guerlain

L’Homme Ideal EDP vs L’Intense by Guerlain

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Continuing with some comparison posts here today, I thought that I’d do another one with two fragrances from the L’Homme Ideal line by Guerlain. One of which, L’Intense I tried for the first time over a month ago, when I blind bought a bottle that was on sale.

EDP, is one that I’m coming back to testing, after some time off. Which of these colognes smells better? Which lasts longer? Which is the better buy?

Quick Overview

🏆 My Verdict

L’Homme Ideal EDP wins on opening, longevity, and overall scent, while L’Homme Ideal L’Intense wins on versatility. Projection is basically a tie.

Buy Ideal EDP if you want the smoother cherry-almond-vanilla fragrance with better staying power and the stronger overall scent.

Buy L’Intense if you prefer more spice, smoke, leather, and a slightly more mature profile.

Category L’Homme Ideal EDP L’Homme Ideal L’Intense Winner
Opening Natural cherry, almond, slight spice, leather, vanilla, and smooth warmth Warm fresh leather, almond, cardamom, chili pepper, smoke, and toned-down sweetness EDP
Projection Moderate; above average early, then weaker later Moderate; can hit a slightly higher high but falls off quicker Push
Longevity Around 8–9.5 hours Usually around 7 hours, up to 8 EDP
Versatility Autumn/winter, nightlife, daytime, and office safe; sweeter profile Autumn/winter, nightlife, daytime, and office safe; more depth and maturity L’Intense
Overall Scent Smooth cherry, leather, almond, vanilla warmth, and refined sweetness Spicier, smokier almond-leather profile with chili, cardamom, and a solid dry down EDP
Best For Those who want the smoother, better-smelling, longer-lasting option Those who want the spicier, smokier, slightly more mature version —

Tale of the Tape: L’Homme Ideal L’Intense vs. EDP

Ideal EDP

Notes include: cherry, almond, lavender, vanilla, incense, rose, rosemary, leather, tonka bean, and more

Click here to try: L’Homme Ideal EDP at Selfridges (ships from UK)

L’Homme Ideal L’Intense

Notes include: tonka bean, chili pepper, almond, cardamom, vanilla, leather, and more

Click here to try: L’homme Ideal L’intense By Guerlain FOR MEN 3.4 oz Eau De Parfum Spray, black

Read my full review: L’Intense

Opening

Ideal EDP opens with its natural cherry and almond blend. The opening features a slight spiciness, but it is overall a very smooth and refined opening act. Leather, vanilla, and other warmer hints are coming through from the base.

L’Intense is actually very similar to how Ideal EDP opens, but with some variation. L’Intense has a warm and fresh profile, with leather letting itself be known from the start.

With that, you get spice from both cardamom and chili pepper, which is the main distinction from EDP. Though, there is also a sweetness here like its competitor, from the cardamom note and what I think is the unlisted cherry note (just toned way down).

Also, just a general smokiness, like incense from hints of sandalwood and almond.

Which is better? Obviously, it’s a pretty close call since there is so much overlap between them. But, I think that I prefer EDP’s smoothness more so than the spicy and smoky L’Intense.

Edge: EDP

Projection

Both of these fragrances are moderate with their sillage. I’d say each is above average early on, but then devolve into more of skin scents after a few hours.

I think that L’Intense actually might fall off a bit quicker, but hits a higher high in terms of how far its projects. There’s no real distinction in this category, in my experience.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Ideal L’Intense can go for up to 8 hours, on my skin. However, it’s usually around 7 and for the back half its at that weaker sillage level.

It’s got some pretty good performance, but nothing spectacular. Right about what you’d expect from this type of cologne. 

Ideal EDP is a longer lasting fragrance, with an 8-9.5 hour range of performance. It too, is a weaker skin scent for a good portion of the wear.

Nonetheless, it has the better longevity of the two. Not a massive gap, but noticeable.

Edge: EDP

Versatility

Both of these fragrances are built for the autumn and winter months. I think that they both have a good deal of versatility, as to what occasions that can be worn. Both are better for the nightlife, but are light enough to not be problems in the daytime, and are relatively office safe.

I do think that L’Intense has a bit more depth, refinement, and maturity than the sweeter EDP. L’Intense can be more appropriate for a man in his 30s, when he doesn’t want to go with a cherry/vanilla/almond focused EDP.

Not a huge distinction, but L’Intense takes this category.

