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Polo Cologne Intense 2021

8.0 / 10 105 Ratings
A popular perfume by Ralph Lauren for men, released in 2021. The scent is fresh-green. It is being marketed by L'Oréal.
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Main accords

Fresh
Green
Woody
Citrus
Spicy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
BasilBasil GrapefruitGrapefruit SpearmintSpearmint
Heart Notes Heart Notes
Clary sageClary sage ThymeThyme Violet leaf absoluteViolet leaf absolute
Base Notes Base Notes
PatchouliPatchouli AmbroxanAmbroxan VetiverVetiver

Perfumers

Videos
Ratings
Scent
8.0105 Ratings
Longevity
6.993 Ratings
Sillage
6.894 Ratings
Bottle
7.791 Ratings
Value for money
7.481 Ratings
Submitted by OPomone, last update on 10/30/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Apex (Eau de Parfum) by Roja Parfums
Apex Eau de Parfum
Lacoste Original (1984) / Lacoste (Eau de Toilette) by Lacoste
Lacoste Original (1984) Eau de Toilette
Colonia Club (Eau de Cologne) by Acqua di Parma
Colonia Club Eau de Cologne
Fougère Royale (2010) (Eau de Parfum) by Houbigant
Fougère Royale (2010) Eau de Parfum
150: Contemporary by Clive Christian
150: Contemporary
Sedley by Parfums de Marly
Sedley

Reviews

11 in-depth fragrance descriptions
JavSantana

65 Reviews
JavSantana
JavSantana
Helpful Review 4  
An opinion divider
Polo Cologne Intense can be described in a couple of different ways:
1: Kiddo or cocky female reviewer saying it's extremely mature and dated
2: OG Polo fan who states it is rather generic and extremely juvenile
3: An impartial fraghead recognizing both are technically right
I will explain myself: Polo Cologne Intense, being a fragrance based upon aromatic notes and woods, with pretty much no sweetness at all nor a dominant citrus only fragrance, makes some of the younger crowd think it is rather old school smelling. On the other side, people appreciating the classic Polo usually agree that Cologne Intense is overpriced, overrated and is extremely generic. And to be frank with you, both are technically right.

Cologne Intense is a modern reinterpretation (Not a modern version like so) of the classic Polo. The heaviest notes that gave its character, such as main accords of pine, pipe tobacco and russian leather with tons of earth notes and a hint of amber, were stripped out of the frag and replaced by more "modern", fresher aromatics, grapefruit, and a base of ambroxan and inoffensive woods.
When compared to the vintage, it indeed takes a more "generic" oriented direction, however, its lack of sweet notes and rather classic notes like basil and patchouli also might give naive noses the idea it is vintage or mature smelling. I would say, not one nor the other. Can be used by any age group, 15 to 50 / 60 perfectly, it is better for warmer climates and it is indeed easier to like than the classic Polo. It is not a bad fragrance, and in my opinion smells way better or at least somewhat different than its competitors such as Dior Sauvage, Bleu de Chanel and Versace Dylan Blue, that, with all due respect to their respective creators, are somewhat known scents, frags that you smell at a store and recall the mynoxidil bearded guy who listens to reggaetón or such, and vapes or smokes flavored capsule cigarettes. On the other side, Polo Cologne isn't. Still doesn't have as much character and still doesn't make as a different impression as the classic Polo, which IMO can be also worn by any age group. However, that last one seems to annoy young noses.
"Eww, smells like old man cigarettes, pine and skanky leather". (Indeed smells like that, and that is exactly the point.)

Bottom Line: I liked PCI way more than its competition, has a bit more character and charm than the extremely mass appealing scents. Has indeed a bit of that as well but it is nicer. Not a substitute for the OG '78 Polo by any means, however. I do find it a bit overpriced but it's a very nice scent for younger people and warmer climates with the Polo DNA. Greetings
0 Comments
TheBark

17 Reviews
TheBark
TheBark
Helpful Review 3  
If Polo and Polo Cologne Intense were cars...
...they would be like the Nissan 300ZX from the 80's and the recently announced 400Z prototype. Polo is a classic staple from its time with an aura that is instantly recognizable. What Polo Cologne Intense manages to do is much like what Nissan has done in debuting its 400Z concept: it pays homage to the car's history and lineage, keeping the backbone of its DNA intact while updating and modernizing its overall performance with modern touches to fit the current market.

Gone are some of the heavier components of the original Polo: the smokey frankincense, the leather, artemisia and tobacco leaving behind the fresher, "green" components with some modern touches of ambroxan and grapefruit. I don't get anything pine-wise, but there is an effect with the addition of spearmint that gives something of a similar vibe overall. Make no mistake, this is a scent that is all its own, yet, it remarkably keeps one sniffing because the Polo DNA-effect is, well, unmistakably still there.

