Classique Intense

After testing a lot of magnificent, uber-expensive (and sometimes pretentious) scents at Pitti Fragranze I felt the need to visit a regular fragrance shop to relax a bit: I just wanted to try some new launches I almost forgot about and, honestly, I wasn't expecting to find anything interesting. Wrong! This new flanker of the iconic Jean Paul Gaultier Classique is definitely a swooning-worth fragrance to me: a gourmand floral with a deliciously exotic twist that’s so, so far from the usual beachy/suntan scents and quite different from anything I tested recently in the same category. Way more scrumptious and sultrier than I expected (given Classique is a nice fragrance but nothing I would rave about now), Intense is an irresistible concoction of creamy florals, succulent fruits and nectarous vanilla that provides a soothing and relaxed feeling: just imagine to sit on a smooth silky sofa on a lazy summer afternoon, picking sugared ripe fruits from a large cup while a tropical breeze enters through window’s curtains, and the smell of the tiare-vanilla body butter you’ve just applied melts with that of your skin. Intense feels like a hymn to life’s pleasures, an invite to enjoy beautiful moments with the surrounding of someone we love, perhaps Mr. Kurkdjian’s homage to femininity... either way, I am seriously in love with it! Top notes make the most beautifully done and unique part of Intense: upon spraying I am instantly captured by a semi-sweet fruity blast that feels both bright and warm like a freshly made marmalade prepared in a sunny garden, and its melting with the buttery, smooth tiare produces an aroma more belonging to a bakery than to a fragrance. Oh my, such an opening may be worth the purchase by itself for someone who craves sweet exotic florals! (I am sure this Edp would make a perfect substitute for sunbeams on a rainy gloomy day in winter, it made me smile when I first tested it). This heavenly blend doesn’t morphs into something totally different in the middle phase, where the sparkling and joyous vibe displayed in the top notes progressively makes room for a relaxed and sensuous creaminess with the entering of orange blossom and the supporting jasmine. I would like to point out that, at least to me, the rendition of orange blossom in Intense shows very few similarities with that of Classique: while I couldn’t detect any fruity juiciness in the original version, where orange blossom was quite heady and powdery in a typical Nineties way, the floral arrangement in the heart of Intense flanker seems to convey a luscious and moist aura around the wearer, resulting in a very natural texture (my skin seems to amplify the fruity aspects by the way, and I am surprised to get hints of banana-tropical dessert in the heart). A more evident link to Classique can be easily found in the white floral and vanilla main accord that shows mostly in the drydown, although vanilla in Intense feels much foodier, almost milkshake-y at times, with the softest touch of patchouli to keep the composition grounded until it fades into an inviting, very delicate but tenacious vanilla-fruity skin scent. Longevity and sillage are both very good, I would say Intense is about in the same range of Classique Edp flanker in these respects. Although I am well aware there’s nothing terribly unique here, I would rate Intense as one of the most pleasant scents I have encountered lately: rich, soothing, sexy and well balanced in yumminess and elegance, this Edp brings to my mind the image of a woman who is passionate and loves to indulge in pleasures and life's good things, being smart enough not to get overwhelmed by them. She may look like a sweet temptress, but she's not a doll at all. (And did I say I love it?)

