Gentlemen Only Intense

#1034 in my "Tour de Fragrance" My experience with Givenchy goes back many years and has been "mixed." I began with Givenchy "Gentleman" in '76, a Christmas gift from my wife that I used, but didn't appreciate any more than the Pierre Cardin my sister gave me the Christmas before. I wouldn't own another Givenchy fragrance until Givenchy "Play" EDT came along in 2008.Didn't like the weak potency. Was slightly happier with "Play Intense." Probably wore it for 8 months then forget I even had it in a box I didn't open for years after moving. Next up was "Pi" which I loved, but also wanted better potency. So I was thrilled for Pi "Extreme", pissed when it became unavailable (turns out Burberry's "Hero" line is almost a clone). I bought the "Gentleman" EDP, Gentleman "Boisee" EDP and Gentleman "Reserve Privee" EDP for the first time two years ago (just realized I haven't reviewed either for some reason). The Gentleman EDP is barely acceptable potency. I still have it but have barely worn it. Boiseeis really, really EDT weak, and the Reserve Privee's overbearing chestnut note turned me away and I donated those bottles. So I decided, "no more Givenchy blind buys", and this is a decant from Fragrancesline. First, I love the incense and birch here. Many leather scents are similar but without those notes. Similar to CH Man, Burberry Hero EDP. Second, solid performance for an EDT, with good blending overall. Very pleased with that. Nothing here to offend anyone, so car pool, elevator and small office safe in reasonable amounts. Good date scent too. I enjoy it enough that I'm in for a bottle, something I rarely say about any EDT.

I was looking for a winter perfume which will replace my Armani Code for this year , searching for that dark tobacco-ish scent that keeps me in the classy mysterious mood as I always prefer to smell like during the colder months , and here it is , this is exactly what got the job done for me . For my nose it feels like a mix of Hugo Boss Night + Buberry Rythem + Spicebomb all together in one bottle , .. birch leaf .. unburnt tobacco .. spices .. , man it's just about everything I like in a cologne . It has got many layers and it keeps developing within the few hours of its life time . No big sillage , but you will smell ur self and everybody passes by u will enjoy smelling u for about 4 to 6 hours if not a little but more . It is sweet yes , but in a very delicate manner that u won't get headache or suffer a sweet tooth issues. The best part is after 30 minutes .. oh that is a real mega senses-pleasure and it will hang there for the next 2 hours just being as smoky and chocolaty as a niche gourmand perfumes behave . No burnt fruit or resin touch for me , no rubbery synthetic blah blah .. I just keep on getting ambery trails following me and adding classiness to my world . Goes great with smokers , it does not cover the ciggy ashy smell on my fingers , but it does melt into my skin and changes all the harsh odores into something vanillish .. cacoa-ish .. brilliant .. pure maltish ! Compliments ? Every sense in my nerve system is complimenting me for this outstanding smell .. so far .. I am loving it .. and so does my ego . Have a good day .

Wow this smells great. I have the original Gentlemen Only and I like it, but this is honestly much, much better. It's spicier, heavier, and more masculine. Smelling this makes the original seem like it's missing something. It has the signature sweet smell from the Gentlemen Only line, but the leather and spices here bring out the full potential of this DNA. To me, this is like an old school masculine fragrance with a modern touch (the sweetness) perfectly integrated into it. Longevity isn't too bad, probably around 5 hours. Sillage is actually pretty good for me, I get random whiffs of it throughout the day. Overall 9/10 EDIT: After more wearings, the longevity isn't as good as I stated above. I'm really only getting around 3 hours and then it's gone. It's such a shame, because the scent itself I'd give 10/10, but the longevity is below average. I'll have to bring a decant with me to re-apply when I wear this out. New Overall: 8/10

Some people say they don't know where Givenchy was going with Gentlemen Only Intense, that it's slightly off and doesn't have a clear direction. But then there's me. Yes, I am a woman and I wear this myself. This fragrance for me has gone from liking to strong loving, it has really grown on me. It has exactly the right amout of leather and incense, without it being too "aggressive" (by this I mean that these notes do not dominate the freshness of it); this is not your average leather fragrance. It's probably the best of them, and if you're looking for freshness with subtle smokiness, this is your pick. Gentlemen Only Intense is beautifully blended because it still manages to stay bright, with a little bit of attitude. I will continue to wear this and am looking forward to buying a back-up bottle. Highly recommended!

This is a fragrance that shows designers can be just as creative as niche. We need to stop separating the two. The only difference is designers always want to be a smell that others would enjoy. GOI is a beautiful, woodsy, slightly leathery, amber fragrance. It does not smell as polished as some of the other Gentleman or Gentlemen Only fragrances. This smells darker than any of the others. The only fragrance this reminds me of is John Varvatos Platinum. It’s a specific type of scent that is hard to describe without you smelling it. It is highly unique and I beg to differ with anyone who claims this is generic. Of course due to it being discontinued it is getting to the point of it being marked up. I’d say grab it while you can, and I feel this is a safe blind buy if you like ambers and leathers.