Cologne Reviews

10 Best Giorgio Armani Colognes for Men

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Armani has a fantastic line of fragrances for both men and women, that have their own unique style and impression. Two of the colognes for men, Armani Code and Acqua Di Gio, have been best-sellers and very popular with both men and their women for years now.

However, there are other Armani colognes that are really great that don’t get the same amount of attention as those two. For this list, I wanted to explore ten of the best Armani scents, of both new and old. Also see: The Top Armani Perfumes for Women

What are the Best Smelling Armani Fragrances for Him?

Enveloping Winter Warmth

Giorgio Armani Code Profumo EDP Spray for Men, 3.7 Ounce– Code Profumo was the best flanker fragrance, that has stemmed from the original Code moniker.  That’s changed, in my opinion, but I do still love this one. It is sweet, warm, and a magnificent wear for the colder months of the year.

Profumo opens up with tonka bean and amber. Then is quickly followed up by the inclusion of mandarin orange, herbal notes, and rich leather. Smooth and creamy on the dry down. If you want a spicier and boozier version, go with Absolu.

Code Profumo has a strong sillage and lasts on my skin for over 10 hours, most of the time. A very good and highly intriguing winter wear for guys. Code Profumo Review

Deeper, Darker Aquatic

Giorgio Armani Aqua di Gio Profumo, 4.2 Fluid Ounce– A flanker from the original and best-selling Acqua di Gio, AdG Profumo, exceeds the original in my opinion. It is a dark aquatic fragrance with an attractive spice and smoky undertones provided by the incense note.

Update: They’ve basically discontinued Profumo under this name. Now, Acqua di Gio Parfum is essentially just this rebranded.

To me, it can be a toss up between this and Profondo. Profumo is a darker scent, while Profondo is a lighter and has a zesty sort of personality.

Profumo starts out with bergamot and deep sea aquatic notes. The composition screams out summertime spent on the coast and is more refined and masculine than its predecessor. Great salty marine elements with sage and rosemary, giving it all extra heft. Awesome. Acqua di Gio Profumo Review

Unisex Floral Leather

Cuir Zerzura– Zerzura is a part of the expensive Privee line from Armani. This one is great, as it leans masculine and delivers a great and deep floral scent.

Iris is the main floral note, with some rose and light violet leaf early on. The main attractions though are the iris, leather, and vanilla notes.

Early on, you will get a brightness of mandarin and elemi. Though, that is short-lived and this becomes rich and has an enveloping smoothness and warmth. The contrast between the leather, the creaminess, and the powdery aroma of the iris note.

Not too sweet or overpowering. I think that Armani struck a very good balance between that iris and the leather without falling too much into make-up bag territory. Lovely stuff.

Newer Code

Code Parfum by Giorgio Armani– This will be one of three Code entries onto the list. It was released in 2022 and I was surprised at how good it was.

Code Parfum kicks off with the usually bergamot note, paired with sage and iris. The bergamot is sparkling and this one has a great opening freshness to it. It’s sort of bright and aldehydic with the way the iris is worked into things.

There is some powderiness, not too much, and not as much as you’d think with both iris and tonka bean coming through. Those two notes are heavily featured in the dry down along with the remaining citrus and a crisp cedar.

It’s a clean daily wear that can fit in a wide variety of situations. Code Parfum is going to be one of those workhorse fragrances, that you can spray on pretty much whenever, but it has plenty of style. Code Parfum review

Sweet, Woody, Unique

Giorgio Armani Cologne for Men, Armani Diamonds, 2.5 Fluid Ounce
At its base, Emporio Armani Diamonds is woody and spicy. At the top, you have cocoa bean and bergamot leading the way, with a heart of amber.

The citrus and cacao combination is beautifully done and feels wrapped up in that warm and familiar amber note. I really like the bergamot that comes out of the early stages, along with the initial spiciness that will be such a factor in the middle.

The bergamot is most noticeable at the start and gradually it all dries down into a woody cologne with sweet cocoa and hints of sichuan pepper (just not much). Coming back to this one recently, the amber note really developed well, in a way I hadn’t remembered.

At that point, the aroma is quite dry, but overall it remains light and none too heavy. Fresh, sweet, with good longevity.  Notes include: Citrus, Bergamot, Cedar, Szechwan Pepper, Gaiac Wood, Ambroxan, Vetiver, Cocoa Bean. Diamonds Review

emporio diamonds

Bluer Citrus Aquatic

Acqua di Gio Profondo– This newer release is replacing the original AdG, which really feels unnecessary to have at this time. It has been surpassed by flankers like this and there are cheaper options, that smell pretty much the same.

