Rabanne Perfume, from Fame to Million Gold and the Sweeter Scents Beside It

Rabanne Perfume, from Fame to Million Gold and the Sweeter Scents Beside It

Rabanne perfume had a big reset in 2023, when the house dropped Paco from its name and Fame became its new signature. Here are the Rabanne bottles I would start with, then the vanilla, gourmand, honey and amber perfumes I would wear beside them.

In 2023 the fashion house founded by Paco Rabanne in 1966 dropped his first name and became simply Rabanne. The scent that carried that change was Fame, which launched in 2022 with Elle Fanning as its face and was built by four perfumers working together. I think of it as the bottle that made a new crowd look at the house again, and it is the one I would start with.

Rabanne Fame Eau de Parfum is where I would begin. The notes are mango, jasmine and incense, so it opens juicy and then turns creamy and a little smoky. The bottle is meant to echo the chainmail dress the house is known for. Fame Parfum is the darker version, with jasmine, incense and musk in a glossy black bottle, and it projects more. Fame in Love Parfum Elixir leans sweet, with strawberry, iris and vanilla in a deep red bottle.

Million Gold for Her comes in two strengths. The Eau de Parfum is rose, floral bouquet and mineral musk, with a faceted bottle and a big XL link. The Parfum swaps in jasmine absolute, ylang-ylang and sandalwood for something warmer. Lady Million Eau de Parfum is the older sweet floral, with white flowers, jasmine and a honey accord. Olympea and Lady Million Royal round out the set, and I can only tell you the names, so try them on skin.

A simple test: spray a Rabanne perfume on your wrist and leave it for an hour. The first ten minutes are the marketing, and the hour mark is what you would actually wear.

Big numbers collage for Rabanne Perfume: six products from Rabanne, KAYALI and Prada, each set beside a large numeral
Rabanne Perfume

Rabanne perfumes for her

Sweet vanilla and gourmand bottles

If Rabanne is the glamorous end of the shelf, these are the cozy ones. Vanilla is easy to love and easy to get wrong, so I pay attention to what sits next to it. KAYALI Vanilla | 28 has vanilla orchid, tonka and amber woods, with brown sugar and a little spice. KAYALI Yum Boujee Marshmallow | 81 is the playful sibling, with pink marshmallow, strawberry and whipped vanilla. PHLUR Vanilla Skin pairs sugar crystals and cashmere wood with vanilla, so it feels closer to a warm sweater than a bakery. Summer Fridays Sunlit Vanilla goes cooler, with bergamot, caramel and vanilla, and the brand describes it as vanilla ice cream meeting crème brûlée.

Burberry Goddess Amber Vanilla Intense is a grown up take, with maple syrup, roasted vanilla and an ambery base. YSL Libre Vanille Couture adds vanilla caviar, rum absolute and orange blossom. Ellis Brooklyn Queens Caramel brings caramel, whipped coconut and milky musks, and By Rosie Jane Dulce mixes vanilla, chocolate and hinoki wood.

Pairing tip: if you already wear Fame in Love, a light layer of a plain vanilla over it makes the strawberry softer.

What I would skip: a heavy vanilla on a hot commute or in a small office. Sweet scents get louder in warm air, so save the bigger ones for evenings.

Vanilla and gourmand perfumes

Honey, amber and warm florals

Honey and amber are the quieter cousins of vanilla, and they show up in surprising places. PHLUR Honey Moon is the most literal, with mandarin, manuka honey and vanilla bean, and the brand calls it dreamy and calming. Chloé Eau de Parfum is a rose with peony and honey in it, which makes it soft rather than sweet. Prada Paradoxe uses neroli, white amber and white musk. Burberry Her goes fruitier, with blackcurrant, jasmine, white woods, musk and dry amber.

For something with more warmth, Valentino Donna Born in Roma Intense is built on vanilla, jasmine and benzoin, and Moroccanoil L'Originale lists sweet florals, velvet woods and spicy amber. Mugler Alien Eau de Parfum sits on jasmine sambac, cashmeran wood and white amber, and the amethyst bottle is refillable.

Gisou Wild Rose Honey Infused Hair Perfume is the odd one out. It is a hair perfume with wild rose, vanilla and honey, made to scent hair and add shine. Mist it on a brush and run it through dry hair.

What I would skip: stacking a honey perfume with a honey hair mist on the same day. Pick one place for the sweetness and keep the other plain.

Honey and amber florals

Choosing the one you will wear

I choose a scent by mood before notes. For a bright daytime feel, Rabanne Fame Eau de Parfum or Prada Paradoxe. For a dressed up night, Fame Parfum, Million Gold or Valentino Born in Roma Intense. For comfort, anything in the vanilla group, with PHLUR Vanilla Skin the easiest to live with. Test one at a time on your skin, because the same perfume smells different on everyone. Give it a full day before you decide, and ask one honest friend what they notice when they hug you. If they bring it up without being asked, you have found your bottle.