(please note: this is a review of "year 2014" batches only.
If you want know what happened during years 2007-2013, read HERE )
Since so many friends asked me to investigate about Dior Homme Intense "Year 2014" batches, I had quick calls with a professionally-involved friend. He collected DHI "year-2014- labelled" bottles (actually, a few testers). Then we met inside his perfume shop, and I performed the blind test in the back room, away from the main hall (the classic perfume shop is one of the worst places where to perform tests, indeed).
We had:
-the reference DHI bottle (the first one produced, year 2007)
-one bottle dated "2013" ( October )
-three bottles dated "2014" ( January, February, March )
At the end, I brought back home all paper stripes inside plastic envelopes, for longevity tests.
Here are the samples:
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| The "Golden Standard" (reference bottle) batch 7H01 = year 2007 (without the word "Vaporisateur/Spray" on the front) |
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| Batch 3X01 = 2013, October. |
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| Batch 4N01 = 2014, January |
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| Batch 4P02 = 2014, February |
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| Batch 4Q01 = 2014, March. |
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| 5-samples blind test |
Results: good news for you. All "year 2014" batches (January, February and March) appear to be identical to the "year 2013".
I noticed only a slight difference with the "Golden Standard" (year 2007). Probably the "year 2007" bottle is the best one ever, but differences are minimal, in my opinion.
Longevity is very high -as usual- on paper (many, many hours), and I could say "enormous" on clothes (it lasts several days, I sprayed it on a cotton t-shirt, too....)
Sillage/projection is very high. You can smell DHI even 2 meters (six or seven feet) far away.
In my opinion DHI remains a very solid scent in 2014.
Iris, vanilla, and cocoa are intense -and persistent- in all batches considered.
There are no traces of the famous/infamous "year 2011-2012 reformulation" that wiped off all cocoa notes.
Conclusion: if you are a Dior Homme Intense "vintage" fan, you can buy any year 2014 batch without any problem. You will not disappointed.
(Disclaimer I am not involved with Christian Dior perfumes house in any way, and I have no personal interests or affairs in evaluting perfumes)
