Pleasures Intense

A pretty lily-jasmine-lilac concoction--I wouldn't have guessed it to be a flanker of Pleasures, which I also like; it reminds me more of Beyond Paradise than Pleasures, but I'm relieved it's in the Pleasures bottle and not the one they're sticking BP in these days. The Pleasures bottle isn't a work of art, by any means, but it's functional and pleasant to hold, which automatically makes it superior to most of the "classic" EL bottles (the Cinnabar bottle came apart in my hands moments after I attempted to spray it; the Azurée bottle, which is of a similar design, also looks like it's not long for this world and will probably require transfer to another bottle, too). I do wish they'd just come up with new fragrance names instead of making flankers, but I suppose that's what the luxury line is for, and the luxury line names all sound like bougie weed strains. Update: I just compared this with Aerin Fleur de Peony, which I received as a sample, and Pleasures Intense outperforms it in every way while also smelling more distinctive, even though it's not an especially distinctive fragrance. Fleur de Peony is way more expensive and doesn't deserve its lovely (no doubt relatively costly) sandalwood base; it's just like a slight variation on Miss Dior Rose n'Roses or OG Delina, with maybe a whiff of Oscar Flor. I don't dislike FdP, but I would have felt cheated if I'd blind-bought a bottle. Pleasures Intense, if more expensive than OG Pleasures, is still a bargain, like most of the fragrances under the EL imprint. I also think I'm getting more peony in OG Pleasures than I am in the drydown of Aerin Fleur de Peony. I'm really enjoying the lovely maple-wood base. I expected it to smell more like maple syrup, but it's just a sweetish woody, slightly cedary smell, a bit like sandalwood. Update: Wearing again today, I wonder how the hell there can be no lilac listed among the floral notes. It certainly smells like lilac to me, and I love the scent of lilac, so I'm glad this scent comes through so strongly on my skin. I have been borderline obsessed with lilac fragraces, maybe because it's winter, and they are such a quintessential spring fragrance to me. Insert T.S. Eliot allusions as you see fit!

I can't believe I overlooked this for so long. I tried it this afternoon, and had purchased it on the grey market by evening. I've been hunting forever for a green white floral - and this is it. Pleasures OG reads celery to me, and on my skin unfortunately it becomes a rich chicken soup. Pleasures Intense is what I wanted Pleasures OG to be. I love lilies, I love all white flowers. This is photorealistic, and GREEN to boot. It's as good in the opening as Lys de Mediterranee (better, in fact, because the white floral feels less "waxy" in Pleasures Intense). The green is sumptuous, and the flowers are simultaneously crisp and chewy. And the dry down? Oh my gord. It is exactly how they describe Sweetbay Magnolia (which I spied outside the gym window this morning and subsequently cut my workout short so I could trek out for a sniffaroonie.). It is lemon and vanilla, like a fluffy vanilla cake with a touch of soft spices. Summer's hitting hard here, I cranked the aircon and wore Pleasures intense to cuddle my children on the couch while we crunched veggies and watched cartoons and it was pure perfection. Some magnolia-forward scents are so aquatic as to be generic-smelling to my nose at least (such as Halloween), some are cashmere-heavy, a note I do not like (such as 4711 eau de Magnolia). Others are plain screechy and cheap-smelling (Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely Sheer). When to wear it? I will wear it as a transition fragrance. I will pack it in my work bag and spritz prior to the car ride home. It will be a welcome balm on hot evenings. It will layer well with all my favoured work-scents (non-sweet vanillas, soft irises, lactonic gardenias, sandalwoods, gentle greens). And by the time I get home to my kidlets I will smell like freshly baked lemon and vanilla muffins and they will actually want to cuddle me because I will smell so flowery and delicious. Pleasures Intense is a far cry from the usually challenging niche fragrances I prefer for home, and my children always tell me, "Mummy your perfumes smell like rotten farts". Now that I have Pleasures Intense, the only thing about me that will smell like rotten farts is my farts.

