Paco Rabanne Pour Elle

I am not a floral person. At least I didn't think I was until I found this, it has been my one and only scent for the last three years. It is floral, but in a dewey classy and elegant, not warm and heady, way. The florals stay cool while the peach, and pepper warm it up. In spite of being floral and peach, it isn't sweet, no syrup here. The scent doesn't have too much going on, allowing it to feel very honest and pure. "white flower" is the accord given to this, but let me underscore that this is not a vulgar gardenia. It is a very well balanced calm jasmine and tuberose. The silage is perfect arms length, it has presence, but does not interrupt. And it lasts, and lasts. I can smell it on my coats days after, and it still has the same perfect blend of scents. It is light enough for day due to the silage, but it easily transforms to night and sets you apart from the cheap, dirty, or powdery common perfume. In many ways it reminds me of Apres l'ondee, except that Apres fades sooo fast. I am stocked up on a few bottles, but fear for when they are no longer available. For those individuals like I was who don't get perfume, for whom most scents smell like chemicals, alcohol, candy, powder, or old ladies, this might just change your mind.

This was my obsession when I started getting into perfumes, before self-educating with hours of reading online & offline. I always liked perfumes, but when I got my first bottle of Pour Elle, I nearly lost my mind; it smelled like nothing else and I decided that I didn't need any other perfume. I went through three bottles, back to back, for a long time, because this has insane longevity and lasts and lasts. Years passed, of course I had other scents; ffw to last year, when I wanted to get another bottle because I was missing it and I wanted it in my wardrobe. I was bummed to find out it had been discontinued, and I started regretting not stocking up on it while it was available. To my delight, I recently managed to buy it again online from a local shop, for a shockingly good price. I checked the code and it says it's from 2013; the scent seems the same to me, the longevity is pretty good - might not be the same as it was years ago, but I'm not complaining, I'm just happy I have it again. And I've started stocking up on it, because you never know. Highly recommended!

I absolutely loved this in my teen years, so I was delighted to find a bottle of this for £10 in Savers drugstores here in the UK (I intend to stock up!) I love the way this is packaged; the bottle is very unusual and feels quite contemporary, it very much looks like the time its from, if that makes sense. As for the scent, it opens up similarly to how my signature, Ultraviolet also by PR, does with a strong blast of pepper, then there is a slightly odd alcoholy stage which then dissipates quickly to reveal a warm, creamy white floral scent which is how Elle mainly stays for the rest of wear (from memory it used to last all day, but because this is old stock, I'm not too sure how long it will last, but it does smell identical to how it used to). I'm devastated that this is another unique number thats been discontinued and I'd love to find a good dupe or replacement for this. From a time when perfumes didnt really smell like "perfumes" and had something unique and interesting about them *sigh*

Very long lasting fragrance that smells unique. Easy to wear with beautiful dry down base notes.I love sandalwood, therefore I adore this scent. Top notes are very strong making very unique combination freesia and pepper with hint of something sour). this fragrance follows me all day, from 8am till 7pm. And the bottle is very unique too.

Really pleasant strong perfume which lasts hours and hours. Is not sickly or sweet, smells quite expensive and is great to wear to the office and is reasonably priced, one could pay much more for something that doesn't last as well as this one. I keep going back to this perfume and have another in stock ready, my favourite perfume.

I love this perfume because is so elegant without being too sweet or to spicy or to green or bitter; is very well balanced, very confortable, it just dresses me. I am so sorry that it discontinued and i wish i could find it, or something similar to it.

I really miss this perfume. It was very elegant and classy, the best staying power and most pleasant smell. There are other perfumes that i love, but non of them is like this one :(

I like it! It ́s "airy & peppery & rosy". A lighter version of "oxygene" (Lanvin) for my nose... Love from Louve

Very elegant parfume, fresh with just enough of sweetness. Great for everday wear in spring and summer.

