Vanillepause

For a very long time, Dior Homme Intense has held its own against other fragrances that come in and out of my collection from time to time.
But this one stays, no matter how long it will be available on the market.

I hardly need to mention at this point that it gets the highest score from me.
But why is that? What is it that connects me to it in such a way that I can't help but like it?
Sometimes fragrances are similar to music. I hear something new. Then everything inside me gets mixed up. Do I like it? Do I not like it? Why is it so different from everything else I already know? It was the same with Dior Homme Intense years ago.
Back then, the fragrance stimulation with the name Iris was something completely new for me. Almost overwhelming.
The scent was not as violently sweet as most of my fragrances at the time. It was sweet, as you would say with a wine, a little tart and dry with a subtle sweetness.
The compliment factor was irritating. Gentlemen also responded surprisingly and incredibly positively to the fragrance. To be honest, I don't wear perfumes to collect compliments. I'm a bit "not young enough" for that. Let me just put it that way.
Of course, I had other fragrances at the start. Everything was tested thoroughly. Different numbers of sprays. Different weather and climate conditions.
Over time, many fragrances were or became too sweet, too synthetic for my taste or wore off olfactorily.
But Dior Homme Intense always remained to my complete satisfaction.
On my long journey with it, I was able to get to know its fragrance character better. With every step we took together, we discovered another secret.
There were questions I pursued. How does this fragrance compare with other "iris fragrances"? I'm sure you know yourselves. This fragrance category - the iris fragrances. That's just how I thought it was. You just compare this and that iris fragrance with each other and draw a line so that you can orientate yourself better. But I was to be proven wrong.
Dior Homme Intense is by no means just an iris fragrance. Like many other fragrances, DHI has its very own character and a fine balance of different aroma chemicals (whether natural or synthetic). As a result, this fragrance can no longer be easily equated with others. In addition to iris, there is also vetiver. Sweet and delicately tart. The cedar wood note or cedar note as such. Reminiscent of a walk through the forests of the European mainland. It opens with bergamot and pear. At the heart, a dash of vanilla. And I won't have revealed all the secrets yet. But now I have time again. I recently bought another 100ml bottle. Now I can put it on again to my heart's content.
Here are a few things I can't agree with:
- it is a winter fragrance, i.e. a fragrance for colder days:
Why? It comes into its own even better in the warmer parts of the year. Except in midsummer. I hardly ever wear perfume myself because the heat doesn't make the scent stick to me for long due to the build-up of shit.
- just this idea that it is an iris fragrance:
In my opinion, vetiver and cedar play equally strong roles. But nobody says DHI is a vetiver fragrance or a cedar fragrance. It's just all of them at the same time. find such a combo in another perfume. The house of Diordoch has really created something cool in its own right.
- Lipstick fragrance:
That's where opinions differ. In other words, my opinion and the opinion of an unknown majority. Many a lady has been kissed on the lips. No matter what time of year. And many ladies wear make-up. Lipstick is often just as much a part of it. But, even though some lipstick brands contain various fragrance components, I have not been able to conjure up a comparison with lipstick so far.
For perfume novices, I would still like to investigate various rumors. But with experienced perfume wearers, hunters and collectors, especially these Youtube perfume dribblers, such confusion should not take place. Youtube then quickly becomes "Shmoo-Tube", where the headless rumors run their circles and their detached, independent and empty heads attack innocent interested parties.
And yes, I still have a few fragrances that contain "iris notes" but, as in Dior Homme Intense, they are NOT a unique selling point.

As I said, Dior Homme Intense has its very own character, which clearly sets it apart from the competition. Therefore, constant comparisons are probably best made with Dior Homme Parfum. And there are clear differences there too.
Dior Homme Intense is therefore ideal for people who can and want to make friends with a trinity of vetiver, iris and cedar.
As a side note, I would also like to point out that Dior Homme Intense as a whole ranks among the fougere fragrances, i.e. the fragrance category of grassy/fern-like perfumes. The vetiver note means that the fragrance can already be described as grassy. The iris note adds a well-balanced touch of earth to the composition. And the cedar note brings the feeling of "being at home" into play.
Dior Homme Intense, a fragrance that doesn't want to be a follower, even if it is a true designer. Just as its wearer is one of many, but nevertheless an independent thinker and bon vivant.

Don't be iris, powder and lipstick fragrance propagandists. Be Dior Homme Intense wearers!

After initial skepticism as to whether I should buy the fragrance at all, whether I could wear it, I finally bought it.
Why the skepticism in the first place? You know what it's like. Have a look here. Read something elsewhere. Listen to all the videos on YouTube and imagine what people are saying about it.
A hint of coffee. A little toffee. Somehow chocolaty. It should go in that direction.
Well, I already had the Uomo Intense. The bigger brother of Uomo EDT. And I liked it from the very first time I tried it. But then the EDT version with a toffee note? Can something like that work? I hesitated for a long time before finally testing it and then making a final decision.

So the day came. Off to the Douglas store. Testing. Hmm...... Wasn't bad, but didn't quite live up to its Intense successor. Of course I have slightly different expectations of an EDT. But it didn't really work out. This toffee monotony didn't go straight to my heart as a fragrance concept. It rather went through my stomach and I was craving cake and a freshly brewed mocha. So I didn't decide to buy it at first. That came a little later and not as expected.
So back to the Douglas store. But this time online, i.e. via the Internet for digital shopping. And then I saw the fragrance pyramid. Not what I would have expected. Especially as the bottle also had a more modern look. What had happened? Reformulation? The fragrance pyramid officially changed without making a secret of it?
I found that interesting in itself. But how did I have to imagine it now?
So, without further ado, I decided to order the fragrance digitally. I ordered the small 50ml bottle and waited. I already know my expectations when I see fragrance pyramids. Most of the time they suit my ideas. Sometimes a part is missing and I have to do more research or test and retest. Not this time.

I confess, what I got far exceeded my expectations.
There was not a hint of slightly sticky toffee coming out of the spray nozzle, as I had initially expected. I had briefly ignored the fragrance pyramid I had just seen. A very sensual, slightly romantic, discreetly appetizing fragrance that is suitable for everyday use wafted towards me. Oh yes, that's how it came back to me. The new fragrance pyramid.
A very nice EDT with a focus on cardamom. According to the fragrance pyramid as a base, paired with pepper. It may sound boring, especially for die-hard perfume collectors and wearers. But don't be fooled. Once again, everything has been done right.
Valentino Uomo has been upgraded conceptually.
From the oriental base, to the wonderfully soft-butterscotch hip, adorned with vetiver, and the beautiful slightly citrusy-fruity opening - this fragrance composition is a dream.

Generally speaking, you can't expect to be able to throw it around for meters. The fragrance is a flatterer. A diplomat, not a boxer. In cooler times, it lasts quite a long time for an EDT, around seven to eight hours. That's absolutely fine for this price range. Especially as I didn't notice anything synthetic. Something that some people might expect. Not at all. All-clear.
I recommend the fragrance for everyday wear. But Valentino Uomo also goes perfectly with festive outfits. A very good fragrance for all occasions. Even at home by the fire with a glass of wine and a good book.
There are no limits to your imagination here.

Valentimo Uomo EDT in a new formulation.
Delicately sensual. Diplomatic. A connoisseur of normality and world class.