Our take
What does Mon Guerlain Intense smell like?
Two years after the original Mon Guerlain, Thierry Wasser and Delphine Jelk released an Intense version in 2019. It was the fifth take on the line. The opening keeps the Provence lavender, lifted by bergamot and mandarin, and it soon loses its herbal edge. Sambac jasmine acts as the bridge to the vanilla, which Guerlain puts front and center. It is a tincture made by hand at the house's Orphin factory from Tahitian and Madagascan beans. Iris and rose stay in the background. The base runs darker than in the regular eau de parfum. Coumarin and benzoin push it toward amber. Patchouli dries it out a little and licorice adds a black, faintly salty note. Sandalwood and white musk smooth it over. Next to YSL's Libre, another lavender and vanilla pairing from the same years, Mon Guerlain Intense is more resinous and less floral.
When to wear it
A winter scent for evenings or for a wool scarf. Two sprays are plenty and it lasts a full day.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber, Fougère family. Mon Guerlain Intense is one of 89 creations by Guerlain in our encyclopedia.
