Reviews of Scent Intense (2002)
by Costume National

Costume National Scent Intense

Laurent Bruyere designed Costume National Scent Intense in 2002, sadly he passed away at the age of 43 in 2008. Many will likely remember him as the co-designer with Dominique Ropion of Thierry Mugler Alien. I will choose to remember him for his line of perfumes made for Costume National of which Scent Intense is my favorite. When I was early on in my perfume discovery phase I was looking for a different kind of amber. Scent Intense was recommended because it was simple and led to a different kind of amber at the end. That advice was spot on. M. Bruyere uses as his inspiration for the entire Scent line that of hibiscus. Growing up in S. Florida we had many hibiscus growing in our yard and neighborhood. I was dubious that the very delicate sweet scent of these flowers could be captured in a scent. In Scent Intense the top is a smoky tea note with a very delicate floral character to it. The note list identifies it as "jasmine tea" but the usual intense sweetness of jasmine is tamped way down in favor of the tea. It is that supression of the sweet which allows the hibiscus note to float free in the heart of this. This is as I remember hibiscus smelling on a humid morning in my yard. Very delicate and yet unmistakably floral in nature. the tea combines beautifully with this and allows the delicacy of the hibiscus a platform to radiate from and shine. The base is a warm amber which is the appropriate soft landing for this scent. There are some woods off in the distance but the base is really all about the amber, on me. Scent Intense is another of these scented haiku which manage to do with four notes what many other scents fail to do with the kitchen sink.

Costume National's Scent Intense is a mysterious, naughty, dark, haunting, swoon-worthy and surreal brew. It's hard to verbalize but there is definitely a 'something' about this scent.

Scent Intense binds with its rich tea opening and holds one captive for the whole ride. As it evolves a sweet floral accord presents but never dominates, this is not a cloying fragrance. The dry woody amber surfaces and stays to the end. It is rich and resinous but it isn't a screamer; it speaks strongly but does not need to shout. Other reviewers mention the word "dark", I get that association.
So well blended it encapsulates the wearer with an aura of sexy sophistication. That, is what makes this scent unique in my mind and an immediate placing in my top five.
The longevity and sillage are good, what a find!

Hibiscus is listed in the pyramid for Scent Intense (and a few other scents), which I find puzzling, because I've never known hibiscus to have a fragrance. Perhaps it's some obscure variety I've not encountered. Anyhow, Scent Intense does begin with a floral/tea accord, as has been abundantly pointed out here. I do get some jasmine in there, I think. The base is a rich, dry and to my nose, somewhat salty amber. Red is the colour that comes to mind, for some reason. An earlier review mentions "olive tapenade", which I must admit I kind of relate to. When I first sniffed Scent Intense, I kept thinking of rich, tomatoe pasta sauce. That said, there is nothing about this fragrance that can in any way be called "gourmand".

I do find some of reviewers' observations surprising - I do not, for instance, get a hint of vanilla (thankfully) out of Scent Intense, nor would I describe it as particularly musky. I don't quite understand how one reviewer describes it as "uninteresting" yet refers to it as having "fascinating traits" in the next sentence. Most puzzling of all, those comments that Scent Intense wears close to the skin, and has poor longevity. I find quite the opposite.

I get great sillage and longevity from this. In fact, I rarely ever get comments on what I'm wearing but I found that people were sniffing the air around me asking, "oh I smell something." It's good. Slightly vanilla with a slight spice to it with amber. Definitely a unisex. I can't compare it to the normal Scent for intensity difference.

Wonderful stuff. Smells a lot like Michael Kors for men.

Sickeningly sweet hibiscus and jasmine throttling poor amber with all their might.

I've tried desperately to love this frag but cannot, at least not on my own flesh.

I like the amber and am crazy about the tea notes, but they're so obscured by the over-abundance of tropical flowers that it's hardly worth the bother.

Dark? Nay. Cloying? Aye. I'll give this one a thumbs up (believe it or not) just because it IS very cleverly blended and it DOES work so beautifully on others. On Yours Truly, though? I'll pass.

Not much of a progression from the original. It does have a stronger sense of base note so it does wear better in cooler weather. Within the Scent range it's best to choose your favourite as I've found there is no need to own all three. Which Scent are you?

I can understand why this is a cult fragrance. It is unique, rich, sensuous, and provocative. It opens with a deep dark maroon berry note, as though the berries were being simmered on the stove with spices and tea (and to be 100% honest, every time I smell it I'm reminded of the smell of my sister's old Strawberry Shortcake dolls and/or the waxiness of a fine scented candle). But don't let me to lead you astray. Scent Intense is all about amber and woods (and I suppose tea but I can't, as many times as I wear it, pick that note out singularly, and if it were tea I could imagine it wouldn't be jasmine but Darjeeling or something darker and more pungent). On me the only changes I note in a day's wearing are of course a lessening of intensity, and a very smooth and gradual transition of that berry element into amber luxuriousness. This fragrance has weight and texture: it feels like you could literally eat it with a fork and knife, it's so rich and resinous, and that is what I absolutely love about Scent Intense.

I absolutely adore this fragrance. It is so dark and mysterious, but definitely not disturbing. Very sexy unisex frag that always induces naughty intent whenever I wear this or I smell it on my husband. Very incensey, but apparently does not have incense in its notes!! Does wear close to the skin, so good excuse for snuggling.

Rum + sweet ambre. Beautiful, sexy, joyful, spacious, teleporting into another space. Big thumbs up!! It is a little similar to Le Baiser du Dragon by Cartier, but that is much more sweeter vulgar and plain.

