Pure XS

#40 of My Fragrance Journey - Paco Rabanne Pure XS: A Smouldering Shiver in a Bottle The name says it all. Pure Excess. No subtle metaphors, no polite introductions. From the first spray, it's clear this isn't made for restraint. It's here to seduce. To provoke. To pull you in. The first hit? Ice-cold ginger. Sharp, fizzy, almost electric - like someone just poured chilled soda water over hot skin. Your pulse might skip a beat, a shiver running through you before you even know what's happening. For a moment, you hope it stays cool and crisp, but that's just the tease. Then the temperature starts to rise. Cinnamon slides in, wrapping around the ginger's edge like warm breath. There's something primal about it - that blend of spice and sweetness that feels alive, a little dangerous. Underneath, green sap and thyme keep things grounded, earthy, humane. The contrast is intoxicating - cold and hot, clean and dirty, innocence tangled with something darker. And then the real magic begins. The base. Vanilla - but not the kind that flirts with cookies or candles. No, this one's thick, dark, spiked with leather, liquor, and musk. Imagine the sensation of spilt bourbon on warm skin, with a hint of smoke still lingering in the air. It's sensual, magnetic, and just this side of sinful. As it dries down, a haze of myrrh and sugar dust lingers - soft, sweet, and faintly glowing. It's that aftertaste of a kiss, that whisper of warmth you don't want to fade. You can almost hear the crackle of static between two people standing too close. Pure XS isn't subtle. It doesn't whisper - it smoulders. It's a scent for nights that stretch too long, for glances that last a beat too long. It's confident, a little dramatic, and unapologetically sensual. Final Verdict: This isn't just a fragrance - it's a slow burn in a bottle. That dance between cool ginger and molten vanilla, between clean skin and sin - it's addictive. If you want something safe, look elsewhere. But if you want to smell like temptation itself - soft, hot, and impossible to forget - this is it.

I believe we should stop labeling perfumes female or male and just let people decide for themselves if they like it or not. I bought this perfume for my son 6 months ago (the flip cover version) because I really liked how it smelt. My wonderful son came home from University during the Christmas break and I presented it to him with Intenso by D&G. He just came home two days ago since he went back to school and he barely touched the Pure XS but almost halfway through with the Intenso. I gladly took the Pure XS and I wore it out yesterday and sprayed it on today when I got up in the morning. It has this fresh, aromatic opening that appeals to my senses. I use about 4 sprays and it dominates my senses for almost an hour before it calms down. Thankfully, it doesn’t give me a headache which I was worried about because of the liquor in it. I don’t think it is sweet like Stronger With You Intensely and it actually reminds me of it’s cousin One million but I find Pure XS to be more complicated and less sweet. I am a 46 year old woman who wears these scent profiles comfortably so I will say it is a great scent to share with my husband because he enjoys these types of scent profiles too. Sillage is moderate after an hour but longevity is good and you get whiffs of it for over 6 hours. I call this type a scent “an easy reach” for when you are not in the mood for anything too fancy yet want to smell great.

I have owned this one for a year now back in January, and now I feel like it deserve some words here. I have read some of the reviews below and I see it has created antagonistic feelings among people, and is either love or hate, no middle ground. For me it has grown very positively since I first tried it, and I gotta say this was a totally blind buy in my end, and has become one of my first choices for my nights out, and I have been complemented every time I wore it, and guys wanting to know what was I was wearing. So probably it has to do with the skin chemistry and the cologne ingredients, for me it has worked amazingly good with this one, that went from my liked to my loved ones. I've never been so good in describing notes of the fragrances, even that, I thing we all get different olfactory vibes all the time, but I can not argue that it has a loud opening, and it takes a while to go down, but for me it has been pleasant all the time, and by the time I get to the club, it just gets me compliments. I would say this is definitely a night cologne, and for cold weather. I do not recall wearing in the summer, and I might dare to do it discretely this summer just to see how the performance changes, but obliviously with fewer spritzes. Well good luck and stay fragrant. ;-)

@jasontallwood I find it quite interesting to "rave" so long about something being so bad, lol. Just because the bottle is blue/black, you went without hesitation and ordered it, expecting something similar to Acqua di Gio? And then you blame the fragrance for being different than you thought? I personally find that quite interesting. Even if you are under complete lockdown and cannot sample anything, if you had just took 2 minutes to look at the notes you would have known that this has vanilla and is at least a partially sweet scent. For me personally, I find quite the opposite as you do. This is the only Paco I have and the only one I found of the recent releases to have actual depth. I don't like the Night flanker, now that one is loud and very similar to Ultra Male which I am not fond of. Pure XS EdT on the other hand is a beautiful fragrance in my book and the only heavily sweet scent I own, but it is counterbalanced with fresh ginger and green notes exceptionally well. To close my review, I am wearing this to the office with 2 sprays :)

Has a Pure XS Night owner and lover, I had to have Pure XS also in my collection and the verdict is: It smells like Pure XS Night, but in a lighter way. The Myrr is the main note for both Pure XS and XS Night, but in Pure XS you can get the boozy vibe from the Liquor, while XS Night has the dark vibes of Cacao and the Caramel notes. Just because it smells lighter than the other doesn't mean it won't last longer, because IT DOES, for at least 8+ hours on skin. As for projection, I would say it's weaker than it's flanker it will last like 3 to 4 hours before it turns out into your own fragrance bubble. With all that said, they are both sweet seductive fragrances for fall and winter seasons. Another thing that I must mention and I'm grateful for Paco Rabanne to do it, and I'm pretty sure most people will agree with me, is that new bottles caps are no longer like zippo lighters, so when you remove the cap it comes off, like any other bottle..Yasss.

