FRAGRANCE | Kenzo Air EDT Intense: A summer-perfect scent marred by an intensity that's lost in the air

halfwhiteboy - Kenzo Air EDT Intense 01
Kenzo Air EDT Intense was a 2005 follow-up to the original Kenzo Air, which was released two years earlier. In true Kenzo fashion, the bottle is an irregularly shaped piece with bumpy surfaces. It's not the actual bottle, though, because the juice is housed in a plastic container held by two glass pieces that snap together to form an outer shell. Ombre-painted plastic films fit inside each half of the casing to give the illusion that the bottle is blue. I don't know if it's an early 2000s thing because Givenchy's Oblique series also features a similar mechanism (plastic cylinder containing the juice fitted in a stylized casing). Nevertheless, it's a curious design choice from a 2020s perspective.

Both fragrances have since been discontinued and this partially used up bottle of Air Intense just landed on my lap somehow—and I'm glad it did. Both box and bottle clearly show signs of aging but the fragrance itself seems just fine.

halfwhiteboy - Kenzo Air EDT Intense 02
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Licorice is what I smell first. That distinct type of sweetness similarly found in Nicolaï's Cuir Cuba Intense is simply a treat to my nose. It wafts around for a few minutes before a minty overtone is slowly introduced. The cooling sensation isn't one to scream but is palpable nonetheless. I noticed, though, that the transition is accelerated when it's warmer. Later, a delicate, aromatic spiciness enters the frame. It's unlike the peppery sharpness or BO-like traits of spices in other fragrances and is way subtler in flavor by comparison.

Within half an hour, the licorice slowly fades away as vetiver becomes more apparent. It's a "clean" type of vetiver a la Tom Ford Grey Vetiver or Chantecaille's Vetyver but with a soft spicy tone, along with remnants of the licorice at the start. It takes a while before the vetiver is able to completely shake off the licorice and spice and reveal more of its woody and earthy aspects. I don't know if time has affected its performance but I don't feel any intensity in my bottle of Air Intense. Projection is moderate at most and only at the start, settling close to the skin in no time. Longevity is just as average.

Performance issues aside, however, I do like Kenzo Air EDT Intense's scent profile. I think it fits the "Air" idea perfectly and makes for a good casual summer frag. It also doesn't smell particularly masculine, so women can wear it with no problem. If Kenzo can address the frag's projection and longevity issues (unless it's just my bottle), I think it would make for a good re-release today because it smells so contemporary and is arguably easy to like. I'll be waiting.

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