Marrakech Intense (Eau de Toilette) by Aēsop

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Marrakech Intense Aēsop 2014 Eau de Toilette

7.5 / 10 78 Ratings

A popular perfume by Aēsop for women and men, released in 2014. The scent is spicy-oriental. It was last marketed by Natura & Co..
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Main accords

Spicy

Oriental

Woody

Floral

Resinous

Fragrance Notes

Cardamom

Clove

Bergamot

Cedar

Rose

Jasmine

Neroli

Sandalwood

Perfumer

Barnabé Fillion

Ratings

Scent

7.578 Ratings

Longevity

6.663 Ratings

Sillage

6.462 Ratings

Bottle

6.671 Ratings

Value for money

5.626 Ratings

Submitted by Michael, last update on 06/19/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Marrakech Intense Parfum

Marrakech Intense Eau de Parfum

Colonia Intensa Eau de Cologne

Bois Mystérieux

A Quiet Morning

Reviews

5 in-depth fragrance descriptions

11/04/2024

8.5Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

Byrehoe
205 Reviews

Byrehoe

Helpful Review 5

stoic spice

A cold spice, a “concrete cardamom,” if you will. It’s clean, stoic, and far more masculine than all the florals would lead you to believe. The opening is sharp, herbal, almost medicinal. The dry down is solemn and leathery, and I get something faintly coppery, like freshly-minted coins. It's so handsome. I don’t know what Marrakech this is imagining. Perhaps one viewed through the tinted glass of a leather-upholstered car? However, it makes it a great option if you're looking for a clear, direct spice without the sugar and chaos of other cardamoms. I've had it for six years and never tired.

Word to the wise: I got the traveller because I loved it so much but foolishly didn’t look up the price before getting to the register because “How much can a rollerball of perfume cost, Michael? $110 dollars?”

(It costs $110).

Mental Snapshot: You’re gazing over a Harkonnen-engineered Arrakeen (in this AU they are not problematic, don’t worry). The city is a tessellation of sun-bleached stone and sharp shadow, studded with step-pyramids of seamless jet marble. The loft is shady, spartan, and hewn from the finest imports. “Great design choice,” You tell Feyd Rautha, joining him in your obsidian soaking tub. “It looks just like this very expensive handwash store on my home planet.”

tl;dr: brutalist souk

02/07/2018

6Scent 5Longevity 6Sillage

FvSpee
323 Reviews

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FvSpee

Top Review 22

Fabulous Cardamom Sketch, Clumsily Finished

The Kingdom of Morocco has only about 35 million inhabitants, roughly the same as Poland or Spain. Nevertheless, and although it is quite far from Germany and belongs to a culturally rather foreign region, the Moroccan cities, many of them, have achieved considerable fame here. Casablanca (known among other things from the film of the same name), Rabat (the capital), and Agadir (as a tourist destination or because of the "Panther Jump") are probably "known" by everyone. But also Tangier (with its highly interesting recent past as an international zone), Fes, possibly Meknes and Essaouira, and definitely Marrakech should at least be "somehow" familiar to most. It's actually exciting because, although Poland borders Germany, most people would probably not be able to name many more Polish cities spontaneously.

The other question is whether we "in the West" associate something very specific with these Moroccan cities, or whether their names represent rather interchangeable symbols for us, each conjuring an image of a magnificent Almoravid royal palace with a garden, a souk filled with bags of spices, and a coffee in a copper pot (or a heavily sweetened tea with lots of fresh mint in a glass) in our mind's eye. I suspect that the folks at Aesop (to whom I have already written a few unflattering lines in my comment on "Hwyl") were more inclined towards the second alternative when naming this fragrance, aiming to set a clearly recognizable sign of "oriental scent" rather than connecting to specific Marrakechiensia. As for the name addition "Intense" (which I find aesthetically inappropriate alongside the term "Marrakech," and which I actually consider more of a joke, I will elaborate on that), it reminds us that the fragrance apparently originated as a flanker to "Marrakech" from the same house but has now been left standing alone, as "Marrakech" has disappeared from the market. If the "Marrakech" of blessed memory was even less "intense" than "Marrakech Intense," then its disappearance is more than justified.

Despite the flashy oriental name, "MI" is not a typical, and certainly not a boring or even ordinary oriental fragrance. Above all, it is neither heavy nor overly sweet. I actually know no other scent of this kind. The core of this fragrance, the "falcon" so to speak, is the cardamom-citrus motif in the top note. The clove mentioned in previous comments and statements is, in my perception, not dominant at all; in fact, I hardly notice it separately, as it really just rounds off the experience. In contrast, the cardamom with its very special ethereal-oily spicy freshness is unmistakable. At the beginning, one really thinks they are smelling freshly ground cardamom pods, almost tasting them just before they are added as a spice to an Arabic coffee. This cardamom scent is framed and softened by citrus notes that seemed orangey to me, but very light and airy (bergamot and neroli in the ingredient list are plausible). Thus, it does not become too heavy-spiced but retains a playful, sprightly, and cheerful freshness. This motif is highly interesting and could have made a wonderful top note for a thrillingly composed fantastic fragrance. But unfortunately, after that, there is not much left for my nose, except for a few lackluster single notes. After about an hour, I perceive a distinct (by no means unpleasant) rose scent, and after about 4 hours, everything diffuses into a vague sweet-woody (not sweet-licorice) base.