Edge: L’Intense

 

Overall Scent

Overall, I really like both of these fragrances, but I don’t love either. I know the Ideal line has its fans that adore these scents, but for me they’re more of an occasional delight.

With L’Intense, I really wasn’t impressed with it the first few times I wore it. But, I’ve come to appreciate it more so. Early wears were particularly smoky, though, it now smells cleaner to my nose. 

My favorite part is actually the opening, with the chili and almond notes. That’s the high point and even then, I don’t enjoy it as much as EDP.

I think L’Intense is a solid cologne to have around, has strong points, and is easier to acquire here in the US (than EDP).  The dry down is fine, pretty standard, but isn’t as enjoyable to me as the first hour.

I’ve been wearing this Guerlain, but it isn’t something I need to have a bottle of.

With EDP, it’s just a better scent. I think it might be my second favorite now behind the discontinued Cologne, in the Ideal lineup. I’ve begun to appreciate it more than Extreme, which I’m wavering on, with my opinion of it.

I love the cherry, the leather smoothness, and the warm sweetness that the fragrance has…without venturing into ‘candy aroma’ territory. To me, Ideal EDP isn’t way better than L’Intense, but it does feel like its a cut above.

Winner: Ideal EDP

Who Should Buy Each?

Choose L’Homme Ideal EDP if:

You want the better overall scent
You prefer cherry, almond, vanilla, leather, tonka bean, and smooth sweetness
You want better longevity, around 8–9.5 hours
You like warm sweet fragrances that do not become too candy-like
You want the smoother and more refined opening between the two

Choose L’Homme Ideal L’Intense if:

You want something spicier and smokier
You prefer chili pepper, cardamom, almond, leather, tonka bean, and vanilla
You want a slightly more mature profile than the sweeter EDP
You like autumn/winter fragrances that can still work for daytime or office use
You want the version with more depth and a less cherry-focused style

Guerlain Ideal FAQ

Is L’Homme Ideal EDP worth buying over L’Intense?

Yes, I think that it is a better fragrance. I do own L’Intense, because I got a bottle for so cheap, and at the time you had to order Ideal EDP from other countries. But, the added cherry and the blend of Ideal EDP is really great, even if I like L’Intense also.

Which one has better performance overall?

Ideal eau de parfum has a slightly better performance. Again, it lasts a bit longer than does L’Intense. Though, how each projects is roughly the same. Not a huge difference in terms of performance.

Is L’Homme Ideal L’Intense smokier than EDP?

Yes, the leather and smokiness is one of the distinct aspects of L’Intense. Particularly, the leather, but it is also a smokier blend when compared with EDP.

 

 

L’Homme Ideal Platine Prive by Guerlain

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L’Homme Ideal Platine Prive was released by Guerlain in 2023, as a part of its long-running L’Homme Ideal line of fragrances. I was excited to try this fragrance out, as it was said to be very similar to Ideal Cologne. How does this one compare? What does Platine Prive smell like? Is it worth a try?

What does Ideal Platine Prive Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, grapefruit, almond, vetiver, musk, neroli

My Full Wear Review

So, Ideal Platine Prive is essentially a reworking/re-release of Ideal Cologne, that Guerlain discontinued years ago. It was actually my favorite of the series and I was excited to get ahold of this one.

The only difference are the orange and pink pepper seem to have been eliminated. Neither of which were all that prominent in the Cologne version.

The opening starts off with a blast of the grapefruit and bergamot. They’re almost equally weighted, maybe a slight edge to the grapefruit on my skin.

Those notes are juicy, but they play off a dryness in this fragrance, from the vetiver mainly. The neroli is the third most noticeable note behind the two citrus fruits. A bit of spice, which contrasts with the almond bitterness and creaminess which is already popping through.

It’s fresh, spicy, cold, dry, and a tad green in the early stages.

The initial wave of citrus will quiet down and Platine Prive really starts to go into its almond and vetiver heavy phase. The neroli and mostly the bergamot hang around too. Creamy, clean, and that bitter touch of neroli stands out more with the almond note.

From here, it really feels like Ideal Cologne. Maybe a bit smoother than the original. Though, any differences I’m picking up on, are all based on my memory of the older release.

Fresh, with some zest, like a cool drink. Still, this Guerlain does have that underlying dryness to it. Almond and citrus/musk with vetiver is the dry down. The vetiver will settle and share a lot of its duties with the musk note.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is somewhat above average, but it’s not a heavy scent nor a massive projector. It’ll give you a scent trail for a few hours with normal sprays, but then, it’ll sit closer to the skin. It’s definitely still around and you’ll catch whiffs of it throughout the day.

