Idôle L'Intense

I dismissed Idôle ever since it came out because of the 'generic' word being all over the place. Well.. Rose and Jasmine do seem like they were done to death :D But.. Today I got to try both versions and this is anything but generic to me. It doesn't remind me of any of my 300 perfumes or the 10 times more other perfumes I tested. This is a Beautiful Cheerful Floral with a background of fruit. Fits any age group in my opinion. It's not light or fleeting or childish, it's just happy! Lancome's excellent quality is there, I can't fully attest on the longevity but it has a rich oily texture, usually this means it will last a while. Both versions are Rose and Jasmine, with a back drop of fruit that I cannot fully discern without the notes but it is fresh and just right sweet and a touch of Musk that gives off a slight soapiness, but the difference is: Idôle, to my nose is more of a Rose - Lancome's Icon and they do it better than most in my opinion, but it's nothing like Nina, Narciso or Tresor In Love. Idôle L'Intense, to my nose has Jasmine Sambac in the front, the variety that grows in small bushes and looks like a mini lollipop, I adore it and first time to come across it, so obvious, in a perfume. Patchouli, Vanilla, Woods are way in the back. For that reason, I prefer L'Intense but I would totally recommend trying both, as they are both good quality, well done perfumes that are not 'generic' to me.

This is a transparent older rose on a woody stem. The fruits peek out and impart a sweetness and gentle cheerfulness. If the jasmine is there, I am too distracted by the rose to notice it, on this my second wear. I am not a fan of transparent florals. To me they tend to read as thin and hollow and missing a whole lot of something. This transparency reminds me more of the colossal rose vines that grew over a wood deck in my childhood home. Sitting on the deck, you could smell the wood of the deck heated by Texas sun and the roses carried on the wind. The transparency is not thin, but just environmental, atmospheric. It's quite nice. I am also not really a fan of roses. I like roses, but I feel weird in roses. They don't seem to be very me. I wouldn't mind wearing more rose fragrances, if i just didn't feel so awkward in them. Again, the transparency of this rose gives me a lot of room. I am not necessarily INSIDE the fragrance... instead it hovers near, imparting it's loveliness. I really really like this, but don't love it. I am currently looking for something that can withstand Texas summers. This probably isn't it. **EDIT** 4/25/22 After wearing other florals for a few days, I came back to this. I absolutely can smell the jasmine now. It is like a jasmine-ish juice singing some gospel back up to the rose. I can't believe it eluded me the first few wears. This has moved from a like to a love.

I upgraded this from a Like to a Love, even though I probably won't purchase L'Intense in full-bottle form once I run through my travel sprayer, which is about halfway depleted. Idôle L'Intense reminds me more of a less brambly Perles de Lalique or a less camphorous-medicinal Elizabeth + James Nirvana Rose. It's more office wearable than either, by some order of magnitude, although it should be sprayed in moderation. This smells like it could give a susceptible person a headache, and I wouldn't be surprised if it contains Iso E super. It's also a teensy bit like one of fhe Estee Lauder Luxury Line offerings, the name of which I cannot be bothered to look up even though I have a travel vial of it in my desk drawer. At any rate, Idôle L'Intense is a dark, jammy, Middle Eastern-inflected rose on a dark woody base. The comparison to Chanel Paris-Paris is apt, although I'd say this is ever so slightly rosier, with a more chocolatey patchouli reminiscent of La Nuit Trésor à la Folie or Mohra Silky Rose. Recommended if you don't already have most of the aforementioned roses in your collection. I think it is a better bargain than the Chanel for sure, but I read somewhere that L'Intense is discontinued. Figures, since it's much more interesting than most of the other Idôle flankers and is more distinctive than Idôle.

I got Idôle L’Intense along with a few other Lancome samples (Idôle Aura and LVEB Flowers of Happiness) and while the other two didn’t impress me at first, I fell for L’Intense hook, line and sinker. If the OG Idôle is sparkly and bubbly, this one is deep and warm - thanks to the woodiness - and they are different enough for me to justify owning both. The rose in here is full bodied, with rich red velvet petals. The jasmine and citruses are simply whispers in the background while the rose takes centrestage. For some reason that I can’t explain, it reminded me of weddings back home (home is Assam, India) where everyone drapes silk and there’s flowers everywhere and incense burning - although there’s zero incense in here. I think it is the cedar that reminds me of my favourite Narcisso Rodriguez EDT in the black cube. They are both woody roses but if the NR EDT is all crisp and modern, this one leans more traditional. It is elegant and classy. Very lush. Interestingly, the moment my husband smelled this, he said “This reminds me of weddings”. Neither of us have been able to figure out what it is about this perfume that we both associate with weddings!

