Armani Si vs. Si Passione

Armani Si has been one of the more popular Giorgio Armani fragrances over the past few years. It was followed up by the release of its flanker scent, Si Passione. Which of these perfumes smells the best? Which lasts longer? Which is the better buy? In this post, I break it down, in a head to head comparison.

Tale of the Tape

Si by Armani

Notes include: rose, vanilla, freesia, black currant, patchouli, amber, woods

Click here to try: Giorgio Armani Si Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Ounce

Read my Review: Si Perfume

Si Passione

Notes include: heliotrope, rose, grapefruit, black currant, pineapple, pear, cedar, vanilla, patchouli

Click here to try: Armani Si Passione Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4-oz. 

Read my review: Si Passione

Opening

Si kicks things off with black currant, which is tart, and a smoother rose and vanilla combo. It actually makes the fragrance take on a sweet, peach-like quality. Then, there is the patchouli which brings in some earthiness to pair well with the rose.

Passione brings back the black currant, but it is put together with other fruity notes. The main notes in the mix are pear, pineapple, and grapefruit. It’s very fruity and has more of a tropical feel than the original Si.

Then, its rose and heliotrope coming into frame, creating a creamy/powdery aroma. The heliotrope here is more of a factor, to my nose, than is the rose.

Which is better? For me it’s pretty close, but I think that I prefer the original Si versus Passione’s opening act. Not by a huge margin, but I’ll give it the edge.

Edge: Si

Projection

In terms of sillage and overall power, these two are about equal in my book. Neither is an absolute monster, but they aren’t completely weak either. Somewhere in the realm of average, perhaps the higher end of that range.

Edge: Push

Longevity

With the original Si, I got 6-7 hours of wear out of it. Not bad, but not elite. Si Passione isn’t elite either. However, it pulled 7-8.5 hours of wear. So, it’ll take this category.

Edge: Passione 

Versatility

To me, these are both extremely versatile fragrances, which is why they are so popular as daily wears. Each can go to the office, out for casual events, and even serve as romantic wears. I think that Si is probably the better play in terms of sexiness or for nightlife. Though, that’s not its main purpose.

Si is also best in colder temperatures, but it can venture into more moderate temperatures. Passione is great almost year round, just not the hottest days of the year. It does hold up better in the warm weather versus the original. So, it gets the nod.

Edge: Passione

Overall Scent

I like Si Passione a lot. It’s not amazing, but I found it to be an enjoyable perfume to wear. Very fresh and fruity rose/heliotrope blend, with a somewhat musky/soapy clean finish in the dry down.

Passione is pretty straightforward and not too complex of a fragrance. It does everything well and gives the original Armani Si, a run for its money.

I happen to like Si, a bit better. It’s not the overwhelming winner, but I think that it does have a better aroma overall versus Passione. It starts off with the juicy berry/fruitiness and then moves into something more floral and woody. 

For me, the rose and freesia, with amber and woods really create the distinction between these perfumes. Those notes coming in later, separates Si, and gives it the low key quality to make it a winner.

Winner: Si

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.