Platinum

I first tried Platinum in the discovery set, and it was one of the few I kept reaching for over and over... to the point where buying a full bottle wasn’t even a question. I’ve already put a serious dent in it too... which is saying something, considering you can’t even see the juice level. I literally had to scratch a small line into the back of the bottle just to keep track. Anyways... on to my review: I think a lot of people will immediately compare this to Ultra Male, which I get... but I honestly don’t think that comparison fully does it justice. While it is in that same general lane, this comes across as a much more refined and wearable take on that style. Right off the top, I get a really nice juicy pineapple. Not candy-like, not syrupy... more like actual pineapple juice. It sits on top of a really smooth blend of lavender and bergamot that gives the whole opening this soft, almost “rounded” feel. With Ultra Male, it's a synthetic pear note that sometimes smells good and sometimes I cant stand and wish they had just used pineapple instead. Thats where Intelligent made the right choice here. There’s also this slightly sharp, fresh spicy edge throughout it that I think is coming from caraway and a touch of mint even though those notes aren't listed. It's a natural herbal mint, not minty in a fresh toothpaste way at all... and it's just enough to give it lift and keep it from feeling flat or overly sweet. The citrus is there too, but it’s not bright or aggressive like in your typical citrus freshies. It comes across more like a soft mandarin orange, kind of blended into everything rather than sitting on top. No harshness, no bite... just smooth and controlled. There for sure is a noticeable sweetness, but it never goes gourmand. Rarely do I like sweet men's fragrances, but the way it's balanced in Platinum is surprisingly enjoyable to me. The lavender and sage do a really good job of keeping things in that aromatic / fresh spicy territory, instead of letting it drift into that heavy, syrupy sweetness that a lot of frags in this style can fall into. I’ve see the notes mention cinnamon, and I know Ultra Male lists cinnamon, but I don’t really get it in a traditional sense. If anything, it feels like it’s working behind the scenes with the amber to create this warm, slightly cozy feeling. Everything in the mid and base just feels very blended and cohesive, nothing is jumping out or poking at you. And that’s honestly one of the biggest strengths of this fragrance. It’s smooth... Really smooth. If I dig my nose in during the first hour, I occasionally get this interesting little nuance that almost comes across like a slightly medicinal cherry note. It’s subtle, but it adds character and actually makes it a bit addictive. Now going back to the Ultra Male comparison... I get the similarity in the overall idea, but the dry-down is where Platinum really separates itself for me. Ultra Male, especially in the drydown, comes across sharp, synthetic, and a bit annoying. It has that loud, almost cloying sweetness that can get tiring pretty quickly and is why I never really wear my Ultra Male. Platinum takes that general concept and completely cleans it up - making it a banger. It’s softer, more natural smelling, way more inviting, and just easier to wear overall. It doesn’t feel like it’s trying to punch you in the face. It just sits nicely, smells great, and pulls people in. This is definitely one that will get you noticed when you go out and is a SOLID choice for the club or other social events. Performance for me has been solid too. Good projection up front for the first 2 hours or so and then it settles into a 3-4ft scent bubble that sticks around without ever becoming overwhelming like Ultra Male does. I’ve seen a lot of comparisons being made, but I think that’s more a reflection of how familiar this style is rather than a knock on the fragrance itself. What stands out to me is how cleanly it’s executed. Everything feels intentional, smooth, and well-balanced from start to finish. There aren’t any weird transitions or harsh phases... it just smells good the entire time you’re wearing it. And tbh, that’s harder to pull off than people give it credit for. For me, this is one of those fragrances that just works. Easy to wear, smells great, gets good reactions, and doesn’t have any of the probs that Ultra Male has. Definitely full-bottle worthy. 9.2/10

Think of ultramale with pineapple, its a bit brighter with the mandarin. Good option if your looking for something in the same vain. Stronger projection of my skin than ultramale aswell.

It's such an obvious dupe of Ultra Male with a pineapple top that it makes me wonder why it's not being hailed as such. Slightly better than Zara's Gourmand Leather, only less sweet and more fruity. Solid performance too. Unfortunately that pineapple accord doesn't stick around for more than 5 minutes. And if you already have UM or something just like it, this is hella redundant.

Opens up with a blast of juicy pineapple and dries down into a warm and aromatic pleasant scent. Safe for daily wear, year-round, and great for formal events and nights out.

Used my discovery set voucher to buy this and regret not going with Iron or Neon. The discovery set sample of Platinum had an incredible pineapple note bursting up front that quickly faded away. My bottled version doesn't even have that. It's just some kind of weird cinnamon dominant ultramale style mess that doesn't develop or particularly smell good. The lavender and citrus notes are completely absent. Setting aside the bottle for now and hope it improves over time. Haven't smelled Extreme but my 67 EDP smokes this in terms of wearability and enjoyability. So does Ultramale and the popular clones like Lion and 9PM. And why does this command a $20 premium over others in the line? Woof.