African Rooibos EDP vs Intens

Time to try the star of the show and its Intens flanker! African Rooibos opens up with pungent, spicy cardamom and savory black pepper. The bergamot is definitely there, but hidden a bit behind the spices. An astringent, warm, tannic and earthy rooibos tea floats beneath the spices. The orris root here is creamy, savory and carrot-like, complimenting the earthy nature of the tea. The cedar note is also prominent, giving off a spicy, camphorous aroma. The tonka is warm, sweet, and mild, and the immortelle gives a bit of a citrus oil and curry leaf undertone. Overall a very interesting and complex scent that is unique amongst tea fragrances. It is *somewhat* comparable to Gris Charnel Extrait in that it is a rich, warming, spicy, full bodied tea with orris, so I think if you like Gris Charnel, you'll enjoy this one.

The Intens is almost exactly the same, but with added vanilla and ambroxan. It is a touch sweeter and smoother, but I think it ends up losing a bit of the interesting nuances of the original as they are somewhat smothered by the vanilla and fuzzy ambroxan. Despite that, I *think* I prefer this more (the verdict is still out), as I feel it is an easier reach, and I think the sweetness does add to the fragrance as the original is quite savory.

Edited to add: Dry down on both is a tannic red tea with some vanillic sweetness and slightly camphorous cedar wood, reminiscent of pencil shavings. The Intens is sweeter, less astringent, and has that fuzzy, dryer sheet ambroxan thing going on, which I don't really love. I think it would have been better with just vanilla, and definitely less ambroxan. It's just overwhelming the other notes for me.

Very nice fragrances. Within wearing for 10 minutes I received two compliments from my family 😅 Guess this is a winner!