Intimate

I remember smelling Intimate during my youth, there was plenty of it around, but probably it smelled too mature for me at the time. I discovered it for myself in the early 1990s, and immediately fell in love. There just is no other scent like this anywhere these days. And most likely you would have to buy a vintage bottle on ebay. As of a couple years ago, these bottles weren't hard to find, and I did some stockpiling of my own. There are some more modern versions of Intimate out there which are a complete reformulation, some are similar to vintage, others were a completely different scent. Intimate might have had other similar companions in its heyday (1950s-early 1960s), but as of right now, there is NOTHING like it around. I'm sure nearly everything in this perfume is probably now banned by the perfume industry. This won't smell like anything in the dept. store, or in the small niche perfumers, most of which are pretty much just copying whatever trends are out there. For all the niche stuff I have smelled, a lot of it just didn't smell like anything really all that different. Intimate IS different. You may not like it at all, but it is not like anything else you've smelled unless you've been around a long time or have been buying discontinued stuff on ebay. The H & R Fragrance Guide also calls it a Floral/Animalic Chypre and it's in the same category as Andron, Azuree, Bandit, Batsheba, Cabochard, Chimere, Courant, Cuir de Russie, Cachet, Empreinte, Epris, Fendi, Geminesse, Jolie Madame, La Nuit (PR),Mink & Pearls, Miss Balmain, Miss Dior, Montana, Mystere de Rochas, Occur, Cardin's Paradoxe, Senchal, Parfum Rare by Jacomo, Parure, Scandal, Sikkim, Timeless, Trussardi Donna, Jil Sander's Woman III, and Ysatis. Top Notes: Aldehydes, supported by bergamot, rose, gardenia, coriander - overall impression is aldehydic Middle: Jasmine, modified by orris, patchouli, sandalwood, cedarwood - creating a floral woody heart Base: Amber and Castoreum, modified by civet, oakmoss, and musk. Overall effect of base is warm, sensual, mossy. Intimate is a voluptuous, sexy fragrance, without the cedar chest, tar, smoke, fake sandalwood, or headshop smell which so many bases have. Whatever sweetness you get comes from the jasmine. I don't believe there's any vanillic scent in it. To compare with some of the other fragrances listed above, I'd qualify it by saying that I'm familiar with Azuree, Bandit, Cabochard, Cachet, Chimere, Courant, Cuir de Russie, Empreinte, Josie Madame, Miss Balmain, Miss Dior, Occur, Paradoxe, Parure, Senchal, & Timeless. Cabochard, Cuir de Russie, Jolie Madame, Miss Balmain, Parure, and Bandit all have a pronounced dry character, both in the top and in the middle. Miss Balmain and Jolie Madame I wanted so to love, but ended up deciding I just don't do leather well. Azuree is almost all leather, and I couldn't even wash it off my skin. Miss Dior smells greener and lighter to me, and it's always been one of my faves, that is, in its original concoction. I like many of Timeless' notes, but overall, it is woodier and has quite a bit of vanilla, and I just don't care for it much. It is a very nice scent, though, just not for me. Senchal was a scent my mother loved, although this was long after I grew up, so I had never known the scent. It's a sweeter scent than Intimate, and smells more modern, like 80s scents rather than 50s scents. I like Senchal very much and it has what I'd call a "cousin" in Matchabelli's Chimere, which I love also. Both Chimere and Senchal have more patchouli than Intimate. Courant has a cooler scent, due to the prominent orris note in the middle, and cedar forms a larger part of its base note. I didn't like Occur enough to keep it, so I gave the bottle to my mother. I don't know why I didn't care for it, but perhaps it was just too strong for me. I'm a dark blondish person on the fair side, and some scents just are.. too much. (Bakir is probably the strongest scent I ever wore, but I usually wore it mostly around the Christmas holidays.) Empreinte by Courreges and Paradoxe by Cardin are again fragrances I consider "cousins", although they aren't that similar. Both of these are highly underrated and seem to me to be very high quality fragrances. Don't know what they didn't attract more attention. Empreinte features a prominent peach note in its top, and while it is supported by the greenness of armoise and coriander as an aldehyde and bergamot, it's fruitier than I like. Paradoxe has a lovely "sultry floral" heart featuring jasmine, orris, and rose among others, but has a prominent leather note in its base. I would LOVE to try some Batsheba some day, but haven't gotten around to it. I have a feeling that Polly Bergen's Tortue might have been in this category, based on my own amateurish reactions to wearing it. Ysatis was too fruity for me, Woman III, while attractive, came across too masculine for me, Mystere and Fendi have too much cedar for my taste, and La Nuit too sharp opening up. Parfum Rare is nice; I have a large bottle of it, but I don't wear it that often. My personal faves in the floral-animalic chypre category all are described partly by the H & R Fragrance guide as "warm" in the base. While I have no idea what this means, I look for that feature often, and have discovered that it's not often applied to fragrances. Warmth is a quality which it would seem to be one many women would desire, so I'm always wondering why so few fragrances have anything in them which produces this warmth. Woody, smoky, leathery smells are somewhat cool, and yet they proliferate in the fragrance world.

