Jean Paul Gaultier has just launched Le Mâle Terrible, a flanker to Le Mâle (released 15 years ago). Le Mâle Terrible’s ads still feature a “sailor” but the bottle now comes with a razor blade around its neck (the “terrible” aspect). Apart from the razor blade, there’s talk of “attack” and “overdose” in the PR materials, but given Le Mâle Terrible’s cocky, super-clean, costumed model (hairier than his bald Le Mâle predecessor), one knows all this terrible stuff is tongue-in-cheek, not blade-in-neck (or nose).

Le Mâle Terrible goes on like a “tonic”…reviving, cooling; I smell grapefruit and peppery lavender, a touch of geranium leaf. Then, Le Mâle Terrible turns all smooth and creamy with coumarin, ghostly orange blossom (or a “white” floral), and rich vanilla/tonka and vetiver notes. In the extreme dry down, residual grapefruit, vetiver and cedar meld and create a slightly “sweat-y” accord — one has to get close to skin to detect it…

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