Invictus Platinum Rabanne 2022

One of my favorites from Paco Rabanne, hands down - this one’s definitely full-bottle-worthy!

Think of it as a more "refined" take on Invictus, though it’s different enough to stand on its own. You still catch a faint echo of that original Invictus DNA, but the real star here is the absinthe (or as the fancy folks say, “anise”) paired with a sweet, crisp mint note. It’s fresh and just a bit playful.

Now, don’t get me wrong - I like the OG, but Platinum’s versatility wins it extra points. You can easily take it from the office to a classy evening out or even a daytime date. While it shines in warmer months (one of my faves for the high heat), you won't be breaking any frag-laws by wearing it in autumn!

Performance? No complaints here. You’re looking at 2-3 hours of solid projection and about 8 hours on the skin (a full day on clothes).
Clean, uplifting, mildly sweet - this one’s a winner for versatility!

Yes, that title is a little confusing.

I personally love this fragrance, i have not smelled anything else like it but at the same time i have as it is similar to Bad Boy Cobalt which i also love and it was because of a comment someone wrote saying that either Cobalt copied Platinum or Platinum copied Cobalt that lead me to buying Platinum and i will try clear up the differences as best i can. So, after seeing that comment i went to take a look at Platinum seeing as i had just bought Cobalt and loved it, this comment left me needing to see the reviews and note breakdown as to why this person thought this.

The first thing i think we all take note of is the the same note that stood out to me and instantly grabbed my attention, Absinth and when i saw that i was sold. I had to know how a fragrance that has Absinth in it could smell like my lovely Cobalt's fruity plum fragrance.

After days of waiting my first ever Invictus arrived and i couldn't wait to smell this absinth, Cobalt smelling fragrance and i was not disappointed. They really do smell similar but different at the same time.

You see, Cobalt has this sweet plum to it with notes like Truffle, Vetiver, Cedar and Oak amongst others that give it a resemblance of the plum you smell in 1 Million Lucky but with a richness added to it whereas Platinum is more of this extremely fresh clean smell instead.

Something i had to try was Layering the 2. Not in the usual method of spraying and waiting for a few minutes then to spray on top of the other but rather to spray Platinum on the back of my neck then Cobalt on the front, Platinum on one wrist and Cobalt on the other. The thing is Cobalt creates what i can only describe as this bubble of fragrance around you while Platinum acts like most fragrances do. Both have great performance and balance each other out. It's an experience that is really hard to describe in all honesty. All i can say is wearing them together is just sublime to me. Where Platinum adds this really fresh sweet but extremely clean feeling, Cobalt adds this rich sweet plum to it and the compliments were great. I had people asking me what i was wearing and i had to explain that i wasn't wearing one, but actually two. They had to know both so they could get them for their husbands lol.

On their own i would say Platinum would be my day to day fragrance while Cobalt i would say is more of a rich scent to wear when dressing to impress, not to say you couldn't wear it for leisure also, but this is jut my way of trying to sperate the two.

When speaking of which came first i have to say i notice that something with Paco Rabanne is they seem to take parts of fragrances they have created, remove some of the notes and swap them out for something else and you get something that smells similar to one of their other already existing creations. For example Invictus Victory Elixir smells like 1 Million Lucky but if you were to remove the plum and if they had been the ones to create Cobalt i would have said they took the plum from Lucky to create the plum part of the fragrance as something new. So i wonder if they got their nose on Carolina Herrera's fragrance and realized they had to do something slightly different than planed seeing as the two were coming out in the same year and instead of getting the fruity plum from Lucky we got the extremely fresh clean Platinum. Either way i am glad we got both.

Also talking of layering and Paco Rabanne creating fragrances by using parts of existing fragrances and just slightly changing things up a bit i wouldn't be surprised if you were to take Invictus Victory Elixir and layer it with Cobalt it would end up smelling a lot like their discontinued 1 Million Lucky. Was that the idea but Carolina Herrera messed it up for them? I don't think layering Platinum would work the same because it is the plum that we distinctively smell in Lucky that makes it what it is. Maybe i am wrong, if you own the two give it a try. Unfortunately i only had a few samples of Victory Elixir and the samples are designed in a way that when you press it all the juice comes out in one go, instead of the regular style of samples where you have get the chance to use it more than once.

So to clear up my title of unique but similar, i would say that yes i do find Platinum to be different and unique because of how the fragrance was made, yes it is similar to another fragrance but they are created in very different ways and i don't think you would find many that will smell like this as much as you would find more so others that smell like Cobalt. I hope that helps make sense lol.

If you are on the fence about Platinum i think this would be a good time of year to pick it up when Spring is supposed to be here, the weather makes us think different, at least where i am. However it would be great for Summer also on hot days this would definitely give you a nice refreshing feeling while feeling really clean and sweet.

My batch Info is

Production date: 2023-01-30
Age: 2 months 10 days

Scent: 9
Longevity 8
Sillage: 8
Bottle: 7
Atomizer: 9 You have to learn how to use this properly and when you do it is actually really good

I see the reviews on here & im wondering, why all the hate? This scent is a synthetic beauty. I know the absinthe mixture with mint & grapefruit must turn some off because it's almost, spicy-synthetic, but if u really allow it to sit on your skin, it's a beautiful citrus packed punch of sweet synthetic beauty.
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It's almost like the girl/guy you meet, your not sure if you like them or their style. As you get to know them, as you notice their really an amazing person. I think that's how tbis scent has to be taken. It has more to it then just the opening & it lasts longer than a lot of people are saying. I get about 3-4 good hours on the skin with about 2 good hours of sillage & that first hour it's present, as much as your bad breath lol. (Brush them teeth)
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This scent has more than what meets the nose, keep that lavender in mind because it smooths this scent out a lot after the dry down.

I do not have a trained nose mind you and I just started my journey into the fragrance world recently. So bear with me a little

The opening for me starts off really fresh/clean and green with gummy bears sweetness to it.
I don’t know why, but I get an inner picture of me lounging by the poolside while some lo-fi music discreetly playing in the background with a mocktail in my hand in Bali .
The drydown gets minty (the absinthe really works wonders on my skin) and the sweetness stays there but not prominent. It stays green and fresh.

The projection is about an arms lenght. The scent trail is only lighty noticeable after 2 hours. It becomes a skin scent after 6-7 hours on me.

It’s pretty much my go to perfume in hot weather. One thing I’ve noticed is the hotter the weather gets, the more green and minty it becomes. It smells really really nice!

Although Invictus isn’t usually my speed, this is growing on me the more I wear it. Simple seeming but more complex with the interplay of dry, spicy notes, green accords and the patchouli which feel invigorating and refreshing. Perfect for the gym, spring and warm weather. Definitely reminiscent of Bad Boy Cobalt EDP. Owning both seems redundant. A great layering option is Initio Paragon, which intensifies the Cobalt effect with the prominent plum and lavender notes.