Classique Intense was long forgotten in my perfume cabinet because when I first spray it, it reminds me of Elie Saab In White and Marly Safanad, two perfumes that always induce headache and nausea for me. recently I decided to give it another chance and I was suprised to see how much I like it! I still don't like the opening. it's powdery but not in a good way and I get why it reminds some people of bug sprayer. but after a few minutes, it settles down to something beautiful. vanilla,orange flower and jasmine. these are among my most beloved perfume notes and Classique Intense is all about vanilla, orange flower and jasmine.I can't pickup fruity notes,not much patchouli either. after the first couple of minutes, the jasmine gets pretty strong on me and it's such a gorgeous jasmine. it reminds me the jasmine in Alien Essence Absolute(another favorite of mine) but in a brighter,more fresh background. I love sweet, creamy vanilla florals,I have a lot of perfumes in this genre and Classique Intense is one the nicer vanilla florals I have and it was deep buried in a dark shelf for years. shame on my impatient nose who judged it for it's opening. it's a great choice for autumn and cool spring nights(cool but not too cold weather) whenever I wear this, I feel it stays close to my skin and the sillage is soft to moderate but tonight my husband commented on my perfume as soon as he entered the room.I was at least three meters away and I had sprayed just twice half an hour before he came. so the projection must be more than my nose can recognize. Edit: Classique Intense is very very similar to Ted Lapidus white Soul Gold(the golden bottle). they're almost dupes. I tested them side by side today and they're so close, it's not easy to say which is which but if you pay enough attention, you can see the floral notes are stronger in TL White Soul Gold while the vanilla is stronger in JPG Classique Intense. White Soul Gold is creamier and doesn't have the powdery bug spray thing Classique Intense has. شروع این عطر من رو یاد الی ساب این وایت و مارلی سافاند میندازه که هردو واسم سردرد و تهوع آورن، اما بعد چند ثانیه عالی میشه. ترکیبی از وانیل، یاس و شکوفه پرتقال. یه رایحه وانیلی گلی گرم و شیرین و خامه ای. یاسش بنظر من خیلی قشنگه و یکم یادآور یاس تو الین اسنس ابسولو هست اما تو یه بک گراند روشنتر و کمی فرش تر. بنظرم انتخاب خوبیه واسه پاییز و شبهای خنک بهاری(کلا واسه آب و هوای خنک مناسبتره نه خیلی سرد و نه گرم). من همیشه فک میکردم پخش بوی چندانی نداره اما نیم ساعت بعد از زدنش درحالیکه فقط دو پاف زده بودم همسرم از فاصله بیشتر از سه متری متوجهش شد و گفت بوی عطرت خیلی قویه. درنتیجه احتمالا از اون عطرهاست که آدم خودش متوجه نمیشه چقد قوی هستن. ژان پل گوتیه کلاسیک اینتنس شباهت خیلی خیلی زیادی به تد لپیدوس وایت سول گلد داره درحدیکه انگار کپی اونه. تفاوتشون خیلی جزییه، گلها تو وایت سول گلد قویترن اما تو کلاسیک اینتنس وانیل قویتره اما درکل انقد شبیهن که میشه اشتباه گرفتشون

OMG OMG OMG! I didn't know what to expect with this. A blind buy. I loooove the EDP (even tho it's not my thing), and the EDT is nice. I found a tester for sale of this, and grabbed it! DEEEEEEEELICIOUS! Nothing related to Classique that is for sure. (Classique EDT/EDP is very soapy/powder with vanilla/floral/spice) This straight up smells like orange Pixie Stix powder candy! YUMMMMMY!!!!! It just came today, and this was a very impatient test on a tissue. I can't wait to wear it proper!! I also have the Essence coming. WAHOOOO!! I do think I'll want more of this Intense. Sweet candy/gourmands are my crack! Happy dance! The flowers and a bit of powder are creeping in now. Giving it less of an edible candy smell. At first this smelled like the Orange Sherbert of Dior Poison Girl EDT. In fact, I think Poison Girl fans would like this. Very diff than JPG Classique/90s scents. My further sniffings... this is candy sweet but not straight up candy. I get orange. Maybe it's the pomegranate and orange blossom? It reminded me of Armani Code a bit for the orange-spice. It's a bit powdery and creamy, but this is def a very sweet candy-like perfume. I love it, but I'm not sure how MUCH I love it. I will see how I like Essence, and how much it's like Intense. And if they are really similar, I won't go nuts buying back ups of Intense.... lol.... Nothing soapy here.... nothing like French makeup powder.... no relation to Classique EDT/EDP in my opinion. I get zero patchouli, which is fine by me. This does feel "solar" actually... it's thick and creamy but still sparkling and bright. It's def vivacious! :) I also just got Olympea Intense by Paco Rabanne, and they smell very very similar. Olympea has that slight airy salt note, which sets them apart. My initial tissue test (2 spray) from 24 overs ago is still going strong! (The tissue is at my work desk) I am still getting a rather linear powdery orange candy- but it's VERY pleasing, and def reminds me of Poison Girl EDT- but better sillage and potency by far! I can smell my desk area from 1-3 feet. Yeah... Scented Monkey has these new 100ml testers for $35 and I bought 2 more (my first was from SM too). What is wrong with me???? lol.... I didn't even wait to see how the Essence compares (since I have a 100ml of that coming too). I'm just afraid this would get discontinued or SM would sell out and I'd never find them for $35 again. 2-3 days later, this tissue test is such a soft lovely spicy orange blossom. What a winner this perfume is!