The use of ambroxan gives this a fresh base and while it does have an almost shower-gel feel, it never quite ventures into the "blue" category of aura that now can come across as rather generic (let's face it, there's a lot of "blue" scents out there, but this manages to keep a green feel about it.) If you're an ambroxan-hater, a huge fan of the OG and on the fence with regards to sniffing this out, I'd still recommend it. I was pleasantly surprised.

Now if I could only pin down a date for when that 400Z will be released, I'd be all set getting my Marty McFly on and heading back to the future...
1 Comment
MarkoLe

4 Reviews
MarkoLe
MarkoLe
Helpful Review 2  
Sexy gardener
Imagine a pool boy in good shape in his late twenties. Now transpose it into a gardener who has just finished his workday - his muscular body is sweaty and dusty, but nonetheless sharp and full of energy. Always after work, he makes a Tom Collins cocktail with a handful of basil and thyme.

This scent is a modern classic. The scent opens with a pleasant strong grapefruit and basil composition which gives it cocktail-ish character. After about half an hour, the clary sage gives it an icy character. Patchouli adds masculinity and ambroxane more sillage and freshness.

Absolutely great scent from smart-casual up to white tie for men older than 25 years old.
1 Comment
Mazov

4 Reviews
Mazov
Mazov
2  
Summertime Wedding
I imagine someone wearing this is at a summertime outdoors wedding or semi-formal/formal gathering, wearing a knit polo with their earth-toned suit flecked with tasteful gold jewelry.

This is a fragrance dominated by very naturalistic scents while still staying very refined.
The lemon smells like zest you just dropped on top of a dish, the grapefruit like one you just sliced open, the mint smells like mint-leaf from a plant, the basil is one you're holding between your fingers, and the underlying sweetness is tinged with something natural- like a wild honeysuckle. I was really worried this would be too powdery or floral, but it's far from that.

It's the prime example of a inoffensive men's green fragrance. Perfect for the office and formal events during warm weather, regardless of your age.

It's not a show-stealer or a head-turner, the relatively weak performance (5ish hours/average sillage lifespan during that time) contributes to that, but because it's so inoffensive I honestly have no qualms about over spraying and bumping my normal 4-6 sprays up to 8-10 and that improves the sillage and adds maybe an hour to the scent's staying power.

Not intended to really be a modern remake or anything of the original polo green, but good in it's own right. I do wish it took some elements of the original and infused it into here- a bit of spice I think would make this fragrance less of a 'meh' to so many people and add complexity to it- as it's very linear.
0 Comments
Smirky

483 Reviews
Smirky
Smirky
1  
Intense - give me a break
I knew ahead of time based on other reviews of this fragrance that it's not just an amped-up version of the original Polo Green. Intense opens citrusy but it dries down into a very smooth, masculine scent. No sweetness at all - very dry. Disappointment for me was the performance. Didn't really project much and was much diminished after only about 2 hours (although it was still there). Nothing exceptional with the biggest negative being the performance. Won't be getting a full bottle.

It is very irritating when the word "Intense" is added to a perfume name in attempt to lure customers to a stronger scent. It's obvious - as with this fragrance - that it's just a marketing ploy with no power in the scent to back it up.
0 Comments
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Statements

25 short views on the fragrance
5 years ago
7
With Polo Cologne Intense, you can now smell like you're from the 80's without being stuck in them! A modern, fresher re-interpretation.
0 Comments
2
A solid new edition to the old. The spearmint makes a huge difference in the scent, giving it a modern coolness, I get vaporub, still good.
0 Comments
2
Very nice and very versatile, it can be dressed up or dressed down. It's a good Ambroxan and Green combo for a steal! Not for high heat tho!
0 Comments
2
Underrated gem in RL's catalog. Great modern re-interpretation of the classic Polo
0 Comments
2
Easily my best value deal. 8oz for $72, and Macy's gave me a $20 off card, too! Sharp, green, and direct, this scent is confident as can be.
0 Comments
1
Smells like a modern scented shave gel or cream, like Gillette. Green, citrusy, ambroxan blast with whispers of a barbershop fougere.
0 Comments
1
Go for the original instead. It smells better. It lasts longer. It costs less.
0 Comments
1
Underrated and under the radar masterpiece. Clean and modern with just enough old-school to keep it interesting. Good longevity for freshie.
0 Comments
30
24
Grapefruits in the herb garden
Basil and mint
Pairing fresh from the shower
A hint of Ambroxan
Sliding on violet leaves
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24 Comments
10
7
Fresh, green, classic with a hint of sweetness. For what it aims to be, it gets a lot right, even if it feels a bit synthetic.
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7 Comments
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