Olympea Intense by Paco Rabanne Perfume

I’m still making my way through a ton of sample fragrance write ups and reviews over the next month or so. Mostly, I have women’s scents left in the box, so stay tuned. Today’s entry is one from Paco Rabanne, Olympea Intense. This is a flanker perfume to the original Olympea. How does it smell? Perform? Is it worth a purchase? Read below for my full wear thoughts and review.

What does Olympea Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: amber, vanilla, salt, orange blossom, and white pepper

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Olympea Intense Eau De Parfum Spray 80ml/2.7oz

My Full Review

Before I begin my personal review of this fragrance, let’s see how they describe Olympea Intense in the sample vial’s card, A salty-vanilla amber accord. Carnal and charming. With a heart of orange blossom pulsating to white pepper. Flowers bloom and tumble into a salty-vanilla and white ethereal amber base. Unexpected. Illicit. Captivating.

So upon spraying, I immediately detect the salt and the vanilla notes. Olympea Intense really does have a saltwater toffee vibe to it, an aroma that hangs in the warm summer air. The orange blossom also comes out quite well from the start and indeed throughout the entire life cycle.

It’s a familiar floral and one of the floral notes that I enjoy most in fragrances. Orange blossom fits in perfectly to that salty vanilla mix and feels like it is soaked in the amber note.

The amber, of course, is the other highlight of this composition. It gives this Paco Rabanne perfume, a thick warmth, which envelopes the wearer and acts as the glue to keep everything together.

Olympea Intense is a fairly straightforward and simple fragrance. Vanilla is the main attraction and it is paired with the salt to create something that feels like it has a dash of sea air to it. All of this is coated with a very compelling amber note and an orange blossom to offset it from becoming strictly a vanilla perfume.

This one reminds me of some other fragrances such as BonBon and Black Opium and perhaps a few others (Prada Candy, maybe?).

It has that same vanilla, citrus sort of smell with a candy-like aroma (toffee in this case versus caramel in others). None are exactly the same, but they have a similar profile.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Olympea Intense actually lives up to the name and has a strong sillage. Trust me, you won’t have to spray very much of this stuff in order to get it to perform.

It is also an all-day wear and lasted over 10 hours on my skin, without any problem. So, you’re going to get your money’s worth. Paco Rabanne fragrances are usually great performers and this one is no exception.

Seasonally, it is built for colder weather and really shines there. However, it would be fine in moderate temperatures, as well. The high heat of summer? Maybe, but I have a feeling it’d fall apart.

Olympea Intense could be an everyday wear, but I think it’s best used casually, romantically, or for a night out. I think that it is quite attractive and sexy, it’s a perfume that draws people in. I probably wouldn’t go with this for more formal occasions.

Overall Impressions of Olympea Intense

Overall, do I like Olympea Intense by Paco Rabanne? Yes, I think that it is a great option for the colder months of the year. It isn’t a super complex perfume, but it has great performance, and bang for your buck.

If you’re a fan of vanilla and amber, this is definitely one to check out, and should be a crowd pleaser. It’s right along the same lines as several other popular fragrances, so, it’s not the most unique perfume out there.

Though, it separates itself enough to stand on its own merits. Olympea Intense can be a great little pick up, that not too many other people will have.

Best Men's Colognes

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.