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L’Interdit EDP Intense by Givenchy

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L’interdit has become a really popular series for Givenchy. I have worked my way through testing and reviewing each of these perfumes for the site during the past few months. Today, is the last one (as of now), L’Interdit EDP Intense. How does this fragrance smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does L’Interdit EDP Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: vanilla, tuberose, orange blossom, sesame, patchouli, vetiver

Click here to try: L’Interdit EDP Intense by Givenchy

l'interdit intense review

My Full Wear Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: A suave flower infused with black leathered vanilla.
Givenchy takes you deeper into the forbidden with L’Interdit Eau de Parfum Intense for women. A surrender to cravings obscured. Channel your inner thrill and fuel your deepest desires.

Upon smelling the opening, I will say, that if you didn’t like the sweeter aspects of EDP or the spicy sweetness of Rouge, Intense might just be the entry for you.

This one is definitely different. It is indeed strong. The orange blossom note is pretty potent up top, matched with a spiciness, vanilla, and the tuberose. Eventually, that signature tuberose will take over, but early on it’s orange blossom.

I personally enjoy orange blossom so that’s a strong like for me. One major difference here is the inclusion of sesame. The note is rather nutty and fulfills an interesting role in the composition, as there isn’t a fruity note here and the patchouli is toned down.

This never gets too complicated for me. Like the others in the series, we end with tuberose. In the original it is tuberose, vanilla, and vetiver. In Rouge, it is tuberose and sandalwood.

Here, it is vanilla, tuberose, and the remaining orange blossom. For some, this will be the best combination in the series. Personally, I like Rouge and EDP a bit more.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is a strong fragrance. It’s got a powerful start and is consistently above average with the scent trail that it leaves, for most of its wear. Not the strongest on the market, but extremely good for a mainstream designer scent.

The longevity is also fantastic. 9 hours on a bad day. 10+ hours almost every other times. The performance with EDP Intense doesn’t disappoint in the slightest and is one of the strengths of this perfume.

Seasonally, this is a denser sort of scent, that is built for autumn and winter. I’d keep away from the warmer temperatures, as this one shines when it is crisp outside.

While this can be worn during the day, it does have more of a nightlife attractiveness or sexiness to it (more along the lines of Rouge vs. EDP). It’s got a sultry and even dark quality to it at times, so, it might not be your daily wear…but it could be.

Overall Impressions of L’Interdit EDP Intense

Overall, do I like this fragrance? Yes, I like it quite a bit. Again, it is my third favorite of the series so far. But, the other two aren’t far and away better than Intense, just more of a personal preference for men.

I do like the amped up orange blossom and nice unique sesame note that comes into play during the middle act. This one gives you a smoother option that isn’t a spicy as Rouge, nor as sweet as the EDP or EDT.

So, for people who didn’t like those aspects of the rest of the series, Intense presents an crowd pleasing tuberose-based perfume that’s easy to wear and has superb performance versus others in the market.

The vanilla and tuberose is kind of boring to me. I still dig it, but it just doesn’t grab my attention to the same extent.

Nevertheless, I recommend trying this one out. L’Interdit EDP Intense is a great entry from Givenchy, which has knocked it out of the park with this series.

Irresistible EDP by Givenchy

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Irresistible is one of Givenchy’s main fragrance series for women. I got samples of each of the perfume options from this line to test them out and review for the site. The eau de parfum was released in 2020. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Irresistible EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, pear, ambrette, iris, cedar, musk

Click here to try: Irresistible EDP

My Full Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: A magnetically powerful contrast between two opposite accords: luscious rose and luminous blond wood. Irresistible Givenchy Eau de Parfum entices you to feel charmingly, irresistibly you.

Irresistible kicks off fresh, juicy, with a sweet muskiness. The rose is advertised as the dominant note in this one, to some extent that becomes true later. However, early on there’s a good deal of pear.

The pear note alone gives you that usual sweet and watery juiciness. But that ambrette, gives it a further sweetness and is really better than just a standard musk would be by itself in this composition. Though, you do get that as well.

That opening is bright, sparkling, with a nice fizziness from the notes coming together.

As it moves forward, Irresistible does start to show more of it rosiness. That, with a further powdery punch from the iris note. But, it never strays into full baby powder mode, and the powder is simply complementary.

