Prismé Rouge Intense

This is an absolute favorite in my collection and I simply cannot get enough. On its own, its a well made fragrance. It has some striking similarities to BR540 Extrait (I’ve tested them side by side several times). Rouge Intense has some good differences though. The jasmine doesn’t have as much definition and Rouge Intense does lean into that “red fruits” for a bit of its sweetness while still having that cotton-candy airiness of the 540 DNA. I also found that this lasted longer and I went less nose blind to it than my 540 extrait sample. I need to test more, but that surprised me. Upon spraying Rouge Intense and throughout most of its life, the most prominent notes are the Saffron (with the orange blossom and marigold blended behind it), the Wood notes, the red fruits, and sugar. This stuff smells very pleasing, with a richness and seductive nature about it. I personally think this could be worn in every season and any time. I may wear a little less in a confined space like an office or an airplane, but I’ll still wear it. I have found myself definitely going nose blind several times. I’ve found it best to wear it on the midsection, behind the neck, the wrists, and even thighs or knees below clothes. Just avoid the neck or chest area too heavily. It helps to wear some on clothing or hair for longevity. Performance: The longevity is pretty decent. It’s nothing incredible, but I’m satisfied. I get around 4 solid hours out of it before it fades. Then it lasts another 2 or so hours where I’ll catch little whiffs of it. This’ll last longer if I spray on clothes and hair. For projection, the first 2 hours are rather strong, stronger than most. From there it tends to hover and linger within a foot until the later hours. The sillage on this fragrance is incredible and is way above average. I’ve had people who were several feet away stop me to ask me what I was wearing or tell me from the drive through window. It certainly is attention grabbing, but it’s not screaming like the way something like Sauvage Elixir may. Value: At retail price, I can’t say it’s bad. It is hands down, not even close, the best BR540 Extrait inspired fragrance (I’ve tried so many). It’s actually just different enough that I actually prefer this scent profile and for my skin and nose, Rouge Intense lasts longer. Given the super high price of 540 Extrait, the price of Rouge Intense is OK. However, I managed to track this down on a few sales around $100-120 (Walmart.com, eBay, etc...). If you find this around $120 or less, then I think this stuff is a fantastic fragrance, with good to great performance, and a truly wonderful presentation.