Olympéa Intense by Rabanne

I only know this through Bagues clones and I adore it. It is incredibly sweet, ambered, and addictive. I understand it’s not for everyone and can be cloying, but if you like sweet, powerful scents with a trail, this is for you. I see it as a special occasion, evening fragrance. What a pity they’ve discontinued it 💔

I usually delete my reviews when I put too much heart into them; I try to be objective as they are expensive products. But oh, there are few perfumes that give me a heady, almost drug-like effect; I feel them in my head and make me happy without even thinking about the scent, is there some secret chemistry? Olympea Intense did the same to me, even with its Chinese replica. I searched and managed to find this discontinued 2016 version; with fear I sprayed it and although the scent was different from what I remembered (I knew it as a clone), the moment it settled and projected, I knew I had hit the mark. Without a doubt, the Olympea line must be known; Intense is the gourmand flanker alongside Legend, sadly discontinued. It is sweet, an Olympea with its mineral purity obscured, mixing with a liquid amber caramel and very vanilla-heavy. On skin it is a raw sweetness, intense vanilla 🤷🏻♀️; I understand some may find it unisex, ‘muscular’ and talc-heavy, but it adheres well to the pH and on the trail it smells more sophisticated and noble. On its sweetest side it is almost a Pure XS, but without the popcorn note. Very winterly, not as fresh as the traditional, it can be cloying if you don’t adore it, I don’t recommend it on the neck, this flanker does project. It is like the brother of Legend in intensity. I recommend testing before as it is a perfumon, a bomb, ‘a beast’. It doesn’t leave you indifferent, I don’t know if to use it daily like the traditional one 😅, I love it but wow! Even in its intensity I feel a subtle fruity base note, like the plum of Legend but not alcoholic and very hidden, it reminds me of the fruit in Belle, that fruit becomes soapy, passing from a powerful sweet to something very sexy in my opinion.

I love Paco Rabanne perfumes, I have had the luck to find this discontinued gem. It has the DNA of its brother Olympea Classic, but here it comes with more intensity, more creaminess, more power and even more personality. It has a wonderful duration and an impactful projection, it is undoubtedly a very sensual, addictive, nocturnal and noticeable perfume. You need a lot of personality to wear it, perfumon! Elegant too, all those notes have created a perfume that defines my personality, different and striking. Very intense, unisex to my olfactory point. 10, 10 and 10.

It is the middle ground between Olympea and Olympea Legend. Olympea Intense reaches that ambered quality, super vanilla-heavy and almost honeyed sweet of Olympea Legend, but adding the floral points that Olympea Traditional offers us. If Olympea is white and Olympea Legend is black, Olympea Intense would be a slightly darker grey, as it is sweet like the solo but without being as cloying as Legend. Describing it a bit more: it is super ambered, vanilla-heavy, you can feel that little saltiness, which together with that neroli potentiates that sweetness and creaminess. The pepper adds a tiny fresh touch but it is very subtle. In the end you can feel a bit of the wood it declares, but in this perfume amber and vanilla definitely predominate.

I tried it and fell in love at first sight. I felt some dark fruits, I don’t know if plums or red fruits, with amber, salt and vanilla. It is stronger than Olympea and I like it. Likewise, I feel it can get tiring.

It is the autumn-winter version of the classic Olympea: darker, more intense, and ambered, though it retains that sweet and salty touch of its older sister. Ideal for cold days and nights; when I wear it, I receive many compliments.

I reviewed it in July, with winter in Buenos Aires. I used it sparingly because it is very intense. Now, with summer, it evolves quickly: it abandons the beautiful opening for an accentuated intensity of cedar and ambergris, losing warmth and increasing the pepper. Something similar happened with Twilly Poudré; heat does not suit them well. In the cold, they maintain body and evolve slowly. It is a strong resinous extract, floral-free, unisex, and long-lasting. In summer, perhaps a few drops combined with sweet florals like Luna (D&G) for tenderness, or with Revé (Van Cleef) for a touch of peach or pear. It is super concentrated, has a good price, and is often on promotion. Will it be discontinued?

