Colonia Intensa

In the cobblestone streets of Rome, where the scent of history mingles with the breath of the sea, Colonia Intensa emerged from the house of Acqua di Parma, embodying a unique essence of Italian elegance. It is more than just a fragrance; it is a journey that begins with the first spray and continues until it becomes part of your memories. The scent opens with a radiant burst of ripe citrus: orange, bathed in the Mediterranean sun, and lemon, sparkling with the clarity of morning light. This is accompanied by the warm hint of ginger and the exotic allure of cardamom. This fragrance represents an extraordinary freshness, akin to the invigorating first breath of mountain air on a clear summer day. As the minutes pass, the heart of the fragrance draws you deeper. White neroli blossoms, reminiscent of orange flowers in their prime, are surrounded by the fresh touch of artemisia and wild myrtle, evoking a Mediterranean garden at midday, where the leaves sway gently in the breeze. Here, brightness melds with sweetness, as the fragrance gracefully transitions from the light of day to the warmth of evening. When the sun sets, the base reveals the fragrance's eternal identity: luxurious leather, akin to an old armchair in an aristocratic library, meeting the noble richness of patchouli, complemented by the honeyed warmth of benzoin, and wrapped in a soft layer of musk, much like a winter shawl draped over your shoulders. It is this finale that gives Colonia Intensa its unmistakable character—a depth and intimacy that lingers long after the noise has faded. The sensory experience is like a masterful oil painting: its colors shift with the light, and its details are revealed slowly. This fragrance does not shout for attention; it leaves a subtle, elegant impression. As one connoisseur put it, "A Rolls-Royce in the world of fragrances, not a Lamborghini." Its virtues lie in the union of classical freshness and modern depth, making it a composition well-suited for the man who appreciates understated elegance. However, it is not for everyone; some admirers lament its modest performance and projection, which linger close to the skin and diminish sooner than desired. Yet, others find this restraint to be the refinement that prevents it from overwhelming the senses. In terms of longevity, it usually accompanies its wearer for six to eight hours, then settles into a soft, leathery shadow, as if the fragrance itself were whispering, "I was here... and I still am." Colonia Intensa strikes a balance between morning sun and evening shade, between the sparkle of citrus and the warmth of leather, and between modernity and classical roots. It is a fragrance that does not need to raise its voice to be heard, for it speaks in whispers and etches itself into memory without noise. It is the choice of those who understand that true luxury lies in the details, and that the most beautiful impression is often the one that lingers long after we are gone. Ahmed hadi - Baghdad - IRAQ

At the time of my last "review" of this, I think that my sentiments was that this was a very good, but not great cologne style fragrance that came across as slightly dated, and while I do still think this is an old school fragrance that you could easily wear in a different time, I appreciate it so much more and actually my younger female co-workers have complimented me when I've worn this more than any other fragrance I've worn with the exception of Dior Sauvage Elixir, probably because that one projects like such a monster. However, in order to not get sidetracked, I just have to say that this is a GORGEOUS scent and I've always thought that, but it's grown on me a lot. This can be worn in almost any situation, I feel like it only really fits if you're wearing a nice shirt like a polo, a button-down shirt, something like that because I feel like this would be a little odd coming from a guy wearing a band t-shirt or something along those lines. Not to be judgy, but I think that fragrances should fit what you're wearing and this one fits a slightly dressier but still perfectly casual look. I think this could also work formally, but it's perfect for business casual style I think. It also has that extra oomph to cut through the cold that other Acqua Di Parma fragrances don't often have, it has this resinous and slightly darker edge to it in the base while still being bright off the top and airy in a way that's suitable for the summer. Performs well for an EDC, it lasts for 6-7 hours and it pushes pretty decent in the beginning, people around you especially in a closed space will notice you when you wear this and I've gotten compliments. I don't think kids would like this fragrance, this is for 30 and up in my view, and a lot of 30 year olds might not be into stuff like this even. This is a little bit more advanced than your typical designer fragrances, I feel like Acqua di Parma is actually an ideal transitioning phase between designers and getting into indie and niche because they're somewhere in between the two, and quality and sophistication that you get from their fragrances are slightly better than most designers. This is my favorite of the ones I've smelled so far, although I've yet to try the Assoluta and Club versions which I think I would like a lot. This is near perfection for me, and probably the best EDC in my collection so far, I hope to find the Assoluta version at a decent price, and also add the Essenza and Club versions soon.

