It's widely known that some of the best perfumes are French. And as a beauty editor who has tried hundreds of them, one of my all-time favourite French perfume brands is Narciso Rodriguez. The original Narciso Rodriguez For Her fragrance was one of the first perfumes I ever wore, and the Rose Musc Noir version went TikTok-viral last year after a Parisian woman revealed it as her signature perfume.
For that reason, I'm so excited that there is now a new version of the iconic fragrance. Enter, Narciso Rodriguez For Her Intense Eau de Parfum (£72), which I'm tipping to be the next French-girl fragrance icon.
Narciso Rodriguez For Her Intense Review
What Does Narciso Rodriguez For Her Intense Smell Like?
Fragrance family: Fruity/chypre
Key notes: Peach, bergamot, white flowers, musk, amber, vanilla, vetiver
How it smells: On the initial spritz, it feels like you're nuzzling your nose into the fuzzy skin of a mouthwatering, just-ripe peach.
As it dries down, you're enveloped by silky soft petals of white flowers and a hint of skin-like musk (a nod to the original For Her fragrance).
In the base is a smooth and creamy vanilla, grounded with earthy and green vetiver. It smells fresh, cosy, feminine, sophisticated and the hint of musk makes it feel very French-girl coded.
How Does Narciso Rodriguez For Her Intense Narciso Rodriguez Compare to The Narciso Rodriguez For Her?
To me, the original Narciso Rodriguez For Her Eau de Toilette (£54) scent is a more powerful musky and animalic scent with orange blossom, osmanthus, musk, amber and patchouli.
In comparison, the new For Her Intense is softer and with more fruity and floral profile thanks to the juicy peach and creamy white flower notes. The iconic musk is definitely present in the new version, but overall these two fragrances smell quite different, like sisters with two different styles that occasionally borrow from one another's' wardrobes.
The perfumer behind the new scent (and several of Narciso Rodriguez's fragrances), Sonia Constant, developed on the classic musk note for the new For Her Intense. Using AI and headspace technology, she was able to enhance and intensify the lasting power of the note so you can enjoy the scent for longer. While I'd say the scent itself is more delicate, the lasting power is impressive—I can still detect it on my skin hours later.
The Verdict
If you want a fruity-floral scent to take you into spring and beyond, this is a beautiful perfume that is sure to make you feel expensive and sophisticated. I'm obsessed with the addition of fruity peach, which makes this scent feel bright and fresh before drying down into smooth musk and vanilla base.
For a fruity scent, it's surprisingly long-lasting, so it doesn't require many top-ups throughout the day. As a big Narciso Rodriguez fan, I'm tipping this scent to become a new French-girl favourite.
Shop Narciso Rodriguez For Her Intense
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