Zara For Him Intense by Zara

Perfumum28, the one you tested was the Red for Him Intense, not the For Him Intense; they have similar bottles.

From time to time, Zara gifts us jewelry in perfumery within everyone’s reach. For Him Intense is one of them, modernizing the DNA of its line and taking it to another level. If you’re looking for classy and mature scents, this is a tremendous option. It follows the line of Dior Homme, Givenchy Gentleman, and Valentino Uomo, but adds a new twist. The blend of a talc-powdered iris and chocolate, with the classic vanilla from the original and a whiskey-like alcoholic touch, makes you feel like a gentleman every time you wear it, Tommy Shelby style (though watch out, it’s totally unisex, it would look incredible on a girl too). For $30, this is a steal. Longevity on my skin is surprisingly long, easily more than 8 hours. The projection is quite intimate. Since it’s short-range, it’s perfect for an evening date in a shirt or suit. I use it in any season except summer with lots of heat. It works well day and night, right in the middle point between dense and fresh. Recommended? Totally. Blind buy? No, test it in-store first. In short? An elegant iris fragrance that doesn’t smell like makeup.

I’ve been buying Zara fragrances for office wear for a while now and I’m tired of paying hundreds of euros for scents that don’t have recognition and fade by mid-morning, like Tom Ford or Jo Malone. Yesterday I went to Zara to test some new releases and my 3-year-old son was the first to say it smelled good. It’s a gourmand style, sweet, with vanilla and tonka. Although it’s not declared, I clearly smell a smoky pear; I don’t know where that smoky note comes from, but it’s there. It doesn’t list spicy notes, but there’s something spicy, aromatic, and not piercing. In conclusion, my son thinks it’s for going out to parties; it has something dark, sweet, and sexy. I don’t see it as totally suitable for the office, but since it’s not heavy, it’s an option (I tried Ombre Nomade and people had headaches). The iris note is one of the main ones; I don’t know why they don’t declare it when it’s obvious, although the sweet smoky touch might be masking it. For the 22€ it costs, it seems splendid. They’re not the same, but I’d say it’s 80% Dior Homme Parfum. DHP has much heavier projection and longevity; I’d never wear it to the office. In fact, even on the bottle of this one, they seem inspired by DHP; there must be a reason for that…

Good value for money, decent longevity, and average projection. It belongs to the gentleman family, although upon drying, the quality difference with the original is noticeable. It opens fruity and aromatic; the iris is there, although it’s not listed in Zara’s official notes. In my opinion, it smells different from the For Him and beats it in scent and performance. One of the best from Zara.

It’s hard to find better value for money. Very good performance for something that, far from the pyramid, smells like a classic masculine iris with touches of lavender and pear upon drying. Dhi, what a go. It’s quite linear like almost everything from Zara, but it’s very good. Every day I realize that if everything were bought at the official price, most of what I own would be Zara or equivalents. Price hikes almost never match quality improvements.

The perfume is good and lasts quite a while. It’s very different from the For Him, not better, but the Intense smells more elaborate and complex. If the For Him has similarity to Armani Code, this one has it with some Givenchy. Upon drying, it has a rich smell of chocolate and iris.