Invictus Intense by Paco Rabanne

More samples have been acquired and thus more reviews will be on the way. One such entry, is a 2016 release from Paco Rabanne and a flanker to the original Invictus. Invictus Intense takes the original and attempts to ratchet the power up and give the cologne a new experience. How does it rate? Does it last? Continue reading below for my full review of Invictus Intense.

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What does Invictus Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: orange blossom, black pepper, malt accord, wood, black amber, ambergris

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Invictus Intense Eau De Toilette Spray 100ml/3.4oz

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My Full Wear Review

The opening of Invictus Intense seems less sweet than the original. There is an immediate sensation of a warm amber note with a salty marine element hanging around. It definitely takes the Invictus name in a new direction, it feels darker, and has a boozy quality provided by the malt accord (think whiskey).

After a few minutes of settling on my skin, the orange blossom emerges which provides a softer sweetness that is reminiscent of the original Invictus. On my skin, up to this point, the booziness retains the strongest spot in the composition. 

Intense maintains the freshness of the original (the bay leaf) but does away with the citrus notes (outside of the orange blossom aroma). I always find it interesting how these brand’s change notes around or eliminate them entire while still maintaining the overall essence of the original scent.

As it moves along, Intense becomes more of a darker floral (almost unisex) fragrance with woody notes plus black pepper and the ultimate takeover of the composition by the ambergris.

The sweetness in Intense is almost muted, with how restrained it is. when compared to the original Invictus. Much more spice here, within the context of an amber-laden fragrance. 

The final dry down consists of amber, marine notes (sea salt), and a woody base. The wood isn’t too noticeable, but it is there. Anything that remains from the other notes, just seems to blend together, on my skin. It all seems much deeper and richer than the original Invictus does. 

As a whole, Invictus Intense delivers a warm, slighty spicy, and fresh mix of mostly amber and floral notes. The malt, wood, and black pepper play a supporting role in balancing it out and preventing it from becoming a ‘women’s’ scent.  Though, at its heart, you can still sense the spirit of the original.

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Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I’d say it’s somewhere between moderate and mildly strong. You can obviously overdo the sprays with it but it isn’t super pungent. It’s kind of funny how this ‘Intense’ version of Invictus is still weaker than the regular 1 Million also by Paco Rabanne.

The sillage will pretty much be in a 5-7 foot radius around the wearer, for the opening act, and then move towards the skin gradually. It’s not an absolute bomb, but again, it can be over-sprayed. 

Longevity is also really good but not great, think I’m getting about 7-8 hours with it, at a still solid projection. Plus, maybe a few more hours as a close skin scent. The longevity on my skin isn’t amazing, but this will go on forever, on clothes.

Don’t spray fragrances on anything that you actually care about keeping high quality, but with a t-shirt, Invictus Intense is very long-lasting.

One nice aspect about Invictus Intense is how versatile it is. It’s so balanced and can seemingly be worn in any season and not feel out of place.

While I cannot test it in the high heat of summer in the middle of October, I think it would hold up nicely. Though, that would be its worst performing climate.

In the colder weather, Intense works very well. The whiskey and amber combination are an ideal fit, in autumn/winter, and just seem to hang around beautifully in the crisp air. 

It also can be worn casually or out on the town or out on a date. Intense is quite pleasant and has a certain sexiness to it that girls should love. It still feels like a younger man’s cologne, but less so than the original. I’ve never worn it to an office environment, but I couldn’t see why a light application, wouldn’t work. 

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Overall Impressions of Invictus Intense

Overall, is Invictus Intense worth a buy? I honestly like it. If you hated the original, I highly doubt you’ll like this one, so go ahead and skip over it. It’s not an amazing scent, in my opinion, BUT I think that it is quite good.

Update: this one is now discontinued.

It doesn’t do a bad job at anything, has a nice aroma, and has great versatility. For the price, one could do a lot worse, and I would lean towards wearing Intense over the original Invictus.

This is one that I have a mini bottle of. I put it on every once in a while, when I am in the mood to do so, and just enjoy. I love amber, orange blossom, and whiskey. Plus, I am not opposed to the Invictus DNA, that inhabits all of these colognes. 

Actually, after trying all of the Invictus scents including the newer Invictus Legend, Intense is my favorite. I have grown somewhat fonder of the original, but I still would rather wear this, over any of them.