4
Helpful Review
Nice variation of the original, albeit not as effective
This is my first wearing and successful blind buy of Prada Amber Pour Homme Intense, the 2011 flanker to the original 2006 Prada Amber Pour Homme, which I only just tried for the first time last week and loved, and Intense is similarly very nice. Whereas the original is more of a soapy fresh amber, Intense is slightly spicier, albeit still fresh, but less soapy.
Intense’s note listing is relatively straightforward: bergamot, myrrh, vanilla, patchouli, amber. I frankly get a bit of the champagne fresh spicy cologne vibe of YSL Rive Gauche with some of the darkness of Armani Attitude, and I sense some lavender without it being there, though perhaps I’m just smelling the bergamot and patchouli. Like the original, it’s not an amber fragrance in the sense that it’s especially sweet or thick or animalic, but has an amber base with some other additives. Intense has a good balance of resins quirks—namely, some spice and some smoke—with just a hint of sweetness, to complement the fresh and green vibe of the bergamot and patchouli.
Like the original, Intense is very reasonably priced on the secondary market, about $65 for 100ml on FragranceNet, and it performs decently well, though the original perhaps performs better, despite the greater concentration of Intense (EDP, to the original’s EDT).
Overall, I’d say that I prefer the original but enjoy the Intense as a darker, slightly spicier variation.
7 out of 10
Intense’s note listing is relatively straightforward: bergamot, myrrh, vanilla, patchouli, amber. I frankly get a bit of the champagne fresh spicy cologne vibe of YSL Rive Gauche with some of the darkness of Armani Attitude, and I sense some lavender without it being there, though perhaps I’m just smelling the bergamot and patchouli. Like the original, it’s not an amber fragrance in the sense that it’s especially sweet or thick or animalic, but has an amber base with some other additives. Intense has a good balance of resins quirks—namely, some spice and some smoke—with just a hint of sweetness, to complement the fresh and green vibe of the bergamot and patchouli.
Like the original, Intense is very reasonably priced on the secondary market, about $65 for 100ml on FragranceNet, and it performs decently well, though the original perhaps performs better, despite the greater concentration of Intense (EDP, to the original’s EDT).
Overall, I’d say that I prefer the original but enjoy the Intense as a darker, slightly spicier variation.
7 out of 10