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Diamonds for Him was released back in 2008 under the Emporio Armani label of Giorgio Armani. Even after all of these years, it still sticks around and has at least some limited availability for purchase. But, is it actually worth a try? Does it still hold up versus all of today’s options on the market?
What does Emporio Armani Diamonds Smell Like?
Notes include: Citrus, Bergamot, Cedar, Szechwan Pepper, Guaiac Wood, Ambroxan, Vetiver, Cocoa Bean
Click here to try: Armani Diamonds for Him
My Full Review
Coming back to Diamonds after all these years was a great nostalgic experience. The bergamot note leads things early on, with a blend of cacao and woodsy spices underneath. It’s bright, sweet, and fresh in this opening act.
The cacao note is going to be a highlight and grow in strength, as we move along. But, I really like the way that it sits underneath the citrus, guaiac wood, and hint of pepper. It all comes across a nuanced and balanced. Each sniff, gives me a slightly different aroma.
What’s interesting is that Diamonds has periods of a powdery or a bit of a dusty sort of smell. Not overwhelming to me, but it’s there.
One note that surprised me with its strength during this return to Emporio Diamonds, is the amber. Smooth and warm, almost combining with that rich cacao. The cacao is kind of wrapped up throughout the wear, despite being the dominant ingredient. It’s not a pure chocolate smell, actually has similarities to Valentino Uomo.
The bergamot will start to lose some of its potency. This one becomes drier and woodier. Guaiac, vetiver, and some cedar really provide a fresh boost as you transition into the middle of the wear.
The dry down is a woody fresh mix and the amber and cacao together. Much less of the spice and almost none of the bergamot. Any of the powdery quality has also evaporated away.
Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility
Diamonds isn’t a complete beast with how it projects. I’d say that it’s slightly above average, on the whole. The first hour or two will be pretty strong, maybe 5-7 feet from the skin, with normal sprays.
Thereafter, it is going to sit much softer in the air, probably 2-3 foot radius. Not bad, just not going to dominate a room in most cases.
The longevity on skin is about 6.5-7 hours for me. That’s good enough for most purposes, but I’ve never found this cologne to be a round the clock wear that won’t quit. If you need it for longer, bring a sprayer to reapply.
Seasonally, this one works great anytime but the height of summer. If it’s a little warm outside, Diamonds is still capable of being pleasant. In my experience, humidity will kind of make it smell a tad off. So, just avoid daytime in summer.
It does have the ability to go day or night. I wouldn’t mind it as a nightlife fragrance, it’s just not going to scream for attention, in that environment. Ideally, this is a fragrance that I’d wear during the day in autumn. That’s really when it is firing on all cylinders.
Overall Impressions of Diamonds
Overall, do I like Diamonds for Men? I do. I had a higher opinion of it when I was younger, but coming back to it, this Armani scent was really enjoyable.
The opening act is fresh and has a nice balance between all of the notes. I love the use of bergamot here, with its similarities in style to Valentino (which I have a full bottle of). Multi-faceted for a good while, before settling down into a woody cacao blend. It’s nice at that point, but I like the first half more.
The performance isn’t anything to brag about, but Diamonds is certainly a serviceable cologne in that department.
I’m not sure if this has been reformulated over the years or not. Going off of my memory, it smells like how I remember it. Then again, it’s not an exact measure.
I do recommend trying this one out, especially if you like a chocolatey aroma in your colognes. $40-75 dollar range would be okay. Beyond that, it might not be worthwhile. If bottles get scarce, the price can jump to insane levels. Personally, I wouldn’t bite if they do.
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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.