Our take
What does L'Interdit Intense smell like?
Two years after the new L'Interdit of 2018, Givenchy offered a darker reading of it. The bottle went fully black. Dominique Ropion, Anne Flipo and Fanny Bal took their white flowers and pushed them toward amber. Black pepper opens with a surprising dryness. Orange blossom follows almost at once. Tuberose then takes over, fleshy and slightly sweet. Toasted sesame is the real curiosity, bringing a roasted seed note that recalls warm bread crust. The base blends a faintly leathery vanilla with vetiver and patchouli. This is where the Intense earns its name, with a long and slightly smoky trail. Compared with the 2018 eau de parfum, which is brighter and airier, this one is warmer and more gourmand. It keeps the same tension between white flowers and a dark base, just turned up a notch.
When to wear it
For winter evenings and dates, on skin that likes amber scents. One spray on the nape and one on the wrist is plenty.
It belongs to the Floral, Oriental / Amber family. L'Interdit Intense is one of 40 creations by Givenchy in our encyclopedia.