It's... different. In a (in my opinion) amazing way. This fragrance to me is cold weather versatility in a bottle. However, whilst versatile it is not boring in any sense of the imagination. Yes, you primarily smell the ginger and vanilla, especially in the opening. However, if you put your nose a little closer, you get some fruitiness of apple and grapefruit. Somehow it even smells a bit like expensive Cola, but not in a cheap boyish disturbing way. It, to my nose, actually smells quite refined. It might be more of a night fragrance, but you won't receive any weird looks wearing this when the sun is till out and temperatures are low. As a bonus, you don't have to go too deep in you pockets to afford this gem. Really wished I could have tried out the "night"-version of this fragrance though. It is supposed to be even better. Keep in mind: I am a sucker for vanilla and ginger, so I am quite biased.

This stuff smells like the aftermath of a rock concert in an old church...and I love it! My nose is not at all refined and I can't tell you exactly what notes I'm smelling but, in a nutshell, I get sweet, spicy cola with a smoky, incense ending. I'm wearing this one on a night out to the bar, JD & coke in hand, wearing black slim jeans, chelsea boots and a slick leather jacket or blazer (also black). I've definitely got too many rings and chains on to be considered 'fashionable', but I don't give a f*ck, I know I look good, and I smell even better. The girls in the bar agree. I wake up in the morning a bit dazed and as I'm climbing out of this strange woman's bed, I notice the sweet smokiness is still faintly clinging to my skin and clothes. The fragrance did its job well and is putting in some overtime. My new go-to fragrance for casual nights out in the cooler seasons.

A sweet, sugary, aromatic scent, spiky and synthetic but not unpleasantly so. It's a clean, modern fragrance with a touch of freshness. "Icy Ginger" is a listed note and it does have a cool, brisk feel in the opening. As it warms on the skin it becomes more aromatic and herbaceous. Thyme & Myrhh are detectable alongside a "dusty" cinnamon and these do give the composition a festive twang. There is muted fruitiness too, the green-apple wafts in and out and when mixed with the cinnamon, does give off the notion of spiced apple pie. The base is sweet-vanilla with ambroxan and gets a touch powdery & musky but with the spices remaining. Finally there's sandalwood and a hint of patchouli. This fragrance leans masculine and would suit men aged 18-40, more mature guys might find it too sweet. Definitely a cold-weather, night-time scent. Longevity is ok but projection intimate.

I ordered a sample of this fragrance just out of sheer curiosity. I didn't see many reviewers mentioning it and the few reviews on it were mixed. Once I smelled the sample I immediately agreed that it is unlike anything I had ever smelled. A bit synthetic but sweet and cozy. Some people say "Vanilla Coke vibe" and I can see that. Later, when I saw a good deal on Fragrancenet, I jumped on it. This has become one of my favorite scents. It grew on me more and more each time I wore it and I love that no one else smells like me. This is fresh, sweet, masculine, and best of all has great performance. I think it is versatile and can be worn casually or a hang out night. If you're looking for something unique, give this a try. If you like the safe mainstream stuff then sample first. Performance and longevity are excellent Sillage is moderate

GOD i love this SO MUCH. It is the perfect amount and balance of sweetness and spiciness for me. I got the 2017 batch for a steal price and it projects REALLY well, also lasts forever. This is the most successful blind buy ever for me. Girls will love this on you, and you will not smell like other dudes because no one knows about this fragrance these days. The scent may differ from skin to skin for this one but it smells heavenly on me man. You will definitely stand out on this one, not a classy type but definitely will work for office too. Thinking this one is a MUST if it is for a good price. Just don't skip on this, I am literally thanking to god for the appearance of this fragrance infront of my page, lmao. Sweet but also extremely masculine and woody, it is literally all I want from a fragrance.

In typical Paco Rabanne fashion, Pure XS is a sweet, vanilla scent done right. After smelling a few from the One Million line and the Invictus lines, Phantom, and now this, I'm pretty convinced PR is the best designer for sweet, vanilla-heavy, masculine fragrances. It's a pretty simple fragrance, with the sweet blend of vanilla and boozy alcohol mixing with the woody and amber notes. there are quite a few aromatics, citruses and other things blended in but they don't take away too much from the sweet/warm spice combo. As far as the claim that this smells like coca-cola, I would say this gives me Dr. Pepper vibes if someone mixed in some cheap spiced rum. I have to give this a 9/10, which includes the price point. If you like vanilla scents for men, look no further!

