Strong, head-turning scents leave a lasting impression. Fact. And *bonus* fact – they linger for hours and hours too (which is great if you’re a low-maintenance scent lover!). But how do you find these bottles of boldness, we hear you cry? Well, lucky for you, we’ve scoured our shelves and put our fave fragrances to the test to curate an edit of the best strong perfumes for men. From remastered classics to brand-new releases, these scents were made to steal focus and attention.
How to spot strong perfumes for men
The biggest giveaway that a scent is of the loud and bold variety, is down to one word. Intense. If you spot the word intense at the end of a fragrance name – perhaps a fragrance you already know and love – then you need to know that yes, the fragrance will follow a similar profile to the OG it was based on, but (and it’s a big but!) the formula has been dialed up to the max. That means it’s stronger, with punchier notes, and often more concentrated to make it last longer. And another fun fact about these ‘intense’ varieties, is that less is more when it comes to how much you need to spray, making the bottle last longer on your shelf too. Love a long-lasting scent? We’ve got a round-up for that over here.
Intense perfumes vs Elixirs
If you’re looking for the strongest intense fragrances, get to know Elixirs. Elixirs have a higher fragrance oil content (typically around 15% – 40%) when compared to Eau de Parfums and Eau de Toilettes. The extreme concentration of Elixirs means they’’ll stay the longest amount of time on your skin, and have the boldest aroma.
Invictus Victory Elixir by Paco Rabanne
You know you’re stepping into strong perfume territory when you see the phrase “amber woody & extreme” in the description. Paco Rabanne’s Invictus Victory Elixir, (part of the bestselling Invictus family) is a powerful elixir with all of the woodiness of the original with added richness and intensity. We’re talking, spices mingling with incense and patchouli, over Madagascan vanilla and tonka bean. Highly concentrated, for high performance, it’s a scent that won’t let you down.
We can’t possibly talk about strong fragrances without including the iconic Dior Sauvage Elixir, the most intense fragrance in the iconic Dior Sauvage line. This scent ensures a long-lasting trail of intoxicating sensuality wherever you go. An explosion of exotic vanilla from Papua New Guinea combines with an intense amber and woody base. Nothing says strong and powerful like Dior Sauvage Elixir.
If you, like millions of others, love the long-lasting charm of Paco Rabanne’s 1 Million, then we’ve got news. There’s a stronger, bolder, gold bar of seductiveness in town. Introducing, 1 Million Elixir. With its rich and smooth blend of apple, cedarwood, and vanilla absolute, it’s so seductive it’s like a wing man in a bottle. While the throughline of Turkish Damascena rose at the heart, cleverly connects it to the signature scent for that dash of warmth and familiarity.
If we could bottle up seduction, it would smell exactly like Valentino’s Born in Roma Uomo Intense. This sensual scent is enticing from the get-go, opening with addictive vanilla infusion and fresh lavender that melts effortlessly into intense leather and earthy vetiver. It’s a truly bold fragrance that can work the room as well as you do.
Rich, sensual, exotic – an opulent unisex fragrance that delights the senses. Leather accords softly intertwine with warm, woody notes that burst into the intense aroma of agarwood. Oud is a particularly potent and distinctive scent, so if you’re on the hunt for a strong perfume, Oud Intense certainly won’t disappoint!
Vibrancy, depth, and of course, intensity.Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Intense is the scent you can rely on in your after-hours arsenal. Taking the signature yuzu and nutmeg notes from the bestselling original, (L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme), it adds a hypnotic concoction of black incense and santal wood, uplifting bergamot, and fresh ozonic notes into the mix, for a refined, fearless and long-lasting scent.
When Ralph’s Club dropped in 2022, our expectations for the scent were high (after all, its predecessors include the iconicPolo!). It’s safe to say, our expectations were exceeded. Introducing a new level of intensity, this bold fragrance is highly concentrated, leaving a lasting trail that will take you from day to night. Expect depth and hold thanks to rich, woody notes of warm patchouli and cashmeran, elevated with fresh mandarin and spicy cardamom—a new classic strong perfume for the modern-day man.
Bad Boy Le Parfum redefines the already iconic original Bad Boy scent with its electrifying new formula that’s bolder than ever before. Warm, seductive leather and spicy black pepper blend with high-voltage hemp and a hint of grapefruit to create this sophisticated long-lasting fragrance.
