Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male Eau de Toilette Intense Review: A Fruit-Forward & Gourmand Powerhouse

Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male’s Composition

Inspired by the recent vogue for fruity gourmand male fragrances, Ultra Male shares certain characteristics with other contemporaries such as Viktor & Rolf’s Spice Bomb. Embracing a plethora of aromatic, lavender and amber notes, it’s a modern take on the Amber Oriental Fougère family.

Head Notes

• Bergamot
• Pear
• Lavender
• Mint

Opening with a sharp bergamot burst, the first volatile citrus notes burn away to reveal its fruity character. Appetising notes of vivid pear waken the senses over a backdrop of warmly aromatic lavender and fresh mint.

Heart Notes

• Clary Sage
• Cinnamon
• Cumin
• Vanilla

Through a seamless transition, we discover the spicily aromatic heart comprising of sage, cinnamon and cumin. The warm interlude slowly evaporates to reveal the mouthwatering and sweet gourmand notes of vanilla.

Base Notes

• Cedarwood
• Patchouli
• Labdanum

The vanilla’s sensual embrace endures as the base emerges with a resinous blend of cedarwood and sweet earthy patchouli. Particularly seductive notes of labdanum interact with the vanilla to create an overtly amber accord. With the pear, this is one of the most characteristic notes of JPG’s Ultra Male, which is warm, intoxicating and particularly addictive.

Ultra Male’s Lifecycle, Wake & Strength

Opening on deeply seductive and unusual fruity notes, Ultra Male is an enticing fragrance from the very first spray. Its head lingers long enough for a memorable first impression, which eventually fades to reveal its enjoyable heart.

Although the heart doesn’t quite have the same impact as either the head or base, it acts as an ideal interlude for setting the scene. Finally, the base itself uses the vanilla as a transitional note for an enduring grand final with a long, drawn-out finish.

Both Ultra Male’s sillage and longevity perform admirably with a refined yet powerful trail over the entire day. Whilst the projection is somewhat weaker, this makes the sillage much more effective. Ulatra Male gives tantalising whiffs for a seductive reveal when closer.

Do People Like Ultra Male?

Being somewhat more refined than alternatives by Paco Rabanne or Viktor & Rolf, Ultra Male tends to be very well-received. Overall, it tends to invite a lot of compliments and is enjoyed by both men and women alike.

Seen as something of a youthful fragrance with its fruity notes, it’s particularly popular among younger people. Younger men find this a very gratifying fragrance to wear while women are often captivated by it.

As its rather unconventional to feature fruity notes in a male fragrance, older generations may find this a bit too unorthodox for their tastes. Similarly, its breathtaking albeit unusual head can come across as slightly synthetic.

When Should You Wear Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male?

In terms of seasonality, JPG Ultra Male is very well suited to the colder months. Thanks to its strikingly amber and gourmand accords, it’s something that performs well in a seductive fire-lit environment or in the frosty night air.

In fact, we believe that it’s one of the best fragrances for the fall. That said, its composition would be right at home during the golden autumn season or even in the first rays of sunshine of spring.

As mentioned above, it tends to be a cologne more adapted to younger men. In fact, after testing a great many options for my teenage stepson, I found it to be the ideal fragrance. Through research and asking around, it proved very successful and has so far received many compliments from girls his age.

That said, it’s perfectly wearable for any modern man throughout his twenties. Similarly, it’s a fragrance best suited for wearing out night thanks to its oriental connotations.

However, it can be worn during the day depending on the environment. Although it wouldn’t be a particularly office-friendly fragrance, it’s perfect for high school or clubbing on a night out.

Overall, this makes it a rather casual fragrance. However, you’d be unlikely looking for a more formal scent at this age. Additionally, it’s moderately masculine rather than quite strong, which is quite suitable for modern society.

Presentation and Value For Money

Ultra Male pays homage to its predecessor by sporting the same iconic bottle design. However, instead of being made from a light blue smoked glass, it’s much darker with black stripes. The overall colour is a dark blue with indigo accents under the light.

Ergonomic to hold and with an eye-catching design, the bottle features an atomiser that performs very well. A single press creates a light yet thick cloud that lands delicately on the skin.

Usually, Ultra Male comes in a metal tin can style case with a cool and recognisable design. These tins have actually become quite popular themselves as desk items for storing pens or money! However, this particular bottle came as part of a Christmas gift set that I purchased for my stepson.

The box itself is very eye-catching with a large hologram in the centre depicting a festive scene in the Gaultier universe. In the scene, we see muscular sailors pulling levers for scantily-clad women to run along a conveyor belt. I’m not sure if this gift set was available in other countries but it could be found at both Galeries Lafayette and Sephora in France.

Finally, in terms of value for money, Ultra Male is by no means a cheap fragrance. In fact, it’s very expensive for a casual fragrance. I was relatively lucky as Sephora France was offering a good deal on gift sets at the time so it set me back around 55€.

JPG Ultra Male is a luxury fragrance. Therefore, it costs $125 for a bottle on Amazon. However, it’s much cheaper at $80 on FragranceX.

Closing Thoughts

An impressive addition to Jean-Paul Gaultier Le Male range, Ultra Male is a seductive and energetic blast of fruity and oriental notes. Ideal for younger men, it’s an attractive scent that will surely receive countless compliments.

Although far from inexpensive, it’s certainly worth adding to your repertoire if you’re looking for a seductive and casual scent. We have even featured it among the best men’s fragrances of all time.

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