Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò Men’s Fragrance Review

Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò Composition

In the following section, we analyse Acqua Di Giò’s notes and accords, which reveal an aquatic aromatic fragrance.

Head Notes

• Lime
• Bergamot
• Neroli
• Coriander

Acqua Di Giò’s iconic opening is a citrus bomb that consists of lime, which is softened by bergamot. Neroli produces a more herbaceous citrus note while coriander offers spicy substance to the overall bouquet.

Heart Notes

• Calone
• Freesia
• Jasmine
• Rosemary

Moving onto the heart, we first experience calone, an aquatic aldehyde that produces a distinctive sea breeze note. It’s accompanied by a floral composition of freesia, jasmine and rosemary, which adds an aromatic touch to this very floral composition.

Base Notes

• Ambergris
• Oakmoss
• Cedarwood
• Patchouli

Once we get to the base, we’re looking at an overall light muskiness. It consists mostly of ambergris which has a mild pipe tobacco and suede leather accord. Oakmoss produces dry herbaceousness while cedarwood creates a powdery woodiness. Finally, the patchouli is earthy and accords nicely with the cedar.

Acqua Di Giò’s Life-Cycle, Wake & Strength

Given that it was released in the late 90s, it’s no surprise that ADG has a classic dry-down. Otherwise, it offers good projection, but the sillage and the longevity are relatively average. The sillage gives you a decent enough trail but the scent bubble isn’t overly effective when you’re moving.

Meanwhile, the longevity will give you a good couple of hours. But if you’re really into this and you want to enjoy it throughout the whole day, I suggest that you take a travel atomizer just to top yourself up every now and then.

What People Think Of Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò

Basically people love Acqua Di Giò. They find it really sexy and think it smells amazing. It’s often regarded as quite refreshing and zesty, but there are those who feel that they have smelled it before. And indeed they have. It was worn so much at one period that it became a victim of his own success.

As it was worn by many men, it ended up becoming too familiar. Those who recognize it thanks to their olfactory memory may feel that it’s a blast from the past. Sometimes, that’s a good thing but there’s a risk that they may not appreciate it.

Meanwhile, this issue is unlikely to occur with younger people who didn’t experience it when it was first released.

When To Wear Acqua Di Giò

As you may have guessed, being a citrus and light musk fragrance, ADG is a summery fragrance. Indeed, this is the quintessential summertime fragrance from the nineties. Acqua Di Giò is something that you want to wear to the beach, by the pool, going to the bars in the evening, along the coast.

You can certainly wear it in late spring, but I wouldn’t really wear it doing a winter or autumn.

If I were to put an age range on this fragrance, I’d say this is definitely a fragrance for men in their twenties. People in the thirties and above might find it so familiar that they might be a little bit bored of it.

Then again, there’s going to be some people who perceive this as their signature fragrance, and that is completely understandable. Otherwise, for the young generation, it is still very contemporary despite its age. It’s still very accessible and doesn’t feel dated in any way.

ADG is certainly a daytime fragrance for when the sun is out. In terms of occasion, it’s quite versatile. It works very well in the office but you can happily enjoy it casually when going out to beach, pool, or even for a few drinks.

And finally, when it comes to the masculinity of this fragrance, it does some light elements that could make it kind of approachable for women. But the use of ambergris, most likely ambroxan, some calone in there as well is going to be an overall masculine fragrance that is best suited for men.

Presentation & Value For Money

I quite like the frosted glass style with the serif Armani font with “Giò” in big letters there with the accent. You got to remember the accent. It’s a bit of a fingerprint magnet, but that’s not really a big deal.

The atomizer produces a nice thick mist, which you’ll probably need for it to perform very well on your skin since it doesn’t have the best longevity. Meanwhile, the box, timeless design, hasn’t aged either. You’ve got a nice matte craft paper with the same text as on the bottle.

At $105 for 100 ml, ADG is still quite expensive, which is surprising given that it’s far from a new release. If you believe that this offers you good value, then that’s absolutely fine. However, it’s quite off-putting for blind buys.

Personally, I find that it’s an occasional fragrance to wear during specific circumstances in the summer. Therefore, I personally feel that it doesn’t offer much value. However, if it suits your lifestyle, that might be a different story!

Closing Thoughts

A timeless classic that has persisted through several decades, Acqua di Giò continues to impress! Although it endured a period where it was far too common among men, I believe that it’s experienced a long enough quiet patch where it’s due for a renaissance!

Read More

• More Fragrance Reviews
• Top 10 Best Fragrances To Buy Online
• Top 10 Best Summer Fragrances To Buy Online
• How To Apply Fragrances For Every Occasion
• History Of Men’s Fragrances
• Bespoke Unit Fragrance Home