Reviews of Polo Cologne Intense Eau de Parfum by Ralph Lauren
I wasn't expecting anything remotely similar to original Polo (and it isn't) but it's still a letdown that I could have done without.
Imagine One Man Show Emerald with its sweeter elements dialed back a few notches and a dose of ambroxan to blue things up and this is exactly what you'd get. Not unwearable, just not even close to anything special. Vaguely blue-green, but not effectively so like, say, Horizon by Guy Laroche. This is just mediocre.
Imagine One Man Show Emerald with its sweeter elements dialed back a few notches and a dose of ambroxan to blue things up and this is exactly what you'd get. Not unwearable, just not even close to anything special. Vaguely blue-green, but not effectively so like, say, Horizon by Guy Laroche. This is just mediocre.
love this just for its historical context of trying to deliver oldschool slightly with a modern edge. smells great to my nose too like a more green than blue version of the ambroxan based aquatic
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The original polo is my favorite fragrance, and im a vintage snob about it too.
This passes as a legitimate hot weather flanker for the original polo green, and if somebody doesnt agree that they get a similar vibe from them both, then at least the cologne intense smells really unique in the 2020's. Compare this to something like ralphs club....*puke*. functions like modern stuff but has touches of the past.
This passes as a legitimate hot weather flanker for the original polo green, and if somebody doesnt agree that they get a similar vibe from them both, then at least the cologne intense smells really unique in the 2020's. Compare this to something like ralphs club....*puke*. functions like modern stuff but has touches of the past.
I'm really surprised none compared this to Guerlain Homme (2008) because for me the first phase is extremely similar, you can perceive the quality isn't really the same in terms of crispness, freshness, "oomph" and separation of the ingredients, but overall I get a lot of similarities. In broad terms, it's more or less the same minty-woody fougère concept. Sadly Polo quickly gets flatter and more artificial than Guerlain's so there's really no competition, but for the price - and for being a Ralph Lauren perfume - it's a more than decent product.
7/10
7/10
Polo Cologne Intense EDP
I’m finally sampling this 2 years after its release. To be brief, I don’t hate it.
Take a look at the note pyramid and that’s how this one behaves. It does smell “a bit” like the OG Polo in the mid, but overall, it smells like a 25 - 35 age range responding to their online focus group survey - “what would a modern version of Polo smell like?”
The definitive answer is Polo Modern Reserve, which IMO is a real gem, but is currently a holy cow vintage unicorn $$$.
Positive, just barely ….2.5 / 5 stars
I’m finally sampling this 2 years after its release. To be brief, I don’t hate it.
Take a look at the note pyramid and that’s how this one behaves. It does smell “a bit” like the OG Polo in the mid, but overall, it smells like a 25 - 35 age range responding to their online focus group survey - “what would a modern version of Polo smell like?”
The definitive answer is Polo Modern Reserve, which IMO is a real gem, but is currently a holy cow vintage unicorn $$$.
Positive, just barely ….2.5 / 5 stars
Fresh, with a very light touch of mint. Nothing intense about this, but it is a decent fragrance. If you're looking for anything like the original, you will be highly disappointed. Starts out with a kick of grapefruit and maybe sage. Kind of generic, but as previously mentioned, it's a decent fragrance. Bottle worthy?....That's for you to decide. 6.5/10
Really, really did not get on with this. Who would buy this? "I really want to buy a green bottle of Ralph Lauren, but I don't want to smell like my grandad, so I'll pick up this instead rather than one of the actually modern and fashionable scents out there". Or is it for collectors?
In any case, it's far inferior to anything else I've tested from the Polo line. An amphibious (semi-aquatic) fougere wannabe that is a clear result of box-ticking and focus groups. You can see, and smell, the cynicism a mile off.
In any case, it's far inferior to anything else I've tested from the Polo line. An amphibious (semi-aquatic) fougere wannabe that is a clear result of box-ticking and focus groups. You can see, and smell, the cynicism a mile off.