My hands-down favourite from the AdP Colonia line: a beautiful, true modern cologne but very frustratingly, has woeful longevity & projection. Whilst the original Colonia has fairly decent longevity, this just falls well below par and when I wear it, I always expect more than it has to give, which drives me to despair! From some of the listed notes - cardamom, myrrh, leather, ginger, patchouli ..... you’d expect something more in terms of staying power but it just doesn’t have the chops; not on me anyway, with it becoming a skin scent in under an hour. As has been mentioned in earlier reviews, it definitely has the intonations of earlier classics, like Armani Eau pour Homme, Eau Sauvage and even YSL Pour Homme but at least those earlier classics had a decent slug of Oakmoss to prop them up a few rounds, whereas this....... well....!! Despite this being green, citrus and slightly white floral, which screams summer freshie, I find this actually performs better in mild spring & autumn months because full on heat just seems to kill it stone dead. I’m reminded of Zegna’s Acqua Di Bergamotto actually: a beautiful modern citrus cologne that has zero longevity too. I’m coming towards the end of my 100ml now and I’m really on the fence as to whether I buy another bottle or not. One minute I think ....”why bother, it doesn’t perform “ and the next minute, I’m thinking...”you can’t do without it, it’s lovely.” Very, very frustrating!! It’s definitely unisex without a shadow of a doubt, much more so than the Assoluta flanker and smells beautiful on a woman! Much more delicate than my second favourite; AdP Colonia Essenza but I just wished it performed as well in the summer months. I’d recommend trying a sample or two first, rather than blind-buying this one, not for the fragrance because there really isn’t much not to like but just so you can test the performance on your skin type. If you find you get over 3+ hours then just buy it & you won’t be disappointed!

I don’t really understand many of the reviews here. On me this is an outright gorgeous warm musky incense from start to finish. It starts out a little lighter and airy - but still incensed - then as it progresses the base comes up a bit more and the musky incense gets a bit deeper, slightly darker but not too heavy. I don’t really get any citrus, ginger or even what I normally perceive as cardamom. I don’t detect much of the mid notes either except for the slightly lighter feel the incensed effect generates. It’s mostly about the base notes but even then not in the balance popularity shows. Overall I find it very musky in fact. Absolutely stunning scent that I genuinely can’t understand why anybody would box this into an older age bracket, or any age bracket for that matter! Certainly on my skin this feels throughly modern and entirely ageless, very versatile and also completely unisex. Maybe it’s just my skin chemistry? I think maybe so because I only see one other person in the reviews having a similar incensed skin response. It almost reminds me of ‘smokers’ which is a kind of musky slightly warm lightly cinnamon like candy we have in my country. I feel a bit weird for reviewing it like this for the fact that I can’t see any obviously similar reviews, and I know my juice is the real deal because it’s a proper Acqua di Parma mini I got in a properly boxed and branded 3 piece set from a thoroughly reputable perfume store. I guess the one thing that does stand out is how very differently this scent seems to respond on different peoples skins, so that may account for something. But either way I’ll be getting my hands on a full 6oz as soon as humanly possible! Awesome top shelf juice!

It would probably be my favorite in the entire line if it weren't for its longevity, which is by far the worst. In fact, among the Colognes, only Intensa lives up to AdP's stereotype of very short longevity on my skin. This perfume has, perhaps, the best ginger note I've ever smelled, along with the freshest cardamom I know. It smells 100% natural, and to my nose, the leather is not present. It's even less musky than the original and Essenza, and certainly much less soapy (Essenza is by far the soapiest). It actually seems even more unisex than those two. It's not as citrusy and sharp as Futura and not as floral as Pura, sitting in a middle ground with a light woody base that doesn't detract from the freshness at all. Its opening fragrance, with its ginger and neroli, is one of the most pleasant I've ever encountered. As mentioned, it smells 100% natural, like Dior Homme Cologne (one of the best citruses I know), but certainly less minimalist than that, with woods, musk, a more diverse citrus blend, and even some incense, without losing its freshness and brightness. However, like Dior Homme Cologne, its longevity is poor. To me, it's the central "scent" of the entire line, modernizing the original and making it less soapy, which is no small feat, as this is one of the most incredible lines in perfumery. For an even more modernized version, and by far the most citrusy and long-lasting on the skin, I suggest trying Futura. For a lighter, aquatic, and unisex option, Pura is great, and for a timeless barbershop scent, the Original is the way to go.

