# CoSTUME NATIONAL — Scent Intense Parfum

> Scent Intense Parfum is a concentrated, collector-oriented reading of Costume National's distinctive amber-and-tea signature. The 2006 limited-edition form deepens the original Scent Intense idea with

## Essence
Scent Intense Parfum is a concentrated, collector-oriented reading of Costume National's distinctive amber-and-tea signature. The 2006 limited-edition form deepens the original Scent Intense idea with a darker resinous weight, making the contrast between dry tea, warm amber and shadowy woods its main appeal.
## Scent Profile
The scent begins with the contrast that defines the whole family: bitter green tea and bergamot, cool and aromatic rather than juicy. The citrus lift is brief. It opens the composition without turning it into a fresh fragrance, then quickly gives way to a darker, more textured centre.
Jasmine and hibiscus soften the tea with a floral, slightly tart petal effect. In this setting they do not create a conventional bouquet. Instead, they lend the amber a dark-red, almost lacquered colour, with an occasional suggestion of stewed berries, incense or a red-wine-like tang. The effect can feel mysterious and a little abrasive at the edges, which is part of why the fragrance remains memorable.
The drydown is where the Parfum earns its name. Amber, patchouli, woods and a myrrh-like resinous thread make the base warmer, smokier and more viscous than the regular EDP. It is not a vanilla-heavy amber. The texture is dry, tea-stained and faintly animalic, with some wearers noticing a suede or gentle mustiness under the polished wood. The result is an amber fragrance for people who prefer shadow and structure to syrup.
## Performance
The Parfum is best understood as a long-wearing, moderately projecting scent. It has more density and persistence than the regular Scent Intense EDP, but it is designed around close, resinous depth rather than an enormous trail. Cool air and evening wear bring out its smoky warmth. Start with a restrained application, particularly indoors, because the amber, florals and resin can gather weight over time.
## Wearing Context
This is a cold-weather and evening fragrance: enveloping, sensual and more at ease in an intimate setting than in high summer. Its dark tea, amber and leather-like facets make it feel polished but not polite. Although the scent has sometimes been placed in a feminine category, the profile wears as genuinely unisex; its dry woods and smoky resin make sense on anyone drawn to restrained, nocturnal amber fragrances.
## Comparisons & DNA
The clearest comparison is the standard Scent Intense EDP. The Parfum is an amplified relative rather than a separate olfactory world: it keeps the tea-and-amber identity but trades some of the EDP's airy, crisp fluidity for more smoke, wood and resin. That distinction matters more than the note lists, which are often inconsistent across versions.
The later Scent Intense Parfum Red Edition belongs in the same conversation. It is another high-concentration member of the family and is commonly confused with the earlier Parfum Limited Edition, especially when bottle descriptions and note pyramids are repeated across listings. The relationship is best treated as a version question, not a promise that the bottles are interchangeable.
For a mood reference, L'Ambre de Carthage by Isabey shares a tea, incense and golden-amber atmosphere, while Scent Intense feels more urban and stripped back. Some wearers also find a kinship with YSL Nu or Alexander McQueen Kingdom. Those are useful points of orientation for a dry, unconventional amber, not substitutes for the particular tea-and-resin tension here.
## Reception
The exact Parfum edition has a small but strongly favourable reception. It is valued for a dark, sensual, mysterious character and for making the Scent Intense formula feel richer without losing its unusual tea core. The broader family is admired for originality, longevity and a genuinely distinctive after-dark atmosphere.
The disagreement is equally clear. A sharp hibiscus-and-tea effect can read synthetic, sour or slightly dirty on some skin, and the regular EDP has frustrated wearers who expected more projection. The Parfum addresses some of that desire for depth, but it remains a niche, texture-driven scent rather than an easy crowd-pleaser. Its scarcity also changes the value question: this is best approached as a considered collector purchase, not a casual blind buy.
## Versions & Reformulation
Scent Intense has a tangled family tree. The original Scent and Scent Intense EDP appeared in 2002; the 2006 Parfum Limited Edition followed as a higher-concentration treatment with a more resinous emphasis. A separate Scent Intense Parfum record and the 2018 Scent Intense Parfum Red Edition add further opportunities for confusion. The later Red Edition arrived in a cherry-red bottle, while the earlier limited edition is associated with the house's sculptural presentation. Reports of differing performance across eras suggest that bottle age and version matter.
## Acquisition Notes
The 2006 limited edition is discontinued and increasingly difficult to source. The regular Scent Intense EDP is the simpler starting point for anyone curious about the amber-tea DNA, and a later concentrated version may be easier to locate than the original special release. Confirm the exact bottle and edition before paying a collector premium, since similar names and repeated descriptions can obscure which formula is actually being offered. A sample is particularly sensible when the tea and hibiscus facets are unknown to you.
## Notable Facts & Lore
- The bottle is a glass interpretation of a sculpture by Costume National co-founder Ennio Capasa, inspired by the human silhouette.
- The house's fashion identity gives Scent Intense a deliberately urban, rock-leaning visual language.
- The Parfum Limited Edition was positioned as a more sensual and exotic concentration of the original Scent Intense accord.
- The scent's standing rests on an uncommon dry tea-and-amber profile rather than a conventional sweet amber formula.
- Version confusion is central to its lore: several Scent Intense Parfum names, bottles and note lists circulate under closely related labels.