Acqua di Giò Profondo 
Giorgio Armani (2020)

Update 2: the bad experience I had in my last review must have been from a bad bottle. I tried it from a third bottle which matched my initial experience.

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Update: a few weeks after my original review testing this on paper I decided to test it on skin today. The pleasant green notes passed after half an hour to leave behind a faint synthetic jasmine(?) flower smell? Notice that the notes I loved are the same ones YouTube reviews are fawning over... And I do not get them on skin! And the fragrance was a skin scent in 1 hour and totally gone after 7 hours. What?!

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This is definitely one of the best of recent designer releases. I can only detect rosemary, cypress, and the marine notes. It was really trying to do it's own thing by combining a traditional "blue" fragrance with the novel cypress "green". It sits right on the fence of uniqueness between crowd-pleasing and unique as to not offend but not fade into the ether or just another release. Definitely the best of the AdG line. I think it takes the best of the AdG DNA and really makes it something I hesitantly call magical. I'm split whether I prefer this or Luna rossa ocean, but today it's profondo.

This worthy flanker
Re-Essenzas Essenza
In a welcome way

A bit less citric
A bit more oceanic
A bit less shiny

Just a touch of salt
A deep breath on the shore with
No brimstone in sight.

Hard no to like especially if you are a fan of AdG.
I find it more oceanic, more aquatic, which sometimes is hard to believe is possible.
I am certain there have been 'our version of' clones that smell like this :)

I like this. I’m more comfortable overall with Profumo, I think, as it’s a heavier more mature scent (even for an AdG flanker). But Profondo is more buoyant, more fun, youthful, a dumb reach at the beach, etc. (I could make an ad here). Anyway, I agree that Armani did an inspired job with this in modernizing the original AdG, and I enjoy wearing it. Is it a bit superfluous given other offerings in this niche of the woods? Maybe, but it’s still a strong contender. It’s a fragrance with a balanced use of ambroxan and calone that I can actually enjoy. The price tag, however, is still a bit steep, and the younger crowd who should be this frag’s target audience might be advised to look at Versace’s Dylan Blue or D&G’s Light Blue, or even the very inexpensive Nautica Voyage, as good “blue” alternatives that won’t run you a Benjamin. But this is still very good and a quality Armani scent. Dive in and go deep.

Considering it’s a mainstream mass market release, Acqua di Gio Profondo smells hilariously close to cleaners and disinfectants for all of ten minutes. Thereafter it’s a well-edited reinterpretation of Acqua di Gio, trimming out the musky sweetness for a herbal woody freshness that goes in a slightly greener direction. Not perfume-y, but crisp, clean, fresh, and ‘professional’ - as one would expect.

After misfiring with Absolu, the Acqua di Gio line is back to form with Profondo. While there’s a vague shower gel element, there isn’t much connection here to Bleu de Chanel or Sauvage.


3.5/5