Ralph Lauren’s 2013 grapefruit, saffron and coffee fragrance by Olivier Gillotin, and the start of a long line of Polo Red editions.
At a glance
Polo Red is a Ralph Lauren eau de toilette launched in 2013 and composed by Olivier Gillotin. It is a woody-spicy fragrance: grapefruit and cranberry over sage, lavender and saffron, on a base of amber, red wood and coffee.
It is still in production, and Ralph Lauren now sells it in several concentrations and editions, from the original eau de toilette to a 2026 eau de parfum.
Creation and context
Fragrantica and Osmoz both date the launch to 2013 and credit Olivier Gillotin; Osmoz adds that he composed it at Givaudan. Fragrantica also credits Gillotin, with Olivier Pescheux, for Dior’s Higher (2001).
The brief was the colour. Fragrantica’s launch report presents it as “a ferocious and energizing fragrance” built around strength and character, and lists its materials in the brand’s own language: red grapefruit, red sage, red saffron and red wood. Osmoz quotes the brand describing “a fiery edge and daring confidence”, with red standing for power, seduction and energy.
Polo Red joined a family that began with the original Polo of 1978, now known as Polo Green. Polo Red takes the name in a sweeter, spicier direction, in the red flacon that gives the line its name.
The composition
Ralph Lauren has not published the formula. The structure below uses only the materials named in both Fragrantica’s and Osmoz’s note lists.
The cranberry is the note that surprises. Fragrantica’s comparison of the line calls Polo Red “first and foremost a red berry fragrance — tangy, juicy, and sweet”. Saffron and coffee then give the fragrance its signature warmth, and the amber base carries the sweetness into the drydown. Lavender and sage keep the heart aromatic rather than simply sweet.
Some descriptions of Polo Red give its notes as red pepper, violet leaves and cedarwood. Neither Fragrantica nor Osmoz lists those materials. The wood in the base is described as red wood or redwood, not cedar.
Why it matters
Polo Red shows how a single launch can carry a line for more than a decade. It runs from the 2013 eau de toilette through Polo Red Intense (2015) and Polo Red Extreme (2017), as Fragrantica dates them, to the Parfum and the 2026 Eau de Parfum Extreme on sale today, each a variation on the same red-fruit, saffron and coffee idea.
Fragrantica’s comparison describes the line growing steadily sweeter, from the berry-led original to an Extreme that is “much more of a gourmand”. Polo Red is the starting point of that arc: coffee, amber and red fruit set inside a familiar citrus-aromatic frame, and a clear contrast with the herbal, mossy Polo of 1978.
Reformulation and editions
According to Fragrantica, Gillotin also composed the first two flankers: Polo Red Intense (2015), which adds ginger and a leather accord, and Polo Red Extreme (2017), built on blood orange, ebony wood and coffee with a sweeter, praline-like character.
Ralph Lauren currently sells the eau de toilette alongside a Polo Red Parfum, a Racing Edition of the eau de toilette, and a 2026 Polo Red Eau de Parfum Extreme, which Fragrantica describes as red ginger and bourbon vanilla over a leather accord, and not a re-release of the 2017 Extreme. The brand now offers the main bottles as refillable; on its site the eau de toilette runs from 40 ml to 200 ml, with a 150 ml refill. No reformulation of the original eau de toilette has been documented.
Wearing it today
Expect a bright grapefruit-and-cranberry opening, a warm saffron-and-sage heart, and a sweet amber-coffee drydown. Fragrantica reviewers frequently note limited longevity, so apply generously or reapply during the day. Spray skin and clothing both if you want the coffee-amber base to last into the evening.
It suits casual and evening wear and cooler weather. If you want more depth, try Polo Red Intense or the Parfum beside the original; if you prefer something drier and more classic, compare it with Polo Green.