Profondo has plenty of overlap with Profumo, but as I said, there are slight differences. This is the lighter and has a zestier/blue vibe, versus the deep water aroma of Profumo.

Anyway, Profondo kicks off with a blend of citrus notes, with a solid freshness and spice provided by the rosemary. This doesn’t smell as smoky to me, either. Much more of a fruity and blue aquatic, on the lines of maybe a Polo Blue, versus the other colognes in this series. Profondo Full Review

Classic Armani Release

Mania By Giorgio Armani For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces
A sophisticated blend of woodsy aromatics and mandarin oranges. The opening is bright and upbeat with that mandarin note and saffron poking through. There still aren’t too many men’s fragrances utilizing saffron, but it can be utterly brilliant, as it is here.

Mania is pretty simple, with dry elements, wood, amber, and a nice citrus shining through. You have to get this one online, nowadays, as Armani no longer produces it. Highly masculine and a full bodied scent that will drive ladies wild, when close.

Update: It’s been discontinued for a long while. Probably difficult to find a cheap bottle. So, pass on it if the price is in the triple digits.

mania

A Stronger With You Option

Emporio Armani Stronger With You Intensely EDP For Men 3.4oz– The original Stronger with You was pretty nice, but not something that I’d consider one of Armani’s best. However, I think that Intensely is a better option than that, and worthy of a spot for this update.

Stronger with You Intensely does indeed ramp up the power of the original, within a sweeter frame, and delicious gourmand aroma. Sage, cinnamon, and pink pepper add the layer of spice but it really isn’t a completely thick cloud of fragrance…but very much a colder weather wear.

I like this and as of now, it takes the spot as my favorite cologne from this line. Yes, Absolutely is up there as well. For me, this has the slight edge between them. Here’s my review of Intensely and my comparison with SWY Absolutely

Stylish Stand Out

Armani Attitude By Giorgio Armani For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 1.7 Oz– Attitude is a fitting name, because this one is bold, and can pack a punch. Not that it is overly heavy, but this was one that could grab attention (it has been discontinued, as well, still bottles available online ).

You had coffee and lemon, with notes like lavender and patchouli. All in all, it could be hard to distinguish between them, as it is so well blended. That’s perfectly fine, because the result was awesome, quite sexy, and could be a complement magnet.

attitude

The Best Armani Code

Armani Code Absolu– I am replacing the original Code on the list, as it has been surpassed by too many other offerings. Initially, Code Profumo was my favorite of the line. However, that all changed with the release of Absolu, which is the best of the bunch.

It kicks off with rum, suede, nutmeg, and tonka bean. There are the light fruit notes of mandarin and apple, floating in the background, as they do in all of the Code scents. I really enjoy the kick and booziness provided by the nutmeg and rum, with the leather-like smoothness of suede.

It’s dark and warm, with a great sweetness during the dry down. A lighter option versus Profumo, not as cloying, but still delivers over 10 hours of wear. Code Absolu Review

Bleu Noir EDP by Narciso Rodriguez

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Bleu Noir EDP is another flanker fragrance from this Narciso Reodriguez line of scents. It was released in 2022. I recently bout a sample of this one along with the Parfum, in order to give each a full test and review for the site. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is EDP worth a try?

What does Bleu Noir EDP smell like?

Notes include: musk, ebony wood, amber, cedar, and vetiver

Click here to try: Bleu Noir EDP

My Full Review

The opening of Bleu Noir EDP is mostly about the musk and the vetiver notes. Fresh, sort of earthy with a hint of dirtiness under the cleaner aspects. It’s got a fairly dry profile, at this stage. 

As we move along, I get less of the vetiver on my skin, and the musk takes the top spot for the rest of the way. With that, comes the ebony wood and amber, and Bleu Noir becomes smoother and much warmer. 

There is still a slight sweetness here and even a powdery touch. Even though, this one doesn’t officially have that same iris note that is in the Parfum version. 

This is how it goes on for most of the way. The aroma of the vetiver will continue declining and some cedar will be more apparent with the ebony wood.

The final dry down for me, is essentially just the musk and amber with a very light woody scent floating about in the background. This isn’t a very complex fragrance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is at best moderate. It’s a lighter fragrance that hangs around your skin without a ton of projection. During that first 30-60 minutes or so, you do get some nice ability to project, but this isn’t a massive scent.

