The house and its fragrances
The house was born in Milan in 1913, when Mario Prada opened his first shop in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Fragrance came much later, in 2003, when the group signed a license with Puig, which passed to L'Oréal on January 1, 2021. The Puig years brought Candy, in 2011, and the Les Infusions collection, brought together in 2015. Under L'Oréal came Luna Rossa Ocean in 2021, Paradoxe in 2022 and Paradigme in 2025, all three in refillable bottles.
Paradoxe: the versions
The original Paradoxe was composed by three Givaudan perfumers, Nadège Le Garlantezec, Shyamala Maisondieu and Antoine Maisondieu, under the creative direction of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. At its base are Ambrofix, an amber made through bioconversion of sugarcane, and Serenolide, a musky molecule. The bottle is a triangle with rounded corners, echoing the house logo, and it rests on its side.
Paradoxe Virtual Flower
Paradoxe Virtual Flower is a musky floral that opens with bergamot, with jasmine and neroli at the heart and a base of musk and ambrette, for a second-skin effect.
Paradoxe Radical Essence
The gourmand version is Paradoxe Radical Essence, in parfum concentration, with neroli oil and orange blossom absolute up top, a salted pistachio accord at the heart and sandalwood in the base.
Paradoxe Sweet Chemistry
With Paradoxe Sweet Chemistry the line turns fruity floral, built on a black currant syrup accord, orange blossom absolute and a milky neroli accord. This version also comes in a refillable bottle.
Paradoxe Eau de Parfum gift set
The original eau de parfum is available in the Paradoxe gift set, which holds the 50 ml bottle and a 10 ml travel spray.
Paradigme and Luna Rossa: Prada cologne for men
Paradigme
Paradigme is signed by Marie Salamagne, Bruno Jovanovic and Nicolas Bonneville. According to the house, the pyramid is inverted: the amber woods, with Peru balsam, benzoin and guaiac wood, come through right away, together with a green Bourbon geranium and Calabrian bergamot, balancing warmth and freshness. From the same line, Paradigme Le Parfum keeps the amber woods with the Amberever molecule and adds a leathery vanilla and a gourmand geranium at the heart.
Luna Rossa Ocean
Luna Rossa Ocean is signed by Anne Flipo and Carlos Benaïm and reinterprets the fougère family. The eau de toilette is fresh, with bergamot and vetiver, while the eau de parfum has grapefruit, incense, vanilla and the AmberXtreme molecule. In parfum concentration there is Luna Rossa Ocean Le Parfum, an amber fougère that opens with lemon. The Ocean gift set pairs the 100 ml eau de parfum with a travel spray.
Luna Rossa Black
Luna Rossa Black dates from 2018: an eau de parfum the house describes as sensual, elegant and noble, built on the relationship between nature and man and on the bond with the sea and sailing.
Candy, Iris Rose and Les Infusions
Candy has musk, vanilla benzoin and a caramel base, while Iris Rose Eau de Parfum is a powdery, musky floral brightened by neroli. Then there are Les Infusions, eaux de parfum the house describes as a second skin. Infusion de Gingembre is woody and citrusy, with ginger, musks and citrus, while Infusion de Rhubarbe is floral and fruity, green and tart.
How to choose a fragrance from the house
Start with the scent family, then look at concentration and size. Among the florals are Paradoxe Virtual Flower, centered on jasmine, Sweet Chemistry, a fruity floral, Iris Rose, with flowers, powder and musk, and Infusion de Rhubarbe, with rose and green notes. If you love sweet notes, start with Paradoxe Radical Essence and its salted pistachio, or with Candy and its caramel. For woody and amber scents there are Paradigme and Paradigme Le Parfum, and Infusion de Gingembre is woody and citrusy at once. The three versions of Luna Rossa Ocean, on the other hand, are fougères.
As for concentration, Radical Essence, Paradigme Le Parfum and Luna Rossa Ocean Le Parfum are parfums, while the only eau de toilette is Luna Rossa Ocean. The Paradoxe, Paradigme and Luna Rossa Ocean lines come in refillable bottles, and for a gift there are the Paradoxe and Ocean sets, both with a 10 ml travel spray. To widen the search, see women's perfume and men's cologne.
Frequently asked questions
What does Prada Paradoxe smell like?
Paradoxe is an amber floral launched in 2022, with neroli and jasmine over a base of Ambrofix, an amber made from sugarcane, and Serenolide, a musk. It was created by Nadège Le Garlantezec, Shyamala Maisondieu and Antoine Maisondieu, under the creative direction of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons.
What is the difference between the Paradoxe versions?
The original eau de parfum is an amber floral. Virtual Flower is a musky floral, centered on jasmine with bergamot and ambrette, while Radical Essence, in parfum concentration, is the gourmand version, with salted pistachio and sandalwood. Finally, Sweet Chemistry is a fruity floral with black currant and a milky neroli accord.
What are the notes in Paradoxe Sweet Chemistry?
Sweet Chemistry is the fruity floral version of Paradoxe, pairing a black currant syrup accord with orange blossom absolute and a milky neroli accord. Like the rest of the line, this version also comes in a refillable bottle.
Who created Paradigme?
Paradigme, the men's fragrance released in 2025, is signed by Marie Salamagne, Bruno Jovanovic and Nicolas Bonneville. According to the house, its olfactory pyramid is inverted, because the amber woods come through from the very start. Alongside the eau de parfum there is Paradigme Le Parfum, with leathery vanilla and the Amberever molecule.
Why is the cologne called Luna Rossa?
Luna Rossa is the name of the house's yacht and sailing team, born from Patrizio Bertelli's passion for sailing, and its first America's Cup challenge dates back to 2000. The men's fragrance line picks up this theme of the sea and adventure, which also runs through Luna Rossa Black.
Which fragrances from the house are gourmand or sweet?
In the Paradoxe line, the house presents Radical Essence as gourmand, with orange blossom, a salted pistachio accord and sandalwood. Candy, from 2011, pairs musk and vanilla benzoin with a caramel base, while Sweet Chemistry has a fruity sweetness, with black currant syrup and a milky neroli accord.
What is a good fragrance gift for a man from this house?
For a gift there is Luna Rossa Ocean in the set with the 100 ml eau de parfum and the 10 ml travel spray. Paradigme, woody and amber, comes as an eau de parfum and as Le Parfum, while Luna Rossa Black is the eau de parfum the house describes as sensual, elegant and noble.
Is Paradoxe refillable?
Yes, the entire Paradoxe line is refillable. At its 2022 launch, the house presented it with lighter glass bottles and recyclable packaging, and refills are available alongside the bottles. Among the men's fragrances, Paradigme and Luna Rossa Ocean also come in refillable bottles.