Paco Rabanne Pour Elle: When I first spray this on my skin it smells quiet peppery for the first few minutes & then it transforms itself into the most beautiful fresh warm white floral I'd Say Freesia,as if it's been warmed by a warm evening breeze when your away on holiday!! & indeed for me this is really where this perfume is most suited (a warm summer evening here in the UK or your heading out for a meal/nightout while on holiday) This perfume is very well done indeed & deffo remains very much a warm white floral from start to finish!! It has brought me many many compliments when I wear this beauty & oddly enough when I was last away on holiday in the warm evening air the Waiter serving us saying "your perfume is very beautiful" & also a few friend's saying the samething to me also!! It reminds me of putting a light see through Silk Shawl around your shoulders just to cover up slightly & to me this perfume envelopes it's wear'er in the same kind of way!! So yes put it to the test & see the real beauty of this perfume come alive some warm summer evening & then judge it properly then!! Like myself you'll be amazed at the personality it takes on,& the inner beauty it seems to bring out!! This perfume is pure class from start to finish,& yet again another winner from Paco Rabanne!!

I'm wearing this one today and looking at the notes shown here, I keep smelling my wrist and wondering what I am missing. To me, this perfume is somewhat synthetic-it doesn't smell like anything 'real' to me. I don't know if that makes sense or not but I'll give an example: The basenotes contain peach. However, on my wrist, I smell nothing but a blend of what smells to be white flowers with nothing distinctive jumping out. On my skin, this perfume smells exactly the same way now as it did when I first sprayed it on. It seems rather linear. With that being said, however, this is not a bad perfume at all. It probably doesn't have a lot of characteristics to make itself stand out in the crowd of the many perfume choices out there. But it has incredible staying power, it is reasonably priced, and if you enjoy a fresh, floral that packs a punch (use a light hand on this one) and will be with you all day, I think that this is one to try.

I am so shocked! I got a tiny sample tester in a larger perfume order. I decided to give it a try today. And i can't believe my nose. I actually like it! What a surprise! On me it's a rather fruity floral (but not gourmand). The packaging lists notes somewhat different from those above: Italian Mandarin (is this Zagara?) Plum Pink Pepper Tiare Ylang-ylang Amber Vanilla Massoïa Wood And i smell melon (like Casaba), although it isn't listed. It's a sunny cheerful scent, pleasantly uplifting on this cold gloomy day we're having, so typical of summer here. It isn't groundbreaking, but seems like a very good scent for day wear in spring and summer.

I love florals and this one's right up my alley. The top is fruity and the pepper note balances it out so you're not drowned in sweetness. I'm a sucker for plum and I do pick it out along with a hint of orange. The middle smells very rosy to me but a pure refined rose, not cheap or phony. Ok, I wore this for the whole day. The florals lasted so long, it faded before I got to any of the bottom notes. It's an ok frag, I'd buy it on sale.

it fells so fresh and spicy made you fell confidence and free .. though it was blind buy , but it was a very successful one it very very long lasting ,it stays on me all day even we are in the summer and stays on clothes all long till u wash it . overall its amazing perfume

Lovely scent, great for office use, particulary in spring/summer. And it has a remarkable staying power, more than 10 hours. I will buy it for upcoming hot season, I think it will match perfectly for hot months here in Bulgaria fr. April till October!

When the first time I put it on, it reminds me of Kingdom, another fragrance by Jacques Cavallier. The two have different characters, but I think they share a same kind of darkness and strong-minded.

Nothing so special, at least not fot me. It is floral, reminds me of Kenneth Kole Black. I prefer fragrances that have a little more to their charactere, this is ok but doesn make me want it.

Smells like expensive shampoo- light and white flowery with a metal after scent>signature of vintage Paco Rabanne. Unique in its own way.

This is soooooooooooo strong. I like it for the first few minutes, but than it stays and stays and stays. It's a very unnatural smell, chemical in a way. Florals that stay that strong for hours are the worst. I only hold on to my small bottle, because, you know, maybe I'll change my mind. It's possible, isn't it? (I know, I won't change it that dramatically, but than.... who knows? Just kidding). And it's already very rare and I know me, after a few months I'd get curious again, think, I haven't gotten it the first time, there is some hidden magic somewhere or anything and buy a ridiculous priced bottle again. It's a disease not a hobby being a perfumehead.