The longevity is pretty good, not great. On me, it lasts between 6-7 hours, before finally disappearing. Again, the back half is especially when this one is sticking close to the skin. It is still around and somewhat noticeable, but past the 7 hour mark, I get nothing from it.

Seasonally, because it isn’t a heavy cologne, it can kind of fit in most scenarios. It’s probably not the best for high heat and humidity, but outside of that this Bleu Noir flanker will hold up well.

It is also very versatile in terms of when you can wear it. It can work as a daily wear scent to the office and be worn out at night. It’s not the boldest nightclub scent or the sexiest fragrance you might grab for a night out. But, it will fit in well enough, and not really be a bad choice.

Overall Impressions of Bleu Noir EDP

Overall, do I like Bleu Noir EDP? It’s pretty good, but nothing special. The Parfum version is indeed better than this one. 

The opening is fine, not my favorite. Though, I do like the middle, when you still get some of the vetiver with the amber and woods also in balance with one another.

Still, even with that, I’m never completely loving wearing this cologne. It’s nice enough and has its moments that are quality, just nothing that I need to have in my rotation.

The performance is pretty basic too. Bleu EDP is the type of fragrance that you can wear almost anywhere, but it’s not going to stand out or blow you away with how long it lasts.

That all being said, it’s probably worth a try, at least. The pricing isn’t crazy and it can cover so many bases for guys, that it warrants consideration. The smell itself might endear itself more to you, than it did for me.

Terre d’Hermes Eau Intense Vetiver by Hermes

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Eau Intense Vetiver is a Terre d’Hermes flanker fragrance that was released back in 2018. I’ve thought it was the best of the line, back when I originally tried it, and I recently bought a sample to try and confirm that opinion. I’ve been testing Intense Vetiver out for a full review, as of late. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Terre d’Hermes Eau Intense Vetiver Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, Sichuan pepper, vetiver, geranium, amberwood, patchouli, olibanum

Click here to try: Eau Intense Vetiver

My Full Review

A nice mix of citrus, but not as noticeable as in the original or Tres Fraiche. It’s a balance between grapefruit, lemon, and bergamot. Not orange like the others in the series, but it actually still seems to have an orangey aroma, at times.

That citrus top is blended with the geranium note and the already peaking through star of the show, vetiver. Fresh and a minty sort of geranium as found in Tres Fraiche.

You also do get that peppery kick pretty early on. The citrus notes will already start backing off in favor of the woodsier notes and the Sichuan pepper.

For me, it’s after about 15 minutes and this one smells like a clean and peppery woods cologne, with an old school style to it. Very crisp and cooling.

The citrus doesn’t fade away completely per se, it just sort of adds a further brightness to the feeling of this one. Eventually, it becomes less peppery, you get more wood, and a touch of olibanum smoke.

But really, this is a big hefty dose of vetiver. Vetiver with a refreshing additional woodsy style, built more for the warmer weather. Not super complex with its composition.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The opening hour has a good reach with its projection. It’s not a fragrance that feels heavy, substantial enough to leave a trail in your wake, and not a light mist around you. Above average with its sillage and doesn’t evaporate quickly into a skin scent.

On my skin, Intense Vetiver lasted just over 7 hours. Maybe, 7.5. It’s pretty solid with the performance, not a marathon wear or complete beast. Though, it basically gives you what you’d need from it.

This is one of the Terre d’Hermes flankers that works well in the cooler weather. I’d stick to this autumn through early springtime. I tried it out in the summer heat on day, wasn’t great, took on a slightly weird smell.

This is one that you can wear casually or as a daily wear to the office. Intense Vetiver is going to be mostly a daytime fragrance. Not a sexy nightlife beast or one that’s super formal (though, it’s fine when dressed up). It’s clean and fresh, not too much of an attention grabber.

Overall Impressions of Eau Intense Vetiver

Overall, do I like Intense Vetiver? Yes. I’m not in love with any of the Terre d’Hermes fragrances, but I think that this is my favorite of the bunch. Was never the one that I would’ve picked out based on the notes alone, but it’s quite good.

I think that Eau Intense Vetiver has a nice balance in the notes, until the vetiver fully emerges. Even, if it’s not my favorite note ever, it all works well in conjunction with everything else.

Yet, this is one of the best Hermes fragrances for men, even as a flanker of the brand’s most popular release.

You get a light citrus, smokiness, earthiness, woods all wrapped up in a classic styling. Others in the series have been too sharp with the citrus or even too much of the earthy/dirtiness. This has a more even distribution.

