Giorgio Armani Acqua di Giò is 17 years old. And as I wore the fragrance for this week’s review, I came to feel 17 is the perfect age for the Acqua di Giò wearer, too, because Acqua di Giò smells “immature” and a bit “simple” (I won’t/can’t say “innocent” because I don’t believe many innocent 17-year-old guys exist anymore!) Though I happily (and confidently) wear all manner of fresh, citrus/floral colognes, Acqua di Giò is so adolescent, so connected to a specific time and perfume “Age,” I don’t feel comfortable wearing it.

Acqua di Giò was released in 1996*; the perfume starts with sharp citrus aromas blending with neroli. The opening has a warm vibe; this is not a cool/cold perfume. Next up is a “water” note: a bit floral, a bit calone-ish. Some old ingredients lists say cyclamen is in Acqua di Giò, and certainly clean/clear cyclamen is more apt a description for what I smell than fleshy and dense “persimmon” (which Armani lists as a note; is this a translation or botanical error?) Acqua di Giò’s base is so well blended no note stands out…there’s just a pleasant accumulation of fresh aromas: vaguely woody, vaguely floral. I would categorize this as a perfect teen cologne — for either sex…

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