I doubt it has only three notes, but I have loved it. By god, years without remembering that precious Olympea scent that conquers. It starts sweet, almost cloying or nauseating, but then changes to a sweet type of whipped cream or milky, like Boum Candyland, probably due to the tart grape from Intense, with Tonka vanilla sweeter than the classic. Finally, that hyper-sexual trail characteristic: ambergris and salt that recalls the warmth of the beach. I also detect coriander, a bouquet that reminds me of Floral Shock, a sweet apricot, plums, and a powdery touch of chocolate. It is oriental, with sweet woods. I want it in the collection <3.

It is one of my favourites; I have been wearing it for years and never get tired of it. It is exquisite, sweet, vanilla, and ambered with a very special salty touch. It is intense, has presence, and leaves a trail. The longevity is very good on skin and clothes (it has lasted up to six hours on skin and several days on clothes). For me, it is the autumn-winter version of the classic Olympea, although as it is not extremely sweet, it also goes well in spring and summer (on days that are not very hot). As it is intense and has that particular salty aroma, it is not for everyone. I love it and it is a staple. Edit: I don’t know if they reformulated it, but the last one I bought leaves much to be desired in longevity and intensity. It does not have the same strength and lasts at most four hours. A disappointment.

I have been testing it for a month and I love it. It is sweet and intense, but with the salt note very marked. Nevertheless, it feels like a rich ambered vanilla. Very sweet but nothing childish. I recommend testing it first, because the salt note can be too strident. I love it, especially for the cold; it is one of those sweets that wraps you around. Recommended only if you are into sweet and intense perfumes.

It is an exquisite fragrance, but only the name is. I have the classic and the legendary… I insist: only the name. I expected more punch, but it wasn’t like that 😔. In Argentina there is a brand that makes dupes and the ‘Lovely’ has more persistence than this version.

As I love the original Olympea so much, I wanted to try the Intense. I liked it, but it hasn’t dethroned it. It is super sweet, woody, ambered, dark and heavy. On the opening it smells very of orange blossom, but on the dry-down it is less floral than the original. It’s like a jar of Olympea jam left open and having lost some notes, leaving it saltier and sweeter. It is linear, except for the first half-hour with lots of orange blossom. It has presence, high sillage and lasts 8-9 hours. It is intense, not suitable for diabetics, nocturnal, winter and occasional because it becomes monotonous. I liked it, but the original has more personality. Smell 7/10, Longevity 9/10, Sillage 10/10, Value for money 7/10, Versatility 5/10, Packaging 8/10. Would I buy it again? Probably not.

I own it and think it’s excellent. It has powerful projection and longevity. It’s not for the timid; both men and women have complimented me wearing it. No surprise, it’s strong and noticeable from a distance. It’s definitely one of my favourites. Very sweet and salty, with a strong amber presence. It’s the flanker I like the most. It reminds me of sea sand; although I see it as an autumn-winter scent, I’ll try it on the beach reading by the sea, as it smells of hot sand. It’s a wonder! Alongside Ultraviolet (already discontinued), they are my favourite Paco Rabanne scents. The price hurts the wallet, but given the performance, it’s worth it.

I have mixed feelings. I read so many glowing reviews that I decided to try it. The opening was very invasive, aggressive, strong and ‘mature’ (it reminded me of ladies over 50). It’s probably the salt note. It has tremendous projection and hours of longevity; as it evolves, the aggression disappears and dries down to amber and vanilla, which I love. It’s a creamy, delicious vanilla close to the skin. I prefer the final phase and will wear it occasionally, but I suggest spraying it carefully: it’s extremely potent and the opening notes can be harsh.

I don’t like it at all. I tried it and even got a bit dizzy. I find it extremely wintery and don’t associate it with young girls. It seems very heavy, with lots of vanilla, dark and sweet. Sometimes I don’t understand people: do they like it for the scent or because it lasts all day? It’s not rich for me, but it has good projection and excellent longevity.