I wish I had kept all the empty bottles of Classique. It was my signature for many years since it was released. I have worn at least 15 bottles. I have had many flankers of it during the years but this Classique Intense I love the most. It’s not so similar with the og which the name makes you think. It’s made of two separate units: 40% of the fragrance is the original creation, and 60% are new, added components. However, the original is not totally same formula anymore (I was lucky to find great vintage ones) which it used to be so I don’t know about these figures. For me this is completely the different scent with some of the same notes in it. Classique Intense is very mellow and seductive, it’s classy and solar. It radiates the warmth and light around you. White florals are mostly hidden under the thick honeyed golden base of Vanilla and Patchouli. The base is surprisingly different from what you might think of the notes. This is sweet but not sugary and Vanilla is not obvious edible either. I don’t think this at all as a gourmand despite of creamy and fruity Tiare Flower and Pomegranate in the opening. The scent feels somewhat oriental take on white florals and all the notes are blended perfectly together. Like the og this may cause headache because of its intoxicating intensity. Edit: If you love Classique Intense and don't want to pay crazy ebay prices, you should try Elie Saab Le Parfum (it's edp). It's made by Francis Kurkdjian as well (2011) and it's smelling quite similar intensive white florals with solar feeling and honey like sweetness. Flowers are a bit more heady first and there is not Vanilla so JPG feels somewhat more balanced in the beginning. JPG maintains an intense slightly more complex aroma while Le Parfum turns into more subtle and delicate one. It unfolds into an incredibly well balanced scent which feels fluffy and velvety soft. They are not like identical twins but siblings with a lot of same dna. There is not so much differences in the dry down. Elie Saab Le Parfum you can still find and in a very good price and look at that bottle! It’s so cute! My bottle is from 2016 and I haven't tried the most new formulas but since there is not that kind of IFRA regulated ingredients I assume that it hasn't changed so much. Thank you for reading, I hope my review was helpful. I would appreciate a lot if you want to follow me on IG and/or YouTube (English subtitles): @ninamariahperfumes It gives me a lot of motivation to write more. 🤗

In 2014, Jean Paul Gaultier decided to ask for help to one of his largest contributors, when it comes to fragrances: Francis Kurkdjian. Responsible for lots of successes for the House, in a partnership that began in 1995, with the creation of the powerful Le Male, it fell to him to renew the appreciated scent of Classique (1993), which became a symbol of the ideal of femininity in the 90’s, in addition to receiving, in about 20 years, almost 40 different versions. On the bottle, now in Gold, the famous corset which was immortalized in Madonna's body, during the Blond Ambition Tour, in 1990. In fact, many people do not know, but when the original fragrance was released, its name was only Jean Paul Gaultier Eau de Parfum. And, for this reason, many people dubbed it of "Madonna", as if it was the official name of the perfume. Quickly, it won an EDT version and was named Classique. In this version, the perfumer sought inspiration in the original creation, guaranteeing that 40% of the fragrance was maintained, receiving 60% of modernity. It has notes of Pomegranate and Tiare flower (Tahitian gardenia), in the head; Jasmine, orange blossom and roses, in the heart; Patchouli and vanilla, in the base. It is inside of the floral-oriental category, but on the skin worked as a floral-gourmand. From the moment it touches the skin, it is intense in its fullness. In fact, to call a Gaultier perfume as "Intense" is incredibly redundant. In this case, it seems to me that it is more a marketing choice than a name chosen on purpose. The pomegranate gives a glimmer of red fruits, which blends with the floral creaminess of gardenia. The bright side of the fragrance lasts for hours and is the result of the orange blossom. After about 30 minutes, the jasmine appears with clarity, but the note that performs a real show is the vanilla, because it is noticeable since the beginning, even though strategically placed in the base of the fragrance. It is liqueur and sweet in the right proportion. Along with the note of patchouli, exudes nuances reminiscent of caramel, but is not cloying. During the tests, it has projected absurdly, even with only one spray on each wrist. On my skin, it lasted for about 10 hours. Women compare it with Elie Saab Intense, Alien, Euphoria, etc. What I can say is that this is the kind of perfume that men love to feel in a woman. It's sexy, it's addictive and it's not nauseating.