I tried 1M Cologne like 2-3 years ago and I liked the opening but didn't enjoy the drydown, not one bit so I discarded it right away however, I've wondered if I should give second chances to some fragrances considering that 4 years into my fragrance journey my nose and my taste have changed a lot. Some fragrances I loved now I can't stand and some I was unsure about now are placed firmly in my rotation.
This was launched before Invictus Aqua and I guess it was somewhat unsuccessful as nobody seems to talk about it and Invictus Aqua became the reference for this whole subgenre of bubble gum fresh summer fragrances. Personally I find the sweetness overpowering on hot summer days so instead of sweet bubble gummy aquatics I rather go salty citrus, like Light Blue which to me is a milestone in the fragrance world. I used to own Invictus Aqua (2018) and I liked it but it is on the younger side and I think I no longer pull that off also, I found it a bit too sweet for hotter days and decided to sell with no regrets. I just wasn't wearing it so, with that in mind a 1 Million Cologne shouldn't sound at all appealing to me, in fact it didn't but I guess I'm just a sucker for underrated, discontinued fragrances and decided to pull the trigger as I found one at the right price.
1MC opens with a very nice mandarin note with very subtle marine hue, it's a really nice opening that is then followed by a tender 'urine' accord (not really, I read some people mention it has a smell of urine which it hasn't but there's an undertone somewhere that I could understand why someone would misinterpret as 'urine'). The mid is powdery and floral, the rose is present and centerstage but it's not overpowering it goes along great with the cinnamon and leather in the base. Even though it's supposed to be a summer fragrance I feel that with this rose and leathery backbone it's a little more formal than Invictus Aqua and others in the subgenre, in fact I feel it's a very good office fragrance. It is also on the younger side but it can be worn by anyone under the right circumstance.
Performance is fine, projects moderately and you can get 7hrs longevity easily, also presentation is very nice so would I recommend it? Yes, just not as a blind buy.