This should have been the pillar fragrance instead of Idôle, and Idôle should have been the Florale or L'Eau version. L'Intense is a more vibrant fragrance, has more character and is a better fit for the "strong woman" marketing Lancôme did for Idôle. There are some similarities between both, but L'Intense is not only stronger, but also more exciting. The opening goes into the direction of modern chypres, it has nothing to do with classic/vintage chypres though. Not that I would have wanted that anyways, just wanted to mention it. I smell roses and jasmine, clean patch and also some pear from the original. The texture is juicy and almost syrupy, but the sweetness is on a medium level and nicely contrasted by the sharp floral notes. There is an underlying vanilla warmth, but it never takes over the fragrance, not even far into the drydown. It makes the flowers smell a little honeyed. Some other plus points: The fragrance does the "Intense" title justice and gives me beautiful wafts from just a test spray on my arm, and the slim rose gold/bronze bottle looks gorgeous. I'm very positively surprised. Idôle was okay, but this is wonderful.

Hey ladies, I say buy this now, it smells so good!!! I already have the OG and Nectar versions of the Idôle line, but I personally don't want to stop. I love the beautiful Rose of the Idôle line, it makes me feel like a “Goddess” when I wear it. So I went on to blind buy Idôle Intense, and believe me, it doesn't disappoint! Still a fragrant Rose scent, but stronger and thicker. Rose mixed with Wood flavor, so Idôle Intense is very mature and sexy. This scent is suitable for autumn and winter, but it is still usable on summer evenings and air-conditioned environments. Its fragrance is very luxurious, long lasting. In my opinion, Intense is the mature version, the strongest Rose scent. OMG, it's amazing that Lancôme has released such a magical Idôle fragrance! Honestly, I like Intense and Idôle OG best, they are also the best versions of the Idôle line in my opinion. When I wear Idôle Intense, I imagine this is a Earthy Pink Rose, like Koco Loko Rose. Intense is the perfect fragrance for date nights and epic wine parties, on normal days she's a powerful lady. Rating: 100+/10. I will always be a loyal follower of the Idôle

I love the original, I really do, but when I had to re-buy I put the trigger on this Intense version. It’s just absolutely gorgeous, verging on a perfect fit for me. I always, always look for modern chypre style perfumes. Even though I loved my 80ies chypres I don’t feel them anymore and they are too animalic, I don’t crave them. Yet I was never into the excessively patchouli laden ”new chypre”. But this! It reminds me a bit of Mancera Roses Jasmin which I absolutely adore. It also has a quiet kinship to Andy Tauer’s Une Rose Chypree and to discontinued Chloe Intense. Like Roses Jasmin it has, obviously, roses and jasmin. They both are traditionally ”perfumey” meaning they last a long time, they engulf the wearer. But Idôle L'Intense is also a bit dainty, a bit fruity-floral sweet, but with all the woods and high quality ingredients this one is a true stunner. The woods are perfectly blended, the floral notes are gorgeous and the mandarin and bitter orange - a bit vetiver like- in the opening are mouth watering. 5 stars.

I just got this, and i love it! Perfect for any occasion. Just beautiful! I smelled the OG but ended up getting aura instead bc i really liked the salt note. I still love aura (it layers very nicely with other vanilla scents) but i really love this one. Yea, i could see how this could smell like a fancy shampoo. But i still really like it🤷♀️ I guess im a simple person. I think i do enjoy soapy shampoo scents. Someone said below it smells like dove soap, yes, i think they are 100% on that, and i never realized until now how much i love the scent of dove! Where this smells woody, aura smells more tangy and brighter. I like both for different reasons. This is a safe blind buy or valentine gift. I dont think the performance is great, but i still really like it. Update: i asked my son what he thought of this and without hesitation he said “yea smells like dove soap” i was astounded!

I wasn't a huge fan of the original Idole, but really like the Intense version! I am 38F and something in this gives me the vibes of perfume from the late 80's when perfume was NOT sickly sweet and fruity. Anyhow, this is floral and could be a signature or year-round fragrance for someone who doesn't have dozens of fragrances, ha. It's not a bright, pretty floral, but a heavier, loud, sexy floral if you that makes sense. It has great sillage and longevity - you won't over-spray more than once! Lancome was my first high-end brand I started using in high school and went on to work for them in my 20s. I haven't cared for a fragrance they've released in 20 years or more (aside from the Maison Lancome line) so it is fun to have one in the rotation again. Check it out even if you did not care for the original Idole. (Oh, and the bottle is so cool:)

It's all about the subjective experience when it comes to our senses, and Lancome Idôle L'Intense is without a doubt one of the most beautiful perfumes in my big collection. The roses and the jasmins in this one are strong and intoxicating, but the juicy and zesty orange notes make the scent just a little sparkly as well. The musk, the woody notes, the vanilla, cashmere woods, acácia and patchouli make it sexy and sensual as hell to me. What an amazing creation. A confident womans fragrance for sure - or if not confident to begin with, Idôle L'Intense surely can help you become more confident. I praise this one to the sky and beyond because, in my opinion, it deserves it. I am considering decluttering some other rose perfumes from my collection because this IS the Rose & Jasmine Queen in my opinion. Nothing else I have comes close to this.

This perfume is my travelling companion. Meaning, if I have a busy day jumping on the underground and a million trains, this keeps me feeling sedated and in my own world. Funny story, I actually chased a woman in the supermarket just to find out what she was wearing. When she said it was Idole (the most recent one) I was surprised but also I made her day, so that was cute. I DO like this scent but I also like layering it. On its own it can be very woodland nymph meets Echo (the greek mythical creature), so yes it can be cloying but almost too playful at the same time. That said, I always turn the heads of men (which are not my only thing) when I wear it. They never say anything but I can always see what they smell in their eyes.