There's a creative ambition in this that reminds me very much of Encre Noire. Not in the way it smells, but in the way the perfumers decided to follow their own path and create something utterly unique. They succeed. I experience this primarily through the base notes, which to my nose come across as the smell of wood shavings. It's like the way a freshly sharpened pencil smells. The sweetness is extremely low range—this is not a sweet fragrance, but also not a woody fragrance either, perplexingly. Someone described this as the smell of an old church, and I think that's a good description. It's the smell of sagging old pews, ancient hymn books, and the mouldy vestments of the clergy. Weird, I know. But I dig it.

This is my fiancee's favorite fragrance from my collection. I got it to enjoy it myself since it does give a cuba libre type smell and I love that drink but I never thought it was gonna be such a great adquisition for my love life, my finacee is difficult with frags she is rarely impressed by any, but this is one of the few that break the norm, If she's in the mood this stuff makes her go truly wild, the only other that gets her to react close to this is La Nuit de l'Homme but still Pure XS is on a whole different level. Please take it as a grain of salt, since this may produce different reactions with different people, this is just my personal experience.

I am having the best year when it comes to fragrances, and I must thank so many of you here on Fragrantica for helping me along on my Fragrance Journey. You guys 'n gals are my tribe💖 I never would've given this gem by Paco Rabanne a sniff had it not been for the reviews here. But I am so glad I did because this is one magical fizzy vanilla beauty⭐ If you enjoy vanilla then you absolutely must get Pure XS. It's bright, sweet, and uplifting. Edit: Longevity I got today from this gorgeous perfume was 16 hours, with strong whiffs right up to the point I walked into the shower. And even now I can get a subtle hint of the vanilla. Beautiful⭐

This fragrance is absolutely amazing. Smells like heaven. When i first tried it couple of years back i didnt like it because of the myrrh note, but a while back i went to the store and saw it and decided i would smell it again as it had a really nice scent profile - and let me tell you.. this is absolutely fire. I bought it straight away. It has a nice smooth, well blended scent, without any notes being too dominant and has a lovely drydown. The myrrh note really fits in and i would recommend this fragrance to any man. If i had to describe it with a few words it would be: smooth, confident, sexy as hell and powerful (not cloying)

Banger. Got it a few weeks ago. Wearing it today and I love it even more. Resinous light sweetness in the drydown. In a world of sweet fragrances and especially Paco Rabanne, this is still pretty unique. I have a newer batch with a normal style cap. There may be some notes that keep this from being blind buy safe, but they're the ones that make this stand out from others and I love it. Still easy to like and wear. 1/29/26 I really love this stuff after wearing it here and there for weeks. It has a clean aspect to it, that makes it more versatile than one might think. A little more mature than one might think as well.

I truly don't understand the hate... except for the torture-implement sprayer/cap combo! As for the scent... BRAVO Paco Rabanne!! I agree with Jeremy and Ashton (GentsScents)... if nothing else you have to give Paco Rabanne credit for thinking outside the box. I am sick of every designer fragrance being either: 1) Bleu de Chanel copy, 2) Aventus copy, 3) Sauvage copy, or 4) Anything claiming to contain "oud". Finally! Something a bit different. I like smelling different AND good. A boozy, fizzy, vanilla-Coke with rum. I like it. Not the greatest in the world, but thank you for being different.

The opening really reminds me of a Lynx deodorant, maybe from the citrus and vanilla combo. You can smell the citrus clearly with some vanilla and a little bit of spice to it. Once it dries down then the vanilla and warm spice kicks in, the citrus is still there but not as strong. I definitely do get the coca cola vibes but it's not that like strong. It is really unique in a good way, yeah there's stuff better than this for winter, but this is great stuff and quite interesting for the price you pay. Projection is just maybe above average and longevity is around 6-8hrs on my skin 7.8/10 for me

Pure XS came out in 2017 and my tester bottle according to the batch code is from late-2017, so I have the first edition. This scent shows just how mainstream designer fragrance trends have changed because now it's all about the loud and super sweet scents. Pure XS is subdued and mature by today's standards. I'm not getting the vanilla Coke association. Instead, I'm getting a spicy scent with some vanilla sweetness and cedar in the background. This scent is more unique and complicated than I had anticipated. It has different stages and gets better as it develops.

I’m not a big fan of boozy & very sweet scents but this one has a great combination of vanilla, Coca & boozy vibe at the opening which is very inviting and warm, specially for colder nights. At the dry down I get some woody notes mixed with vanil which makes it even more enjoyable. Pure XS is absolutely a Love fore me which has a unique scent with excellent performance (+12hr longevity, 4-5hrs solid projection). It’s not a very versatile fragrance, I can’t see myself wearing it for work or any situation rather than a date night or for clubing. 10/10