Best Ralph Lauren Fragrances Ranked and Reviewed

Ralph Lauren’s fragrance range spans forty years and an enormous range of styles, from the classic masculine Polo (1978) to the sophisticated Romance family and the quietly excellent Purple Label line. The house doesn’t receive serious fragrance coverage relative to its commercial scale, but several Ralph Lauren fragrances punch well above their marketing-to-department-store price points.

The Polo Family — where it started

Polo Red EDP — the modern entry

Polo Red EDP (2014, reformulated various times) is Ralph Lauren’s current men’s bestseller in the active mid-range. It’s a red-wood-and-tomato leaf fragrance — synthetic-forward, high-projection, designed to be recognisable in a crowd. It does exactly what it’s designed to do.

This is not a complex fragrance. The tomato-and-grapefruit opening with its sweet berry facets and the dry cedarwood base is a formula, but it’s an effective one. If you’re buying for a teenager or someone who wants an uncomplicated crowd-pleaser, Polo Red EDP delivers.

Longevity: 6-8 hours. Sillage: high. Best for: Teens to mid-twenties, casual/evening.

Polo Blue — the aquatic classic

Polo Blue (2003) is the fragrance that defined Ralph Lauren’s men’s line for the 2000s and early 2010s. A melon-and-cucumber aquatic in the Acqua di Gio school — but softer, less structured, with a more approachable suede-and-musk base.

It’s thoroughly reviewed elsewhere on this site. The short version: a well-made aquatic that remains among the best of its type at its price point. The 2023 reformulation retained most of the original’s character.

Polo Original (1978) — the classic

The original Polo (1978) is a green fougere built on oakmoss, leather, and tobacco. It was influential in its day and still has defenders — this is the fragrance that smells like an English country house, like saddle leather and fresh-cut grass. Vintage bottles are very different from current formulas; oakmoss restrictions have softened the original composition significantly.

Current Polo Original is still recognisable but lacks the depth of pre-1990 bottles. Worth knowing as a reference point; not necessarily worth buying new unless you’re after the cultural association.

Romance — the classics for her

Ralph Lauren Romance EDP

Romance (2000) is a floral-woody oriental built around iris, rose, and moss. It opens with bergamot and iris, moves into a rose-jasmine heart, and dries down on a mossy sandalwood base. The result is classic feminine elegance — less sweet than most mass-market florals, slightly green, with a warm and intimate dry-down.

Romance is a great blind-buy in the sense that it offends nobody: it’s polished, well-constructed, and smells recognisably expensive for its price. The floral heart is restrained rather than lush, which gives it versatility across ages.

Best for: Women seeking a traditional floral that isn’t saccharine. Office and evening appropriate.

Ralph Lauren Romance Silver EDP

Romance Silver takes the iris and metallic notes further — a cooler, more aquatic version of the original. More of a warm-weather alternative than a direct substitute. If you found Romance too warm, Silver is worth testing.

Romance by Ralph Lauren (Men’s) EDT

The men’s counterpart (also 2000) is a woody-aromatic fougere — vetiver, cedar, and fir opening over grass and lavender. It’s a classic aromatic wood that wears cleanly and works in professional contexts. Not groundbreaking, but a well-made shirt fragrance.

Purple Label — the overlooked prestige line

Ralph Lauren’s Purple Label fragrances are the most underrated in the range. Sold primarily through Purple Label boutiques and selected department stores, they receive almost none of the marketing budget that Polo Blue or Romance command, yet the compositions are genuinely more sophisticated.

Notting Hill — a suede and tobacco fragrance with iris and sandalwood. Warm, quiet, grown-up.
Jarvis — bergamot-and-vetiver with leather facets. Clean and precise.
Millbrook — an iris-and-cedar formal fragrance. Occasionally cited in niche fragrance discussions for quality above its price.

Purple Label fragrances retail around £80-120 for 100ml at boutiques. Compared to equivalent quality from dedicated niche houses, that represents significant value.

Beyond Romance

Beyond Romance EDP (2020) is the most modern entry in the Romance family — a magnolia-and-clean-musk floral aimed at the current market. It’s lighter and less distinctive than the original Romance but performs well and is widely available.

If Romance’s greenness doesn’t appeal, Beyond Romance is a softer alternative with broader appeal.

Which Ralph Lauren Fragrance to Buy?

Where to Find Them

The main Ralph Lauren fragrance lines (Polo Blue, Polo Red, Romance) are at most department stores internationally and online. Purple Label fragrances are available at Ralph Lauren flagship stores and a limited number of premium department stores — Harrods, Saks, Nordstrom, Galeries Lafayette.

For Purple Label specifically, decanting is worth considering before a boutique purchase: they’re not the kind of fragrance you can try easily without going to a flagship, and the price point warrants knowing the fragrance is right for you.