Guerlain Homme Intense

For me, Guerlain Homme edp Intense is a love story. A few years back, when I was 14, my tant gave me a bottle of DKNY Red Delicious for Men along with some samples, including this beauty... It was love at first sight and I wanted to buy it so badly but it was far too expensive at that time (98€/80ml; Belgium). Two years later, I found a great bargain in Spain for the edt version and blind bought it (46€/80ml; Spain). I wouldn’t say that it was a mistake as I really enjoyed the juice but it wasn’t anything close to what I loved about the edp... When I graduated from high school at the age of 17, my mother took me to the perfume shop and told me that I could choose what I wanted, I obviously went straight to the Guerlain counter. She bought me the big bottle at that horrifying price. The SA looked confused as she thought that was a gift for someone older. I was so happy to finally have it !! Guerlain Homme edp Intense obviously became my signature scent. I was so drunk in love with my bottle. :) Everybody says it smells beautifully good... If you have never smelled it yet, think about the elegant young men in its early 30ies in a suit leaving a bold and beautiful trail in the metro every morning... That’s how I picture it and how I feel every time I wear it : bold and alluring (yes). Now let’s talk about something disappointing : I swear it was reformulated, I swear ! I don’t know if it has anything to do with the new box/bottle and the price drop but I would bet my whole perfume collection that it is the case, unfortunately... I had 3 "old" bottle : the ones with the carbon plate glued on the front of the bottle in the cute zebra-like inside box. THAT was the perfect juice with good lasting power (8h+) and great sillage (not a bomb but noticeable). (98€/80ml; Belgium) But now I’m on my second "new" bootle : no carbon plate, just a dark glass bottle in a simple black inside box. The scent lasts 6h and projects poorly, it’s hardly noticeable. (78€/80ml; Belgium) I did the test and took my "new" bottle to the perfume shop and compared it on my skin along with the tester which was of the "old" bottle. There’s no comparison, the SA was shocked as well... I tried to buy the tester but that was a big NO ahah. :-p Well, let’s say all good things come to an end... I still "enjoy" wearing it but that’s not the same magic anymore. But I have to admit I’m delighted when someone tells me I smell delicious with this, I feel like in a very special relationship with it ahah The other day at University I was told "What’s great when sitting next to you is that you always smell good !" and in this case I was wearing Guerlain Homme edp Intense. :) Colour: GREEN and LIGHT PINK

Well, some mixed reviews here. Here is my take... I have sampled both the normal and intense version. I ended up buying the intense. For me the normal EDT was nice but the lime in it kept reminding me of washed out pine+lime disinfectant. Not good. So back to EDP review... This is much deeper and stronger version of the EDT, smells classy and does not have the 'disinfectant tinge' to it. First spray a refined fresh minty blast, underpinned by lime and boozy accord which will develop into its own later on... After the first couple of minutes the mint subdues but remains constant, this enables the vibrant and energizing greeness aspect of the fragrance to come through... This 'greenness' in order of prominence is a mixture of mint, lime, geranium. Sometimes I catch traces of floral but this note is elusive, this is what sets Guerlain apart from the rest - subtle but superbly balanced. Continuing with the journey the remainder of the fragrance is dry woody and mint with a dark (spiced) rum accord. The final drydown is a dry/powdery woody dark rum, with a touch of mint lingering. The surprise kick at the end is a sweet 'jam quality' rhubarb but this sticks to the skin so have to have your nose buried in your skin detect this one :) The rhubarb drydown note is more detectable in hot humid weather, simply breathe on where you sprayed and sniff, you will know what I mean! I apply 3 sprays which is more than enough, apart from the initial hour this scent stays within your personal space so people need to be standing next to you to smell it especially after 2-3 hours of spraying. Only downside is fresh mint fades quickly which is too be expected, this is a classy an inoffensive fragrance best worn anywhere really. This scent is very 'manly' so 'girls' will like it :) Best worn in the spring and summer especially in the evenings at outdoor events or bar (3-4 sprays). Versatile enough to be used all year though. I use it during the day and at work (go easy on the trigger max. 2 sprays in the office). A solid masculine fragrance 8/10

