WHAT I SMELL:  V. Intense’s opening is a beautiful burst of bergamot and sweet pear which is soon mixed with a warmed saffron.  Deliciously pretty, a ripe and juicy plum note soon comes to the center of the stage.  Not too juicy though, the plum is lush without being saturated.  Actually, it feels like it’s sitting on top of a lush green bouquet of patchouli.  The perfume has an incredibly radiance, as if the plum and patchouli are pushing out this warmed, yet powdered and dried sunny hue.  After some more, a hint of incense appears making the perfume mysterious and seductive.  After which a pencil shaving note of sandalwood appears while the perfume increases its powdery evolution with just the hint of cream.  In the end, the warmed tonka and incense make for lovely modern vintage vibe.

From Robert Piguet Parfums:

V. Intense opens with a burst of bergamot, pear and saffron, a whirling eddy of citrus and spice.  Soft rose, sweet ylang ylang and sumptuous plum unlock the daring core, a dalliance of fruit and floral that lays a warm, exotic path to the fragrance’s denouement.  Patchouli, incense, sandalwood and white musk create a magical dry down, as transporting as it is visceral.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Although V. Intense was only launched in 2014, it has a very urban sophisticated 1950s nostalgic feel to me.  It’s pretty and lightly sweet with just the right amount of powder and it feels ’50s fashionable in being neat, trimmed and tailored.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE V. INTENSE: vibrant, energizing, witty

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT V. INTENSE: AustralianPerfumeJunkies, Fragrance Daily

BOTTOM LINE:  V Intense, full of plum, is everything I thought I would not like in a perfume.  Instead, it’s understated beauty and urban sophistication is everything that I crave in a perfume.  I absolutely love it.

• Bone Rating:  4.5 out of possible 5 bones
• Scent: Oriental Floral
• Nose: Aurelien Guichard
• Classification: Unisex
• Expense: Approximately $180 for 100 ml eau de parfum