"Scent Intense" is to perfume that which Hitchcock's "The Birds" was to 1960's cinema. Dark, confronting and yet morbidly compelling!
Wearing this scent is like wearing a theatrical mask - its initial impact is grotesque and disturbing, but beneath the mask lies something familiar and warm. There is no denying that Costume National fashion attracts a select clientele... as is the case with 'Scent Intense'. It takes a bold person with an underlying sense of devlishness to pull this one off.
Each time I've worn this fragrance, without fail, I have been asked what I was wearing. Ive often wondered if it was because the fragrance was liked, or because it did not conform to the mainstream 'norm' and challenged people's senses. Whatever the case, I rarely revealed the name. This is one best kept for those 'Mauvais Garcons' with a true respect for the dark and the daring! Two thumbs up.

Ahhh. This is what a scent should be: vibrant, passionate, organic, mystical, intense. Very modern and maybe even a little surreal, Scent Intense opens with a seriously dark wood / tea accord exploding into a lighter background of hibiscus, berry, and incense. The sweet and gentle background serves as a foil that only seems to exaggerate the starkness and dryness of the wood and tea power play: The hint of sweetness of the berry and the pinprick of floral spiciness of the hibiscus perfectly counterpoint the dryness of the wood / tea. The incense surrounds all the disparate elements and unites them in an atmosphere of sensuousness and mystery. There is excellent longevity to this deep, dark, and smoky beauty.

I do love this one, although the drydown seems to me slightly disapointing.

First hour with this scent is pure brilliance : Like Daim Blond (S. Lutens) but more toned down and more mysterious.

After that happy-hour, this dries down to a berrish musky type of a fragrance - Very pleasant although it wears very close to the skin.

Artistic, but also quite modest.

A really great scent. Definitely better after dark and definitely unisex, it is warm, sexy, and reeks of class. My ONLY concern is that the heavy amber note makes it smell like a lot of other amber fragrances (it seems to me a lot like Prada and Versace Man), but it is still a great one. Lasts well, too.

A sexy, smoky concoction. I detect amber, most definitely, black tea, some kind of fruit (blackberry?), incense, and a strong wood note (gaiac?) similar to that in 10 Corso Como. (The wood smells aged and weathered, like that in an old church or seaside cottage, and seems to have a story to tell.) I'd assumed this was a cold-weather scent -- and maybe it blooms best in cooler temperatures -- but it's August 1st, and hot, and Scent Intense seems to blend seamlessly with the humid atmosphere. Not recommended for the timid or for lovers of lighthearted floral, oceanic, or sweet/fruity scents, this is a dark diva cloaked in mystery.

I just wrote a very negative review of Mitsouko. As much as I hate that scent I just as much love this one. Very mysterious, elegant and in always lovely. Lovely drydown. I hope I have time to buy it before they discontinue it(which I hope they never do).
benb

An amazing creation, and my new favorite fragrance. Imagine Musc Ravageur with its musk replaced by incense, and this is it. The sleek, sophisticated counterpart to MR's sensual boldness.

Everybody seems to think this scent is dark...I dont aggree...I think it might be a bit mysterious...but it knows that the best place to hide a secret is in braod daylight...

...the scent it's self is such a strange mixture...I get a bit of amber, a bit of smoke, but the two combine to a crescendo of a sickly sweet and spicy and almost fruity blast of in your face attitude...sexy, fresh, and a bit dirty, this scent compliments the cocktail in your hand and the cigarette in between your lips as you lounge in a hot night spot surrounded by danger and beauty...

All I can say is that this is the most perfect fragrance ever created. So very sensual and alluring, so unique. I've never smelt anything like it. It's dark in the sense that it's very ambery and incensey, while slightly fruity, and it's complex and intriguing at the same time. It must contain many more notes than the ones mentioned by Basenotes, since it just feels so much more complex than that. I feel so good when I wear this fragrance but it unfortunately distracts me all the time because I just want to smell it all day long. So wonderful. Words can't even describe it, just go ahead and try it and you'll know what I mean. You won't be disappointed.

The enigma of the dark smoky ambience of amber.

I love amber, and this one delivers in spades! A very dark, rich amber smell nicely complimented by a tea note lurking in the background. Very 'artsy' type fragrance, perfect for going to an exhibit or a club but a little too much for office wear I think.

Scent Intense is VERY similar to Scent. Scent Intense is a little heavier on the woods. It’s a little thicker, and a little richer. I feel this kind of takes away from what makes Scent so great. Scents light and crisp nature is what made it so much fun to wear. This makes it a bit more serious. I like Scent Intense a lot, but I think Scent is a lot more wearable.

The "lower octave" of the Scent trio. This one focuses more on the woody notes. Very intoxicating sexy scent, which is the most unisex of all of the three IMO. YUMSTERS!

Flawless. One of the most original scents in years. Perhaps the strongest sillage in the world, you are actually surrounded by a dark, mysterious and extremely chic aura when wearing this. It's basically a resinous, smoky amber sprinkled with red fruits (raspberry?) and a clearly present black tea note. The combination of these elements create something mindblowing, although it might be too feminine for some guys. Doesn't have much in common with the other versions that seem very pale compared to this. I love most of Ennio Capasa's work and I'm sure he had a large part in the creative process leading to this fantastic fragrance. Just remember to go very gentle on that black trigger...

It has a fascinating unique note I can only describe as olive tapenade. Wild. I love it.

Costume National fragrance is appointed in two versions: the purity of jasmine tea combined with the freshness of hibiscus for Scent, and the mysterious sensuality of amber and woods for Scent Intense. The former is strictly women's perfume whereas the latter is a unisex scent, and quite a hit among men too. I smelled it couple of times and was quite impressed - now it's high on my current wish list. Great stuff.