Oooh, I love this. The lavender is kept to the minimum. Much more patchouli and tonka. Both are very soft. Very intoxicating. Deep. Even a bit boozy. Sweet, but in a rich and non-cloying way. Strong, lasts well. Very, very, very good.
Denser, deeper, more patchouli-bitter and more grown up than the original Mon Guerlain. You might say the original Mon Guerlain is better balanced, but I love this Intense take on it. It's darker, woodier and, yeah, more intense.
If you want a Mon Guerlain that is the opposite of Intense, choose the EDT - these two sit at the opposite spectrums of Mon Guerlain world, Intense is rich, thick, dark, dense, intoxicating, with very strong base notes. I could see someone who likes delicate perfumes saying Intense is a bit masculine for them (for me it's not, but I get the idea). And EDT is very bright, airy, spring-like with some tangerine and tons of slightly medicinal lavender.
Intense at first - definitely. Big flowers. Rather boozy and darkly tropical, to start. Iris and rose stand out but, more like in the "background" of things.
Base rises and the note combo to me, resembles Tonka bean. I get a resinous, almost incense wave throughout the ending of this fragrance. There is a natural sweetness. Sugary woods. Dark vanilla. I enjoy this version of Mon Guerlain more than the original. It's kicked-up a bit more. More of an evening than day frag. More grown-up.
I get more vanilla later, and, it lasts awhile.