If your preferred style mode is ‘suited and booted’, look to Givenchy Gentleman Intenseto add a dapper finishing touch whatever the occasion. Tailored to encapsulate freshness and strength, it opens with a bang of bergamot, basil and cardamom, before a floral and woody heart sets the scene for sophistication. From important meetings to date night, this fragrance is one that will have you remembered for all the right reasons.
Light Blue Eau Intense Pour Homme by Dolce & Gabbana
If you thought strong perfumes for men were all spice and musk, then Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue Intense is like a breath of fresh air. In keeping with the aquatic and uplifting feel of the iconic original, this scent maintains its lightweight, freshness (grapefruit, mandarin, salty aquatic accord) but has the added benefit of extra staying power thanks to the more concentrated Eau de Parfum formulation.
Elena is a creative copywriter who’s been around the beauty block for more than a decade, writing for brands and glossy magazines. A self-proclaimed fragrance addict (her ‘open’ collection is at 14 bottles, but who’s counting?), it’s no wonder she loves penning pieces on our newest releases and trending notes. Her signature scent? Elle by Yves Saint Laurent.
10 Strong Perfumes for Men
Strong, head-turning scents leave a lasting impression. Fact. And *bonus* fact – they linger for hours and hours too (which is great if you’re a low-maintenance scent lover!). But how do you find these bottles of boldness, we hear you cry? Well, lucky for you, we’ve scoured our shelves and put our fave fragrances to the test to curate an edit of the best strong perfumes for men. From remastered classics to brand-new releases, these scents were made to steal focus and attention.
How to spot strong perfumes for men
The biggest giveaway that a scent is of the loud and bold variety, is down to one word. Intense. If you spot the word intense at the end of a fragrance name – perhaps a fragrance you already know and love – then you need to know that yes, the fragrance will follow a similar profile to the OG it was based on, but (and it’s a big but!) the formula has been dialed up to the max. That means it’s stronger, with punchier notes, and often more concentrated to make it last longer. And another fun fact about these ‘intense’ varieties, is that less is more when it comes to how much you need to spray, making the bottle last longer on your shelf too. Love a long-lasting scent? We’ve got a round-up for that over here.
Intense perfumes vs Elixirs
If you’re looking for the strongest intense fragrances, get to know Elixirs. Elixirs have a higher fragrance oil content (typically around 15% – 40%) when compared to Eau de Parfums and Eau de Toilettes. The extreme concentration of Elixirs means they’’ll stay the longest amount of time on your skin, and have the boldest aroma.
Invictus Victory Elixir by Paco Rabanne
You know you’re stepping into strong perfume territory when you see the phrase “amber woody & extreme” in the description. Paco Rabanne’s Invictus Victory Elixir, (part of the bestselling Invictus family) is a powerful elixir with all of the woodiness of the original with added richness and intensity. We’re talking, spices mingling with incense and patchouli, over Madagascan vanilla and tonka bean. Highly concentrated, for high performance, it’s a scent that won’t let you down.
Rabanne
Invictus Victory Elixir Parfum Intense
Eau de Parfum Spray
50ML – £75.99
Dior Sauvage Elixir
We can’t possibly talk about strong fragrances without including the iconic Dior Sauvage Elixir, the most intense fragrance in the iconic Dior Sauvage line. This scent ensures a long-lasting trail of intoxicating sensuality wherever you go. An explosion of exotic vanilla from Papua New Guinea combines with an intense amber and woody base. Nothing says strong and powerful like Dior Sauvage Elixir.
DIOR
Sauvage Elixir
Extrait de Parfum Spray
60ML – £143.00
DIOR
Sauvage Elixir
Extrait de Parfum Spray
100ML – £199.00
1 Million Elixir by Paco Rabanne
If you, like millions of others, love the long-lasting charm of Paco Rabanne’s 1 Million, then we’ve got news. There’s a stronger, bolder, gold bar of seductiveness in town. Introducing, 1 Million Elixir. With its rich and smooth blend of apple, cedarwood, and vanilla absolute, it’s so seductive it’s like a wing man in a bottle. While the throughline of Turkish Damascena rose at the heart, cleverly connects it to the signature scent for that dash of warmth and familiarity.