Wow cant believe this was discontinued as my wife loves this and is does smell very sexy on her ;) Just found a seller on ebay UK selling a 30ml bottle of the Pure Parfum for only £32.00!!! I remember this selling for over a £100.00 when it was first released so am definitely going to buy a couple of bottles before it sells out. The last bottle I bought was a 30ml EDP for around £30 so this is much better value as this definitely last a lot longer and you only need a couple of drops. Would love to see this back in production again as its very unique and I dont think many people know about this hidden gem.

I honestly don't know why such bad reviews, in my opinion, this is a very very good fragrance. It opens up very fresh and juicy, you can feel the cold water in which you put a bouquet of blooming flowers in the morning. The water is slowly getting less and less noticeable and the blossoms start waking up from their morning sleepiness. They shine out through all the morning and the after noon, and then they are smoothly replaced by soft woods and spices which just last and last and last. A simple quality perfume which should never be discontinued and so horrifyingly dismissed.

I bought this fragrance quite cheaply after reading favourable reviews. I found the initial note absolutely rank, and and to me it smelled of the dreaded cat pee. I thought it was horrendous and nearly went to wash it off, but after a few minutes the initial note seemed to evaporate, and I was left with a spicy warm scent, a little reminiscent of Estee Lauder's Cinnabar. I'm not sure whether it's really me but I think my husband will like it as he has a very poor sense of smell, only the strongest perfumes get through to him!

One of the very few high quality floral fruity fragrances, (a rare make anyway), ever created at all. The best of them IMHO. It's classy and summery at the same time. A happy fragrance. <3 I still use it, although it's getting nearly impossible and much more costly to obtain (in 2019). Obviously I'm not the only who's in love with it since it was introduced. Just ordering another one from eBay. :)

This gives me Avon by Cynthia Rowley vibes. It’s not as indolic, cold and mighty, but it’s quite similar in the drydown, so in case someone misses the discontinued Avon, this is a decent alternative. Very wearable and pleasant, a laid back fragrance. That being said, it’s not groundbreaking at all. But it’s nicely blended and won’t offend. edit: damn, this one is discontinued too. Oh well, then...

got this one for only $12 at our local mall due to clearance sale. it smells floral fresh and unoffensive. its long-lasting with soft-medium sillage. just one problem, the upper cup seems to loosen and moves but it doesn't leak and the white paint is chipping off maybe because its older.

Identical to Bvlgari Indian Garnet, only the latter is way more classy. Nothing special or extraordinary, a dissapointing blind buy. It has a synthetic vibe when you first spray it on that just stays there and becomes annoying. Do try it first and let it 'develop' before buying.

A super classy perfume. It does indeed smell like a full bouquet of roses, with freesia. I would say it's got a somehow old-fashioned quality to it, but of the best kind - one that I absolutely love. It's a sensual and very feminine scent.

i tried to sniff on this perfume, since my colleague said it is good. Yes, it is good....it has softness which the quality my sister would love to have. Been thinking to give this for her as birthday present :)

I agree that this smells a lot like Lanvin Oxygene. Could be a twin. I got much better longevity out of this once I layered it over the body lotion for Lancome Miracle (which is also a peppery freesia).

If you do not like pepper like myself (as I sadly discovered over the years) do not blindbuy this fragrance. Along with Lanvin Oxygene they are just displays in our house.

I agree with Sinica and some of the other favorable reviews. However, I'm not excited about this one. Pleasant enough, but kind of forgettable.

i bought a mini of this yesterday to give it a try...it was too floral on my skin, the kind of floral that dont blend with my body chemistry..

Absolutely wonderful and unique! The only floral fragrance I loved and, of course, it's discontinued...I truly enjoyed the freesia inside it.

i honestly smell pepper and mandarin..and a slight touch of amber in the end..i guess i`m not so peachy after all:)

I can’t handle The pepper note here The same thing goes to oxygen lanvin Just too bad pepper ruins any scent

This was a gift from my fiance and although I didn't enjoy the perfume, it was special.

if i had a girl friend .. thats will be my gift to her ..:)

Very bland and boring my worst blind buy yet