Quite a departure from the original, a sueded, less sweet, denser alternative, also quite nice
Sampling Mancera Intense Instant Crush, a 2025 release and follow-up/flanker to Instant Crush, released in 2019, which was very popular in the months following its release. The original is a pleasantly fresh, bright, sweet blend of vanilla, amber, jasmine, and rose, very easy for me to like, though I never quite loved it enough to buy a bottle. Intense Instant Crush is a considerable departure, in my opinion, less sweet and bright, with a suede-type note as the main difference, which changes the character entirely from being a bright fresh sparkly sweet floral gourmand to a leather-centered-but-still-sweet sort of blend. Intense feels denser but perhaps less boastful since Instant Crush is quite a performer, but overall, performance is comparable. Overall, I see Intense as a quite-different offering that probably works better for more serious occasions since it’s a little less sweet and bright. Both are very good, and I welcome this new version. I feel that it’s unlikely I would connect the two unless they were so named. I quite like both, though.
Unlike most of the line, which is EDP, Intense Instant Crush is extrait concentration, and has a higher price point of $235 for 120ml, sold in the US via the house website and great boutiques like Olfactif, from which I’ve bought this and other samples. As with most Mancera and Montale offerings, though, Intense Instant Crush is also available on the secondary market.
