This is one of the endless lines of cologne lines that are being brought out by almost every single perfume line. However like everything about Calvin Klein, this marketed towards the brand image customers. They will immediately recognize a kindred spirit in Intense Euphoria. However it is not quite as dramatic as the name may suggest.

The Brand

Calvin Klein is one of the most successful and enduring perfume houses. It has now become synonymous with the age of the designer stuff and is quite adept at adding premium to what would otherwise have been fairly ordinary products. The wonderful thing about the brand is that they know their customer and try to deliver to them what they want.

The Fragrance

The perfume is very pleasant and opens with certain spice elements that are combined with a citrus hint. There is some sage which is followed by melon. A woody scent finishes off the perfume to add that essential masculine flavor.  The fragrance list just points to these ingredients and includes some ginger, pepper, accord of the raindrop type, sudachi, basil, patchoulie and cedar leaf. They talk of amber but I cannot smell it. Vetiver and myrrh are used to create an almost oriental mix.

The Packaging

I do like the structure of the angular bottle with its clean lines and almost sixties feel but the brown color is rather nondescript. It makes the perfume appear to be much older than it is and does not bring the vibrancy that one would expect of a Calvin Klein creation.

General Customer Feedback

Customers had pleasant enough experiences of the perfume but they felt that it did not have the wow factor to make them desire to buy it above all other perfumes. There were a few complaints about the intrusion of melon which seemed to overwhelm some of the delicate notes that make the perfume whole. Many of the reviewers felt that they perfume actually did perform much better once placed on the skin but by the time this happened a lot of the damage had been done through a rather standard combination of fragrance notes.

Popularity: 7% [?]

What can I say about Valentino apart from the fact that it has been a mainstay of men’s fashion for decades? Valentino is all about Italian masculinity and passion yet combined with a surprising feeling of tradition and conformity. It is a strange combination but it works well with this perfume. The sharpness of some of the scents can be off putting for some people but by and large the perfume is one that is dramatically suited to the urbane gentleman.

The Brand

The Valentino brand has never been about making noise. It is rather about making good Italian clothes and accessories that give the wearer the confidence to go about with their business. Thankfully the brand has also not been pushed by celebrities who are only too willing to destroy any brand that comes their way.

The Fragrance

The fragrance hits you with Bergamot, Mandarin, Basil, Pink Peppercorn, Transparent Floral, Jasmine, Mace, Cumin, Ambrette Seed, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Dry Amber and Musk. That is quite a lot even for a designer perfume. However the sharpness should not distract from the sweetness of Valentino once the dust has settled. This is a perfume that is best appreciated after leaving it on the body for a few hours.

The Packaging

This has to be one of my favorite packaging ever. The perfume is placed in clear bottle that brings out it icy blue haze. The black just adds another dimension but generally this is a top simple packaging. It fits in very well with the personality of the perfume.

General Customer Feedback

Men are being true to type by not giving away too much about this particular perfume but the little they mention is exceptionally complimentary given the circumstances. They all love its very sharp tones because it definitely speaks of masculinity.

Popularity: 5% [?]