This fragrance is a modern interpretation of the original, but it doesn't lean too heavily on earthiness. Instead, it features a blue ambroxan note and a fresh, cologne-like mint scent. Varanis Ridari noted the presence of clary sage in this fragrance, and I can see the similarity to H24. While it may seem generic, it's a solid competitor to other airy green/fresh scents on the market. I think this fragrance will grow on me, so I plan to give it another chance.
I have a full bottle of Polo Cologne Intense and it smells so bad that I question the validity of the bottle and/or the juice inside. Very herbal, very harsh, very mature, (but not in a good way) all especially in the drydown. The overall effect is the smell of a shirt that's been worn all day by a mature guy that sprayed on something like the original Polo green, but you are smelling the shirt 8 hours after the initial spray. There's just a sweaty, peppery, muskiness that I cannot get over.
It doesn't smell modern or even as a tribute to the original.
To its credit and my disappointment due to the scent, it does project and has very good longevity. One of the most cloying scents I've worn.
I will try to get a sample from Polo in the future to confirm my bottle. If it's different, I will come back for an updated review.
UPDATE: My official samples confirmed that I do have a legit bottle. My original thoughts stand.
It doesn't smell modern or even as a tribute to the original.
To its credit and my disappointment due to the scent, it does project and has very good longevity. One of the most cloying scents I've worn.
I will try to get a sample from Polo in the future to confirm my bottle. If it's different, I will come back for an updated review.
UPDATE: My official samples confirmed that I do have a legit bottle. My original thoughts stand.
On the plus side, Cologne Intense is modern and refreshing, it's not so heavy on the synthetic woods, and Ambroxan. On the negative.. it's not very interesting, and smells nothing like Polo, or Modern Reserve.
To me, the opening smells a lot like Polo Black. Peachy, if I say so. drying down into a creamy slightly spicy peachy/mandarin accord. The base brings in a lot of cinnamon to me.
Basenotes, and more so Fragrantica have a lot of reviews comparing it to the original Polo, I don't get it at all. I thought maybe I bought a dud? Then a few others agreed with my comparison to Polo Black. I'm still not sure quite honestly. I may seek after another bottle, to see if it differs. As for now.. I could take or leave it.
To me, the opening smells a lot like Polo Black. Peachy, if I say so. drying down into a creamy slightly spicy peachy/mandarin accord. The base brings in a lot of cinnamon to me.
Basenotes, and more so Fragrantica have a lot of reviews comparing it to the original Polo, I don't get it at all. I thought maybe I bought a dud? Then a few others agreed with my comparison to Polo Black. I'm still not sure quite honestly. I may seek after another bottle, to see if it differs. As for now.. I could take or leave it.
This is a fantastic addition to the legendary Polo.
First came the fabulous Modern Reserve back in 2008 and now this.
It is bright, blue-green, electric, slightly sweet.
The original DNA is in there (patchouli basil combo) but restrained and subdued, I pick up some bits of Modern Reserve in there as well.
It is true to the cologne moniker, but not to the intense part of the name.
If you are a die hard fan of the original, you may not like this because this is almost opposite in character.
For me, it is a must have, and considering how much Modern Reserve rose in value due to discontinuation, I will stock up on this just in case.
First came the fabulous Modern Reserve back in 2008 and now this.
It is bright, blue-green, electric, slightly sweet.
The original DNA is in there (patchouli basil combo) but restrained and subdued, I pick up some bits of Modern Reserve in there as well.
It is true to the cologne moniker, but not to the intense part of the name.
If you are a die hard fan of the original, you may not like this because this is almost opposite in character.
For me, it is a must have, and considering how much Modern Reserve rose in value due to discontinuation, I will stock up on this just in case.
This stinker doesn't merit a full review with note breakdown, and since I threw out my sample months ago (as there was no review page up for it back then) I refuse to buy another, subjecting my nose to suffer through wearing Polo Cologne Intense again.
