Dior Homme Intense (2007)
by Christian Dior

The original was a heavy-handed piece of confection, but with Intense, Dior have still decided to dumb down something that was pretty stupid to start with. A rather despondent iris and vanilla accord is magnified into something crude, cloying and unfathomable. There are countless fragrances that use vanilla and iris far more creatively that Dior have with Intense.

After all the waiting and anticipation for this one, I was bitterly disappointed.

I still get the 'make-up bag' accord but less so, which I'm still finding hard to get past (but then again I was never a big iris fan). Also, I don’t get much longevity from this (sillage is okay but almost as subtle as the original version) – within an hour, I couldn't detect much on my wrist.

Apart from a woodier drydown, it's not that much different from the original – in other words, it could easily be mistaken for the original version. It's a slight improvement but it still wasn’t good enough for me.

[Original submission date: 22 July 2008]

I absolutely adore this. One of the very few fragrances that practically guarantees I get positive responses from people whenever I wear it. It's incredibly warm and chocolatey, while also having the Iris note from the original. The sillage and longevity are both very, very strong. Couldn't recommend this highly enough, especially for evening wear.

J'adore this fragrance, it is darkly and sweetly pungent, with a strong does of chocolate and cinnamon. Thankfully it avers the kind of Vanillic cliches it might have been laden with. The Iris note remains intact but is subtly moderated into something which develops less and lasts longer than the original Dior Homme. Very seductive and masculine.

Dior Homme Intense is the Gourmand of the series, immediately sweeter than the original Dior Homme. It most certainly gives the most impressive sillage and longevity, and catches more attention than the other Dior Homme fragrances, so is probably best suited for a clubbing fragrance.

When I first spray Intense, I smell warm, almost molten Chocolate. Iris (the soft, powdery floral note that caused so much stir when the original Dior Homme was launched) appears after the initial blast wears away, and transforms the fragrance into a powdered Chocolate scent.diorhommeintense

As the fragrance progresses, I catch a very strong sweet note appearing. This is reminiscent of M7, but it is certainly not Oud. After a little digging around the internet for the notes, I found out that this is caused by Ambrette (also known as Hibiscus seed). Ambrette seeds, if you’ve never smelled them, are used in the place of ingredients like Civet (a secretion from a cats glands), and are slightly musky and animal smelling, but also lightly fruity and sweet.

There is something Leathery and a Smoky Tobacco note in Intense, but it is hidden by much of the sweetness.

One eau de parfum that continues to give me great pleasure is the hard-to-find Dior Homme Intense eau de parfum. I received a bottle at the beginning of November and by Christmas I was trying figure out how to get more of this little treasure. By little I mean the size of the bottle. Though I would like to have seen a larger size of 75 ml instead of the 50ml, I now realize that for all practical purposes a size in this formulation is fine. I sometimes complain too much. [...]Back to the fragrance at hand. Today I went outside after having finished the daily ablutions and I was struck by what I have called the 'SWIRL FACTOR'. This happens when you head outside and the fragrance you are wearing envelopes, I love this word, yes, envelopes you. In the case of the Dior Homme Intense, the heavier iris, a slight trace of mint, and wood rise to my head and I am delirious. Delirious from the sight of all the snow yet to melt and from the this most handsome concoction, I like this word,too. Heavier on the iris, creamier than the edt,and most pleasantly long lasting, I have worn this for two weeks straight since replenishing my supply and I am a happy man.