amber / aromatic
- mint
- lavender
- vanilla
aromatic / sweet
- mint
- green apple
- vanilla
Side by side
| Attribute | Le Male | Eros |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Jean Paul Gaultier | Versace |
| Launched | 1995 | 2012 |
| Concentration | Eau de Toilette | Eau de Toilette |
| Perfumer | Francis Kurkdjian | Aurélien Guichard |
| Key notes Brand description | Mint, lavender, vanilla | Mint, green apple, vanilla |
| Scent family | Amber / aromatic | Aromatic / sweet |
| Character Editorial inference | Soft, powdery, barbershop-sweet | Loud, minty, candy-sweet |
| Typical wear Editorial inference | 4–7 hours on skin | 6–8 hours on skin |
| Best for Editorial inference | Everyday wear, the office, cooler days | Evenings, dates, nights out |
How they differ Editorial inference
What they share
Both open with a blast of fresh mint and settle onto a sweet base of vanilla and tonka bean. Both are much sweeter than most men’s fresh scents, and both are among the most widely worn men’s fragrances of their eras: Le Male in the late 1990s and 2000s, Eros in the 2010s.
Le Male: lavender, cinnamon and powdery vanilla
Le Male pairs its mint with lavender and a little cardamom, which gives it a clean, shaving-soap feel. Cinnamon and orange blossom warm the heart, and the vanilla dries down soft and powdery. It’s smoother and more comforting than Eros, and it sits closer to the skin after the first hour or two.
Eros: green apple, tonka and a bigger trail
Eros pairs its mint with lemon and crisp green apple, which makes the opening sharper and more like mint candy. The base is vanilla and tonka with ambroxan and cedar, so it stays sweeter and louder for longer. It’s the more attention-grabbing of the two, and easy to overdo.
Which should you sample first?
Choose Le Male if
You want something soft and cosy that works day to day, you like the smell of lavender shaving soap, and you prefer a quieter trail.
Choose Eros if
You want a sweet, loud scent for evenings and nights out, you like mint and green apple, and you want people to notice.
The openings are close, so compare them after an hour, once the mint has settled: Le Male’s lavender and powdery vanilla, and Eros’s apple and tonka, are clearest then. Go easy with Eros in particular; one or two sprays is plenty.
Notes are from Jean Paul Gaultier’s and Versace’s published descriptions. Wear times are typical figures from wear reports, not our own measurements. Read how we compare perfumes.