حين يجتمع إثنين من العطارين الأساطير في تاريخ العطور، حتماً النتيجة تكون في روعة هذا العطر، العطر يحمل طبع وDNA اكوا دي بارما، ولكن بلمسات مختلفة نوعاً ما، صحيح ان العطر من خط الكولونيا لكن اراه مختلف عن كونه كولونيا تقليدية، واذا اعتبرناه كولونيا فهو كولونيا بصورة فاخرة جداً.. حقيقة العطر تركيبته ورائحته شدتني من أول تجربة، وبعد عدة تجارب تأكدت انه يستحق أن يكون في مجموعتي، عطر جميل مختلف رجولي بامتياز، قد لا يعجب الكثيرين، أراه سيعجب من هم على حدود الـ ٣٠ فما فوق، الرجل الكلاسيكي سيحب هذا العطر، عطر يجمع الكلاسيكية والحداثة.. أداء العطر كعادة عطور اكوا دي بارما متوسط، ممكن ثبات ٤-٥ ساعات مو أكثر من كذا، والاحظ فوحانه اكثر خصوصاً مع شدة الحر، احس العطر حولي فعلاً واشم رائحته كل ما تحركت، وانا راضي تمام الرضا عن ادائه، لكن لا تتوقع اداء وحشي على كل حال.. بالمناسبة كلمة بسيطة، كل ما تتعمق في مجال العطور أكثر واكثر، تكتشف أن الثبات والأداء شيء مساعد، الأساس دائماً وأبداً رائحة العطر، اتفهم أن كل واحد منّا يتمنى عطره يثبت ساعات وساعات ولكن إسأل نفسك ليه نشتري عطور؟ الأساس دائماً لطيب الرائحة وجمالها، فمثلاً أنا شخصياً أفضّل عطر جميل جداً كرائحة ثباته ٣-٤ ساعات على عطر ثباته ١٠ ساعات ولكن رائحته عادية جداً، لست بحاجة لاضافة عطور عادية لمجموعتي.. يستحق التجربة والشراء ولكن لابد من التجربة أولاً، وأنبّه على نقطة، هذا العطر كلاسيكي وحديث في نفس الوقت، يحمل طبع العطور القديمة ولكن ما تحسه قديم، هل وصلت الفكرة؟ وبالتالي قد لا يعجب الكثيرين وقد لا يناسب البعض، التجربة ضرورية قبل الشراء..

I have the Tonico Dopobarba, but I've tried the Colonia on perhaps three times as well. Firstly, the Tonico has considerably less citrus in the opening, almost none. It more smells like a Martini Bianco mixed with a barber's tonic of sorts. The Colonia has the usual very nice citrus blast, and settling towards a similar drydown with it's barber brother. (If you're interested how much the Tonico lasts it's every time 4h and maybe on the collar another 4) TD has ever so slightly oily consistency, so probably has some quality oils there. And Myrtle water, nice. The tonico is the most elegant aftershave I've ever used. Read: maybe not the best or most masculine smelling, but a more elegant one is hard to find. A cocktail comparison with another Colonia of similar qualities: Alvaréz Goméz Agua de Colonia Concentrada Barberia. Ginger is at the top, opening the scent with a Campari-like bitter orange, and that opening very much reminded me of Acqua di Parma's Colonia Intensa - at first. So that one is Campari & Soda with orange slice to AdP Intensa's Martini Bianco & Lemon slice (that would be because of the Artemisia found in both AdP and Vermouth). This reminiscence and analogy comes to mind only in their respective openings, their hearts take a different path. For one AdP will become more creamy at that point I suppose..

The original Colonia is just to weak for my taste. So I have the Intensa, Essensa and Assoluta EDT and Deo sprays. Unlike the Original, the Assoluta and even the Essenza, this one is not a Summer's day citrusy freshy. It is woodier and smokier than the other Colonias. More mature and classy. I prefer this one for the evenings although it can be used in day time if in Spring or even Fall. Out of the 3 this also has the best projection and Sillage. It last about as long as the Essenza,(5-6 hours) which has been my favourite from the line from day one. However the Intensa is a more introvert beauty. Sophisticated. And therefore, slowly but gradually, gaining my love more and more. Having Intensa, Essensa and Assoluta for over 2 years, All gift sets and additional Deo Sprays, this is how I see them: Assoluta is the Summer beach day time favourite. Essenza, for overall Summer application, day and night. Intensa, the more formal evening dress code mysterious companion. They really suit different purposes. They will stay in my collection forever. I just found a few great gift sets offerings. Problem is my 100 ML bottles are still for 60% full. But these are simply very hard to ignore offers: 68€/ Intensa and 77 € for the Essenza 100ML + Aftershave and Showergel.