If you liked the original Terre d’Hermes, you’ll almost certainly enjoy this one too. There are better vetiver colognes out there, but I think this is a very nice example, that has enough depth and other notes to make it not be a one tone fragrance.

Terre d’Hermes Eau Tres Fraiche by Hermes

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Eau Tres Fraiche is a Terre d’Hermes flanker that was released in 2014. This was one of the variants of the original cologne, that I wanted to test out, as it sounded like something that I might like. I recently bought a sample of Eau Tres Fraiche for review. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Terre D’Hermes Eau Tres Fraiche Smell Like?

Notes include: orange, citrus, water notes, geranium, cedar, patchouli, woods

My Full Review

Hermes’ tag-line: From the Earth springs a new freshness

Tres Fraiche kicks things off with an initial blast of the orange note and sharp citruses. The orange actually smells less like the fruit itself and more of a rind, to my nose.

The other citrus notes are more of a generic sort of aroma. But, they do really pack a punch. Light and clean, just sharp.

Underneath it, has a greenish/woodsy aroma. Fresh quite mint-like geranium. All of this combined into a watery base. There’s a definite spiciness here, especially in the early stages.

The citrus will thankfully begin to receded somewhat as it moves into the middle act. Once it does, the cedar and patchouli emerge and the earthy aspects to the fragrance are more apparent.

However, to me the citrus still hasn’t burned off enough at this point. Yes, it does have that extremely fresh cooling sensation when all put together, but it’s pretty irritating and has a distinct earthy/dirty accord, at this stage.

Once more of the citrus burns off, this is a better scent. I wouldn’t have thought that would be the case before testing it out, but, the woods taking control really improves Tres Fraiche’s likeability.

The dry woodiness aspect has a heavier weighting, while the earthiness isn’t as pronounced. It’s like a cedar clean soaking in orange water. Nice and refreshing for summer.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one actually does start off projecting very well. It’s not a heavy scent obviously, but it’s got some reach at 6+ feet from where you spray.

That does wear off pretty quickly, though. For the rest of the wear past maybe 30 minutes, it’ll be within three feet, if not much closer. Not terrible, just not consistently strong.

On my skin, it lasts maybe 6-6.5 hours maximum. Even with that, the last few hours a pretty much skin scent territory. It’s slightly above average in its longevity, not much beyond that.

For a summer fragrance of this sort, it’s good enough.

Seasonally, spring and summertime. It’s something to wear during the daytime in the heat, when you want a refreshing feeling. It does give you that, at least. It can work casually or just as a daily wear during the hottest parts of the year.

Overall Impressions of Eau Tres Fraiche

Overall, do I like this scent? Not really. That opening and the next early phase just kills my interest in wearing it.

I’m already not much of a fan of this Terre d’Hermes series (I know, I’m in the minority), but this is one of my least favorite of the line. Based on the notes, I thought that I was really going to enjoy this, but that’s not how it worked out at all.

The dry down is better and much more of a pleasant warm weather wear, but it takes too long to get there, and the journey isn’t worth it for me.

Sharp sort of sour and watery citrus, intense freshness, and a very earthy base…it’s too much.

Fans of this series, will probably enjoy this. So, if that’s you, it’s probably worth a try. Or, if you’re someone who likes a little dirtiness to their scents, here’s a summer option for you.

Eau Tres Fraiche has been discontinued since it was released back in 2014. Those who are interested will have to find it online from a third party discount seller.

Le Male Elixir by Jean Paul Gaultier

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Another year brings us another Le Male flanker from JPG. However, this year’s edition called ‘Elixir’, has been getting a ton of attention and hype since its announcement and subsequent release in Europe. It’s finally here in the US and I purchased a bottle for myself to test out. How does Elixir smell? Is it long lasting? Is it actually worth a buy?

What does Le Male Elixir Smell Like?

Notes include: mint, honey, lavender, tonka bean, benzoin, tobacco, vanilla

Click here to try: Le Male Elixir at Macy’s

My Full Review

Here’s how JPG describes it: Le Male Elixir sports a gold-striped sailor top with transparent amber reflections that reveal his powerful physique and coppery skin. This bottle of desire contains an intense and aromatic woody, amber perfume. This fragrance sets the atmosphere ablaze and revitalises the skin.

The opening spray is minty with a cooling spice. The original Le Male pairing of that mint and lavender is quite apparent. This time, the vanilla note is initially pretty subdued, in favor of the tonka bean.

It doesn’t smell the same, but I get a similar vibe from Chanel Allure Sport Eau Extreme with the mint and heavy tonka opening act. This is for sure sweeter and has a syrupy quality to it, but it was strange to have Elixir trigger that scent memory.