The whole thing reminds me of the unfinished score of a great composer, which was then "completed" by a third-rate student after his death and then brought to market. As it stands now, it is not inspiring.

In conclusion, this is my second Aesop test and my second disappointment regarding sillage and especially longevity. I know, a good fragrance does not necessarily have to be long-lasting, nor does it have to be a good and expensive fragrance. But with a fragrance that is rather pricey in the "Oriental" genre with wood, jasmine, and rose in the ingredient list, I do expect it to accompany me throughout the day. This is not the case here.

Conclusion: Great and quite fitting cardamom-citrus motif for Morocco, but disappointing as a perfume in overall impression.

11/13/2017

9Scent 5Longevity

Serafina
479 Reviews

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Serafina

Top Review 10

Spice Bazaar in the Orient

In 2007, I was at a company meeting in Marrakech. During the (thankfully) obligatory visit to the souk, I naturally indulged in the spices. “Marrakech intense” reminds me a bit of the atmosphere there.

The bergamot makes a brief appearance at the beginning. Then comes a massive dose of spicy-fresh cardamom. Anyone who has ever opened a bag of the green pods (e.g., from the Asian market) knows what I mean - the powder for Christmas baking doesn’t have this intensity and freshness at all. The clove makes its presence felt a bit later, but it’s not quite as overpowering. As the fragrance develops, it unfortunately becomes quite subtle rather quickly, although the woods and flowers, especially the rose, can now be detected in the background.

Conclusion: a spice-heavy oriental that starts dramatically but unfortunately loses momentum very quickly. Nevertheless, I rate the scent itself very highly, as the opening perfectly matches my taste. However, points are deducted for longevity.

04/04/2016

7Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

Schakaa
71 Reviews

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Schakaa

Very helpful Review 7

Clove beautifully presented

I have the Marrakech Intense Perfume (stick) which is not listed here separately.
It was a spontaneous purchase that admittedly had a bit to do with the pleasant appearance and charm of the saleswoman, as it sometimes happens.

However, I do not regret it at all because this is a very nice, well-balanced oriental perfume. The stick is quite practical if you want to travel by plane and are only allowed to take limited liquids.

But now to the scent. After applying, you primarily notice the clove beautifully framed by woods and spices. It feels like entering a bazaar where the oriental spices start to caress your nose.

The progression is quite linear, with no special events; only the clove steps a bit into the background but is still present. Slowly, the allure of 1001 Nights fades like a day coming to an end. With the rising of the stars, a final breath like the sigh of a beautiful woman sinking into sleep.

A lovely scent, definitely noteworthy for lovers of the oriental type.

03/31/2024

Shepilein
59 Reviews

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Shepilein

5

Finer Version

The experience of entering an Aesop shop is something special. I must say, the perfumes look more like hand soaps in these pump containers. Despite the appearance and this somewhat unique presentation, I am positively surprised. "Marrakesch Intense" does not impress with the intensity of spices. If you are looking for the spice market in Morocco, Aesop may not be the best choice. Arabic perfumes like those from the brand Lattafa offer a variety of spice bombs to choose from. Upon entering the store, Aesop conveys more of a spa feeling. This atmosphere is also reflected in the perfumes. "Marrakesch Intense" therefore reminds me of a visit to a hammam with steam sauna in a 5-star hotel in the old town of Marrakech. Beautiful fragrance oils float in the air, and the scent trail is not overloaded but finely balanced. It is not too intrusive, but rather calming.

This version of Marrakesch is refined with a bit more rose and jasmine. At first, the cardamom and clove are very intense. The spices associated with Marrakesch are present in moderate amounts. Over time, the spices fade a bit. What remains is still a spicy scent, but in a finer version. The floral notes, especially the rose, are beautifully harmonized with the other nuances. This gives the perfume a hint of holy water. Personally, I find spa scents very lovely, and for me, Marrakesch can also smell fine and not so spicy. Perhaps I still miss a bit of mint, green tea, and honey to represent the character of Morocco. But as it is, it is a more abstract interpretation of Marrakesch. I believe that not everything with oriental traits needs to smell exactly like all the spices. "Marrakesch Intense" is Aesop's own interpretation of Marrakesch, and in a beautiful spa manner. The scent is indeed special, as many spa scents either smell very citrusy or strongly of cedarwood. This scent is a pleasant change and truly smells very high quality to me.