Gentlemen Only Intense by Givenchy

For me, the queen of the Gentlemen Only collection. The Absolute felt basic and synthetic to me, but this one is pure delight: violet, amber, woods, tonka bean, and a subtle leather note. Warm and delicate at the same time, perfect for the office or evening dinners. A refined masculine scent that doesn’t cross into that excessive leather territory typical of others. I feel like it’s already been discontinued in Mexico, but if you can find it at a good price, it’s a smart buy.

Soft, amber, and spiced aroma, typical of ONLY, but captivating with a sweet base. Very pleasant, not very projecting but noticeable. Ideal for the office or air-conditioned places. If I had to define it in two words: elegant and seductive. The leather, birch, and coriander give body to the pepper spices and that elusive, sweet, ambered feeling of tonka bean. Upon inhaling, that salty, slightly woody leather note comes back. Works great for romantic encounters or semi-formal events. It’s the fragrance of choice for business, a heartbreaker who knows what they want. Above all, for the hours that lasting sweet, amber, and spiced base captivates. Soft as exquisite second skin. If you’re looking for something discreet, spiced, and seductive, it’s a great option.

They say making mistakes is human, and I’m very human. I bought it online at a good price, almost blindly; I tested it years ago and didn’t have a bad memory. The opening is alcoholic, sparkling, with a spicy touch and almost no citrus. You get tonka bean right from the start, mixed with black pepper and something green. The best comes in the dry-down, but everything is soft: spices, faint leather, a synthetic violet that’s barely sweet, and the incense and vetiver are nearly invisible. That phase lasts at most an hour and a half, and I’m talking about 8 to 10 wears with a minimum of 8 sprays. People tell me I smell old, like a retirement home, which is a backhanded compliment, but I don’t dislike it. I seem formal, not original, for those days when I need to impress as a ‘mature gentleman’. It doesn’t last, not on clothes or projection; mediocre aroma for me. It’s not a reformulated batch (12/14), maybe someone will like it, but it wasn’t for me. I disagree with other forum members about longevity and quality, but as I always say: try it yourselves. Scent: 7, Sillage: 5, Longevity: 5, Versatility: 5.

Excellent fragrance, the best without a doubt…

I found it at a good price, they let me try it at the perfumery where I’m a customer and get a good discount, and as they say, it was love at first sniff. I love the sparkling opening notes with citrus tones and a sweetness that isn’t overwhelming or cloying. I see it for any occasion, but from my point of view, it tends more towards the formal side. On me, it had good longevity and moderate projection. Scent: 8.5/10. It reminds me of other fragrances. Longevity: 8/10. Trail: 6.5/10. Versatility: 8/10.

Fresh sweetness. That’s all I can say since the notes are quite muddled and undefined, perhaps some leather too. Despite having a clearly designer vibe, like that somewhat plasticky tonka note, it doesn’t bother me, partly because of that mix with the fresh part, since almost all sweet perfumes end up suggesting warmth. I was also surprised that despite not being a bomb, it performed better than users rate. It’s nothing extraordinary, but with so many bad or copied scents in designer perfumes and the brutal overpricing of many niche brands… it’s not a bad option at all when on sale.

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 top fades and gives way to leather, which becomes the star, accompanied by cedar and a present but not dominant patchouli. The heart lasts a long time on my skin, though its Achilles’ heel is the trail; it should be more potent as the name suggests, but it’s noticeable if you’re close. After hours of leather, by the next day, only a soft arrival of tonka bean and sandalwood is barely perceptible. A characterful fragrance.

A great tribute to the 1974 Gentleman, if only it didn’t fade so quickly. The ‘Intense’ is due to the reformulation that makes it darker with a fresh base. It’s not tonka bean that’s the star, but the leather. It starts loud: the citrus touch is almost unnoticeable and gives way to the intense wood of birch. Then, the spices take over: spicy, elegant, and modern, yet balanced, mixed with that fresh leather and the brand’s classic patchouli. Finally, tonka bean sweetens along with the amber and those lingering spices, wrapped in a present but contained incense. It’s young, semiformal, and works for dinners, work, or events, but it falls short for pubs or clubs. What a pity, because it could be a beast.

I love this perfume. The bottle is pretty but nothing special; they should have put more effort into it for that price. The scent is very linear on me: incense and leather are super present throughout, closing with amber and birch. It’s linear but very good, elegant, and sober, worthy of a gentleman. Perfect gift for anyone over 20. Longevity and projection are moderate (it doesn’t live up to the ‘intense’ claim much). I like it a lot, but for some reason, I struggle to find a situation to wear it. If I were to recommend it blindly, yes, especially to those who like incense and spices. It smells natural, very similar to real incense, as if made with herbs.

It’s a… strange perfume. Smells good, fresh at first, then leather, but don’t take it too literally. Longevity is superior, a minimum of 12 hours. Projection is medium to high, you can feel it when you’re close; it leaves a trail but doesn’t last long after application. To buy it, it’s mandatory to test 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 please everyone.

Gentlemen Only Intense has a truly exquisite opening. I noticed it was soft, fresh, mysterious, and sensual. I immediately thought my surroundings would love it, but they didn’t. I was pleasantly surprised by the opening, perhaps because I wasn’t expecting much. Fortunately, the incense is practically absent 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 poorly in two ways: scent and longevity. On my skin, it takes on slight bitter tones, and the freshness of the opening becomes opaque. It’s as if the perfume stops evolving and wilts. Not to mention the longevity: at half an hour, it clings to the skin, at an hour and a half it’s very faint, and by two hours, it’s practically evaporated.

I really like this perfume, but like almost everything, it has its downsides: it doesn’t project much and lacks longevity. When smelling the opening, it intoxicates you, and maybe that’s why you buy it; it’s very good, but I’m a lover of longevity and projection, things that, in my opinion, it lacks. Sometimes I wear it just to enjoy it myself. My score is 7.5.

Perfect for going out at night

Honestly, 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 nonexistent, just like the leather, and I barely detect any incense in the background. They could use more of that note and the perfume would be much better. It’s the typical office scent that doesn’t bother anyone because its sillage is null and its longevity is poor. It’s much better than the original, but it still doesn’t surprise or please me.