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Acqua di Iris Ermenegildo Zegna 2017

7.7 / 10 66 Ratings

A popular perfume by Ermenegildo Zegna for men, released in 2017. The scent is floral-spicy. It was last marketed by Estēe Lauder Companies.
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Main accords

Floral

Spicy

Powdery

Woody

Fresh

Fragrance Notes

Bergamot

Iris

Violet leaf Woods

Woods

Labdanum absolute Musk

Musk

Spices

Ratings

Scent

7.766 Ratings

Longevity

7.360 Ratings

Sillage

6.861 Ratings

Bottle

7.767 Ratings

Value for money

6.612 Ratings

Submitted by CPL · last update on 08/20/2023.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Dior Homme Eau for Men Eau de Toilette

Hero Eau de Toilette

Ginepro di Sardegna

L'Homme Intense

Imitation Man

Valentino Uomo Acqua

Reviews

7 in-depth fragrance descriptions

08/17/2017

7.5Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

DaveGahan101
535 Reviews

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DaveGahan101

Top Review 12

Allrounder or not!?

So for weeks I have been testing this fragrance up and down, hoping to find an interesting allrounder. Often I find a good allrounder that is uncomplicated and generally well-received, but the crux is: they often bore me too quickly.
Zegna, a brand that has caught my attention, not because they make such great fragrances, but because there are an overwhelming number of them... now there’s also a golden line on the market, about whose orientation/title I better remain silent. But the iris in the title has made me, as always with all fragrances, very curious, as no Zegna has achieved that before.
I like this carefree scent, fresh, minimally aquatic, an overdose of iris-dry and wonderfully aromatic, it could come from Bois d'Iris by TDC, we Iris butter...creamy...with melt, nice! But I can also discover certain similarities/parallels to Dior Homme Eau for Men. Acqua Iris is not quite as sweet. But both have a touch of carefreeness and lightness, without being banal. I couldn't detect any resins, but rather bright synthetic woods, which doesn’t bother me at all. The woods slightly tone down the (usual) powderiness, giving the fragrance a pleasant balance. It is definitely universal, at least when considering the target groups, as I see it appealing to ages 20-50, suitable for both jeans and suits, just a bit cooler. Because the name is a bit misleading, there isn’t much refreshing acqua in it, just like Eau for Men isn’t a summer scent. Somehow, iris powder and summer seem to exclude each other. Among countless crowd-pleasers and many banal fragrances, the Zegna stands out clearly for me, even though I still haven't been able to convince myself to buy it. However, it will certainly get another chance in the cool autumn, maybe it will make it into the collection then. I believe it has the potential for that.
The other key data also fits: longevity at a good 6 hours and an office-appropriate sillage, which will surely be well-received in the evening as well.

02/13/2019

9.5Scent 10Longevity 8Sillage

SnoopDog
9 Reviews

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SnoopDog

Top Review 13

The Maserati Among Italians

Ermenegildo Zegna stands for ruthless perfectionism in fashion. The men's collections represent exorbitantly noble fabrics and elegance. Zegna is a gentleman, Zegna is understatement, Zegna is special, Zegna is expensive. And that's a good thing.

The same goes for the perfumes (except for Zegna Uomo).
Zegna has already secured the harvest of Calabrian bergamot (which dominates the top note in every Zegna Essence fragrance) from a specific slope for the next three years. Zegna is simply ruthlessly special.

Acqua di Iris is one of three light Eau de Toilettes in this (Acqua) series and is available at moderate (i.e., normal) prices compared to the Essence series. Acqua can be worn unisex in any season. I see Acqua more suited for established businessmen/women (from 40) rather than younger hipsters around 20. The iris fragrance is good for daily office wear and for going out in the evening.
With its powdery and warm nuances, it is definitely not just a summer scent, but can be worn year-round.

Since there is also an iris variation in the Essence line, I will compare these two a bit, but Acqua will be evaluated:

Top Note:
Like a Wrigley's Doublemint that you pop into your mouth and take the first three bites - just for the nose. A stroke of genius for me. Delightfully intense - the iris is fully powdery and is beautifully refreshed by the Calabrian bergamot. Acqua di Iris always has a subtly powdery quality. If you want something a bit more robust, sharper, and bolder, you need Essence Florentine Iris for around 220,- EUR. The top note there is a V8.
The top note is addictive in both - 10 points.

