I should mention from the top that I dislike the marketing implications of “intense” in a product name. It suggests an “ordinary version” and, provided you can handle it, an “intense version”, as if there’s something missing or weak about the regular (non-intensely named) product. Or that something must be so wrong about the standard product that you really ‘need’ the intense version.
It almost seems to be the perfumer’s way of saying “New & Improved”. To me, it infers that one of the versions is probably a disaster compared to its counterpart. Somehow it leaves me feeling cheated or put-off. It’s also the formula for most movie sequels, and few ever seem to match the same lofty expectations of the original. With that said, we begin with two similarly named Gucci fragrances, one promising a stronger experience than the other.
Gucci Guilty Intense Pour Homme (2011): Amazingly enough, I’m actually reviewing a current mass-market release, though don’t get too excited yet. I’ll actually explain the three core differences between Gucci Guilty and its Intense counterpart within the component notes.
The top notes are Amalfi lemon, lavender and coriander. Heart notes are composed of orange flower from Africa and Neroli. Base notes are Virginia Cedarwood, patchouli, and amber.
Strip away coriander, Neroli and amber, and you have Gucci Guilty, the “non-intense version”. If you try both and come away feeling as if one version lacks that certain something, you’d be correct. Guilty Intense is the better composed and more finished of the two. Again, don’t get too excited about the negative vote for Gucci Guilty as we continue.
Foremost, the amber is present from the top, albeit barely, and it otherwise softens a very sharp lemon. Coriander is about the only saving grace for the opening as it is otherwise a lackluster beginning to the experience. This faded quickly as it transformed into the Neroli heart, though this seemed very synthetic in nature. While I’m not dismissing the orange flower/Neroli combination, it doesn’t leave much impression and feels disconnected from the overall experience.
When we finally reach the amber and cedar, this begins to feel a bit warmer though it’s still fairly tame and unremarkable. Not a completely poor experience, but one that simply is…well, mediocre at its best. Longevity? About 4 hours and it fades off into the sunset. Projection? Well, it’s best said that there is none unless you’ve bathed yourself in it, but then it is an eau de toilette and a shorter lifecycle and lighter projection are not unexpected.
But there’s not much here that ‘feels’ intense. If that seems harsh, it’s one of setting a loftier expectation than is attained. This is nicer than its companion and better composed, but it’s also the lesser of two fairly mediocre fragrances. It is a warmer version of its counterpart primarily because of the addition of amber. Coriander adds a slight — and barely discernable — intrigue to the top. The rest just feels very synthetic and easily forgotten.
Rating: 2.5/5. Neutral.
Bottom-Line: I’m not necessarily recommending this as much as I’d simply be suggesting this is slightly better than “Gucci Guilty Pour Homme”. This is not a completely poor attempt by Gucci at a fragrance, as much as a very forgettable one. It’s a fragrance that manages to leave little impression on the wearer. While inoffensive and reasonably wearable, it lacks the longevity and strength of too many other EDT’s, or the character of other fragrances on the market.
Guilty Intense is a less-mediocre version of something else that is just mediocre.
I'm Andrew Buck, the man behind the words. I'm a published author, project management practitioner for over 20 years, work on Wall Street, and am a fragrance aficionado. I've had a passion for fragrance for 30+ years, and enjoy trying scents and adding to an expanding and rotating collection for some time now. 
