Jean Paul Gaultier

Housed in its now-iconic torso-shaped bottle, Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier remains one of the most recognizable men’s fragrances of the past three decades — a mint-and-lavender opening over a warm vanilla base that was unusual enough at launch to stand apart from anything else on shelves at the time.

As a gift, Le Male works for someone who enjoys recognizable classics, but it may be too sweet for buyers who only wear crisp citrus scents like Acqua Di Gio. A light spray count keeps the vanilla-lavender profile charming instead of overwhelming in smaller rooms. It also behaves better in cool evenings than in sticky daytime heat.

Decades later, it still holds up as a distinctive, slightly sweet-fresh scent that avoids feeling dated, which explains why the bottle design alone still gets recognized even by people who don’t follow fragrance closely. It’s an Eau de Toilette, sized at 1.3 oz, 2.5 oz, and 4.2 oz.

Browse the rest of Jean Paul Gaultier, the men’s cologne catalog, or the PerfumeGaga Shop.