Reviews of Acqua di Giò (1995)
by Giorgio Armani

1. Lasting power: good,half a day at least. I'd say that's very good for a perfume, any perfume!!!
2. Smells like: fresh, modern, very pleasant and light. I do not find it masculine at all, quite the opposite, it has "woman" written all over it ;) A bit fruity, some flowers and a touch of sweetness, that's what it is like to me. Nothing overpowering, nothing oriental or too flowery, just a great balance between the 3 mentioned above.
3. Overall verdict: it is a good buy, nothing to regret later!

Acqua di Gio is the embodiment of "fruity floral". If you are unsure about this genre', in any way, shape, or form, merely sample this fragrance and the definition will instantly clarify! Sure, there are plenty others - good ones too - but this one is the queen. The fruits smell full, ripe and heavy with juices, like during the peak of their growing season. The springtime bouquet of flowers are well blended, added with the most discerning touch. This combination sings in the highest octave, and sustains in upper register for the duration. I've read alot of praises for Estee Lauders (Calice Becker) creation Beyond Paradise, but that mixture is so intense my nose can't take more than an hour of smelling before it wears tired. Acqua di Gio is much friendlier to my senses, and I love for it to last the day! This fruity floral is an under-rated, under-appreciated treasure. Two thumbs, way up!

It is interesting how many different takes there can be on one perfume. It all comes down to past olfactory associations from our pasts and, quite simply, individual taste.

I find Acqua Di Gio to be equal parts floral, fruity and aquatic. Overall it makes me think of the sea and conjures images of the mediterranean in summer, even though I have never seen it. Like many Armani perfumes, it isn't long lasting. But it is to be expected of a fragrance of this nature. You cannot have a soft, fresh aquatic last all day. Perfumes like this will only smell fresh while they are fresh on the skin.

When first sprayed on, I was surprised by the amount of sandlewood I intially smelled. This later immediately dried to an all too familiar citrus perfume that strangely enough reminds me of those cheap, imitation CK One scented christmas tree air freshners.

More masculine in design than I prefer.

I began wearing this when it first came out and I have had a bottle of it knocking around ever since. The overall effect of this fragrance is fresh, clean, somewhat citrussy and watery, but complex and interesting enough to keep me coming back to it. I usually only wear this scent during the summer or on days when I want my fragrance to enhance rather than take center stage. For some reason I detect a melony essence in this, although it is possible that this is the effect of the peach/pineapple/lemon scent combination. The lasting power of this fragrance on me is decent although I find that I need to reapply this later on in the day if the first application was in the morning. This fragrance is a safe bet for anyone who wants to smell fresh and pleasant. It's a good scent to wear to work as I find it quite unlikely that this would be strong enough to offend anybody. It is very much a fragrance of its time--the mid nineties gave us various citrussy-oceanic-fresh scents that often had a unisex quality to them. I have since become fond of stronger, more complex scents, but this will always have a place in my collection. It seems to work very well with my body chemistry as several women I know have bought this fragrance after asking me what I was wearing.

I smell something totally different than everyone else here. When I spray Aqua Di Gio, it reminds me of a lovely spring time floral garden. It reminds me of the sun shining and birds chirping, flowers blooming...Spring time. I'd rather save it for spring and wear something a bit more cold weather friendly, but this is one of my favorites, smells so clean and fresh.

For some reason this is the scent I always spray on myself, furtively and superstitiously, at airport perfume counters. Perhaps because I find this fresh, breezy marine floral so uplifting. I love it.

I find this eau de toilette works well in all circumstances. It's light, citrusy & floral but not overly so, piquant, and seems to work well both for casual and formal circummstances. It's complex. One female friend really likes it but notes that, to her nose, it starts with a somewhat soapy note then enters into complexity. I don't get that at all. I find it very classy, refined, alluring. I had compared it with Nautica Competition and this one is much more a "signature" type scent, and a much better choice.

I don't understand why Armani's fragances aren't higher rated! Some of them are really fantastic, in my opinion. This one is really fresh and beautiful, and the only fragance with Lilly of the Valley that I like. This note feels all the time during the drydown. Stays on quite long, too. Easy to wear, perfect for every-day-use, beautiful enough for evenings during spring and summer.

a very good "casual cologne" with a citrus, woody base. My one complaint is that after a while the smell sometimes does turn a bit acidy, almost like rotting wood, especially if you excercise while wearing the cologne