Rabanne
1 Million Elixir
Parfum Spray
50ML – £73.99
Born in Roma Uomo Intense by Valentino
If we could bottle up seduction, it would smell exactly like Valentino’s Born in Roma Uomo Intense. This sensual scent is enticing from the get-go, opening with addictive vanilla infusion and fresh lavender that melts effortlessly into intense leather and earthy vetiver. It’s a truly bold fragrance that can work the room as well as you do.
Valentino
Born In Roma Uomo Intense
Eau de Parfum Spray
50ML – £79.00
Oud Intense by Gucci
Rich, sensual, exotic – an opulent unisex fragrance that delights the senses. Leather accords softly intertwine with warm, woody notes that burst into the intense aroma of agarwood. Oud is a particularly potent and distinctive scent, so if you’re on the hunt for a strong perfume, Oud Intense certainly won’t disappoint!
Gucci
Oud Intense
Eau de Parfum Spray
90ML – £158.00
L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Intense by Issey Miyake
Vibrancy, depth, and of course, intensity. Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Intense is the scent you can rely on in your after-hours arsenal. Taking the signature yuzu and nutmeg notes from the bestselling original, (L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme), it adds a hypnotic concoction of black incense and santal wood, uplifting bergamot, and fresh ozonic notes into the mix, for a refined, fearless and long-lasting scent.
Issey Miyake
L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Intense
Eau de Toilette Spray
75ML – £29.99
Issey Miyake
L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Intense
Eau de Toilette Spray
125ML – £76.00
Ralph’s Club by Ralph Lauren
When Ralph’s Club dropped in 2022, our expectations for the scent were high (after all, its predecessors include the iconic Polo!). It’s safe to say, our expectations were exceeded. Introducing a new level of intensity, this bold fragrance is highly concentrated, leaving a lasting trail that will take you from day to night. Expect depth and hold thanks to rich, woody notes of warm patchouli and cashmeran, elevated with fresh mandarin and spicy cardamom—a new classic strong perfume for the modern-day man.
Ralph Lauren
Ralph's Club
Parfum Spray
50ML – £84.00
Ralph Lauren
Ralph's Club
Parfum Spray
100ML – £113.00
Bad Boy Le Parfum by Carolina Herrera
Bad Boy Le Parfum redefines the already iconic original Bad Boy scent with its electrifying new formula that’s bolder than ever before. Warm, seductive leather and spicy black pepper blend with high-voltage hemp and a hint of grapefruit to create this sophisticated long-lasting fragrance.
Carolina Herrera
Bad Boy Le Parfum
Eau de Parfum Spray
100ML – £109.00
Gentleman Intense by Givenchy
If your preferred style mode is ‘suited and booted’, look to Givenchy Gentleman Intense to add a dapper finishing touch whatever the occasion. Tailored to encapsulate freshness and strength, it opens with a bang of bergamot, basil and cardamom, before a floral and woody heart sets the scene for sophistication. From important meetings to date night, this fragrance is one that will have you remembered for all the right reasons.
Givenchy
Gentleman Intense
Eau de Toilette Spray
60ML – £70.00
Givenchy
Gentleman Intense
Eau de Toilette Spray
100ML – £92.00
Light Blue Eau Intense Pour Homme by Dolce & Gabbana
If you thought strong perfumes for men were all spice and musk, then Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue Intense is like a breath of fresh air. In keeping with the aquatic and uplifting feel of the iconic original, this scent maintains its lightweight, freshness (grapefruit, mandarin, salty aquatic accord) but has the added benefit of extra staying power thanks to the more concentrated Eau de Parfum formulation.
Dolce&Gabbana
Light Blue Eau Intense Pour Homme
Eau de Parfum Spray
50ML – £65.00
Dolce&Gabbana
Light Blue Eau Intense Pour Homme
Eau de Parfum Spray
100ML – £89.00
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About Elena Chow
Copywriter
Elena is a creative copywriter who’s been around the beauty block for more than a decade, writing for brands and glossy magazines. A self-proclaimed fragrance addict (her ‘open’ collection is at 14 bottles, but who’s counting?), it’s no wonder she loves penning pieces on our newest releases and trending notes. Her signature scent? Elle by Yves Saint Laurent.
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