Dior Homme Intense 
Christian Dior (2007)
LIMITED EDITION

Tried this for the very first time tonight, after trying some other 'staples' of the designer world (Bleu de Chanel, Aqua di Gio Profumo, Le Male, Sauvage) and this one stands out as the most unique but to my nose, not the most pleasant.

However, this is my first sniff of it, and although I was prepared for the iris and the association with lipstick/makeup, I didn't realize just how much of that said note would be here. It's ... a lot. As someone who fondly remembers days in theater classes and being on the stage with pancake makeup smothered all over my face and the pungent, powdery, waxy, almost bitter flour smell of that - Dior Homme Intense recaptures that very accord. Although a unique scent, it's not one I'd want to linger on for long, or have projecting off of me for all to smell. As others have said, this is the smell of the inside of an older woman's purse. Whoever designed this fragrance, my hat is off to them, they were thinking way outside the traditional box of masculinity.

The drydown is what's intriguing me the most, as this morphs from the straight-up smell of makeup to something richer and more pleasant as vanilla and something mysterious (something leathery or boozy) comes in. As iris and lavender are joined by those richer, creamier, and more mysterious notes, the whole thing becomes far more well-rounded and I can see where, over time, this could become the love interest of some wearers.

On first wearing, it's not for me. But given just how many people are adamant about the addition of this to any serious fragrance-lover's collection, I am willing to give it time to grow on me (or not). For now, I will simply say that this stands apart from all the others, and for that, I am intrigued and willing to continue the relationship to see where it goes.