Gentlemen Only Intense by Givenchy

Delicious and subtle! I am sure it is among the top three in the ‘Gentleman’ line. Infallible, what a pity they have discontinued it; if you can get hold of it, buy it without hesitation. It blends the classic with modern trends to be mysterious and versatile. The violets, sandalwood, incense, and pepper create a rich perfume, especially when it evolves. A personal scent that conquers and is very well liked, perfect for casual evening dates. Masculine, intense, and very sensual.

Sometimes one is too quick to review and over time perception changes. One realises that perfume needs time and perhaps one is not such a good critic, but I will try to amend it. During this confinement period I continued working and contacting people daily, so I adopted this fragrance as a protective shield (remembering that Spartacus quote about Boucheron Jaipur). It was the people in my daily life who changed my opinion. Many said: “you smell of pure elegance” or “like the classic Gentleman 1974” (people who know much more than me, but I admit I did not agree). I re-analysed the perfume: the longevity is much greater than I thought; perhaps the use of the mask or olfactory fatigue made me give a bad opinion at first. The trail and projection are excellent; those with their radar switched on detect everything (despite the masks). The versatility did not change much; perhaps a sober environment and an age between 40 and 60 is ideal. I do not recommend buying it blindly. If they keep the price, I am going for a second bottle. Reclassified: Scent: 8.5, Trail: 8, Longevity: 8, Versatility: 6.5.

They say making mistakes is human and I am very human. I bought it online at a good price, almost blindly; I tried it years ago and didn’t have a bad memory. Alcohol opening, sparkling, with a spicy touch and almost no citrus. Tonka bean is felt from the start, mixed with black pepper and something green. The best comes at the dry-down, but everything is soft: spices, faint leather, synthetic violet that’s barely sweet, and incense and vetiver almost invisible. That phase lasts at most an hour and a half, and I’m talking about 8 to 10 uses with a minimum of 8 sprays. They tell me I smell old, like a retirement home, negative compliments, but I don’t dislike it. I seem formal, nothing original, for those days when I need to impress as a ‘mature gentleman’. It doesn’t last, not on clothes, not projecting; mediocre aroma for me. It’s not a reformulated batch (12/14), someone might like it, but it wasn’t for me. I disagree with other forum members on longevity and quality, but as I always say: try it yourselves. Scent: 7, Sillage: 5, Longevity: 5, Versatility: 5.

I wanted to buy it, but they have told me in a department store that they have discontinued it, at least in Spain. Another good perfume that disappears. For me, the best of the Gentlemen.

Exquisite 9/10

Gentlemen Only Intense is a gem: upon application, the first thing you notice is that acidic orange blend with a hint of pepper. Then, that opening fades and gives way to the leather, which becomes the star, accompanied by cedar and a present but not dominant patchouli. The heart lasts a long time on my skin, although its Achilles’ heel is the trail; it should be more potent as the name suggests, but it’s perceived well if you’re close. After hours of leather duration, the next day barely reveals the soft arrival of tonka bean and sandalwood. A characterful fragrance.

Very heavy and gives a headache; my girlfriend tried it and said it smells awful.

A great homage to the 1974 Gentleman if it weren’t for its poor longevity and projection. The scent is what saves it. The ‘Intense’ comes from the dark reformulated notes, with a fresh base. It’s not the tonka bean that’s the star, but the leather. The opening is strident: an almost imperceptible citrus gives way to intense birch. Then, the spices take control: spicy, elegant and modern, balanced with fresh leather and classic patchouli. At the end, the tonka bean sweetens alongside the amber and the spices remain clear, wrapped in a measured incense. It’s youthful, semi-formal and versatile for dinners or work, but falls short for nights in pubs. What a shame, it would be one of the best.

It’s a… strange perfume. Smells good, fresh at first, then leather, but don’t take it too literally. Longevity is superior to a minimum of 12 hours. Projection is medium to high, you feel it when you’re close, it leaves a trail but doesn’t last long after application. To buy it, it’s mandatory to try it on yourself and wear it for at least 3-4 hours to see how it evolves, as it’s very particular and may not suit everyone.

Gentlemen Only Intense has a truly exquisite opening. I noticed it as soft, fresh, mysterious and sensual. I immediately thought my surroundings would love it, but it wasn’t so. I was pleasantly surprised by the opening, perhaps because I didn’t expect much. Fortunately, the incense practically shines by its absence in all phases, at least on my skin. There’s something familiar with a perfume from the house I like: Play Intense. It must be due to the handling of two common notes: patchouli and tonka bean. Unfortunately, this promising opening evolves badly in two ways: scent and longevity. On my skin it takes slight bitter tones and the freshness of the opening becomes opaque. It’s as if the perfume stops in its evolution and withers. Not to mention the longevity: at half an hour it curls up to the skin, at an hour and a half it’s very faint and at two hours it has practically evaporated.

Gentlemen Only Intense has an exquisite opening. I found it soft, fresh, mysterious and sensual. I immediately thought my circle would love it, but it wasn’t so. I was pleasantly surprised at first, perhaps because I didn’t expect much. Fortunately, the incense practically doesn’t appear on my skin. There’s something familiar with another perfume from the house I like: Play Intense. It must be due to the handling of two notes: patchouli and tonka bean. Unfortunately, this promising opening stalls on two fronts: the scent and the fixation. On my skin, the smell takes on slight bitter tones and loses its initial bright freshness. It’s as if the perfume stops and withers. And let’s talk about fixation: at half an hour it clings to the skin, at an hour and a half it’s very faint and at two hours it has practically disappeared.

Opening completely of green mandarin, very fresh and perfumed, you feel a slight prick of pepper. It’s a sweet, citrusy, fresh and very masculine fragrance, with that base of tonka bean and amber that give it a very sexual touch. A perfume ‘for gentlemen only’.

Truth be told, it smells better than I expected, but it still isn’t a great perfume. A very warm, woody, ambered pachouli dominates; on my skin the mandarin is non-existent, as is the leather, and I barely detect anything of incense in the background. They could have more of this note and the perfume would improve immensely. It’s the typical office scent that doesn’t bother anyone because its sillage is negligible and its longevity very poor. It’s much better than the original, but it still fails to surprise or please me.

Pachouli, leather, birch and a citrus touch; smells like an improved version of the original Gentleman, more modern. It opens sweet like the Gentleman Only edition, but the dry-down is the best: rich pachouli with leather, even recalling Coco Mademoiselle at some stage. I see it for the office, although its sillage is average and lasts about 4-5 hours. It’s versatile and timeless, a good fragrance that doesn’t quite captivate me.