Platine Prive can hit 8 hours or a bit more of wear on skin. More than likely it will fall in the 7-8 hour range. That’s what I’ve mostly been getting out of this cologne.

Seasonally, this is one for spring and summertime. It’s actually really great to wear outside on a mildly warm day. It’s not super powerful, but Ideal Platine Prive does hang around in the air surrounding you well enough to be enjoyed on a stroll.

I wore this to the park a few times and got a pleasant little scent bubble for myself. I could wear this almost anywhere during the spring and summer months. It’s pleasant, likeable, and isn’t going to offend.

Not crazy formal or a nightclub beast, but I’d wear it out at night, depending on the location. Platine Prive can certainly fit in a wide variety of places.

Overall Impressions of Ideal Platine Prive

Overall, do I like L’Homme Ideal Platine Prive? Yes, of course. I think it’s great. I’m glad that Guerlain basically put a very slight remix on my favorite of the Ideal line, that had been gone for so long.

The citrus and almond with vetiver and musk isn’t too complex, but it is a wonderful scent. The almond isn’t overpowering, quite balanced between bitter and creamy.

The performance is solid for this sort of spring and summer scent. If you liked the original Cologne version, you’ll certainly like this one too.

That being said, it isn’t available outside of Guerlain (at least in the US). I had to buy a decant of this Guerlain off of eBay, just to test it out. So, don’t expect to find it widely available at department stores, like some of the other Ideal releases.

It is worth getting, if you can. Personally, I’m not planning on getting a bottle as I have plenty of summer scents, including the somewhat similar Dior Homme Cologne that I recently bought.

If that weren’t the case, I’d be getting myself a bottle of Ideal Platine Prive.

Aqua Allegoria Pera Granita by Guerlain

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Pera Granita is a release which is a part of the Aqua Allegoria series by Guerlain. It’s one that I’ve already tried and enjoyed before, but I decided to buy another sample, in order to write up a full review. It came out in 2016. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Pera Granita Smell Like?

Notes include: pear, grapefruit, apricot, lemon, bergamot, musk, orange blossom, osmanthus, hedione, cedar, moss

Click here to try: Pera Granita

My Full Review

Here’s how Guerlain describes it: Savour a granita in the shade of the pear trees in the garden of the Hesperides, then gather their fruity treasures.

Pera Granita starts off with an explosion of its citrus and other fruity notes. Early on, you’re going to get plenty of lemon, sour bergamot, and the grapefruit coming through. Yes, the pear will be there throughout, it’s just overshadowed in the beginning.

Add to all of that, some osmanthus, which gives off it’s own sweet fruity sort of aroma as a floral note. Lots of sweet, sour, and sharpness happening in these early stages.

The next phase is fresher rather than sweet and sour. Some of the citrus notes burn off, which gives more play to the pear note. However, it is also going to share the stage with an array of floral notes and musk.

Actually, the grapefruit stands out on my skin, as it seems most of the burn off is from the lemon and bergamot notes.

The jasmine (hedione) and musk create a clean and somewhat shampoo-like vibe in the middle act. Add the freshness of cedar, sparkling water effect of pear, and the citrusy aroma…and Pera Granita really starts to give off the cleanliness.

The back half of this one is a fruit/musk/floral mix. The jasmine, orange blossom, osmanthus aren’t really sticking out as individual notes. More of a generic floral aroma.

It’s fresh with musk and wood at the base, a bit green, some light spice, and the fruits still jockeying for position.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Pera Granita opens up with a moderate strength. It’s fruity notes, definitely have reach in the early stages, and will be noticed from more than 7 feet away from where you sprayed.

As it moves along, this Aqua Allegoria fragrance will be much more of a lighter moderate scent, until it begins to disappear.

On my skin, it’ll last for 6-7 hours, with those last few hours not being particularly powerful. However, Pera Granita is for sure still present.

Seasonally, this is a spring and summertime wear, all the way. A great one to wear outside, relaxing around, or other daily wear functions during this stretch of time.

It’s an upbeat and clean one to wear in the daytime. Not going to be a sexy nightlife wear or one that is super formal. Though, you’ll still get plenty of use out of Pera Granita, even without the nighttime functions.

Overall Impressions of Pera Granita

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I do.

The freshness, the mix of sweet, sour, pear, and floral notes. The energy of it and how it has some depth for a summertime wear. It’s an Aqua Allegoria perfume that I enjoy quite a bit.