One might imagine an Italian gentlemen, mature but aging gracefully, his Negroni on the table in front of him on a table at an outdoor bar. His crisp white shirt shows not a single wrinkle, and a dark blue sweater is wrapped around his neck by its sleeves. He is contemplative; he is lost in his thoughts when the beautiful young waitress asks if he would like another drink. He finally looks up and smiles as he answers in the affirmative. The bright opening of the citruses draw one in, but there is so much more than just the cheery opening. The myrtle, artemisia, neroli, cedar and Guaiac wood make this more complex than just any scent drifting across the promenade on a warm day. The leather is there, but it is not prominent. It a hint of leather, a strap wrapped around his wrist. This scent could stay with you through the evening. When night falls, this man will have had yet another drink with the beautiful companion that will ultimately join him. She pauses as she puts her second kiss beside his cheek as he greets her. She inhales and wishes she could know this scent forever. But by morning, it will be only a faint remembrance of the night before. I really love this scent. This is a scent for a well-made drink in a beautiful place.

For the last 3 reviewers: Danilo etc: Colonia Intensa lasts around 8 hours on me. Out of the 15 Acqua di Parma colognes I have, only the 4 Concentrees (Brown bottles) last longer than Colonia Intensa. My son wore it on a New Years Eve a few years ago. Out on a Penthouse Roof Garden watching the Fireworks I could smell it on him 2 meters away. It was windy as usual in the Netherlands. Uhistincky: and I prefer Tuscan leather over OG Colonia. Or Steak over Tomatoes. Shishibr: Smells like Cola????? I must have woke up in a parallel World. This fragrance is smoky. Indeed not soapy as you expect from Acqua di Parma fragrances. About 5 years ago I gave gift sets of Essenza in the black box and Intensa in the yellow box to a few of my clients and to my 2 sons as Christmas gifts. The Essenza is clearly a Summer Fragrance, while Intensa is more appropriate for the evenings. First I was convinced the later would be a Spring-Summer type but after I smelled it on my son on New Years Eve, I knew it would works all year long. It's by far the most sophisticated of all AdP fragrances I have. (15)

Very nice, probably excellent. I'm no Mediterranean playboy but to me this does not smell like any kind of cocktail or fizzy soft drink. Often when I smell citrus with ambery resins, it makes me think of candied citrus peels, and so it does here, but this is also fairly sour or tangy, with a little herbaceous bitterness too, and in the opening at least, it has quite a blearily balsamic aspect, like a nice hand cream. As others have noted, it probably would not be the ideal choice for the hottest days, but has the makings of a versatile fragrance for much of the rest of the year. The neroli is prominent and, especially early on, quite indolic. It has a sexy kind of mushroomy overtone that I associate more with jasmine and gardenia. Mainly because of the neroli, this makes me think of another Morillas creation, Bvlgari Man Wood Neroli. In some ways, this is almost what MWN might have been if MWN didn't smell quite so much like lemon furniture polish. Sillage is suitably moderate, longevity moderate to--probably--good.

Colonia Intensa took a while for me to appreciate, and I suspect it's because one of the first times I wore it was on the train from Bologna to Verona in the sweltering mid-July summer heat, while this fragrance evokes imagery of riding down the Amalfi coast on a vespa while wearing a crisp white linen shirt and a cooling sea breeze running through your hair. Nevertheless, it has surpassed the original Colonia for me. The citrus blast in the opening so typical for colognes has been tempered by the zesty warm ginger and sweet spicy cardamom, foreshadowing the woody and leathery drydown. While I found there's no risk in overspraying a little, don't expect this to fill up the room like your average 20 sprays of CDNIM would; the magic lies in its subtlety and discretion, this is a fragrance of good taste. I see where people are coming from calling it a mature fragrance. There's something I find rejuvenating about it though. Your grandfather wore the original Colonia; you wear Colonia Intensa.

Nothing but good things to say about this. Got a 6 OZ bottle for 90 bucks and honestly, that is a steal. This scent is incredibly sophisticated, and has a masculine powdery, fresh, old money type of vibe to it. Men of all ages can wear it, and I'm sure some women might find it appealing for their skin and interests as well. Considering I have a large supply of this, and the appeal it has on the nose, this is very likely to be my signature scent for the foreseeable future. This is a scent that almost anyone should be able to enjoy, for it is simple yet flawlessly executed. Not sure why this doesn't get more attention, but this is a legit fragrance from a legit brand that is a legit bargain from online retailers. Go get yours before the price goes up even more (sitting at about 100 dollars for 6 OZ at the time of posting) Incredible scent, don't really need to say more. Go buy it. Seriously.

