Paco Rabanne certainly know how to make bold fragrances and whether you love them or hate them, it cannot be denied that perfumes from the house of Paco certainly make an impact. Their perfumes are always novel yet wearable, taking popular styles of fragrance and presenting them in a ‘knock your socks off’ kind of a way, with olfactory signatures that are instantly recognisable and completely unforgettable.  Their bottles are pretty awesome too and lets face it, who else could house a scent in a piece of faux gold bullion and make it cool?  That’s right, only Paco Rabanne!

After the launch of 1 Million and Lady Million, Paco Rabanne looked away from the world of materials things, of gold bars and diamond rings, to the domain of the Greek Gods.  They launched Invictus and Olympea, two fragrances that are divine in nature but also sporting in spirit.  Now Olympea and Invictus are having the intense treatment, with two new flankers that accentuate the bold accords of these fragrances with something deeper and richer.  Olympea goes full floral and Invictus sexes things up with amber and whisky.  Have I caught your attention yet?

Olympea Intense

I’m a fan of Olympea because it’s an unusual fragrance.  It takes waxy tropical flowers and creamy woods with a dash of salted shortbread for good measure.  What could sound like a hot mess on paper is actually a rather beautiful scent – one that has touches of the obscure as well as the beautiful.  Olympea is a fragrance that plays with the exotic and the unexpected, but somehow feels effortlessly wearable at all times.

So how does the Olympea Intense compare to the original?  Well the first thing to note is that the ‘intense’ in the name doesn’t necessarily lend itself to increased strength or tenacity, instead it is reflected within the overdose of white floral notes that sit within the heart.  Olympea Intense is a buxom bouquet of tropical flowers spray painted in bronze.  The heavy waxiness of the flowers is underpinned by a gloriously velvet-like dose of salted vanilla, which softens everything with an almost savoury creaminess.  The result is a decadent white floral that hints at sun-soaked, salty skin.  Lovely!

Invictus Intense

For the gents, Invictus was a fragrance evocative of strength.  It’s an icy cold blend of herbs and spices that avoids the typical aquatic nature of masculine sport scents and instead offers a steely resolve that is metallic and fresh.  Invictus isn’t the type of scent I’d personally wear but like Olympea, it does something slightly unusual with something entirely familiar, which is never a bad thing, and with Invictus the fresh sport style of fragrance got a brand new pair of abs.

Invictus Intense darkens the steely gaze of the original, warming it up with amber and leather.  To me it feels fleshed out in a really pleasing way.  What was sharp and loud about the original has been softened with nuance.  To my nose, Invictus Intense is the scent you’d wear after the gym.  It’s the one that lends itself more to seductive endeavours thanks to its robustly masculine accords of ambergris and whisky.  Invictus Intense is a bit of a sexy beast and in the same vein as the original it provides something unique: a transparent and fresh take on amber.  Sexy!

Over to You

There you have it, Olympea and Invictus Intense.  Which one tickles your fancy? Let me know below!