) Boss Bottled - Hugo Boss

Boss Bottled by Hugo Boss photo by www.conexaoparis.com.br

Candy apple, forbidden fruit, Adam's apple, with or without Eve. Who said there are no fruity fragrances in men's perfumery? Boss Bottled opens with an explosion of delicious fruits balanced with apple and lemon, rounded with a touch of rose and plum. As it develops, floral and spicy notes of geranium, cinnamon, clove, and mahogany wood introduce warm, seductive, and enveloping facets. With the arrival of the base notes, the perfume gains an amber, vanilla, and woody dimension that warms slightly on the skin. An enjoyable fragrance that takes few risks, successfully translating the foundations of the brand with elegance.

Olfactory family: Woody-spicy with notes of citrus fruits, apple, plum, geranium, clove, cinnamon, vetiver, vanilla, cedar, sandalwood.
Good side: Rarely will you find a fruity fragrance in this style.
Bad side: A consensual perfume.
Reasons to try on your skin: The only fragrance from the Hugo Boss brand worth trying on your skin!

6) Le Mâle - Jean Paul Gaultier

Le Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier photo by www.conexaoparis.com.br

Created by Francis Kurkdjian, a young perfumer at 24 years old at the time, freshly graduated from the ISIPCA perfumery school in Versailles. Le Mâle was the first perfume from the Jean-Paul Gaultier brand, but not the only one in partnership with Francis K. Jean-Paul Gaultier wanted a first men's perfume that smelled like a barber shop, yet should be updated to meet the tastes of the 90s with a touch of modernity and boldness. It was enough to use the old reference of the smell of "shaving foam" which is Brut by Fabergé, add mint and anise, and wrap it all in plenty of moss.

From the design of the bottle to the advertising film, Le Mâle (The Male) alluded to the gay universe. Virility, muscles and beauty, essential ingredients of Jean-Paul Gaultier's style also displayed on the catwalks, made this perfume the best-selling in France for many years. The fragrance went beyond stereotypes and is still used by different types of men, from executives to skateboarders, from teenagers seeking virility to politicians eager for power and money.

Olfactory family: Fougère-Oriental with citrus notes, mint, anise, artemisia, lavender, orange blossom, spices, vanilla, cedar, sandalwood, and tonka bean.
Good side: Retro fragrance, with a touch of modernity and audacity.
Bad side: Many men wear it.
Reasons to try on your skin: If you don't want to go unnoticed with a retro-modern touch.

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7) Eau Sauvage - Dior

Eau Sauvage by Dior photo by www.conexaoparis.com.br

A revolutionary perfume in the 60s and #1 in sales for 40 years, Eau Sauvage was the first men's perfume by Dior and became famous for the generous use of a new molecule in its formula, hedione.

Its creator, Edmond Roudnitska, the greatest perfumer of the 20th century, relied on the notion of beauty defined by Emmanuel Kant, which was the foundation of his conception of fragrances and the concept of works of art.

Eau Sauvage is a false cologne as the perfume has a lasting fixation. The complex citrus notes, refreshing and persistent, contrasted with woody notes, fix the fragrance on the skin for much longer.

Equipped with a creative style, and much precision and balance in compositions, Edmond Roudnitska created several successful perfumes for the maison Christian Dior, from 1948 to 1976. Perfumes at that time were complex and rich in quality raw materials, as distribution was not on an interplanetary scale as it is today.

Starting in 2009, Dior decided to use images of the great masculine myth of French cinema, Alain Delon. Images taken from films like La Piscine or Les Aventuriers show the actor at the peak of fame, seductive, sexy, magnificent, wild, in scenes by the pool or sailing at sea. Delon's beauty is timeless, just like the perfume.

Olfactory family: Citrus-aromatic with a chypre base. Notes of bergamot, lemon, basil, lavender, clove, coriander, iris, patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss.
Good side: Intense freshness and good longevity with elegance and refinement.
Bad side: The perfume has undergone some changes since its creation but remains a classic in perfumery, both for men and women.
Reasons to try on your skin: All of them. If you like ultra-refreshing perfumes, this is a classic to be tried.

8) La Nuit de l'Homme - Yves Saint Laurent

Here we have an example of the infinitely cliché! An insignificant perfume but not unnoticed. The advertising campaign features the French actor, also known in Hollywood, my neighbor, the friendly Vincent Cassel. L'Oréal, which purchased Yves Saint Laurent Parfums, once again devises a foolproof marketing plan. By the way, the reference of young people coming into stores to buy the perfume is always the actor: "Bonjour Madame, je voudrais le parfum de Vincent Cassel, s'il vous plaît".

The original version is far more interesting. Created by Dominique Ropion, the fragrance is part of research developed by the perfumer on the essence of geranium and its facets.

Olfactory family: Aromatic woody with notes of cardamom, bergamot, lavender, floral notes, cedar, coumarin (powdery note), vetiver.
Good side: Vincent Cassel
Bad side: Similar to others but without really knowing which!
Reasons to try on your skin: None.

9) Acqua di Gio - Giorgio Armani

Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani photo by www.conexaoparis.com.br

The paradisiacal island of Pantelleria, in Sicily, where the elegant Giorgio Armani spends his holidays, inspired this fragrance. The strength of seawater, the sensuality of air, and the sun are elements present in this fragrance. Orchestrated by one of the most elegant and refined perfumers in the profession, the Spaniard Alberto Morillas, the perfume speaks to the modern man in search of authenticity and harmony with natural elements.

Almost unisex, with citrus notes, aromatic freshness, ultra-refreshing with marine notes, oakmoss, and woods confer a clean, elegant, and sober side. A success also among the female audience, Acqua di Gio is undoubtedly one of the most copied perfumes, known for its innovative character, extreme feeling of freshness, simplicity, and uniqueness.

Olfactory family: Aromatic-aquatic with refreshing notes of lemon, bergamot, tangerine, freesia, coriander, marine notes, cedar, patchouli, oakmoss
Good side: Very refreshing, easy to wear like a cologne. A discreet fragrance, giving the impression of just having come out of the shower.
Bad side: A bit too simple? Perhaps not.
Reasons to try on your skin: Trip to Pantelleria Island, feeling of freedom, extreme freshness, nature.

10) Habit Rouge - Guerlain

Habit Rouge by Guerlain photo by www.conexaoparis.com.br

Jean-Paul Guerlain, the perfumer of the house at the time, was passionate about horseback riding and took all those references to honor the knights. An elegant and refined perfume, with refreshing spice notes, aromatics, along with vanilla, amber, and leather. Iconic in the masculine oriental perfumery, Habit Rouge is to men what Shalimar is to women. But it could also be the reverse!

Both perfumes are sophisticated, seductive, and enveloping. The innovation and daring of this fragrance lie in the massive amount of vanilla, giving the perfume semi-gourmand characteristics. Always with the typical Guerlain accord, the Guerlinade, composed of bergamot, rose, jasmine, iris, vanilla, and tonka bean, initially used in the revolutionary Jicky.

Olfactory family: Oriental with notes of citrus fruits, rosewood, aromatic herbs, slightly floral, iris, spiced clove-cinnamon, patchouli, benzoin, vanilla, opoponax, tonka bean, and leather.
Good side: Sophistication of the composition and quality of raw materials.
Bad side: If you don't like oriental fragrances.
Reasons to try on your skin: For the quality of ingredients, sophistication, and especially if you've never tried an oriental fragrance on your skin. Compliments will be abundant!

Also read:

France: the 10 best-selling perfumes

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10 Best-Selling Men's Fragrances in France