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Giorgio Armani, or Armani for short, is recognized as one of the world’s elite luxury fashion houses. The Italian brand was founded by the fashion designer Giorgio Armani, in 1975, and sells high-end fashion products, accessories, watches, and a range of cosmetics, including colognes and perfumes.
Today, Giorgio Armani cologne enjoys a great reputation, combining pleasant fragrances, with lasting performance, all at an accessible price point.
A secondary brand, Emporio Armani, also exists and is generally aimed at younger customers while placing a greater emphasis on modern fashion trends and affordable prices.
In this article, we’ll explore what the best Armani colognes for men are, and we’ll discuss what makes them so appealing.
In a Rush' Round-Up
How to Choose the Best Giorgio Armani Cologne
When trying to select the best Armani cologne for your particular needs, there are a number of factors that need to be considered, including the quality of the scent itself, when it can be used, and how versatile it is. Additionally, you should factor in the specific notes included, as everyone will have their own preferences.
The longevity of the cologne is significant, as it will determine not only how long your fragrance will last once applied, but also how much you are likely to need to use on a day-to-day basis, once you factor in the need for reapplication.
Of course, as with any purchase, the price of the product is going to be a major factor in most people’s decision-making. With that being said, it is better to think in terms of value, rather than pure price.
After all, a more expensive cologne can be a worthwhile purchase if it delivers superior scent quality, or if it is more versatile, or lasts longer.
How We Test Armani Colognes
In order to determine the best Armani cologne products, we tested a range of colognes and assessed them based on some set criteria.
These are given as ratings out of five, on categories like the quality of the scent, the versatility of the product, the amount the cologne projects outwards, how long it lasts after application, and the value for money provided.
Additionally, we have included contextual information and a breakdown of the top, middle and base notes.
Read Our In Depth Reviews
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò Eau de Toilette
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò Eau de Toilette Review
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò is an eau de toilette spray for men, which is marketed by L’Oréal. The fragrance was released in 1996 and can be described as a fresh-aquatic scent, with citrus qualities. It is the result of a collaboration between Alberto Morillas, Annie Buzantian, Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, and Annick Ménardo.
The fragrance itself is made up of notes including orange, lemon, lime, rose, amber and musk, and is recognized as one of the Armani brand’s classic men’s colognes, as well as one of its most popular products in general.
As a scent, Acqua Di Giò is especially well suited to the spring and summer months, although it is perfectly viable all year round too. Furthermore, it is a highly versatile cologne, which works well for everyday use, within the boardroom, for more leisure-focused applications, and even for sports use.
Top Notes: Orange, Lemon, Lime, Bergamot, Mandarin, Jasmine
Middle Notes: Sea Notes, Peach, Rose, Violet, Coriander, Freesia
Base Notes: Amber, Oakmoss, Musk, Cedar, Patchouli
What we liked
- Suitable for almost all uses
- A great spring and summer scent
- Fresh-aquatic, with citrus notes
Armani Code By Giorgio Armani For Men
Armani Code By Giorgio Armani For Men Review
Armani Code is an eau de toilette spray for men, which was first released in 2004. Marketed by L’Oréal, it is a spicy, amber scent, with tobacco notes, and the main perfumer behind the product is Antoine Lie.
Named as the FiFi Award Fragrance Of The Year Men’s Luxe 2006, Armani Code is a very popular product, which delivers a combination of a high-quality scent and good value for money. Although it is suitable for use all year long, its spicy quality means it is perhaps best suited to the colder fall and winter months.
The scent itself can be categorized as spicy-sweet, with a clear masculine quality, as well as a clear sense of sophistication. It works well for men of all ages, but is especially good for use by younger men, as well as men in their 30s and 40s. Among the most notable notes are lemon, leather, tonka bean and tobacco
Top Notes: Bergamot, Lemon
Middle Notes: Olive Blossom, Star Anise
Base Notes: Tobacco, Leather, Tonka Bean
What we liked
- Great for business and evening use
- Sophisticated and masculine
- Works well in winter and fall months
Giorgio Armani Acqua di Giò Absolu
Giorgio Armani Acqua di Giò Absolu Review
A fresh-sweet scent, and one of the most recent Armani mens cologne products on the market, Acqua di Giò Absolu was released in 2018 and is a creation from the acclaimed Spanish master perfumer, Alberto Morillas.
Marketed as a new version of the iconic and aforementioned Acqua di Giò product from 1996, this particular fragrance has woody, fruity and aquatic qualities, and is intended to serve as a celebration of the natural world.
Apple, pear, grapefruit, bergamot, lavender and tonka bean are all among the most detectable notes. The cologne delivers good longevity, lasting throughout most of a typical working day. It most effectively serves as an everyday scent, especially for leisure use, and works best during the spring and summer seasons.
Top Notes: Bergamot, Pear, Grapefruit, Apple
Middle Notes: Lemon, Lavender, Geranium, Rosemary
Base Notes: Tonka Bean, Wood, Patchouli, Amberwood
What we liked
- Great for spring and summer
- Ideal for leisure use
- Offers good longevity
Armani Code Colonia By Giorgio Armani
Armani Code Colonia By Giorgio Armani Review
Armani Code Colonia By Giorgio Armani is an eau de toilette spray for men, created by Antoine Maisondieu. The product was released in 2017, is marketed by L’Oréal, and has fresh, sweet, and synthetic qualities.