I just love the fact, that some brands like Acqua di Parma, still have the sense of how to make a very, very honest, simple, harmonious and updated eau de cologne, skilfully avoiding the "pothole" of sports, aquas, ozones and other meaningless definitions of that genre. The result is a sparkling and vibrant eau, with the leather-musk-benzoin collaboration to keep it close to the skin and take it to the level, where a perfume is more than a smell, it's a statement. It stays with you for a significantly long time and it makes you feel that there is still hope for the gents out there. Having said that, I smelled it once on a very beautiful and posh lady and believe me, it really, really worked. And when I mentioned that her choice of perfume was brilliant, she grinded slightly and said: "Let's keep it a secret...".

It was not love at first sniff, but Intensa has worked its magic on me over time and I really enjoy this fragrance now. Even though I probably like the smell of Essenza slightly more, Intensa is much more versitile which is why I use it more often than Essenza. Intensa opens with a woody citrus blast but after a short while I can hardly smell any citrus and what I get for most of the duration is a dry spicy wood with some dark patchouli underneath. The scent is farily linear and has an impressive performance on my skin. I think this fragrance is a bit too thick to be used in the summer heat. I enjoy it more during early autumn and as an evening scent. I have used it with success on dates and even got a compliment from a guy in a bar when I used it. Very masculine and mature scent without being old fashioned.

Imagine sitting somewhere at an old wooden table at a winery in Toscana, Italy. The sun is shining, it has 30°C (for my American friends: 86°F) outside. Around the area there are dozens of orange and olive trees and cypresses. You're enjoying life at its fullest. The Italian family living there serves you some bruschetta and antipasti with red wine from their own cellar, which was built 250 years ago. The best crafted food you'll ever have. The father of this beloved Italian family makes his way to Rome in his Italian suit, driving in his old Italian Alfa Romeo, with leather interior, because he needs to check if everything goes well at his little store which produces hand made leather shoes. That's how this fragrance smells. (Am I exaggerating? Yes, but who cares?)

In my opinion the regular colonia is best when you're wearing linen clothing on a scorching hot summer day and you just want to smell fresh and sophisticated, like you're just out of the shower. This one on the other hand, is a lukewarm summer evening when you're going out to meet friends and the ground is still a bit warm. The spices gives it a lot of depth and it's definitely not as soapy as the regular colonia; in fact, if I would've smelled this and the regular colonia blind, I probably wouldn't have even connected them. Highly recommend everyone to smell this for an interesting spicy summer perfume instead of the citrus blasts that most people think of when they talk about summer perfumes.

As with all ADPs it a great value if you buy it at discounters at retail the price cannot be justified. I am an older male that loves fougeres and oriental frags so not in the current trending profiles. Of my ADPs this one took me a bit longer to bond with I prefered Essenza and Sandalo immediately. Now this is an easy morning reach for me. Where I live temps below 20 C are rare indeed so this is easily an all year fragrance. If you want a more mature classic smelling addition to your collection for those professional settings this is a great addition that can usually be had a discounters for under $70 for 100 ml. Quality natural ingredients for a very reasonable price.

A masculine spicy citrus scent, utilizing a great heft of cardamom and ginger root to match its prominent citrus opening. The addition of these spices creates an overall oriental flair. Animalic leather and balsamic benzoin add a layer of depth once the lemon, bergamot and other citrus notes fade away. I could swear I detect the addition of cinnamon, but perhaps this is just a mirage. Guaic wood and cedar along with dark musks frame the dry down. There is a delicate balancing act here, between the bright and fresh hersperidic opening, the spicy orientals of the heart and the resinous/animalic base. Quite simply, perfection. (142)

Having worn most of the standard aftershave from using my dads old Spice and the getting a job I could upgrade to fragrances like Jazz and Kouros, many aftershaves later I was treated to this product and it changed the way I buy and wear men’s and uni sex fragrances. This is by far my favourite summer fragrance it’s just amazing. ....... Down side it stopped projecting its self after a couple of hours and I just can’t come to terms spending this much on a product that leaves my shirts smelling amazing but hardly any on me. Still worth a try as different skins and body oil’s deals with fragrances on different levels.