Apparently it's somewhat of a thing in Italy for perfumes to smell like soap. "Signorina, I am so a-clean, I washed myself with soap, smell me!", that's how I imagine it. D&G Pour Homme is like that and Intenso is like that. Forget all this talk about it being herbal and what not, it smells just like soap or some other hygiene product - someone said baby powder and it's not wrong either. Naturally, soap will imitate flowers, herbs, whatever, but will still smell like soap, and this fragrance smells like soap trying to imitate herbs and flowers, not like herbs or flowers themselves. You want herbs, go try Dior Aqua Fahrenheit.
Now, I HATE Pour Homme, because it has a very pronounced and sharp tobacco component completely spoiling the scent. In this, the tobacco is not that strong, though still too much for my taste.
What I like about Intenso is its soft, velvety feel, though at the same time it’s also sharp and piercing in a way typical of summer citrus scents. It does smell like citrus in the opening.
I’m not sure if the bottle colors fit, they may convey something of an opposite character, like woody sweet. The scent is quite dark, but there's not enough tobacco to justify all the browns. The shape, however, matches a hygiene product.
Initially I marked Intenso as a strong like, but coming back to it in the winter I’m not that impressed anymore. It can be perceived as insipid, heavy, and a bit suffocating. It’s best suited for people who like tobacco AND herbal scents AND soapy scents.
3-4/5
7-8/10
You are right ! And even the name "Intenso" is misleading. When I first saw this bottle, I thought it would be a heavy tobacco / Oud / Incense scent, until I read more about it and your review makes it even more clear now. Thank you ! (◕‿◕)
Oh and I am looking forward for your Oud fragrances reviews !