Some of the most identifiable notes within the scent include mandarin orange, pink pepper, and tonka bean. It retains much of the distinctive sweetness associated with the original Armani Code cologne, and still has a clear sense of masculinity too, but the product is designed to have more of a sensual quality than the original.
While Armani Code Colonia is versatile and can be worn in many situations, by men of all ages, it excels most during the spring and summer months, as an everyday fragrance. This means it works especially well when worn in leisure and business settings, and usually works better in the daytime, as opposed to evenings or nights out.
Top Notes: Mandarin Orange, Pink Pepper, Bergamot
Middle Notes: Orange Blossom, Amyl Salicylate, Clary Sage
Base Notes: Tonka Bean, Heliotrope, Amberwood
What we liked
- Great for everyday use
- Has an understated sensual quality
- Sweet yet masculine
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò Profondo
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò Profondo Review
Another Armani best perfume contender, and as very recent addition to the brand’s catalogue, Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò Profondo is an eau de parfum spray for men, which was created by Alberto Morillas. The product was released in 2020, is marketed by L’Oréal, and provides an aquatic-fresh scent.
The cologne is most suitable for spring and summer use, but it will also be perfectly viable in the fall and even the winter months as well. Furthermore, the cologne is great for leisure, business and everyday use.
Some of the main notes that can be detected within the scent itself include green mandarin, aquozone, rosemary, amber and musk. As you may expect with an eau de parfum spray, it delivers good longevity, and should be sufficient to get you through a typical work day without the need for a reapplication.
Top Notes: Green Madarin, Bergamot, Aquozone
Middle Notes: Rosemary, Lavender, Cypress, Mastic
Base Notes: Amber, Musk, Patchouli
What we liked
- Provides good longevity
- Viable all year round
- Pleasant, aquatic-fresh scent
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò Eau de Parfum
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò Eau de Parfum Review
The Acqua di Giò Eau de Parfum is the newest item on this Giorgio Armani cologne list, having been released in early 2022. Much like the classic eau de toilette, it is a fresh-aquatic cologne.
As it is an eau de parfum, it has a stronger scent, but remains extremely pleasant and avoids becoming overpowering. In fact, in terms of pure scent quality, it may be the best Armani cologne currently available. Meanwhile, it delivers superior longevity to the eau de toilette, lasting for between six and eight hours after application.
The cologne works especially well in spring, summer and fall, but can certainly be worn in winter too. It is ideally suited to business, leisure and everyday use. The main notes that can be detected within the fragrance after its application include green mandarin, geranium, lavender, patchouli, and sea notes.
Top Notes: Green Mandarin, Sea Notes
Middle Notes: Geranium, Clary Sage, Lavender
Base Notes: Patchouli, Vetiver
What we liked
- A pleasant, lasting scent
- Great for everyday use
- Suitable for all year round
Armani Code Absolu By Giorgio Armani
Armani Code Absolu By Giorgio Armani Review
Armani Code Absolu By Giorgio Armani Is an eau de toilette spray for men, which was released in 2019. A sweet-spicy scent, it is marketed by L’Oréal and was created by the French perfumer Antoine Maisondieu.
Delivering significant silage and projection, this scent may not be ideal for use within the office, but it is great for situations where you want to make a statement. Some of the most significant notes that can be detected within the fragrance are apple, carrot seed, nutmeg, orange blossom, vanilla and tonka bean.
The cologne combines great scent quality, with lasting performance and is able to deliver good value for money. It is also among the very best Armani colognes for evening use, nights out and dates. While it can be used all year long, it is perfectly suited for use during the colder fall and winter months of the year.
Top Notes: Apple, Green Mandarin
Middle Notes: Carrot Seed, Nutmeg, Orange Blossom
Base Notes: Tonka Bean, Suede, Vanilla
What we liked
- Combines lasting performance and scent quality
- Great for evenings and nights out
- Strong projection makes a big statement
Emporio Armani Stronger With You Intensely
Emporio Armani Stronger With You Intensely Review
Finally, Emporio Armani Stronger With You Intensely is another relatively new Giorgio Armani cologne, having been launched in 2019. The scent, which was created by Cécile Matton, is an eau de parfum spray for men, and can be described as a sweet-gourmand fragrance, with an oriental, woody quality.
For buyers who are prioritizing longevity, this may be the very best Armani cologne on the market, and it is also a great option for anyone looking to make a clear statement, because it combines a superb scent quality with great projection and silage. However, this does make it better suited for evenings and nights out, rather than work settings.
The fragrance works best in fall and winter months, but can certainly be worn in spring too. The main notes that can be detected include juniper, violet, pink pepper, tonka bean, toffee and cinnamon. In-keeping with the brand values of Emporio Armani, Stronger With You Intensely is a particularly good option for younger men.
Top Notes: Juniper, Violet, Pink Pepper
Middle Notes: Cinnamon, Toffee, Sage, Lavender
Base Notes: Tonka Bean, Amber, Vanilla
What we liked
- A great scent, with powerful projection
- Ideal for nights out
- Long-lasting performance