I obtained a big-big bottle today from ebay - mind you, it`s not Revlon, it`s from Jean Philippe now - and on opening the simple and not-so-fancy-looking lilac colored box this amazing bottle pops out. And the initial thought I get here is `I`ve seen this somewhere already`.. But no. The truth is I`ve seen one or two very similar looking bottles of different sizes in my mum`s beauty cabinet and my granny`s bathroom shelf back in the day when I was a child/teenager. This was the 80s, when my country still belonged to the `Eastern Block` thus Revlon or any other western brands were scarce enough and pricey also by the time they made it to smaller towns therefore a lot of toiletries were made locally or exchanged between the countries, including the Soviet Union - a lot of cologne came from there. So the bottles I`ve seen must have been one of these - quite similar, but not the same; different color cap, white label all the way around the bottom of the bottle. I` pretty much by the time I`ve first discovered these, they were at least 10 or 15 years there.. On opening the bottle and spraying I must confirm: the scent is haunting - also similar as those colognes coming from the USSR! So they must have made a good enough copy! It is a vintage scent alright, in every sense. The opening is an oakmoss blast with aldehydes and bergamot, within cca 10 minutes or so these notes get subdued and make way for the animalic civet, castoreum and amber. You can clearly make out the sandalwood also. I can`t really smell rose as such, the flowers must play a supporting role here. There is a masculine edge to this perfume in the dry-down - possibly because my nose is more used to less woody and animalic offerings..As it fades is starts to smell more and more like lipstick and powder used to in my childhood! Definitely a throwback! My partner says it`s `a horrible granny scent` - so I won`t be wearing it near him. To me because of my reference point it`s always going to be one that my mum and grandma wore, even if it was only a knock-off..Although it isn`t really truly a rich and complex scent, it does last due to the strong notes - it will be a cherished piece in my collection and I will spray it on the odd time. Someone said it before that it`s a scent you have to be dressed up for - totally true. Not for trainers and cardigan, a sexy nightdress if anything.;-)

Oh, bliss. I just acquired a big bottle of vintage EdT Intimate for a few pounds on ebay (I already have a little bottle of parfum). Was nervous of it since it has been used slightly and has no box, but I needn't have worried. It's in perfect condition :)) On the reverse of the label on the bottle, it says, "A fragrance cherished as one of the world's seven great fragrances". Quite a claim! And frankly not one I feel it altogether lives up to, but saying that it is still very, very good of its kind, and that kind is one I adore. Intimate is largely about oakmoss for me. Very well blended, proper oakmoss, quite gentle, but permeating the structure from start to finish. So I would go as far as to say, you really must love a vintage chypre to appreciate this. I see there have been many comments about it being grassy, hay-barn and so on, and I get this completely. To me this is delicious! Yes, the beginning is aldehydic floral, but not overwhelmingly so, and soon gives way to the variety of spices, woods and other basenote-type ingredients that characterise this composition. It's interesting to read that many reviewers have found it sweet. This must be the reformulation, since the vintage stuff is certainly not sweet. Dry, in fact. A little bracing and almost medicinal - but not quite. The sandalwood and amber add warmth, the patchouli makes it a little earthy. As for civet, I find it only a whisper (it's more pronounced in the parfum I think, which also seems richer and smoother, as you would expect). What did surprise me, especially considering the name "Intimate", is that my husband doesn't like it at all. To be fair I think he generally prefers my orientals to my strong vintage chypres so perhaps it's not too astonishing. Still, men's tastes seem to have changed quite a bit if this was once a man-magnet - can't see too many men being attracted by this today! Anyway, if you like this kind of thing and have the chance to grab a cheap vintage bottle I unhesitatingly suggest that you do just that. I don't think you will be disappointed!

