One Million is a top-selling fragrance for men. Created for Paco Rabanne in 2008, it quickly became a best-seller and the number one choice for men looking for a statement cologne to wear after dark. It has also become a popular scent to clone, and many perfume houses have attempted to recreate what One Million delivers, but for a lower price. One Million is a heady mix of fresh citrus and mint, with warmer mid-tones coming from rose and spices. The deep base notes have a woody edge but with more earthy and leather tones to create a warm and inviting scent that tantalises your senses.
High Notes: Blood Mandarin, Mint and Grapefruit Mid Notes: Rose, Cinnamon and warm spices Base Notes: Amber, Patchouli, leather and wood
Want to know more about Paco Rabanne 1million?
One Million was the brainchild of three talented perfumers; Christophe Raynaud, Olivier Pescheux and Michel Girard. The famous fragrance was launched in 2008 by Paco Rabanne and comes packaged in a now iconic gold bar-style bottle.
The popularity of One Million was primarily due to it having one of the best opening experiences of any leading male colognes. Your olfactory system is treated to a hit of sweet cinnamon elegantly blended with warm, wood notes to give it some depth.
There is a distinctive fresh zing of mint and grapefruit that wakes up the senses. The citrus tones gently settle and fade into the background after their initial impact, leaving behind a warm sweetness from rose and spices that lead into the dry-down base notes of leather and wood.
There's a couple of good ones available, TEV's one is a good place to start.
189 by The Essence Vault was inspired by One Million and shares many similar notes, including blood orange, grapefruit, cinnamon, mint, rose, spices, light leather, white wood, patchouli and amber. Our team of testers loved sampling 189 and thought it would make an excellent cologne to wear during cooler months when your senses need a lift from a sweet yet warm scent like this. The fresh top notes of 189 are very invigorating and would give you a nice energy boost for a night out on the town. While 189 is excellent for wearing after dark, just like the original One Million, it is still subtle and fresh enough to wear casually for work or socialising during the day. While smelling almost exactly the same as One Million, our team found the scent mellowed out to leave a pleasant lasting scent with warm wood and leather overtones.
The Essence Vault's 189 dupe comes in at just £26.95 for a 100ml bottle, making 189 a fraction of the price of One Million. Our testers found it to be so close to the real thing that it would take someone with an excellent nose for designer scents to tell the difference. Overall, we rate 189 by The Essence Vault as 4 out of 5 for authenticity and managing to create a cologne that could stand alone as a premium scent. It is ideal for wearing for a romantic first date, a night out with friends, or at the office.
Zara's Man Uomo stands up very well as a One Million clone fragrance. The first experience of Man Uomo is very reminiscent of the original cologne. Still, the spicy overtones come from nutmeg and pepper rather than the warm cinnamon hit you get with the original. Nevertheless, Zara's Man Uomo makes for an excellent alternative to One Million if you are looking for the most cost-effective option to wear casually and daily for work. While it does have a similar vibe to One Million, you do get a more resounding hit of spice that lingers on the nose long after the citrus tones die down. With distinctive tones of Amber, Mandarin Orange, Nutmeg and Pepper, Man Uomo is a delight to the senses. Our testers were immediately impressed by the first smell, but unlike the fresh and zingy citrus hit you get from the original, this dupe delivers a softer first impression. Rather than splashing on the expensive brand name for work and day-to-day wear, the Zara replica makes an excellent alternative. You could wear Man Uomo for work and when socialising with friends and save the real thing for a romantic first date or special occasion – we don't think many people would be able to tell the difference! We rate this 3 out of 5 for authenticity, but it leaves you with a more powdery and dry lasting scent after wearing it for a couple of hours. The longevity of Man Uomo doesn't come close to the original, and you may want to reapply it after three hours, especially if you go from work to a night out and want to smell fresh for the whole evening.