This phase is pretty quickly moved through. The honey and fuzzy amber warmth of the benzoin will quickly seep into the aroma. Less coolness after 5-10 minutes and the scent has the permanent honey glaze for the rest of the wear.

I don’t find the honey or even the tobacco note to be particularly heavy in this mix, but they are certainly noticeable.

The closest comparable fragrance to this is Le Male Le Parfum. However, I do think they are different for most of the way.

In Le Parfum, the dry down of lavender, vanilla, and amber is close to what you get at times with Elixir. But, Elixir’s honey, tobacco, and that tonka bean gives it an added layer. I absolutely think that it’s enough to distinguish them in the back half of the wear.

Earlier, the similarities are fewer as the cardamom and iris notes found in Le Parfum’s first hour aren’t here at all.

So, as we get into the back half, the freshness of the mint is miniscule. Elixir is about its tonka bean and vanilla combination, lavender, honey soaked tobacco, and the less fuzzy now benzoin.

The vanilla slowly eats away at the dominance of the tonka bean throughout the wear. It probably starts off close to 80/20 and then reverses in favor of vanilla, by the end.

The sweetness here is somewhat cloying, it’s worse in the heat. But, I don’t find it to be oppressively thick (earlier, it is a heavier feeling) or too sugary. Again, I’d call the honey a glaze-like effect, even with the amber base.

So, that’s the end of it. Basically, the vanilla and lavender of Le Parfum with that honeyed tobacco influence. This is JPG’s masculine version of La Belle EDP, it would seem.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This is absolutely one of the loudest, most likely to leave a long scent trail, and furthest projecting colognes of the series. It’s still a notch below Ultra Male (at least the original bottles, not sure if it’s been weakened over time).

Le Male Elixir is a powerhouse, that certainly outdoes Le Parfum, which never struck me as being all that massive with its reach. You don’t need a lot with Elixir and you certainly get your money’s worth, in terms of performance.

It will last around 9 hours, but is capable of going beyond that. I’d say around 10.5 hours, during this initial testing run. If I get it to go beyond that, I’ll come back and update.

That’s me testing it out indoors, since this was released at the height of summer in the US. Which, seasonally, that’s not what this is built for.

Autumn and winter, mainly. Potential to move into spring, based on where you live or what you’re going to use this for.

I will say, I think this has more versatility than Ultra Male. That one, I loved a lot initially, even if it was limited to nightlife wear. Still like it, but something I break out once in a while, nowadays.

Elixir is also geared more towards the nightlife and wear for younger guys. It’s one of the louder and sort of obnoxious flankers of the Le Male line, which is one of the things that makes it great.

But, I also think that this could be used better in casual daily situations and has a sweet/warm cozy vibe, that can lend itself to a couple of sprays, and not stick out like a sore thumb. So, not a bad option for school, if you go light.

For professional environments, I’d go with something else entirely. Save this one for your down time, as this is not a formal scent. Fun to wear, but there’s a time and place for it and the office probably isn’t it for most guys.

Overall Impressions of Le Male Elixir

Overall, do I like Elixir? Absolutely. While I still think the original Le Male is still the best daily wear of the series, this one, might be my new favorite flanker. Like, the scent itself has the highest peak, but it’s not something I’d want to wear each day.

It’s better than Le Parfum, has taken the place of Ultra Male, and pretty easily beats out Airlines. I’ve been wearing the original quite a lot lately and this will be the next choice out of the five Le Male’s I own.

From the minty fresh and tonka bean opening, into the emergence of the honey and tobacco, I am enthralled with Elixir. Smelling it up close on the skin, I’m less taken with it, but it really hangs around beautifully.

It’s without a doubt one of the better mainstream designer scents this year. I bought and enjoy 1 Million Royal, but this one gets my vote in comparison.

Just as a Le Male flanker, it’s already a special one, with so many forgettable releases like In the Navy in the back catalog.

If you don’t like other Le Male colognes, I don’t think this is going to change your mind. It’s probably not going to be your style. Also, if the sweeter and bold fragrances don’t do it for you, you can probably safely skip it.

Otherwise, this is one I would absolutely recommend trying out, if it sounds interesting to you. At least find it in store to let yourself experience a few sprays out of a tester, before committing to a full bottle.

Still, I think it’s among the best JPG fragrances. Not for everyone, though.

Does Elixir live up to the hype? It’s not the best fragrance ever, but it is indeed very good. For the bold and playful style of this Gaultier series, it is an absolute hit.