To me this is Charlie's stricter uptight mom! I usually stay away from Revlon, for the most part; though sniffing and reviewing this is nice...perhaps I will try Fire and Ice next-that name has always intrigued me! :-) One of my dearest friends wears Charlie (original blue box) almost exclusively. I saw her yesterday, purely by chance. When hugging her warmly I was greeted by the familiar (and stunning on her BTW) scent. Maybe Revlon is not that bad after all, I thought, I must try and review Intimate soon... Similar in its opening to many fifties and sixties scents: herbs, aldehydes and creamy florals with the obligatory citric bergamot. This is cleaner and "sharper" than Charlie and is very much a classic perfume. The woody heart is dry but firm, and the florals balance each other well: sensual jasmine and cool, detached iris create something lovely yet not really sweet or all that warm. The drydown is a warm musky, animalic chypre. It is sexy, and makes you want to get closer, but never really gets "cozy". This smells (to me) like something Faye Dunaway might have worn when portraying Joan Crawford in "Mommie Dearest", or something Corrine (mother in V.C. Andrews epic Dollanger saga "Flowers in the Attic") would wear: lovely, but aloof; classy but severe...not exactly what I define "intimate" as, but then again the fifties were half a century ago and maybe it's just my skin. Even on paper I get the cool, dry serious side of this fragrance and nothing really sexual or all that passionate. C'est la Vie... Sillage: good Longevity: very good Overall: 3.25/5 Classic, classy and (unfortunately) not all that intimate for me. I am sure there are women who can transform this into a magical elixir...I just seem immune to it.

I remember my mother having a bottle of this when I was very little - younger than 7 maybe as young as 5 which would be 1970. She had a little left in the bottle, and I rememeber her telling me it was "special". She told me her Aunt Patsy had given to her.I would snif the cap and the top of the bottle - oh what heaven! Aunt Patsy was my grandmother's sister and a very elegant woman she had never had children but had married well and had been a professional secretary - think "Mad Men". As I said Aunt Patsy was very elegant, she had beautiful silk dresses, gorgeous shoes that matched her hand bags and belts, and hats that matched her coats, and she still wore beautiful gloves. She had wonderful cosmetics and wore fragrances like Chanel 5, and Este Lauder Scents. But that was for special occasions, she was frugal as well. She along with her husband had a business and for everyday she wore cotton dresses and more resonable priced fragrances. Someone had given this to her as a gift because they thought it was as elegant as she was, but she could be a snob at times and this just didn't suit her taste. when something like that would happen, she never returned things and was always gracious. She was also generous, and my mother would benifit. As beautiful, glamorous, and "special" as this was it was also very heavy with the Animalic notes - and those often didn't sit very well on my mother's skin. That was the case with this - she usualy scented her scarfs and slips with this, but stayed off from her skin directly. Not her favorite she would have liked something from Este Lauder more, but this was lovely, back in the day.

I can't even explain why I got a bottle of this, but INTIMATE has taught me what a Chypre Floral actually is. First, the way it wears: a lot of old fashioned musks and aldehydes on the top, the loud/complex/offensive ones found in old perfumes, and yes, in my beloved Chanel No 5 EDC. The top notes burn off and blend with the floral heart, I detect rose, white flowers (LOTV?) mostly, and then the strange note that I am betting money is castoreum creeps in along with the flowers. The effect is interesting and a little off putting, mostly because the note isn't used anymore, so I'm not used to it, and because it's an old bottle, it's probably a natural extract. I like it because it just smells risky. The heart of INTIMATE is really 'perfumey' you know what I mean, it's strong, floral, skanky, and out of style. I went to bed at this point, thinking that this perfume is a great exercise in what perfume used to be, and do. Well when I woke up I sniffed my arm again, and I smelled the base (which is going strong 4 hours later) and was shocked--it's a REAL CHYPRE BASE--this is what they are really talking about! Oakmoss, sandalwood, civet, musk, orris root (or something scratchy and woody like it) the combination is both dirty, rich, and sexy at the same time! I very rarely use the 'sexy' adjective, but the base is really naughty and thrilling, like you had a crazy adventure last night...woot! Anyway I highly recommend this gem if you're interested in this genre of perfume. It lasts 12+ hours--amazing! I am reviewing a bottle of the EDT. I also got a concentrated perfume oil, I may review that too.