My mini-review instead follows:
I ended up buying a large sample to at least try (if anything swayed by the gorgeous classically styled bottle), and sadly this has none of the Polo DNA I wanted, instead I found it a closer acquaintance to more modern (bad) synthetic smelling perfumes like the godawful Sauvage by Dior. As time passes, it gets more and more synthetic smelling, crescendoing at levels bordering on the unbearable. While I certainly respect those that feel otherwise, I would have to say this smells horrible to me, yielding it a poor to very poor rating of 1.5 to 2 stars out of 5 and a strong avoid recommendation to lovers of vintage original Polo (Green) and others of its ilk, except if you solely want to collect its fine looking bottle.
My mini-review instead follows:
I ended up buying a large sample to at least try (if anything swayed by the gorgeous classically styled bottle), and sadly this has none of the Polo DNA I wanted, instead I found it a closer acquaintance to more modern (bad) synthetic smelling perfumes like the godawful Sauvage by Dior. As time passes, it gets more and more synthetic smelling, crescendoing at levels bordering on the unbearable. While I certainly respect those that feel otherwise, I would have to say this smells horrible to me, yielding it a poor to very poor rating of 1.5 to 2 stars out of 5 and a strong avoid recommendation to lovers of vintage original Polo (Green) and others of its ilk, except if you solely want to collect its fine looking bottle.
Can you create an aromatic fougère without oakmoss? Designers have removed it from several prominent examples in subsequent reformulations that seem to go mostly praised with longtime wearers, so yes. Can you build an aromatic fougère around the all-too-common base note of ambroxan typically powering most modern "blue" fragrances in the 21st century? Evidently, Ralph Lauren has supplied that answer in Polo Cologne Intense (2021), which is also yes, but with a bit of trickery. There's no mistaking that some people will just never be happy unless they have things the way they were, like the people who will disdainfully compare this to the original Polo by Ralph Lauren (1977) and say that the brand is a shadow of its former self, that perfumery is dead, long live perfumery, all that myopic hogwash. We're going to ignore them though, because they can sit in their own little world where fragrance stopped being good after 1995, and all they do is troll eBay for restocking on their deep vintage bottles of this or that 70's and 80's powerhouse fragrance, because they're really not hurting anyone actually interested in this fragrance (or my review on it for that matter). There's a bit of undeniable soapiness with what's going on here, but Polo Cologne Intense is in no way an ethyl acetate/ethyl maltol fruity sweetness bomb like we've come to expect anymore from modern mainstream fragrances.
What you get here in Polo Cologne Intense by Ralph Lauren is a lean and green fragrance that stretches and plays with the definition of an aromatic fougère, as it doesn't have any lavender either, but smells quite green and properly Polo-like, while not trying to be a replacement for the inimitable original "Polo green". The opening comes out of the gate with grapefruit and orange love it or hate it, but tempers that with some spearmint and basil. I get bits of some other soapy green notes, acetates and a bit of some hedione woosh to let you know this is a modern fragrance, but things stay fairly square in the fougère department. Clary sage plays the role that lavender and geranium play here, a move similar to what Hermès did with H24 (2021). The clary sage isn't super-dosed like it is in H24, and pairs up instead with thyme and pleasant violet ionones, so think more like a Creed Green Irish Tweed (1985) vibe minus the aquatic elements. The ambroxan provides background fuzziness but the patchouli does the heavy lifting in the base, much like Amouage Bracken Man (2016).Vetiver rounds things out alongside some Iso E Super and performance is moderate in all ways that count. Polo Cologne Intense feels like a lighter and more casual hot weather-friendly take the original Polo deserved back in the 70's but never really got. You can wear this just about any time of year and it seems to be pretty tenacious on skin to boot, giving me about 10 hours. Mostly, I can see Polo Cologne Intense being an outdoor spring through early fall kind of fragrance, or worn in the office to break up the monotony of blue and citrus-focused fragrances that live there.