I love the original Idôle and honestly didn't know how Lancôme could improve upon it. Plus I really don't get on with patchouli so ordered a tester of Idôle L'Intense to try prior to committing to a full bottle. Well it opens with a blast of rose and orange. From that first waft of beauty, I am hooked. The bitter orange is an excellent foil to the mandarin stopping it becoming too sweet. It's a big, fragrant rose with a realistic orange juice vibe. After about an hour it settles in to a delicious soapy floral sandalwood with a citrus tang. I don't get the patchouli at ALL, for which I am forever grateful. L'Intense has much more character than Idôle. I can see me wearing Idôle during the day and L'Intense at night.

This scent is heavenly. I have been a chypre girly through and through, and this has got to be my favorite scent. It has a citrusy opening with a delicate dry down of cashmere wood, patchouli, and sandalwood—my go-to base notes. It's hard to find a unique composition with beast mode longevity like this and recently I'm already running low on my 5th bottle. Upon checking, lancome just sells 50 mLs. Does anyone know if they are slowly discontinuing this flanker? This one is my favorite in their idole line and I feel like they're slowly getting rid of their stocks by only selling the 50 mLs. Also, if it is true that they're discontinuing, someone please recommend me a similar scent. Response are greatly appreciated

This is really nice and surprising that I enjoy it. I’m not huge on rose scents, but this is done nicely. I tried every one of the flankers and OG and this is by far the best imo. This and the nectar are similar in ways but this is somewhat easier to smell if that makes sense. It starts off very citrusy and then becomes a sweet easy going light floral sort of sour scent(not in a bad way). It has the traditional Lancôme scent quality to it and you can smell that in it. This would be an easy every day type of scent. It can be bold but it’s more of an easy throw on. Definitely compliments and performance is great! Definitely worth it to at least give it a sniff when you walk by.

completely obsessed with this! it starts off smelling like the inside of a perfume shop in the 00s. it was a connotation so nostalgic i was barely able to concentrate on the notes - when i was, i was baffled. the bitter orange and mandarin orange in the opening make this such a juicy delicious fragrance without being cloyingly sweet - just the perfect amount of sweetness! the orange notes stick for a good while and then the florals mix with the musk for a sensational drydown. this fragrance gets better as it sits (i almost prefer it most after 9h, it turns into a very warm and woody skin scent). the rose didn’t come through on my skin.

I absolutely love this perfume, I didn ́t think I would love it this much, I normally like to explore, but this one is an absolute staple for me. I have quite a few people around me, who didn ́t like it on themselves and yet they compliment me, asking what my perfume is. I did like the original Idole but it was more a cheaper perfume I ́d grab in a drugstore when I fogot to bring ma normal one. Intense has much more luxurious feel, it is sweet and elegant. It stays on forever, most of my coats smell like Idole and I ́m not complainig. It is definitely a winter/fall frangrance I don ́t see myself wearing it during summer.

This is so lovely, beautiful and very unique. Sometimes unique can come off as weird and often times challenging to wear. To me this feels rich and elegant. Not as sweet as the original. Blended beautifully. The top notes are fresh and the rose and jasmine are lovely but the dry down...Ohhhhhh the dry down!! Sighhhh!!!! It’s the best!!! This reminds me of what a gorgeous cashmere scarf would smell like if cashmere had a scent. Beautiful day and night and in any weather. This has everything I love. I will be buying back up bottles to cherish. Lancome!! Whyyyyy!!!! Bring her back!!

A couple of months ago I visited Douglas, and out of curiosity I sprayed Idole L'Intense on a ribbon. I put it into my pocket and forgot about it. Some days later I found the ribbon and immediately ordered a bottle of that scent. It's beautiful when it settles down on my skin. And for some reason, to my nose, it's a soft mix of La Nuit EDP + Hypnose. I absolutely adore it, but I understand it might not be for everyone. Try it before you buy it - it must match your skin's chemistry. If people start asking what you're wearing, you know it's well-matched scent for you.

I finally bought a 25ml. I own no others and it’s a departure from my norm. Clean, crisp and almost starched yet never soapy, with a nicely brisk finish that feels like opening the house up in winter and greeting that cool fresh air before settling back to warmth as you close the windows and doors. The impression of a freshly pressed shirt. Dewy rose petals on a polished wooden table in the library. Refined, elegant, lightly sweet and oddly energy inducing. One I wear casually when I need to get things done and still feel my best grown up self.

Soapy and sweet, like a more refined Si. I'm having a wonderful time smelling this on myself from a sample right now, but I'm not sure I would go out and buy a full bottle just yet, as it's not exactly my kind of vibe. I don't agree that it's similar to NR Fleur Musc and for Her EDP, as I have those other two and I enjoy them far less (their rose comes off a bit too sour for my liking). Overall it's interesting and a bit different to the popular offerings nowadays. I'm intrigued, but just not enough to buy a bottle myself.