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The Invictus line from Paco Rabanne just keeps churning out new editions. The latest, is Invictus Legend, which came out in 2019. It is most often compared to Intense, but which of these scents smells the best? Which lasts longer? Which is the better buy overall? Legend vs. Intense?
Tale of the Tape: Legend vs Intense
Invictus Intense
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
Invictus Legend
Notes include: grapefruit, amber, geranium, metal, mead accord, guaiac wood, laurel, sea salt, bay leaf
Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Invictus Legend eau de parfum for men 3.4 Fl Oz
Read my Review: Invictus Legend
Opening
Invictus Legend starts things off with almost a tropical sort of feel. It is a blend of lemon and grapefruit, with heavy aquatic notes and amber. The bay leaf, that is found in the Invictus line, is pretty faint in Legend.
Meanwhile, Intense begins with amber and a salty marine note. It seems more like salty breeze than anything oceanic. Then, the orange blossom note comes in, along with the boozy malted accord.
Which is better? It’s a really close call, but I think I still prefer Intense, over the newest release. I really dig the boozy and amber mix, it feels distinct, and darker than the other Invictus scents.
Edge: Intense
Projection
With the name Intense, you’d expect this one to be pretty clear cut. However, while Invictus Intense is fairly strong, the sillage isn’t crazy. In fact, I would say that Legend actually projects better than Intense.
It isn’t by much, but Legend will radiate off of my skin, by a few extra feet at its peak strength. Neither of them, is weak, however.
Edge: Legend
Longevity
With Legend, I can get 7-8 hours of wear out of that fragrance. It’s really good and will handle most purposes. Again though, Legend beats it out. I get 8-10 hours of wear, on my skin. Legend gets the edge.
Edge: Legend
Versatility
In terms of when you can wear each of these fragrances, they are about the same, excluding climate. Legend will work better in the heat, while Intense, isn’t really built for the height of summer.
Other than that, they are both pretty youthful scents. Better for casual wear, school, or nightlife. Not really professional sorts of fragrances. Legend gets a slight edge.
Edge: Legend (slightly)
Overall Scent
After trying out Invictus Legend, I found it to have many positive qualities. I especially love the citrus, toned down bay leaf, and greater use of amber than the original Invictus.
To me, Legend acts sort of as a midway point, between the original and Intense. It’s got great performance, aquatic elements, and a fresh aroma.
However, if I’m choosing which to wear, I’m still riding with Intense. I love the depth of this fragrance. I enjoy the booziness and amber, the sweetness, and woody base. I think it smells better.
If you liked the original or Invictus Aqua more, you might want to go with Legend. But out of these two, Intense is still number one. Though, I’d probably pick Legend as my second option.
Winner: Intense
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Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.