If you're going to do something like this with modern aromachemicals and change the paradigm for aromatic fougères away from lavender as a staple note, and furthermore away from oakmoss as a staple base accord whether real or simulated with evernyl, this right here is the way to do it. For as much as I love H24, it's not because it does a good job of being a newfangled fougère because it really honestly doesn't, but it has enough quirks and creativity behind it that it at least comes out smelling like a version of Dior Eau Sauvage (1966) for the modern man. Here with Polo Cologne Intense, we see something a bit different and more rooted in subversion of tradition going on, which makes me a bit sad that I can't credit the perfumer because they did a bang up job in the process. Now I'm not saying this is some end-all be-all experience, but what I am saying is Polo Cologne Intense is a modern green fragrance that checks the boxes for being aromatic and woody but also checks the boxes for being fresh in a contemporary way that woodier and muskier fougères just can't be, meaning there's something here for everyone who likes green aromatic masculines. Polo Cologne Intense isn't a catch-all kind of scent profile like the Polo Blue (2002) or Polo Red (2013) lines, and doesn't seem like it will replace the original, so I gather it's poised to compete in the same kind of buyer segment that is still interested in things like Terre d'Hermès (2006). Thumbs up
What you get here in Polo Cologne Intense by Ralph Lauren is a lean and green fragrance that stretches and plays with the definition of an aromatic fougère, as it doesn't have any lavender either, but smells quite green and properly Polo-like, while not trying to be a replacement for the inimitable original "Polo green". The opening comes out of the gate with grapefruit and orange love it or hate it, but tempers that with some spearmint and basil. I get bits of some other soapy green notes, acetates and a bit of some hedione woosh to let you know this is a modern fragrance, but things stay fairly square in the fougère department. Clary sage plays the role that lavender and geranium play here, a move similar to what Hermès did with H24 (2021). The clary sage isn't super-dosed like it is in H24, and pairs up instead with thyme and pleasant violet ionones, so think more like a Creed Green Irish Tweed (1985) vibe minus the aquatic elements. The ambroxan provides background fuzziness but the patchouli does the heavy lifting in the base, much like Amouage Bracken Man (2016).Vetiver rounds things out alongside some Iso E Super and performance is moderate in all ways that count. Polo Cologne Intense feels like a lighter and more casual hot weather-friendly take the original Polo deserved back in the 70's but never really got. You can wear this just about any time of year and it seems to be pretty tenacious on skin to boot, giving me about 10 hours. Mostly, I can see Polo Cologne Intense being an outdoor spring through early fall kind of fragrance, or worn in the office to break up the monotony of blue and citrus-focused fragrances that live there.
If you're going to do something like this with modern aromachemicals and change the paradigm for aromatic fougères away from lavender as a staple note, and furthermore away from oakmoss as a staple base accord whether real or simulated with evernyl, this right here is the way to do it. For as much as I love H24, it's not because it does a good job of being a newfangled fougère because it really honestly doesn't, but it has enough quirks and creativity behind it that it at least comes out smelling like a version of Dior Eau Sauvage (1966) for the modern man. Here with Polo Cologne Intense, we see something a bit different and more rooted in subversion of tradition going on, which makes me a bit sad that I can't credit the perfumer because they did a bang up job in the process. Now I'm not saying this is some end-all be-all experience, but what I am saying is Polo Cologne Intense is a modern green fragrance that checks the boxes for being aromatic and woody but also checks the boxes for being fresh in a contemporary way that woodier and muskier fougères just can't be, meaning there's something here for everyone who likes green aromatic masculines. Polo Cologne Intense isn't a catch-all kind of scent profile like the Polo Blue (2002) or Polo Red (2013) lines, and doesn't seem like it will replace the original, so I gather it's poised to compete in the same kind of buyer segment that is still interested in things like Terre d'Hermès (2006). Thumbs up