Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male, the Le Male Family and the Warm Scents Beside It

Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male, the Le Male Family and the Warm Scents Beside It

Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male is the spicier follow-up to the sailor-torso Le Male, and it anchors a shelf of warm, vanilla and tobacco fragrances for men. Here is the whole Gaultier family, then the sweet designer scents and the niche ambers that sit next to it.

Francis Kurkdjian has said that when he first saw the Le Male bottle, he thought it was not going to work at all. He told Glass that in 2014, and Highsnobiety repeats it in its history of the scent. The bottle was a male torso in sailor stripes, sold in a tin can that Jean Paul Gaultier compared to the ones for cat food at the supermarket. Le Male came out in 1995 as the male companion to Classique, which arrived in 1993. Highsnobiety says it became one of the bestselling aftershaves of all time.

That is the thing I like about Gaultier. The house treats the bottle as a joke and the juice as a serious job. Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male followed in 2015, and Fragrantica describes it as a spicier reinterpretation of the 1995 original, also signed by Kurkdjian. The brand lists Ultra Male Eau de Toilette Intense with black lavender, pear and woody vanilla, so it reads sweeter and darker than the first one.

The rest of this row is the family around it. Le Male Eau de Toilette is listed with mint, lavender and vanilla. Le Male Elixir swaps in lavender, benzoin and tonka bean, in a golden bottle. Le Male Le Parfum lists cardamom, iris and vanilla, Le Male Elixir Absolu lists plum, lavender and tonka bean, and Le Male in Blue lists anise, blue lavender and benzoin. Le Beau Eau de Toilette and Le Beau Le Parfum are the green-garden side of Gaultier, built on bergamot and coconut wood with tonka bean, plus sandalwood in the Le Parfum.

My test: spray one in the crease of your elbow, as the brand suggests, leave it alone without rubbing, and check back after a few hours before you decide.

Big numbers collage titled GAULTIER ULTRA MALE, six products numbered one to six with each product set beside its number: Jean Paul Gaultier, TOM FORD and KILIAN Paris
Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male

Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male, Ultra Male and Le Beau

Sweet, warm designer scents that sit beside Le Male

This row is what I would call the crowd-pleasers, and most of them lean sweet or spicy in a way that feels related to Le Male. Valentino Uomo Born in Roma Intense Eau de Parfum is listed with vanilla, lavandin and vetiver, in a black and pink bottle. YSL Y Eau de Parfum goes greener and woodier, with sage, geranium and sensual wood. Azzaro Forever Wanted Elixir is the odd one, pairing raspberry extract and cardamom with a leather accord.

Then the richer names. TOM FORD Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum lists tobacco leaf, vanilla and ginger. KILIAN Paris Angels Share is listed with cognac, tonka bean and oak wood, and the brand says its bottle can be refilled indefinitely. YSL MYSLF Eau de Parfum is orange blossom absolute, woods and vanilla bourbon in a refillable bottle. Prada Paradigme is the fresher pick, with bergamot, geranium and ambery woods, and Dolce&Gabbana The One For Men Eau de Parfum is listed with tarocco orange, clary sage and tobacco.

Pairing tip: if Ultra Male is your house scent, Valentino or Azzaro are the nearest neighbors, and Prada Paradigme is the one to reach for on a day you want less sugar.

What I would skip: Tobacco Vanille or Angels Share as your only fragrance if you work in a small shared office. Both are warm and rich, so they read best in cooler evenings.

Sweet, warm fragrances for men

Niche woods, amber and tobacco for when you want less familiar

These are the ones for someone who has worn the big names and wants something less familiar. Penhaligon's has three Portrait scents here. The Blazing Mister Sam has a golden bull topper and is listed with black pepper, cedar wood and cardamom. The Omniscient Mister Thompson opens with lavender and pink pepper, with orris at the heart and vanilla and oakwood underneath. The Tragedy of Lord George is described as bringing to mind a rocks glass of warm spiced rum, with cinnamon, nutmeg and amber.

PERFUMEHEAD Canadian Tuxedo Atomizer is an ambery wood with coriander, cumin and bay leaf, and the brand pictures it with worn denim. Fabbrica Della Musa Oud Tuareg Extrait De Parfum is a warm oud with Damask and Taif rose over leather, incense and cedar, from the Italian house of Hamid Merati Kashani and Barbara Adelmann. Chambre52 Tobacco Memories Extrait was composed by Domitille Michalon Bertier and moves from black cherry and saffron into tobacco absolute and vanilla. The Maker Fire Eau de Parfum is amber, juniper, tobacco and vanilla, and Heretic Coeur Noir, from perfumer Douglas Little, is labdanum, white pepper, benzoin and Madagascar vanilla.

If you like sweet tobacco, start with Chambre52 or The Maker. For a drier, woodier wear, try PERFUMEHEAD.

What I would skip: Oud Tuareg on a hot day or as a first niche bottle. It is deep and smoky, so it is better saved for evenings.

Niche woody, amber and tobacco scents

How I would pick one and wear it

Start with the family you already like. If Le Male was your teenage scent, Ultra Male Eau de Toilette Intense is the natural upgrade, and Le Male in Blue or Elixir Absolu are the next steps. If you want something fresher, try Le Beau. For something sweeter, go to the Valentino, Azzaro or YSL bottles, and for a smaller, stranger signature, go to the last row. Apply to pulse points, leave the skin alone afterward, and give any new scent a full day of wear before you decide. A fragrance that still smells good on your sleeve in the evening is the one to keep.

Fresh, spicy and leather scents I keep beside Ultra Male

If Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male is the bottle you reach for, this last shelf is for the days you want something different, and I would start with the fresh ones. Dior Homme Cologne is built on Calabrian bergamot and grapefruit blossom, Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt goes mineral with sage, and Armani Beauty Acqua di Giò Profondo adds marine notes, cypress and musk. Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau Narcisse stays close to home with bergamot, musk and creamy tonka bean.

For warmth, Azzaro The Most Wanted Intense pairs green cardamom with a toffee accord and amber woods, and Viktor&Rolf Spicebomb has chili, cinnamon and a base of smooth tobacco. Maison Margiela REPLICA Jazz Club mixes pink pepper, rum and tobacco leaf, while TOM FORD Ombré Leather is black leather with patchouli and vetiver. Penhaligon's Fortuitous Finley is the odd one out, with salted pistachio and cardamom over leather. Versace Eros brings mint leaves and vanilla, and Valentino Uomo Born in Roma is violet, ginger and smoked vetiver.

What I would skip: wearing two of the spicy ones in the same day. Pick one and let it carry the evening.

More warm and fresh scents for him

Gaultier, niche woods and Bleu de Chanel to finish

If Ultra Male is the bottle you reach for, these are the neighbors I would test last. Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Le Parfum with Lavender & Vanilla and Le Male Elixir are the closest relatives. For woods and leather, Penhaligon's Halfeti Leather and Quercus, and Tom Ford Ébène Fumé and Neroli Portofino, give you a slow tour. DS & DURGA Burning Barbershop and Amber Kiso are the niche picks, and Perfumehead Canadian Tuxedo is the one with the name I like most. Valentino Uomo Born in Roma Purple Melancholia is an easy evening bottle. The Bleu de Chanel Eau de Parfum travel spray set and the Parfum Twist & Spray set are good for a weekend bag. What I would skip: Penhaligon's Halfeti Leather on a hot day. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Lattafa Perfumes, Khamrah and the Warm Scents in the Same Family and Mugler Perfume.

More Gaultier, niche scents and travel sets