EL Pleasures original has always been one of my favorites since my 20s along with Ralph Lauren Romance, Polo Sport Women, Organza, Hot Couture a name a few. I don't get why people here have mentioned it as a warning to not over spray this or that it gets cloying or headache inducing. It does not. Not at all. To me it's very similar to the original Pleasures, albeit a lot richer and bolder and heavier. If I wore Pleasures original during the day, I'd switch it up and wear Intense at night. Currently it's summer where I live with temperatures going over 50° & I can still wear Pleasures Intense without any issues. It's probably coz I'm used to heavy oud and bakhoor fragrances, raised in the Middle East so I guess French fragrances that are classified as "beast mode" don't really bother me as much as it does to someone not used to deeply, animalic scents. Pleasures Intense is truly beautiful, like walking into a florist shop early in the morning, when all the fresh, dewy flowers are just delivered and they still have their natural scents of the just-cut green stems, the water drops on their petals....it's literally like being in a garden with hundreds of flowers! The one thing I love the most about Pleasures (original and intense) is that even though it lists rose in the heart notes, the rose does not dominate the overall feel. I do love a fresh rose scent, but there's a time and place for it. And Pleasures Intense isn't it. This one is like burying your nose into a huge bouquet of peonies and lilies and just enough jasmine to give it the depth for lasting. I'll end with telling anyone who's afraid of the other reviews saying this gets cloying to move past the fear and try it, especially if you love Pleasures original or any of the floral heavy Dior scents. This will not disappoint, I promise.

I honestly can't smell much else, other than the lillies and green lillies in this. It has a greenish snapped sort of smell as well, which is just beautiful. It is a pollen heavy and spicy lily that you find in Pleasures Intense and it is very sweet and aromatic in a floral kind of way. I smell the maple syrup like smell of the maple in the base and the warmth from rhe vanilla as well, but it just accents the lily and brings out the warmth and spiciness found in this flower. I only get the tiniest amounts of peony and I don't really smell the blackberries, jasmine, tiare flowers or rose. This is mostly a photorealistic lily to my nose, which is very rare to come across in fragrances. Pleasures Intense is a a heady grande dame in the best possible way, smelling like a high end hotel lobby with big vases of lillies on a table, the scent wafting into the air on a joyous Easter morning. I personally feel like she could be worn either day or night and basically all seasons, but that she would be best for spring and summer, to really make her sing. It is a highly feminine perfume and it isn't afraid to admit it, which I love. It is a very bridal fragrance and is very pure smelling, but in a good way. This fragrance lasted 7 hours on me and the sillage was very good, reaching reasonably far away from me, without choking anyone out. It is very wearable and I feel like most people wouldn't get overwhelmed from smelling it, unless they really hate lillies, of course. I am giving this a very good 8/10. A great fragrance from Lauder, one of the houses best at white florals, as always!

I smelled this on a woman as I was out and about shopping one day. I was actually surprised when she told me that it was a flanker of Pleasures. I would have never guessed in a million years as it didn't smell anything like the OG or even bring it to mind. While Pleasures is a cool green floral that's almost aquatic on me, this is a full-on floral that's so different it really should have been its own perfume instead of a flanker. Heavily floral with a fabulous, very creamy lily leading the way. It is not dense or overwhelming thanks to the benzoin in the base, which gives fluffy weightlessness to this scent. The styrax and maple leaf adds earthy, woody undertones, buoyed with creamy smoothness by the barest trace of vanilla. There's a freshness to this scent thanks to the black currant, that doesn't add excessive fruitiness, but just a little sweetness, roundness, and lift to the florals. While the OG is an ice queen, this is the total opposite. There is something very warm here; an ambery quality, that adds a lot of richness and depth. Possibly the benzoin or a combination of notes? Whatever it is contributes to the overall effect as if you are smelling a flower garden in full bloom at their most potent, lush, and sweet on a warm, spring day. It really is a showstopper! I've since purchased a used bottle and am so glad I did. I love it so much; I consider it one of the top five best purchases I've made all year. Speaking of years, I want to wish a Happy New Year to All My Fellow Perfume Lovers!!! I hope 2022 is the most fabulous, scent-filled year of your life!