Guerlain Ideal L’Homme Intense Review – Why You Need it
Ideal L’Homme Intense.
A quality winter fragrance for men.
Guerlain Ideal L’Homme Intense was released in 2018. It is based on spices, vanilla, and smoky accents. It lasts eight hours on the skin, with moderate projection. In this review, I will describe its smell and performance and if it’s worth it.
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Table of Contents
What Does Guerlain Ideal L’Homme Intense Smell Like?
The opening starts with spices sitting atop a leather backbone. Leather will never dominate the fragrance but will be present for the entire wear. Chili Pepper and Cardamom are the most prominent in the beginning.
Chili pepper comes out to play and “slaps you in the face,” it is intense but awakening and intriguing. The cardamom is more subtle and has a degree of sweetness to it. I am unsure if this is from the cardamom note or another note lending the sweetness and not showing itself.
Within a few minutes, the smokiness of the fragrance comes out. It will be the spices second-hand man for the rest of the wear. Over time, the chili pepper note dissipates. The vanilla, vanillic tonka bean, and creamy almond notes become more prominent atop the spicy, smoky leather backbone.
This part of the fragrance gets interesting. Vanilla, being the most prominent, is amplified by tonka bean, which also contributes a slight woody accent. While the almond note is slightly woody and nutty, it still amplifies the vanillic nature.
Into the dry down, the leather backbone is less prominent. Cardamom spice is still prevalent, and smoke accents linger. Vanilla accords lead into the dry down and meet a subtle woody depth. Sandalwood adds a smooth woodiness to vanilla.
The rest of the wear is vanilla, subtle woods, spices, and light smoky/leather accents.
Guerlain Ideal L’Homme Intense notes:
TOP NOTES
- Almond
- Chili Pepper
- Cardamom
MID NOTES
- Leather
- Bulgarian Rose
- Labdanum
BASE NOTES
- Smoke
- Tonka Bean
- Vanilla
- Sandalwood
- Patchouli
Performance
The performance is perfect for wearability. Ideal L’Homme Intense lasts eight hours on the skin with moderate projection. A large portion of the wear pushes out two feet before receding.
This projection is great for all occasions because it is never too strong to overwhelm anyone but also allows your presence to be known. On top of this, it is a quality and unique fragrance that stands out for special occasions like formal events and dates.
As for seasons, the depth and sweetness of notes are limiting. Ideal L’Homme Intense is fall, winter, and early spring wear. The biggest problem I’ve encountered while testing is the cloying sweetness when too much heat is applied. This fragrance needs cool weather to temper it.
If you live in a four-season climate, you’ll get a solid six to seven months of wear out of this. In warmer climates, it is less versatile.
Lastly, the mass appeal and likability are excellent. This goes back to the few reasons mentioned above. The scent profile is very unique. The projection is subtle. There are no decisive notes. This combination makes for a fragrance that can be enjoyed and experienced, not announced and overwhelmed.
Guerlain ideal L’Homme Intense Clones
There aren’t any similar fragrances outside the line. But there are a few flankers that share the same DNA. Guerlain Ideal L’Homme EDP is the most similar, and the flanker before this was released.
It has similar smoky, leather, and woody accents with a prominent vanilla note. However, the EDP version has a dominant cherry note that lends a heavy dose of sweetness. When choosing between these fragrances, the one difference is, do you want heavy spices? (Intense version) or heavy sweetness? (EDP version).
The original EDT also shares the DNA, but there are more differences. The original has brighter, fresh citrus and aromatic accords.
Final Words
On the official Guerlain website, a 100mL bottle is $145. This is an excellent price point. If you look at the pros and cons section on fragrantica, this fragrance is voted as niche quality. I couldn’t agree more. Almost all Guerlain fragrances are outstanding designer fragrances but this one in particular.
The final burning question is, is Guerlain Ideal Intense L’Homme worth it? Yes, this is an outstanding fragrance for colder weather that impresses and stands out. With this fragrance and Guerlain Homme EDP, you could cover the entire year for $290 and never have to worry about a synthetic fragrance again.
Ideal L’Homme Intense is an excellent cologne and a great winter scent. Yet, don’t just limit yourself to Ideal L’Homme Intense. Check out the best winter colognes for men. All are primed to cut through the cold air; you might just find your signature scent.