The performance itself is pretty mid. It’s not awful on me, but I wouldn’t expect a marathon wear or super beastly performance out of Pera Granita. 7 hours, on the high end, with  the last few being skin scent territory. Fair enough.

Still, this is one of my favorite pear perfumes that I have tried. It’s not completely dominated by that note, but I like how it stands out within the mix.

Pera Granita is a very good warm weather option for those who enjoy this style of fragrance. Definitely worth trying out. But, with how pricey it can be, maybe not a perfume that you’d want to blind buy.

Also, if it doesn’t sound like something that’d fit your style, I don’t think it’d do anything to change that fact.

Habit Rouge Rouge Prive by Guerlain

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Habit Rouge Rouge Prive, is a 2023 flanker to the original Habit Rouge, which has been popular for decades. I bought a sample of Rouge, after seeing so many positive comments about the scent.

I have been testing this Guerlain out and putting it through its paces for review. I must note, that I am not going to be comparing it to the original, as it’s been years since I’ve even smelled Habit Rouge. So, I really don’t want to try to do it based off memory alone.

How does Rouge Prive smell? How long does it last? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Habit Rouge Rouge Prive Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, leather, ginger, iris, vanilla, patchouli, orange blossom

My Full Review

Here’s how Guerlain describes it: The legendary bergamot-leather accord of Habit Rouge intensified by the sensuality of patchouli and modernized by the spiciness of ginger.

The opening of Rouge Prive comes out with a very strong use of its bergamot note. Juicy, sour, and quite good.

Immediately alongside of that, you’re already going to get the leather note showing itself. It’s already powerful, but will grow to dominate this Guerlain fragrance.

What’s interesting to me, is the mix of warmth and spiciness from the ginger note, and the patchouli peaking through. It’s kind of presenting a roasted and crispy bergamot aroma up close.

However, pulling back my nose, this has a light powdery/soapy aroma from the iris and very light orange blossom. The orange blossom, what little there is, seems to be gone in 20 minutes or so.

The transition away from the warmer spiciness of the opening is the first major change. That ginger becomes much weaker, leather and patchouli rise further. Still, the bergamot is playing a major role at this point in time.

After about an hour in, the powdery aroma has faded a lot. You pretty much get the same thing the rest of the way: luxurious and smooth leather, bergamot and patchouli jockeying for position, and a bit of vanilla to soften out the edges.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Habit Rouge Rouge Prive absolutely packs a punch. That opening is loud, fairly heavy, and projects extremely well.

The thing is, the party keeps on going for a long long time. The projection hours into the wear, is still very noticeable, and outdoes a lot of mainstream designer colognes at their peak. 5+ feet off of the skin or clothing, seems about right, after 3-plus hours.

It also is one that lasts over 9 hours and got up to 11 for me. For some people, Rouge Prive might extend beyond that. That wasn’t true in my case, but it’s a scent with fantastic longevity.

Seasonally, this works anytime outside of the height of summer. Just avoid having it on in the heat and humidity. You should be fine any other time. Rouge Prive is at its best, when it’s at least slightly cold, however.

One that can be worn day or into the night. It’s got a refined style, that’s suitable for ‘dressier’ wear, but not so completely stuffy that it’s unwearable in a more chill scenario.

I might goes easy on the sprays, if you’re wearing it to the office or elsewhere in close quarters. Though, it should still fit in, for a wide variety of situations.

Skews older. Not an ‘old man’ scent, but probably not something that most high school aged guys are going to be wearing to class, either.

Overall Impressions of Rouge Prive

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I do. I received this sample along with a decant of Ideal Platine Prive, also by Guerlain, and I like that one more than Rouge Prive.

But, this is still a very nice fragrance, if you’re into this sort of style. The Habit Rouge series does come across as a masculine version of Shalimar. Rouge Prive, is a modernized version of that.

I do like the opening with the ginger, bergamot, and leather. It’s a great start to the wear. The powdery touch are also nice.

I must note, that the bergamot and leather combination, does kind of get old to me after a number of hours. Just starts to wear on my nerves. Not completely awful or anything, but not something that I want to personally have on all day.

The performance is fantastic too. Rouge Prive will stick around for a long time, without completely diminishing in its strength until very deep into the wear.

Rouge Prive is worth a try, if you like the original or are a fan of leathery scents. This Guerlain does have pretty limited availability both geographically and the number of stores it actually sells in.

