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For this head to head match up, we have two Dolce & Gabbana fragrances for men, Light Blue vs. Light Blue Eau Intense. Light Blue has been a long time best seller and Eau Intense has also kept nice pace with it for many years.
Which smells better, the original or its flanker? Which gives better performance? Does the later release actually surpass its predecessor or fall flat? Please continue below for my full take comparison.
Quick Overview
🏆 My Verdict: Light Blue Eau Intense wins on opening, projection, longevity, and overall scent, while versatility is basically a tie. Buy Eau Intense if you want the cooler, smoother, more aquatic version with better performance. Buy Light Blue if you prefer the original’s brighter, drier, spicier citrus style and want the classic version.
| Category | Light Blue | Light Blue Eau Intense | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Bright citrus with bergamot, grapefruit, mandarin, pepper, and rosemary | Frozen grapefruit, mandarin, juniper, and a cool aquatic accord | Eau Intense |
| Projection | Moderate, noticeable but not especially powerful | Stronger up top, then settles into moderate projection | Eau Intense |
| Longevity | Usually 6–7 hours on newer bottles | Around 9 hours | Eau Intense |
| Versatility | Spring/summer focused, but wearable year-round for casual, office, and dates | Same general use cases: casual, office, warm weather, and attractive daily wear | Push |
| Overall Scent | Fresh, clean, drier, spicier, and simple with a great citrus top | Smoother, colder, more aquatic, and fresher with juniper and woody notes | Eau Intense |
| Best For | Fans of the original fresh citrus style | Those who want a stronger, cooler, more aquatic version | — |
Tale of the Tape
Light Blue
Notes include: bergamot, grapefruit, mandarin orange, pepper, oak moss, juniper, musk, rosemary, rosewood, incense
Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 6.7 Ounce
My review: Light Blue
Light Blue Eau Intense
Notes include: mandarin, frozen grapefruit, juniper, aquatic accord, amber woods, musk
Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Intense Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 1.6 Ounce
My review: Light Blue Eau Intense
Opening
Light Blue opens up with a trio of citrus fruits led by bergamot and grapefruit, with a bit of mandarin orange. It is super bright and summery, with added spice provided by pepper, and an herbal aroma of rosemary.
After 10 minutes, the citrus is bolstered by some base notes, of incense and rosewood. This provides a smoked wood scent, that gently sits in the background.
Eau Intense, is similar to the original in that it starts with grapefruit and mandarin orange, to give that citrus scent. The grapefruit is a ‘frozen’ one, so, there is a great chilled vibe coming from the cologne and the pepper is absent from this version.
In its place, I pick up a light juniper note. The main difference from the original is the inclusion of an aquatic accord. It is slightly salty but not really oceanic, more like sitting by a hotel pool, while on an island. You pick up aquatic elements of sea and pool water.
Don’t worry, they aren’t heavy or overwhelming. But, it is one nice distinction that I get and really one of the things that sold me on this flanker when I first tried it.
I really like the juniper addition here, it gives Eau Intense an amazing level of freshness, that matches up well with the frozen grapefruit ingredient.
Which is better? I have to say that Eau Intense won me over with the great cool and refreshing aroma. Add to that, the nice aquatic scent and the lack of pepper, and I simply enjoy it more than the original. Although, I do like that one, also.
Edge: Eau Intense
Projection
Eau Intense is designed to be stronger and it is. The sillage is pretty powerful for a citrusy summertime cologne, which is really nice. The original isn’t weak, it’s more moderate, but obviously doesn’t hit the heights of an intense version.
Eau Intense starts off strong and then becomes more of a moderate, as it wears on. It can indeed be quite bold up top, so, you don’t need to spray all that much for it to be effective.
Though, Eau Intense doesn’t keep the power for the duration. Most of the wear, will be firmly in that moderate camp.
Edge: Eau Intense
Longevity
You’d think that Eau Intense really blows the original out of the water, in terms of how long it lasts. However, it’s not that much of an advantage. The original will last 6-8 hours on my skin, while Eau Intense, lasts about 9.
Update: Newer bottles of the original seem to be more in that 6-7 hour range for me. 8 is kind of a reach.
Yes, it’s better, but it isn’t an overwhelming advantage. Actually, for the price you can get these at and their style (citrus aquatics), the longevity is really good for either. Eau Intense just hangs around for another hour or so.
Edge: Eau Intense
Versatility
There really isn’t a difference between these two, as both D&G fragrances, check the same boxes. Both are built for spring/summer but can handle year round wear just fine.
Both can go casual, office wear, and are attractive enough to be worn on a date. Not really ‘sexy’ but attractive and pleasant.
The original does have a long-running popularity, so, maybe it has some advantage in terms of attractiveness (or perceived attractiveness, at least). To me, not really much separation here.
Edge: Push
Overall Scent
I have to say, that I do actually enjoy Light Blue quite a bit. It has a lot of great elements to it. It is very fresh, clean, versatile, and is a good starter fragrance for guys. A simple scent, that performs well.
Light Blue Pour Homme is a bit drier, has a spicier profile, but with that same great citrus top. Doesn’t have the same aquatic style as Eau Intense, though it evokes, those kind of summertime feelings.
However, I think they took what was good about the original, and amplified it for Eau Intense.
Dolce managed to surpass their creation with Eau Intense. It’s just better in pretty much every way. It’s still fresh, but smoother, and has a cold crispness to it, which the original just doesn’t.
The aquatic accord is a nice addition. Plus, there is juniper and woody notes, which just add to the overall freshness and appeal. I could wear either of these colognes, but I’d choose Light Blue Eau Intense first.
I’ve actually gone back and forth with Eau Intense, over the past year. I loved it, then couldn’t stand it for a while, and now it’s grown on me once again. I think the amber wood note, can turn some folks off from it, and is indeed bothersome at times.
Although, I still think it is the better option between them, even if I can easily wear both colognes.
Actually, I’ll also go with Light Blue Sun, since it’s sort of a middle ground between them or one of the other flankers. The inventory of each of them changes, since most of these flankers are a one year release, before being discontinued.
Winner: Eau Intense
Choose Light Blue if:
You want the original Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue DNA
You prefer a brighter, drier, spicier citrus scent
You like bergamot, grapefruit, pepper, rosemary, and light woods
You want a simple, fresh starter fragrance for casual daily wear
You do not need the stronger projection of Eau Intense
Choose Light Blue Eau Intense if:
You want the better performer between the two
You prefer a colder, smoother, more aquatic scent
You like frozen grapefruit, mandarin, juniper, and aquatic notes
You want something stronger for spring and summer wear
You want the version that improves on the original while keeping the same fresh DNA
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Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides. You can also follow me on: YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok!