 |
One Scent; Three Versions |
I've had a bottle of French-manufacture Paco Rabanne XS, considered "vintage" at this point, for many years now, and am finally down to the last ten milliliters or so. This prompted me to seek out a new bottle, but I'm painfully aware that XS has been reformulated and reissued over the years, and it took a bit of reading to discern which version I needed.
There seems to be three iterations of XS: the original, made in France, with a straw-colored liquid. Then there's a 2018 reissue in squat, heavy glass (very heavy) with purplish-grey liquid. But there's also an interim formula, released sometime in the 2000s and in the same bottle as the original, but with a light grey liquid. I decided to buy the 2018 reissue, based on reviews. Off to eBay I went.
Foreverlux had a listing for the 2018 version, so I ordered it. Unfortunately, Foreverlux goofed, and sent me the interim formula. I say "unfortunately" because this version is reputedly not as good as the 2018 version, with many complaining it's too weak and has off notes. Without sweating it, I returned to eBay and re-ordered the fragrance, and this time received the correct one, pictured above in the center.
How do these compare? The original is the guidepost, of course. XS from 1993 is a crisp aromatic fougère in the Platinum Égoïste style of metallic geranium over mint, juniper berry, coriander, lavender, oakmoss, cedar, and sandalwood. XS is so close to the Chanel that I'm convinced they're mods of each other that simply found different brands for release.
The interim version in the tall bottle (pictured to the right) smells very similar, but isn't as plush or round. There's a bit of screechy citrus in the opening accord that isn't in the original, and the heart is thinner, sharper, and more watery. Still smells like XS, still quite good, but the gunpowdery heart isn't as convincing, and it's a bit weaker. This is disappointing because this version came on the heels of the original, and shouldn't be so weak.
The 2018 version is also notably weaker than the original, but here the rough edges of its predecessor are polished and improved significantly. The aromatics enjoy better balance, the freshness feels more immediate and rounded, and the drydown is simply a weaker version of the original. I think it's a shame that they tinkered with it, but at least it smells right. If you're after this fragrance, go for the 2018 version.
The thing to remember with XS is that it was released in the 1990s, which was the decade for stylistic departures from what men used to wear. This type of metallic-fresh fragrance, exemplified by XS, PE, and Silver Mountain Water, was intended to say, "This isn't your dad's Old Spice." Forget the powdery cotton ball colognes of yesteryear. The nineties man smelled sharp and clean, like detergent soap on steroids.