Elysium Eau Intense is a men's cologne released in 2023 by Roja, which is the flanker of Elysium Parfum Cologne. I love that fragrance.
I've had a bottle in my collection for around two years, and it's a summer staple, one of my favorite Freshies—extremely complex.
So when I saw Roja launch an intense flanker, I was honestly a little worried about how this would turn out and if it could potentially surpass the original Elysium as one of my favorite Freshies from the house.
And I do have a lot to say about this Elysium Eau Intense because it took me by surprise when I initially sprayed it, and it was not what I was expecting.
But before we dive into the scent profile, let's go with some information.
The retail price for the only size they offer, which is 100 ml, is going to be $330.
So, I think that is a bit more expensive than the original Elysium Parfum Cologne.
The concentration is somewhat unknown, just like Parfum Colognes. We don't know if those are Eau de Colognes or Eau de Parfums, but when I remember watching a Roja Dove interview, he said he would never create anything below an Eau de Parfum.
So, I'm classifying this as an EDP. It is a bit more dense, a bit deeper than the original Parfum Cologne.
The perfumer is the man himself and the owner of Roja Parfums, who is, of course, Roja Dove.
He is one of the most knowledgeable people in the entire perfume world.
He's created so many fragrances and is behind such great creations.
He used to work for Guerlain way back in the day, and you can tell he carried some influences from Guerlain over to Roja.
Guerlain is one of the most well-known and respected historic brands when it comes to perfumery.
What does Elysium Eau Intense smell like?
Let's first unveil the fragrance notes.
The top notes are Rhubarb, Grapefruit, Artemisia, Thyme, Musk, Lavender, Bergamot, and Lime.
Middle notes are Black Currant, Jasmine, Tuberose, Orange Blossom, Lily of the Valley, Apple, and Rose de Mai.
Base notes are juniper berry, Vetiver, Musk, Galbanum, Dry Wood, Black Pepper, Cedarwood, Benzoin, Vanilla, Labdanum, Ambergris, Violet Leaf, Leather, and Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha.
Looking at that note breakdown, you expect nothing less from Roja—very, very complex with a lot going on.
So, if you are familiar with the original Elysium, this top note is going to take you by surprise.
It might not be what you're expecting because it goes a very different route, being extremely green, herbal, and very bitter. That's coming from that rhubarb and Artemisia note, which gives it this watery, vegetable vibe—very herbal.
But it's also extremely aromatic and spicy from that lavender and thyme note. A huge dose of lavender, much more than the original.
And I believe these notes are almost the same besides that rhubarb, which sets this one apart very much from the original.
However, you are still going to get that signature juicy grapefruit like you find in the Parfum Cologne, but just in a much more niche-like fragrance, in my opinion, a little bit less crowd-pleasing than the original as well.
So, this is more targeted towards niche lovers who just don't like their kind of generic blue-style freshies.
I would describe this as a much more grown-up, mature version of Elysium.
I expected it to be a more intense version of this scent profile, like with the grapefruit amped up, which is not the case.
However, it does have a deeper density to it.
You can tell it is highly concentrated compared to the Parfum Cologne, which is a good thing.
So, it does smell a lot stronger, especially at the top.
And I've always been a sucker for a good rhubarb-dominant fragrance. It's always uplifting, it always makes you happy, especially in Encelade by Marc-Antoine Barrois, as well as Jo's Rhubarb by Zara, which is a fantastic rhubarb as well.
It just always comes across as very fresh and watery. But the difference between the original and Elysium Eau Intense is that this one is much more herbal, green, and spicy on the top.
Now, once you make your way into the middle of Elysium Eau Intense, it, in my opinion, turns very soapy, almost like clean clothes, clean linen. That's coming from all of those white flowers.
I was worried seeing all those white flowers as well because sometimes when Roja uses those notes, they come across as very powdery and smell like flowers, just like Oceania.
This one, however, is very, very good. It just smells like clean laundry that you have just taken out of the washer and are getting ready to put in the dryer. That's the exact vibe I get with this mid.
Of course, you still get that black currant note, which is prominent in the original—very fruity, it's still there as well.
So, it does share a very similar DNA to the original. You can detect the Elysium scent profile just revamped and more mature.
Now, finally, when we make our way into the base, you are going to get that signature vetiver similar to the original Elysium, very dry, earthy vetiver, almost grassy as well.
However, you are going to get an amped-up leather note to be a bit darker, rugged, and all in all, not just as airy as the OG Elysium.
So, mostly that vetiver, the juniper berry, of course, as well, very fruity juniper along with a dark, rugged leather note.
Now, Elysium has always been probably the most complex freshie I've ever smelled.
That fragrance has tons of layers to it.
This one is no different—a very complex fragrance. It's always changing, like almost every hour on the skin.
So, that's a good thing that it did keep its complexity to the original. It's not a linear fragrance by any means.
For me, though, if I were just going to buy one Elysium, never having smelled them before, I would recommend the original Parfum Cologne. I think I still prefer that one. That one is so special. I've created so many very fond memories with Elysium in my life, and that is just a hard freshie to beat.
I love the top of the original Elysium more than this one, even though this one should lean towards more things I like in a fragrance—very niche-like, very different, very unique.
But just something about a good, kind of simple freshie like Elysium in the top, that grapefruit note, is just to die for, even if you have smelled Elysium before and thought maybe it was too generic and boring for your taste, definitely go for the Elysium Eau Intense.
And also, if you own the original Elysium and love it, I don't think buying this one is redundant.
It is different enough to own both of them.
But I do want to mention that not everybody's going to like Elysium Eau Intense like the original Elysium.
So, I would highly recommend at least getting a sample or decanting the Elysium Eau Intense rather than blindly buying it.
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How long does Elysium Eau Intense last?
Longevity on this one is 8+ hours on my skin.
The projection was great for the first hour and a half of application.
It became an elbow-length scent right around 5 hours.
And a skin scent right around 8 hours.
When to wear Elysium Eau Intense?
In terms of versatility:
I think this one leans a bit masculine.
It's great for both formal and casual scenarios, perfect for hotter weather, but I can also see myself wearing it in the autumn due to its density.
I believe it can be enjoyed by anyone of any age.
So, it is a little bit more versatile than the original Parfum Cologne, which is a good thing.
In Conclusion – Roja Elysium Eau Intense
Roja Parfums strikes gold again with Elysium Eau Intense.
It's not trying to outshine its older sibling but offers a unique, mature twist to the beloved Elysium Parfum Cologne.
Whether you're a fragrance veteran or just starting your scent adventure, Elysium Eau Intense is a masterpiece that transcends seasons and occasions.