That being the case, you might have to just blind buy it, if you’re really interested. If this sounds like something you’d be into, I don’t think you’d be disappointed with what you get.

Shalimar EDP by Guerlain

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Shalimar is another utter classic. I haven’t tried this in years, but decided to grab some of the EDP, while testing out a few others in the series. Its legendary status dates back to 1925 and is among the ranks of Chanel No. 5 in terms of its mythos. But, this is a wholly different fragrance. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it actually worth a try?

Shalimar EDP Overview

Notes include: bergamot, iris, vanilla, jasmine, rose, balsam, tonka bean, cedar, incense, leather

Click here to try: Shalimar EDP

My Full Review

Here’s how Guerlain describes it: The epic love story between Shah Jahan and Princess Mumtaz Mahal inspired Guerlain’s legendary Shalimar. Warm vanilla rounds out uplifting and refreshing citrus notes to make this sensual oriental perfume the fragrance of desire.

Shalimar starts off with the bergamot and other parts of the citrus accord, shining through. Bright, but not clear, a fuzzy impression. I get plenty of the incense type of smokiness early on and even the leathery aroma coming from the base. Very much the “Guerlinade”  out in full force.

Smooth, warm, with spicy facets (good amount upon the initial spray), and the emerging powdery smell of the iris and vanilla combination. This EDP is much less floral than the more straightforward EDT version, as this one has much more complexity going on.

The next phase becomes woodier and balsamic (somewhat of the animalistic sort of scent, mimicking the old ‘civet’ which was in here once upon a time) on my skin. Less smoky, still smooth, and less of a citrus aspect also. Those notes still remain present, but you get more of the oriental styling that Shalimar is known for.

Shalimar turns less bright with the fading of the prominent citrus and darker with a heavier emphasis on the vanilla. It is interesting, the iris is still there, but can’t quite climb over the other notes here as it does in the EDT.

Vanilla and rich leather is the next part that comes across strongly on me. That’s most of what will dominate the rest of the way. It’s fresher, less smoky and of the civet sort of smell (which basically disappears for me), and kind of a cool sort of powdery scent.

Vanilla, floral, kind of musky and just that powdery vibe throughout.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

On me, Shalimar EDP is well above average with how it projects, the scent trail that it leaves behind, and just the scent bubble that it creates around me.

It’s never struck me as being massive and overwhelming. However, it is a strong perfume and doesn’t really need to be sprayed to any great extent in order to be effective.

The longevity here is somewhere in the 8.5-9.5 hour range, on my skin. Call it 9, with the potential to hit 10+ for some people. I haven’t gotten it to that point, but I’m sure some others will.

Seasonally, it’s going to be at its best from autumn through early spring. Despite the citrus influence, the other notes are going to be too heavy and cloying to carry on in the summertime. I do know that Guerlain has released Guerlain flankers better suited for summer, but I have yet to try them.

Shalimar has been the signature scent for plenty of women over the years. It can work in the daytime or even as a nighttime wear. But, this one feels more dependent on one’s own personal style as to when it’ll work.

It does have a sultry kind of sexiness and confidence. Yet, it is also well put together and classy. Get a sample and experiment with Shalimar to see when the mood strikes you.

Overall Impressions of Shalimar EDP

Overall, do I like Shalimar? Absolutely. Among women’s fragrances, I think that is ranks among my favorites ever. There’s so much here to enjoy about this Guerlain scent and it still holds up today.

Now of course, it might not have the same impact as it once did. In that, after 100 years, there have been plenty of perfumes that have tried to copy what you get with Shalimar. Some take bits and pieces, others go for the full thing. As such, you’ve probably smelled some similar scents. It’s impact has been immense.

I love the citrus, smoke, balsamic qualities, powder, the vanilla. It’s all a comforting and classic style, that never strikes me as being boring. Plenty of dynamism for such an old formula.

The performance also still holds up. Guerlain hasn’t seemed to dilute the life out of this fragrance, which is great news.

The eau de parfum still outranks the EDT version. I also like Shalimar Parfum Initial, just to a lesser extent, as well.

Is this better than Chanel No. 5? I do like Shalimar more than either No.5 Parfum or the EDP. That’s a different sort of scent, but I just think Shalimar smells better.

I recommend trying this fragrance out. See how it works with your own taste and style. It might not be at a price point, that you’d want to blind buy a full bottle, but it’s such a classic that Shalimar is well worth experiencing at least a few times.