This isn’t super complicated. The pear does take a step back. you get more of the standard musk, rose has a greater weighting, with the iris and cedar freshness coming from the base.

More of a floral musk, with some fruity sweetness. To me, this doesn’t get too soapy or shampoo-like with how it comes across. Sure, to some extent, but it stays balanced and attractive.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it’s a bit moderate. The opening actually has a decent amount of strength, with a fairly short-lived but pronounced scent trail. This all projects well off the area you applied Irresistible to for a few hours.

Thereafter, it’s going to be a lighter scent. Not a skin scent, but maybe a 2-3 foot scent bubble.

The longevity is pretty run of the mill, but slightly above average. I get about 7 hours on the high end, but somewhere in the 5.5-7 hour range is about what to expect on the skin. Not great, but I didn’t find it to be entirely weak.

Seasonally, this is a versatile fragrance, but mostly for spring and summer. Though, it’s fine in the autumn, when it’s not too cold outside. Maybe a bit too sharp or bright for the dead of winter, but fine outside of that.

Irresistible is a pretty sort of perfume, that will get complements, and less of something that might be called sexy. But, it’s one that is a crowd pleaser and nothing that should offend.

It’s fairly wearable. Light and upbeat. More of a daily wear, casual, and semi-formal. Again, I’d probably skip using this as a nightlife sort of scent.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Irresistible

Overall, do I like this perfume? Yes, to me, this is the best of the Irresistible lineup thus far. The EDT and Fraiche aren’t as enjoyable or long lasting. Plus, this is nice fragrance overall. Not completely amazing, but I like it. 

The performance could be better, but I didn’t think that it was too bad. Irresistible doesn’t have that beast mode performance, however. 

The pear and ambrette are the highlights of this one to me. The latter part goes more in the musky floral direction, tried and true, yet it’s a simple formula which works well. 

As a daily wear, this one will work just fine for most people. Maybe you don’t want to pay full retail for Irresistible, but it’s worth a try, and a great option at a discount. 

Irresistible EDT Fraiche by Givenchy

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Irresistible is one of the popular fragrance series from Givenchy. L’Interdit seems to get more attention, but this franchise also gives you a variety of choices to go with. A few months back, I received samples of the different Irresistible perfumes, in order to add full reviews of each. Today, I am covering Irresistible Fraiche and presenting my thoughts on this scent. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Irresistible Fraiche Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, iris, pink pepper, orange, musk, cedar

Click here to try: Irresistible Fraiche at Macy’s

irresistible fraiche review

My Full Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it:  A captivating contrast between fresh rose and vibrant spices. Liberate your energy and express yourself freely with Irresistible Eau de Toilette Fraiche. A fusion of sheer spontaneity and exhilarating vitality.

Fraiche opens up with a bright and energetic kick, brought to you by the pink pepper and citrus zest of the orange note. It’s not overly spicy or really all that warm, in the beginning. Indeed, it takes that Fraiche moniker and delivers with a light and refreshing aroma.

Interestingly, the rose and the iris are coming through early. They aren’t especially heavy or domineering in this mix. But, there is that soft powdery quality coming from the iris. Fraiche will become much more of a musky floral.

I actually get more of the iris than the rose on my skin. Again, though not heavy floral notes here.

Still, with that same freshness throughout, but retaining a sweetness from the early orange and even pink pepper.

In the end, it’s pretty much a mix of the floral notes, musk, and that cedar base. The cedar is pretty prominent in the dry down of Irresistible Fraiche.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is what could be considered average, overall. But, in the early stages this one has a bit of power, nice scent trail, and an ability to project off of the skin.

Is that a super long lasting ability? Not really, but it is there for a while. So, Fraiche deserves some credit for that.

The total time that it lasts on the skin, is about 4-5 hours for me. Again, this is nothing special, but about what I would expect for this Fraiche style of perfume. Just know going in, that this isn’t going to be as good as others in the series or when compared to many other fragrances.

Seasonally, Irresistible Fraiche is one to break out in the spring and summer months. In the warmer to hotter weather, this one is really at its absolute best. The citrus opening and the lighter floral notes were attractive when I wore them outside in August.

Fraiche is one obviously to use to freshen up. Outside of that, it can be used as a daily wear, if you can reapply, once it has faded. It’s easy to spray on, not particularly sexy or formal, but pleasant enough.

