Fragrance comparison

Libre Intense vs The Forward

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 14 Nov 2026 10,597 ratings analysed

4 wins

Libre Intense

Yves Saint Laurent

4.2810,198 votes

Rank #376 VanillaWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

The Forward

Mind Games

4.32399 votes

Rank #26,893 CitrusVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Libre Intense takes 4 of 7 categories.

Libre Intense
Choose it for a vanilla and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
The Forward
Choose it for a citrus and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring.

Libre Intense4/7

The Forward3/7

Ratings & consensus: The Forward
Community sentiment: The Forward
Longevity: Libre Intense
Sillage & projection: Libre Intense
Value for money: Libre Intense
Versatility: The Forward
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Libre Intense

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Libre IntenseYves Saint Laurent

The ForwardMind Games

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.28/ 5 · 10,198 votes

Have 86%Had 14%Want 0%

4.32/ 5 · 399 votes

Have 36%Had 7%Want 57%

Category winnerThe ForwardRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

56%Love

26%Like

8%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

10,198 votes

56%Love

26%Like

13%Ok

4%Dislike

1%Hate

399 votes

Category winnerThe ForwardMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityLibre Intense

SillageLibre Intense

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value48

¤ Price value23

Category winnerLibre IntenseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

white floral92%

citrus84%

lavender77%

sweet69%

aromatic61%

citrus100%

vanilla91%

woody83%

salty74%

powdery65%

sweet56%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both vanilla, citrus and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

LavenderMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

Tunisian Orange BlossomJasmine SambacOrchid

Base

Madagascar VanillaTonka BeanAmbergrisVetiver

Top

PomeloLemonMandarin Orange

Heart

SaltTonka BeanJasmine Sambac

Base

Madagascar VanillaSandalwoodCashmeran

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Jasmine Sambac, Madagascar Vanilla and Tonka Bean. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring40

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer99

Fall0

Winter37

Day–

Night–

Category winnerThe ForwardMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex12

Women86

Men27

Unisex56

Women18

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#376

PerfumerAnne Flipo, Carlos Benaïm

Launched—

Reviews210

Overall rank#26,893

PerfumerNathalie Benareau

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerLibre IntenseHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Yves Saint Laurent Libre Intense takes the crisp floral structure of the pillar release and gives it a warm, decadent twist. Fresh French lavender and bright mandarin orange burst forward on the initial spray, but the real heart quickly settles into sweet Tunisian orange blossom, lush jasmine, and smooth orchid. As th…

Reviews →

Mind Games The Forward opens with a sharp burst of juicy pomelo and bright mandarin orange that fizzes across the skin. The citrus initial spray feels electric and clean. Soon, a noticeable mineral salt accord cuts through the top notes, pulling the profile away from standard cologne territory. As the top notes settl…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Libre Intense or The Forward?

Libre Intense takes 4 of 7 categories. Libre Intense is rated 4.28/5 from 10,198 votes; The Forward is rated 4.32/5 from 399 votes. Choose Libre Intense for a vanilla and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose The Forward for a citrus and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Libre Intense or The Forward?

Libre Intense lasts longest (Libre Intense 76/100, The Forward 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Libre Intense or The Forward?

Libre Intense projects furthest (Libre Intense 66/100, The Forward 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Libre Intense and The Forward smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla, citrus and sweet accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Jasmine Sambac, Madagascar Vanilla and Tonka Bean.

Is Libre Intense or The Forward better for summer or winter?

For summer, The Forward is the stronger pick. For winter, Libre Intense is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Libre Intense and The Forward?

Libre Intense has top notes of Lavender, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Tunisian Orange Blossom, Jasmine Sambac and Orchid, a base of Madagascar Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Ambergris and Vetiver. The Forward has top notes of Pomelo, Lemon and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Salt, Tonka Bean and Jasmine Sambac, a base of Madagascar Vanilla, Sandalwood and Cashmeran.