Elie Saab Le Parfum. Radiance in a bottle! Elie Saab’s first perfume, and arguably the best. This and the Intense share the same character but just like different moments of the day, they have particularities. Le Parfum is the day. That shining sun that starts bright and as the day progresses gets more blinding. Light! The orange blossom, which is the star in all of the line, begins sweet and honeyed, touch of honey to give it more body. But as it wears, the jasmine comes into play. Just like the suns rays become hotter and the light more blinding, so does the perfume become more ‘intense’. I wouldn’t say shrieky because it doesn’t. But picture a scorchin day with the sun reflecting everywhere and the light becoming blinding that it alters your view of your surroundings. This is Le Parfum. But, it stays pleasurable and beautiful all the way. Sweet orange blossom with honey, a more piercing albeit beautiful jasmine adds light and a soft woody background anchors it for hours. Le Parfum Intense is when the sun sets. The orange blossom in the start is way heavier and the honey adds up noticeably making it sweeter and heavier. The ylang adds creaminess and a heavy cream texture; the coolness of the night begins to creep in and the smells around you become more noticeable. The hidden ‘Eau de Cologne’ character of the morning hides behind the miel des fleurs character of the night and brings forth a mesmerizing headiness. There’s also an undisclosed spiciness that smells like ginger, like a sexier Classique while being simultaneously more heady. I’d go for this version if I could only pick one. Both are very orange blossom centered. Heavy, heady, intoxicating and sweet. The oils used are of quality. The interplay of the notes which are basically the same, offer a different character that showcases their qualities perfectly. In a sea of fake florals that are just a facade for more sugar and gourmands, Le Parfum and Le Parfum Intense ring true to their quality of a narcotic floral. If you’ve lived in a Mediterranean country you might be familiar with that feeling of white stone, that in summers past, used to reflect the light of the sun and transmit a blinding whiteness to your eyes and a cool warmth to your skin, without that burning heat we experience now. Summer heat used to be different; it was warm. Now it burns. Les Parfums are the former, with that joyous feeling of what lies ahead. Both have excellent sillage, radiance and longevity!