Overall Impressions of Irresistible Fraiche

Overall, do I like Irresistible Fraiche? The smell is nice enough, but it doesn’t really cover any new ground. It’s just quite likeable and simple.

The performance isn’t very good, which was to be expected with a Fraiche version of this Irresistible formula. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, if you know what to expect going into wearing this Givenchy perfume.

I like the opening act with the zesty citrus and pink pepper note. That’s a really good start. The rose and the iris are a nice combination, more rose for me, but it’s all pretty boilerplate with how it all develops. There’s nothing that is all that unique or interesting here.

That being said, if you can get a heavy discount and this sounds like something you might enjoy, it could be worth a try for some ladies. I don’t think that most people would think that it smells horrible and would probably have a positive experience with it.

For me, it’s just okay on the whole, and there’s plenty of other options out there.

L’Interdit EDT by Givenchy

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L’Interdit EDT is one of the flanker scents to EDP version of the same name. While Rouge and Intense get more fanfare, this eau de toilette version isn’t just an exact toned down copy of the original. In this post, I want to give my full review of L’Interdit EDT after testing it out. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does L’Interdit EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: orange blossom, tuberose, Pavot flower, patchouli, musk, and vetiver

Click here to try: L’Interdit EDT

givenchy l'interdit perfume

My Full Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: White imbued with light. The shattering alliance of Orange Blossom & Tuberose is disrupted by an exciting floral paradox. A voluptuous white flower exposing a dark, hypnotic heart. The shock appeal of iridescent white provoked by deep woody undertones of Vetiver and Patchouli. Radiant, exalted. The underground flower emerges into light.

The EDT version opens up sort of like the EDP. Here it is more of a sparkling citrus/pear aroma versus that grape bubble gum like smell. But, still sweet and quite candy-like.

The Pavot flower is poppy flower. Which can create a fruity sort of effect and I imagine that’s a good deal of what I’m getting here. It’s still got an earthiness and dark quality, but the sweetness is nice.

Also, checking the chemical ingredients…citrus is also here, just not listed officially outside of orange blossom, but there’s lemon for sure.

Anyway, the poppy flower and orange blossom dominate the opening act of L’Interdit EDT. The initial citrus/sweetness will subside and it becomes more classically floral.  Between the poppy, tuberose, and the patchouli, this has a great earthy quality to it.

Not super dirty or anything, it’s weird almost truffle butter rich at times, with how it comes across.

As this moves along, L’Interdit EDT seems to lose a lot of its mojo. The poppy falls off of the map, the tuberose moves in, and it kind of becomes a basic white floral. Yes, very similar to the Eau de Parfum version, but somehow not as interesting.

It ends up being a dry and musky tuberose, with some of the remaining patchouli and orange blossom. Not bad smelling, just kind of meh.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Even the EDT version of L’Interdit will give you above average performance versus the bulk of the competition. This is probably what I would consider the lower end of what could be termed ‘strong’ sillage.

A scent trail of significant proportions for at least a few hours and a very solid ability to project off of the skin for much of the wear.

It lasts somewhere in the 7-8 hour range for me. Not as good as the others, but it is still one that is quite good in what it is capable of.

Seasonally, I’d say it can be worn anytime, outside of the height of summer. Summer nights might be fine if it isn’t too humid. But, just don’t wear it during the day.

Less of a casual fragrance. But not completely buttoned up and serious either. It has a sexy nightlife or date night vibe, even if it isn’t the most seductive perfume out there. I like it, it’s attractive, but that’s mostly in the early stages.

Overall Impressions of L’Interdit EDT

Do I like this scent? Yes, the whole L’Interdit lineup is really darn good. It might be unpopular to say, but I like this more than Intense in the beginning. Slightly more, but there’s something about it, I really enjoy.

That flips and Intense ends up being the better of the two, however.

EDT is maybe a notch below EDP, based on performance, and dry down. But neck and neck, with the different approach to the formulation early on. And Rouge, is the best of them for the duration.

On the whole, it’s technically my least favorite overall. However, it’s still a perfume that I like. The sparkling citrus and poppy flower are the absolute highlights for me. It gives you something that stays true to the L’Interdit line, but manages to do its own thing.

The performance is really good for an EDT concentration. Not an absolute bomb that will last all day, but really nothing to complain about either. L’Interdit EDT is one to try out. It might rank higher for you personally, in comparison to the others. It’s an enjoyable fragrance.