Revlon Intimate 60's extrait .5 faceted square bottle, black screw topper, gold "R" on top. At the time Revlon Intimate was released, Revlon had a department store presence. The bottle and box are absolutely gorgeous, not like the later renditions. This is an animalic floral chypre. Its along the lines of Chanel N.5 EDC and Piguet Visa vintage. Revlon has jasmine , rose, civet triumverate but also gardenia and other florals for richness. This is a perfect example on how animalics are to be used in an animalic floral chypre. The castorum is never abrasive and gives off a beautiful leather nuance. The civet makes this warm and cuddly and supports the floral notes giving them depth and richess. The aldehydes, coriander, bergamot and gardenia add lift to an insanely animalic base. Great animalic bases should act smooth as silk, not sharp to the nose and a touch of faint sweetness. I wish modern composers using animalics understood this. I dont think people would be turned off them so much in modern times if they knew how to properly tame these beautiful exotic beasts. Intimate is a femme version of lutens MKK. It would serve as an incredible base for other perfumes that need sexy richness and depth. The opening is reminicent of Balahe edt with the aldehyde coriander civet blast then Intimate descends into florals after rose and gardenia introduce the show. Its a dark floral animalic masterpiece. I can only imagine its grandeur with younger floral notes and citrus at its peak freshness of times gone by. Id venture this is the American answer to Lanvins Mega hit "My Sin"....Sexy.

Looking at the notes, you'd expect this one to be a dirty barnyard -- musk! Civet! Castoreum! But Intimate proves that animalics don't have to be forbidding or an acquired taste. If your impression of "old-fashioned perfume" is the chilly formal elegance of Chanel No. 5, you'll find this completely the opposite, it's strikingly warm and soft and easy to wear. It's very rosy and very sweet and after the initial "perfuminess" of the top notes it gives a strong impression of skin warmed by the sun. Intimate, indeed! Intimate is so soft and pillowy that it really needs the hint of sharpness that civet can give -- otherwise it would collapse into a sweet gooey marshmallow. I'm not saying it smells gourmand, just that it smells pretty and plush and eminently approachable. It smells huggable. Perhaps not surprisingly, my husband LOVES this stuff. As animalic scents and old-school chypres tend to do, it lasts forever on the skin and only gets richer and fuller-smelling as the day goes on. You'll wake up the next morning with a nose full of Intimate -- lucky you! I bought a very old 1/2 oz. manufacturer's sample bottle of this on eBay -- I'm guessing early '60s? I have no idea what the current formula smells like, but I bet it doesn't smell like this!

Yesterday I received my large ( 3.6 oz! ) bottle of the reformulated fragrance. The bottle appears identical to the one featured on this page. It was a rash, blind buy - truthfully based more on these darling vintage Revlon ads than by the fragrance notes. I've never before worn a fragrance with castoreum, and I usually loathe musky scents. What a surprise! It does not come across as sharper than Charlie, as some people have commented here. And neither is it without a heart. To me, the name seems highly appropriate. At least on my skin, this vintage scent starts off sharply, as a close cousin of Avon's Timeless. That is where the similarity ends. Yes, this is most definately animalic, but in an utterly cozy, addictive fashion. Timeless is more about Amber in the drydown. Intimate stays close to the topnotes while still softening beautifully! The amber is there, but blended with an old - fashioned animalic base that just oozes sensuality and femininity. This could be my new winter skin scent. Not at all overpowering on me, it's a slightly sweet and woody musk of the type that says " vintage elegance". It does not need to shout. Five Stars

Intimate is a befitting name for such a sultry and suggestive perfume, a gloriously gentle musky floral, with pronounced elements of Chypre. An array of blooming white florals, namely jasmine, basking in sunny aldehydes greet you upon first spray. These shimmering florals are paired with a delicate creamy warmth through sandalwood and orris. Despite this, a punchy note of oakmoss bolsters through, which is intensely green and archaic - before developing a lustrous base of musk. This scent masters the enticingly dramatic dichotomy of delicate femininity, with primal sexual urges. I’m shocked it’s taken me this long to discover this beauty, but I’m hooked; I definitely need to find myself a bottle.