Anyone want a 99.9% full bottle of LIDG, because I never wear it and vastly prefer GHI in every way. This stuff makes LIDG redundant in my collection. No, this is not an old-school Guerlain and I for one am glad it's not! Talk of "prestige" and snobbishness aside, GHI is a seriously masculine, solid stand-alone fragrance regardless of the name on the bottle. A rose by any other name... This smells niche from the first spray. However think of this as a niche people-pleaser, definitely not an overly creative artsy fragrance that appeals to few people. With that said, GHI never smells synthetic, cloying or demanding of your attention yet remains ever present throughout it's several interesting stages of development. I'm not going to go into the notes again as many others have already done so, but I will say that I definitely get a dark rummy tropical drink vibe from this layered over beautiful woods and slightly sweet vetiver. I also get a splash of LIDG's powder in this, especially in the first couple hours but in a smoother, more toned down way. This all leads into one of the best dry downs out there, this is where GHI really shines! Is it a heritage Guerlain? Heck no! Am I glad it's not? Heck yes! People-pleasers like this make the foundation of a good collection, and a fragrance is designed first and foremost to SMELL GOOD and make people happy... and GHI does so with flying colors. This is destined to be a future classic. MY RATING: Scent 3.5/4 Longevity 1.5/2 Projection 1.5/2 Versatility 2/2 8.5/10

Peering into the shelves of the perfumeries, the homme line of guerlain I have always ignored, always being at the bottom. I first read guerlain homme edt, a beautiful fresh linear, that tastes like mint, lime with a vetiver and patchouli base, beautiful and interesting, but something is missing besides the longevity. I then discover that there is an intense version and I immediately think of an exclusively more long-lived and persistent version but it is not so, the addition of flowers, rhubarb, rum I have totally changed, it has completed to make it become a rounder perfume, he perfected and enriched it. If I think of a classy man in a suit and tie, I imagine him with this perfume, of immense class. Opens a lot of lime green mint and crispy rabbarbaro, sweet heart with a hint of rum slightly talcum flowers and very classic bottom a nice dry vetiver, almost generic opening but don't be fooled. All the smells and nuances you can imagine with the highest quality you know, it's a perfume for connoisseurs, the most distracted noses can consider it as a simple cool but it's not like that. The real experts will know how to catch the nuances. The green, the sweet, the herbaceous, the flowery makes it a fresh and elegant, never banal and attractive fragrance for classy men. Very versatile but not suitable for kids. I recommend you take the old versions, the new one has all the notes flattened. Although being edp, it doesn't behave like such, but it knows how to defend. Rating: 9

This was a nice surprise for me. I wasn't planning to buy it, but I got it as part of a "bundle" with another fragrance. I figured I could just sell it if I wasn't crazy about it. However, I'm keeping it. GHI is intoxicating. The balance of notes is sublime. It's a very soft and approachable aroma, right from the initial spray. The patchouli/vetiver/cedar blend is seamless. Then the mint and rum with a touch of geranium layered over that fits very naturally. I think the mint is what really makes it all work so well, creating a fresh/clean essence without the need for citrus. I haven't had the opportunity to sample Guerlain Homme yet, but if it's less intense than this it must be very light. I wouldn't mind GHI cranked up about 25% more. However, I have a feeling that in the warmer months it will project more. Curiously... I've found this similar to Prada Amber Pour Homme Intense. There's something to the composition that shares a similar accord. GHI is a bit softer with that mint/rum accord, though. I have 100ml bottles of both and if I had to choose, it would be GHI. So overall this is a terrific and versatile all-season fragrance. Any fragrances with this kind of green/floral/wood/vetiver combination often has a synthetic quality. GHI smells completely natural to me. And the bottle is exquisite, something you'll be proud to display on your bureau. Bravo, Guerlain! 9.1/10