Our take
What does Acqua di Giò Essenza smell like?
Sixteen years after the original, Giorgio Armani asked Alberto Morillas in 2012 for an eau de parfum take on his own Acqua di Giò. The start feels familiar. Bergamot and grapefruit open onto Cascalone, a molecule that smells of cold water and wet skin. The heart moves to jasmine, sage and basil. Fresh herbs come through more than flowers. The real change is in the base. Patchouli, vetiver and Atlas cedar add weight. Ambrox brings that warm salty grain of skin after a day in the sun. The effect is denser and more grown up, closer to a summer evening than a morning swim. Next to the 1996 Acqua di Giò, Essenza is darker and woodier. It also lasts much longer, often well past a full working day. Some reviewers find it more ordinary once the opening fades, and they have a point.
When to wear it
A summer fresh scent that works in any office. Three sprays are plenty, as the ambery base carries into the evening.
It belongs to the Woody, Aquatic family. Acqua di Giò Essenza is one of 46 creations by Giorgio Armani in our encyclopedia.