The vintage pre 90's stuff is one of the best chypres I've ever smelled. This isn't heavy or stuffy, just comforting. It opens with green notes and a green gardenia. After that the florals are very soft..rose, jasmine, iris.. Florals aren't the focus as much the beautiful sandalwood, vetiver, oakmoss and patchouli notes.. all surrounded with a nice animalic accord that gives it roundness and depth. This is clean smelling to me. Like expensive old school soap and powder on warm skin. The muskiness is perfect 👌🏻! It's also sweeter than you would think. The jasmine adds a nice sweetness without being syrupy. I have 50's through the 80's vintage bottles and they're all similar. I just love it.

Oh my goodness! I had all but forgotten about Intimate until I saw it on here! Then the scent came rushing back to me! Oh, how I loved it! I haven't worn it in many years but I am going on a hunt to find it now! It's a wonderful, sexy, fresh scent and I want more : ) It only took about 10 minutes and I ordered a bottle from a seller on Etsy...PSYCHED! I ordered this and was a little nervous how it would smell since it hasn't been made in MANY years. Well, at first i was disappointed because that old perfume smell was there when I first put it on. About 10 minutes later though, the fragrance I so fondly remember came through! I am a happy camper ; )

UPDATE ~ I've been wearing this most of the day and marveling at the sillage and longevity on my skin. Intimate has now lasted a good 6 hours on me, and is only now beginning to fade. Somebody commented that there was a lingering aroma of my fragrance, when they walked into the kitchen. Interesting! I'd been wearing this for about 4 hours at that point, and didn't feel it was at all noticable. It's still there now, and I've had such a challenge finding fragrances that really last, with equally good sillage. I think my chemistry frequently kills the longevity of a scent ~ not so Intimate. What more can you ask from an EDC ?! I'm HAPPY.....

Review of the vintage, teardrop shaped bottle which doesn't spray a mist, but a jet like a hosepipe! I struggle to find words to describe Intimate. Powdery, yes, amber, yes, patchouli, yes, musk civet castoreum yes yes YES. It also has something of a warm chocolatey scent on my skin. When I wear this out I see people, particularly men, literally turn their heads to follow me with their noses. Sniffing it on myself can sometimes make me want some *ahem* alone time so I'm guessing it has a similar effect on others! I love it, but wear with caution ;)

Not much like the original. I read somewhere the other day that Jean Philippe acquired the license to use the name/bottle, etc., but not the actual formula. I'm sad... I'd purchased this in the hope of reliving my favourite perfume that I had as a teen. I wore this in the late 80s, early 90s, when it was in the teardrop shaped bottle, and still made by Revlon. I may have to hunt down a cheap bottle of the original online somewhere. Otherwise, it's OK - smells like an old fashioned cologne. I'm drawn to wearing it in hotter weather more.

I just destroyed a tiny piece of the ozone layer with this pressurized atomizer of Intimate—oopsies! This handsome "diamond-facet" (as mentioned on the box) bottle contains a true blitz of a chypre, announcing itself with a massive report of soaring aldehydes, honeyed honeysuckle, rosy rose and white floral delirium. It soon feels like slowly getting tipsy on a straw bale sipping plum wine. Soon a powdery amber descends and hints of blushing skankiness from civet paw through, in a veil of moss and heady nitro musks. I love it.

I am avid collector of vintage perfume and I really love my animalic mossy chypres. I inherited Revlon Intimate 1950's, 60's and 70's formulations and they all have that sublimely erotic yet understated sexy skank. Intimate surrounds you in a soft pillow of herbaceous animalic warmth. In many ways it reminds me of how Guerlain's Jicky dried down on my skin at the end of a long, hot and humid summer day and I love it.

This review is for the 50's version of the perfume. It is a dark, heavy scent that smells sweet and exotic in the bottle. After awhile the florals subside into more of a chypre smell. It is divine and sensual, very animalistic with just a hint of florals to smooth it out. The effect is narcotic. Probably a better scent for the evening but I love stealing a whiff of it throughout the day. A good dirty girl scent.

Lucky me! I have acquired a Vintage Intimate Essentials gift set. Containing Eau de Toilette spray and Super Moisture Lotion. Both full. 04. As I buy and sell vintage items I’m keen to find out what year it’s actually from but I can’t find any matches online. It smells superb! I may not want to sell it. Can I share pics on here to seek advice? I’m a newbie. Stumbled upon this site trying to find out more info.

My first signature fragrance. Wore it all through high school and loved it until I discovered Royal Secret. I've always loved florals with sandalwood, patchouli, musk, amber, etc. Love orientals. I just don't understand wanting to smell like a piece of fruit.