African Rooibos Intens

Hey hey hey! The original scent of this flanked, the OG, is one of my favorite and most complimented cool weather scents. This one tones down the spiciness of the original and adds a smooth tonka and a gentle touch of incense. If the spicy boldness of the original scent takes you aback this offers a more gentle richer approach. I laughed when I smelled this because while it is good this intense version is actually less intense. You still get the star of the show here, the beautiful rooibos tea accord. I like this. But the OG still reigns supreme in my heart 4.2 overall

This is a beautiful fragrance! Got it in last night & could not wait to spray it. Upon first spray you get the vanilla and spiciness. Then a little of the tea pokes his head over and you get little kisses from it as the fragrances wears. Im usually anosmic to Ambroxan so I’d it’s there I wouldn’t know. I’m a huge fan of the OG but to me this leans slightly more masculine than unisex. Still going to use every single drop of this bottle bcuz he’s sexxxxy!

Starts out with that PERFECT AfricanRooibos dna with a lot of ambroxan. The tea stays throughout the life but after 30min the vanilla bourbon comes out to shine just as much as the tea. The ambroxan smooths out with the vanilla bourbon, thankfully, and the perfect flanker is complete. Modern, sexy, smooth, long lasting greatness. The og is a masterpiece, and this is an extension of it.

I've said it before, and I'll say it a thousand more times; Chris Collins has mastered the ability to craft fragrances that are unique and tell a vivid story. This is made abundantly clear with the crown jewel of his collection, African Rooibos. The OG African Rooibos is not only one of the most unique tea fragrances in history, but I'd say also amongst fragrances overall. I was simultaneously excited and worried when he announced he would be releasing an Intens version of AR. Variants of classic fragrances are very hit or miss with me. Sometimes they can add a whole new dimension to the fragrance that you couldn't have predicted, and other times, they fall flat and just feel like a cash-grab. Sadly, African Rooibos Intens falls under the latter category, for me. I'll preface by saying that African Rooibos Intens is by no means a bad fragrance, it just doesn't elevate or improve upon the original formula. All Mr. Collins did was add vanilla to the heart, and ambroxan to the base; two notes that did not warrant creating a new scent with. I will admit that upon my first spray of the Intens version, I did get a slightly darker vibe than the original, but the addition of the vanilla note actually downgrades it for me. The beautiful part of the original is how perfectly balanced it is; it checks so many boxes at once. The vanilla/ambroxan combo just makes it lean more towards designer fragrance; it waters down the magic of the OG. It is ironic that he labeled this version as "Intens" when it performs worse than the original. The projection, sillage, and longevity are about half that of the original; there's nothing intense about this. Is the vivid imagery that the original evoked still there; barely. I've honestly been underwhelmed by Chris Collins' latest releases, with the exception of Savant. Other than a slight amount of sweetness from the vanilla, and a bit more mass-appeal courtesy of the ambroxan, African Rooibos Intens wasn't needed at all; if it ain't broke, don't fix it. To me, it cheapens the legacy of the original, which is an absolute masterpiece. The OG is so complex and nuanced, and its "new and improved" version is just a let down, honestly. I think a note that could've greatly helped here would've been an iris note for a darker tone, or even a cinnamon note for added spiciness. If you already have the original, I wouldn't bother getting the Intens version. You lose all of the magic of the original, for a watered-down, ambery version of it. Considering the incredibly high price-point of $325 for the not-so "intens" version, this could and should have been so much more. A word of advice to the wise, if you are going to try to improve upon perfection, don't.

@C.Francisque27 spot on. You articulated exactly what I was feeling about this fragrance. Unfortunately, this feels more like a cash grab as opposed to an elevation of the OG. Collins usually delivers solid releases but this one missed the mark, especially at a price tag nearly double the OG.

African Rooibos Intens Aight just got it in, despite me knowing better that ambroxan might just make it screechy while the vanilla doesn't add enough nuance But, here's my first full wearing while trying to be objective It's NOT redundant surprisingly - the added bourbon vanilla is very smooth. I don't tolerate sweetness much, to the point where things that are considered mildly sweet, are too sweet for me, but this is good. The vanilla and ambroxan are noticeable without drowning out that beautiful smoky immortelle and rooibos The vanilla is also what you notice first prior to the spices and bergamot. Bergamot is not really detectable anymore, and the cardamom kick that is so apparent in the OG alongside the pepper isn’t as sharp. I personally love that sharpness alongside the zingyness of the bergamot, but this is a nice alternative for the darker days A caveat is that the ambroxan up close is indeed screechy, but in the air the fragrance blooms nicely with it; up close the vanilla is also slightly boozy funny enough, but in the air it's a deep rich vanilla, akin to Orom (but nicer) Overall imagine a darker, denser, and winter version of the OG with the vanilla in tango with the rooibos. Great for date nights Projection and sillage is great for the first 1-2hrs, then gives you a nice scent trail and personal bubble afterwards. Still going strong after 5-6hrs rn I love both for different functions, and despite it being nice, imo the intens is way too pricey for what it gives. EVEN if it's not redundant Will potentially update more after more wearings

This is my first fragrance review on here I think.... It’s not even for something I wear! My husband wears this! He is nonstop asked what he is wearing when he has this on. This has the most beautiful cardamom I have ever experienced in a fragrance. The longevity is insane. I can smell this all over the bed the next morning and he’s a 1 spray kind of guy. I’m so utterly impressed with this fragrance. An absolute love. So luxurious. So unpredictable. Incredibly sexy with just enough restraint for me to still call it chic. Beautiful, Chris Collins.

When i tell you this is next level, please believe me. Chris understands the assignment and delivers every time. This is so unbelievably beautiful. The tea is the most prevalent note on my skin but every note in this is balanced to perfection. This is class and sophistication, bottled. Earthy slightly sweet and still has bright/clean qualities. You get hints of a creamy vanilla and powdery orris. I enjoy this so much. I am a fan of the original also. Please get your nose on this if you can.

The original was amazing. I’m not quite sure why he had to release an extrait version with such an increase in the price for something that’s smells pretty much the same. This seems like a cash grab.