Vanille Glacé is a marron glacé finished with vanilla in place of chestnut. The sugar isn’t in a hurry. It soaks in one layer at a time, finishing with a glossy sheen. The first impression is brown sugar syrup, with cinnamon drawing the syrup into sharper focus. At its heart, the vanilla leans heavy rather than white and airy. Freshly baked madeleine adds soft warmth, and espresso casts a thin, bitter shadow at the edge of the sweetness.
The drydown gives full reign to blond woods, tonka bean and musk, lending reassurance to the indulgence.
Best Givenchy Play Intense by Givenchy Alternatives & Similar Perfumes
Givenchy Play Intense is an oriental fougère that opens with bright mandarin and bergamot, layered with spicy pink pepper and rich coffee. Tonka beans, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver and labdanum provide a warm, resinous base with a distinctive depth and subtle sweetness. Fragrances in this vein often balance fresh citrus and spice with gourmand and woody elements, so attention to the interplay of coffee, tonka and woods is key when exploring scents in this style.
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1
Sakura by Ormonde Jayne £195.00
Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £7.00
- Key notes:
- cedarwood
- cherry blossom
- coriander
- mandarin
- pink pepper
- tonka beans
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- spicy
Opening with sparkling notes of lime and mandarin tempered with pink pepper and a green accord, delicate cherry blossom with soft almond aromas enhanced with powdery violets and creamy vanilla. Elusive elegance, realising the power of subtlety, radiating an inner confidence - to be worn with an innate love of understated good taste.
2
Kajal I by Kajal £195.00
Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £7.00
- Key notes:
- cashmeran
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- mandarin
- orange blossom
- patchouli
- tonka beans
- Aromagroups:
- spicy
Spiritually, number one represents beginnings, focus and determination. Kajal l, with its fresh, engaging warmth, has been crafted to underscore one’s innate dignity and charisma. Cassis, grapefruit and mandarin provide the big “hello!”. Guaiac wood, cardamom, orange blossom and cashmeran draw people in, while a soft vanillic cloud of sandalwood and oud extend the allure.
Perfumer: Christian Carbonnel
3
Parfum 1 by Fugazzi £205.00
Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £7.00
- Key notes:
- cedarwood
- davana
- frankincense
- incense
- mandarin
- pink pepper
- sandalwood
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- spicy
- woody
Parfum 1 is where Fugazzi began, inspired by founder Bram Niessink’s trip to Egypt and the discovery of ancient perfume oils. Parfum 1 is a bold blend of bright and dark fruits, made mysterious by patchouli and cedarwood. The fresh top notes of citrus and blackcurrant are insinuating, gracefully riding a woody wave of sandalwood and musk. The effect is leathery, with a faint kiss of apple pie.
4
Amberbomb by Laboratorio Olfattivo £170.00
Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £7.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- apple
- coffee
- patchouli
- tonka beans
- vanilla
- Aromagroups:
- woody
From LO’s Parfum Intense collection, this is an amber with the darkness turned up to 11. There’s no white space here, just expensive raw materials piled high. Its vibrant opening with fruity notes is enriched by the bitterness of coffee, deepening into a powerful chorus of rose, iris, jasmine and lily of the valley. And this valley is a deep one, a soft black expanse of leather, nagarmotha and patchouli, cushioned by a dirtier-than-usual amber.
5
GENIEVRE (Juniper) by Headspace £175.00
Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £7.00
- Key notes:
- juniper
- mandarin
- pink pepper
- Aromagroups:
- citrusy
- woody
Perfumer: Fanny Bal
The transporting scent of gin at a coastal golden hour, a glittering seashore and soft focus horizon. Minimalist fresh fragrant juniper is dosed with olibanum to revitalising effect. While the sparkling spicy tones of pink pepper and mandarin are clean and fresh.
6
Sadonaso by Nasomatto £130.00
Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £9.00
- Key notes:
- coffee
- sandalwood
- tonka beans
- Aromagroups:
- edible
- woody
The nuzzle of overripe inner thighs, the niff of a tangy undercarriage. Tobacco and tonka beans haze up this intimate scenario with dusty delight. You can smell coffee on those kisses.
7
Vanille Glacé by Insenf £125.00
Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £7.00
- Key notes:
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
- coffee
- sandalwood
- tonka beans
- vanilla
- Aromagroups:
- edible
- woody
8
Bel Air by Molinard £65.00
Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- bergamot
- jasmine
- mandarin
- white musk
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- fruity
- spicy
A floral flight of a thousand fragrances from the Pays de Grasse.
Bel Air, in a contemporary interpretation, exalts the most exquisite flowers of Grasse in a sumptuous, luminous bouquet.
A fragrance in which Centifolia rose, jasmine, tuberose, iris, violet, and mimosa bloom sensuously, eternally. A genuine jewel of light, the bottle is a faithful replica of its predecessor, now tenderly tinged with coral. Bel Air, inspired by an idyllic garden, enchants the eye and heart with its petite pastel flask that radiates intensely bucolic beauty.
9
Bergamundi by Farmacia SS. Annunziata dal 1561 £150.00
Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £7.00
- Key notes:
- bergamot
- mandarin
- orange blossom
- Aromagroups:
- citrusy
Bergamundi (a Latin-esque name meaning “bergamot of the world”), starts bright and fizzy with bergamot, tangerine and lime. This eau de parfum is fleshed out by smiling magnolia and orange blossom, and anchored by airy musk and cedarwood.
10
Gingembre by Molinard £65.00
Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- bergamot
- mandarin
- verbena
- Aromagroups:
- citrusy
- spicy
The essence of exoticism at your fingertips, a bewitching siren song beckoning you to faraway lands - ginger possesses intoxicating, invigorating richness, now passionately interpreted in a duality of warm, utterly addictive notes.
Gingembre is a subtle alliance of the freshness of bergamot and mandarin and the frenzy of spicy notes of ginger and nutmeg. A musky, amber sillage follows this sweet-scented romance, giving this olfactory embrace sensual warmth.
A raw-material infusion, that is filled with promise!
About Givenchy Play Intense by Givenchy
- What makes Givenchy Play Intense different from these fragrances?
- Givenchy Play Intense is distinguished by its combination of bright citrus, spicy pink pepper and rich coffee with a woody, resinous base including patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver and labdanum. Many alternatives focus on subsets of these notes, emphasising either fresher, sweeter or smokier facets but few replicate the full oriental fougère complexity.
- Are these fragrances suitable for both day and evening wear?
- Most of these fragrances can be worn day or evening depending on personal preference. Fresher options like Genievre or Bergamundi lean more towards daytime, while richer, warmer scents such as Amberbomb, Sadonaso and Vanille Glacé are often preferred for evening occasions.
- How does the presence of coffee influence these fragrances?
- Coffee adds a distinctive roasted, slightly bitter gourmand note that deepens the fragrance and balances sweeter or spicier elements. It contributes to a warm, sensual character found in Givenchy Play Intense and several alternatives like Amberbomb, Sadonaso and Vanille Glacé.