Akigalawood®
Sandalwood
Rose absolute
Amber
Bergamot
Cardamom
Cedarwood
Mandarin orange
Pink pepper CO2
Cinnamon
Cypriol
Leather
Vetiver
StinkSultan
111 Reviews
StinkSultan
Helpful Review
4
Three Big Names, One Fragrance, No Gold
One one hand, I'm kind of impressed that three so-called "master perfumers" - Christophe Raynaud, Quentin Bisch, Givaudan - could only come up with something like Million Gold. Three perfumers with years of experience behind them, all together, and that's the best they can offer. But on the other hand, I'm not really shocked that this is the case; it was to be expected.
Basically, what our three masterminds behind Million Gold tried to do with their creation is to modernize the 1 Million DNA and improve it overall. At least that's the idea that I get when I smell Million Gold. The OG DNA is clearly the spine here, starting in a similar synthetic fashion with that typical bubblegum-reminiscent sweetness that is not excluded from most designer scents nowadays. Slowly, that sweetness is taken over by some juicy mandarin yet without much citric lift. Underneath it, rosy pepper clashes with cardamom warmth and sprinkled cinnamon that will certainly get a few OG 1 Million Eau de Toilette wearers back in the day a little nostalgic.
Things get quite boring as it progresses, offering a sweet and still synthetic mishmash of creamy sandalwood and nondescript ambers that append a vanillic coating to every note. There's no cypriol to speak of, and leather is present, but hidden underneath all the slop. And speaking of slop, Bisch was kind enough to bring his beloved akigalawood overdose in here too, as in most of his latest releases. Aside from adding that typical boring, clean, synthetic facet, it also aids significantly with performance, making sure that any clothes that came into contact with the fragrance will remind you of your poor choices every time you wear them.
Certainly, longevity stretched over 12 hours, but performance was more considerate, at least on my skin (thank God). The first hour everyone will notice you; it leaves a trail behind that's hard to ignore. But it does settle into about a 1 foot bubble after 2 hours, not pushing nearly as much as I'd think it would. Still detectable if the breeze aids a bit, but not the beast-mode projection I was expecting.
If you were to infiltrate a high school party or prom, wearing Million Gold would certainly make you fit right in. It still smells youthful, careless, and playful; "modernize" doesn't necessarily pair with "mature". Quite the opposite, in fact. Regardless, this is as versatile as most designers are nowadays, and the only way I'd see it unfit is for someone well-past his twenties.
I won't lie, I'm struggling to write this review due to the sheer lack of excitement I have for Million Gold and the whole 1 Million line. Why am I bothering reviewing it, then? Mistakes from the past. Anyways, to conclude, in terms of how well Million Gold modernizes the OG DNA, I'd say it's largely the same, just masked with creamy sandalwood and boring akigalapoop. In terms of how well this will perform for Rabanne, I'd say probably decently enough, but I doubt it will bring blockbuster-level success as it seriously feels redundant to own if you still wear, for whatever reason, the OG 1 Million Eau de Toilette. Maybe the increased performance and slightly cleaner vibe, but is that enough to warrant the $100 and even over $100 price tag? Not from my view. I'm sure Rabanne were confident that bringing three of the biggest names in perfumery would bring them the next big thing in their lineup. But as big the expectations might've been, as big the disappointment. Try Miguel Matos, Rabanne. At least I'll respect you for trying, although concurrently I'd lose respect for Matos for even considering going this low as to collaborate with a brand like this.
Overall Rating: 5.3/10
Basically, what our three masterminds behind Million Gold tried to do with their creation is to modernize the 1 Million DNA and improve it overall. At least that's the idea that I get when I smell Million Gold. The OG DNA is clearly the spine here, starting in a similar synthetic fashion with that typical bubblegum-reminiscent sweetness that is not excluded from most designer scents nowadays. Slowly, that sweetness is taken over by some juicy mandarin yet without much citric lift. Underneath it, rosy pepper clashes with cardamom warmth and sprinkled cinnamon that will certainly get a few OG 1 Million Eau de Toilette wearers back in the day a little nostalgic.
Things get quite boring as it progresses, offering a sweet and still synthetic mishmash of creamy sandalwood and nondescript ambers that append a vanillic coating to every note. There's no cypriol to speak of, and leather is present, but hidden underneath all the slop. And speaking of slop, Bisch was kind enough to bring his beloved akigalawood overdose in here too, as in most of his latest releases. Aside from adding that typical boring, clean, synthetic facet, it also aids significantly with performance, making sure that any clothes that came into contact with the fragrance will remind you of your poor choices every time you wear them.
Certainly, longevity stretched over 12 hours, but performance was more considerate, at least on my skin (thank God). The first hour everyone will notice you; it leaves a trail behind that's hard to ignore. But it does settle into about a 1 foot bubble after 2 hours, not pushing nearly as much as I'd think it would. Still detectable if the breeze aids a bit, but not the beast-mode projection I was expecting.
If you were to infiltrate a high school party or prom, wearing Million Gold would certainly make you fit right in. It still smells youthful, careless, and playful; "modernize" doesn't necessarily pair with "mature". Quite the opposite, in fact. Regardless, this is as versatile as most designers are nowadays, and the only way I'd see it unfit is for someone well-past his twenties.
I won't lie, I'm struggling to write this review due to the sheer lack of excitement I have for Million Gold and the whole 1 Million line. Why am I bothering reviewing it, then? Mistakes from the past. Anyways, to conclude, in terms of how well Million Gold modernizes the OG DNA, I'd say it's largely the same, just masked with creamy sandalwood and boring akigalapoop. In terms of how well this will perform for Rabanne, I'd say probably decently enough, but I doubt it will bring blockbuster-level success as it seriously feels redundant to own if you still wear, for whatever reason, the OG 1 Million Eau de Toilette. Maybe the increased performance and slightly cleaner vibe, but is that enough to warrant the $100 and even over $100 price tag? Not from my view. I'm sure Rabanne were confident that bringing three of the biggest names in perfumery would bring them the next big thing in their lineup. But as big the expectations might've been, as big the disappointment. Try Miguel Matos, Rabanne. At least I'll respect you for trying, although concurrently I'd lose respect for Matos for even considering going this low as to collaborate with a brand like this.
Overall Rating: 5.3/10
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