Cologne Intense by Houbigant
Men 2015
Main accords
Description
Cologne Intense by Houbigant is an aromatic citrus fragrance for men. Launched in 2015, the nose behind this composition is Luca Maffei. The top notes include Paraguay petit grain, Sicilian lemon, Calabrian bergamot and neroli; the heart notes combine tarragon, Indian jasmine, pink pepper and lavender; while the base notes reveal yerba mate and incense.
Show moreQuick summary
When to wear it (votes)
Key notes
-
Top
Paraguay Petitgrain
-
Heart
Tarragon
-
Base
Yerba Mate
Community
258 votes
- Positive 68%
- Negative 25%
- Neutral 7.0%
The olfactory pyramid
A guide to the opening, heart and lasting trail of the fragrance.
The community speaks
Compare the results and tap an answer to add your vote.
In the collection
Leading answer I own it
654 votes
What do you think?
Leading answer Love it
258 votes
Season
Choose severalLeading answer Spring
300 votes
Time of day
Choose severalLeading answer Day
139 votes
Each question has its own vote count. You can choose several seasons.
Fragrance profile
About Cologne Intense
Cologne Intense by Houbigant is an aromatic citrus fragrance for men. Launched in 2015, the nose behind this composition is Luca Maffei. The top notes include Paraguay petit grain, Sicilian lemon, Calabrian bergamot and neroli; the heart notes combine tarragon, Indian jasmine, pink pepper and lavender; while the base notes reveal yerba mate and incense.
Green, herbal and fougère Spices Flowers Woods and mosses
It may remind you of
Ranked by what the community voted.
More from Houbigant
Related editions
More from Luca Maffei
How it wears
Compare the results and tap an answer to add your vote.
Longevity
Leading answer Moderate
138 votes
Sillage
Leading answer Moderate
172 votes
Character
Leading answer Traditionally masculine
87 votes
Value perception
Leading answer Fair price
79 votes
You may also like
Community reviews
6 reviews
Share what you noticed: opening, drydown, sillage and the moments when it works for you.
A retro floral-spicy scent following in the footsteps of Guerlain’s L’instant pour homme (I prefer that one for the cocoa notes; I know yerba mate well, and in my opinion, this Houbigant doesn’t showcase it at its best). It’s a spring-autumn fragrance suitable for daytime wear. It conveys a serious, formal message without much charm, though it is classically elegant. Do not mistake it for an Italian summer cologne, as it is not. The projection and trail are medium-low on my skin. Try it before buying.
What a fantastic fragrance! It takes the base of a classic men’s cologne and elevates it to the highest level of elegance, adding a sophisticated and distinctive touch with yerba mate. Furthermore, its longevity and projection are brutal. Thank you, Houbigant.
What a fantastic fragrance! Basically, it takes the ingredients of a classic men’s cologne, elevates them to the highest level of elegance, and adds a sophisticated, distinctive touch with yerba mate. Furthermore, its longevity and projection are outstanding. Thank you, Houbigant.
It starts as a citrus bomb on the opening. However, be careful: these are not sugary or synthetic citrus notes; they have a sharp acidity that screams realism (Calabria bergamot and Sicilian lemon), clearly indicating that the ingredients are not second-rate. Shortly after, amidst the citrus, green notes emerge from the petitgrain and neroli. In the base, there is a classic touch that lingers, I believe due to the lavender and jasmine, which lend evident elegance, all integrated with what seems to be cardamom. I also detect a spicy edge, perhaps from pepper and dry tones, driven by the yerba mate and Indian incense listed officially. It creates old-school elegant chords, overflowing with Parisian gentlemanly style from the 50s/60s, of the very best. It is like a time machine in the shape of a bottle, which, by the way, is beautiful, elegant, and sober with matte gold and yellow tones and an antique design. It is a mature, gentle, and distinguished scent. Not for very young people. But it has a modern touch in some parts that gives it a brilliance and warmth hard to find, perhaps aided by that oriental point that makes it special. Bravo, Houbigant.
It starts as a citrus bomb, but beware: these are not sugary or synthetic citrus notes. They have a sharp acidity that screams realism (Calabria bergamot and Sicilian lemon) and prove that the house does not use second-rate ingredients. Then green notes emerge from the petitgrain and neroli. In the base, a classic touch with lavender and jasmine lends evident elegance, all integrated with what I believe is cardamom. I also note a spicy edge, perhaps from pepper and dry tones, driven by the yerba mate and Indian incense. It creates old-school chords, overflowing with Parisian gentlemanly style from the 50s/60s, of the very best. It is a time machine in the shape of a bottle, which, by the way, is exquisite, elegant, and sober with its matte gold and yellow tones. It is a mature, gentle, and distinguished scent. Not for very young people. But it has a modern touch that gives it brilliance and warmth, perhaps due to that oriental point that makes it so special. Bravo, Houbigant.
What I love about Cologne Intense is that, being my first cologne in this genre, it lasted on my skin for more than half a day and projected decently. Its explosive opening with citrus, flowers, and herbs is very pleasant, in the line of the classics. However, in the heart, there is a potent sandalwood mixed with something that seems like tea, probably to fix it. Together, they create a smell of dry saliva that becomes more noticeable over time, although the alarm bells ring at first. This rare note ruins the rest and makes it a failure. Rating: 4/10.