Givenchy L’Interdit vs Rouge

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Givenchy’s L’Interdit series has enjoyed a good deal of popularity over the past few years, with its newer releases. Two of the most popular options remain the revamped EDP and the newer offering, L’Interdit Rouge. I’ve tested out the line in order to do reviews for the site and present a head to head comparison of each. Which of these fragrances smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: L’Interdit EDP vs. Rouge

L’Interdit EDP

Notes include: tuberose, pear, orange blossom, jasmine, vetiver, ginger, patchouli, vanilla, ambroxan

Click here to try: Givenchy L’interdit Women, Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7 Fl Oz

My Full Review: L’Interdit EDP

L’Interdit Rouge

Notes include: blood orange, ginger, jasmine, orange blossom, tuberose, patchouli, sandalwood

Click here to try: L’Interdit Rouge by Givenchy

My Review: L’Interdit Rouge EDP

l'interdit rouge review

Opening

L’Interdit EDP starts off with a blend of pear, bergamot, orange blossom, and ginger. The bergamot and ginger add an initial kick to the mix, but quickly fade out.

The orange blossom is the star white floral in the early stages, that will be joined by tuberose and jasmine,  as they strengthen. But, I actually get a good deal of patchouli from EDP, on my skin.

The opening is actually a sweet floral, that some people compare to the smell of grape bubble gum. I understand the comparison, it’s just overblown.

With Rouge, we go spicier from the start, and use a greater amount of citrus. Here, it is blood orange. The ginger is the same between the two, but is amped up and sticks around for much longer in Rouge.

It is interesting, that you also get that big orange blossom start with Rouge also, but it is the note that fades away quickly. The tuberose moves into full strength earlier, in this edition.

Which is better, at the start? I really like each of them a lot early on. Though, I have a slight preference for Rouge. That ginger spice and blood orange is really great and just somewhat more attractive than EDP.

Edge: Rouge

Projection

So, both of these perfumes are what could be considered strong fragrances. You will get great projection off of the skin, a scent trail, without completely bombing out a room (if you don’t over-spray).

The sillage of both is actually pretty similar. During my testing, I did find L’Interdit to be a bit more powerful when compared to Rouge.

It isn’t a huge difference, but I do seem to be able to pick up the scent of EDP on a shirt, somewhat further away than I did when I did the same later with Rouge.

Edge: L’Interdit

Longevity

With L’Interdit EDP, it will last between 8-9.5 hours on my skin. It is a good amount of range, but definitely leaned towards the higher end, during testing.

With Rouge, it’s a bit of a step back from that, but a similar level. I get somewhere around 8 hours, maybe less or a little bit more. However, it doesn’t hit that same high end that the original does. 

I tested each of them out multiple times and it was consistently the case that EDP was outdoing Rouge.

Not a huge discrepancy, though, there’s enough of a difference to have a clear distinction. 

Edge: L’Interdit

Versatility

Neither of these fragrances is built for the hottest days of the year. I’d stick mostly to autumn and winter with each. But, EDP can more easily venture into the springtime than Rouge.

Rouge is a bit more mature and sexier, when compared to the EDP. Both can fit into nightlife wear, but Rouge is a better option there.

Not a huge difference, basically on par with one another. Rouge does have a very slight edge.

Edge: Rouge

givenchy l'interdit perfume

 

Overall Scent

Which one of these fragrances is better? To me, it’s actually a close race, as they are my two favorite perfumes from this Givenchy series.

With EDP, I like the opening act with the pear and the orange blossom. Sure, a candy-like at times, but still a wonderful scent. The dry down is more of the traditional tuberose led, white floral. Still, I like it.

However, even with a slightly better performance, I prefer Rouge more so than the original. 

It’s not a major sure fire win for the flanker scent. Yet, the opening is better to me, as is the whole experience. 

It’s got a more dynamic start with blood orange and ginger, while still retaining that familiar L’Interdit DNA. I like the spicier vibe and dry down with plenty of sandalwood and patchouli. Rouge is a great perfume release, to me.

It’s a perfume that I wanted to keep coming back to, time and time again.

I can honestly recommend either one of these. Or really, any of them in the series (if you enjoy tuberose or can stand it). Just in this head to head battle, I think L’Interdit Rouge stands just a notch above. 

Winner: Rouge