Heart Note:
Here, the woods come to the fore a bit in Acqua. And it becomes a bit spicier around the nose. Which spices contribute to this is not revealed, but I strongly suspect cardamom and a bit of rosemary mixed with sage. It remains powdery with Acqua. In the Essence, it stays with the clear V8 announcement.
I catch myself repeatedly bringing my wrist to my nose - I can't help it.
The heart note gradually fades (or did I simply inhale it?) and, in my opinion, a bit too quickly (with Acqua). The V8 Florentine, on the other hand, roars fully through - 8.5 points (Acqua!).

Base Note:
You can hardly believe it. It remains with the powdery iris. The bergamot has long since been swept away by the wind and has been replaced by labdanum honey. It becomes gourmand and warmer (musk). The base comes across as noble and understated. It is just there and forms a perfect symbiosis with the pH value of my skin. The kicker: The base lasts forever. Even the next morning, you can still perceive it distinctly. The same goes for the V8 of the Florentine, which also comes across as more robust and sharper in the base - thus less powdery, warm, and soft.
I am thrilled - 10 points.

Longevity:
Forever - 10 points

Sillage:
Extremely present. With Acqua, of course, much more discreet than with the robust V8 Florentine. The latter blows the roof off in terms of sillage, while Acqua is much more restrained - 8 points.

Bottle:
Yes, beautiful! A lovely little piece of Bauhaus in the bathroom. Its cubic and minimalist shape makes a striking impression.
Sweet - 9 points.
The cap on the Florentine V8 is also magnetic and practically gets yanked from your hand when you set it on. Of course, the relentless propulsion pulls at the axis and the steering wheel and the cap...

I love Italy and I love this perfume - among my TOP10.
It's just as well that Zegna is not available in every Douglas. After all, tailored suits are not found in every department store and Maserati - well, you know...

05/12/2020

9Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

Benedikt2019
98 Reviews

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Benedikt2019

Very helpful Review 14

Mr. Iris

...is a nice guy,
...is always courteous,
...is well-dressed,
...is groomed and combed
...wears well-pressed shirts,
...rarely makes fun of others,
...works in an office,
...values polished conversation

This image of a man is conveyed when I spray the wonderful "Acqua di Iris" from the house of Zegna. I have had the pleasure of testing several fragrances from this house and must say, they are almost all top-notch. The quality speaks for itself. We have high-quality fragrance materials, solid longevity, and lovingly crafted bottles. But what I like best is the scent described here, as it is very noble, fresh, graceful, and herbaceous. For me, it is one of the best, if not the best, iris fragrances.

Yes, the iris is at the center, and anyone who has ever smelled this iris will notice. It is beautifully restrained, so you don't get an overload. That has put me off with other fragrances. The iris is complemented by woods and a lovely violet note that increasingly pulls the scent into the masculine realm. The musk also plays its part, creating a fragrance that ranks high in the gentleman league. It is incredibly herbaceous, has a certain coolness, and feels slightly metallic-fresh. I actually don't find it spicy. For me, it is a clear representative of the woody-fresh fragrance direction, which I greatly admire. Of course, one must also add that it is floral due to the iris.

For me, it conveys the above-described image of a man. A calm, never explosive gentleman who is well-shaved and dressed in a shirt. A man who stands firmly with both feet in life and does not care to impress with enormous clouds of fragrance. He knows that with Zegna's scent, he has a much more sustainable impact, and people wonder: "What was that fragrance?". Yes, he likes it clean and fresh like a white shirt. By the way, he abhors creases. He is a true minimalist who has found his one fragrance and will keep it.

With 7-8 hours of longevity and a pleasant projection, Mr. Iris knows what he has in this fragrance! Not too much and not too little, just exactly upper middle class.

Unfortunately, and he regrets it very much, his fragrance is now rarely found, which is why he will soon stock up.

Do like Mr. Iris and test this fragrance!

02/01/2021

8.5Scent 8Longevity 6Sillage

3lbows
66 Reviews

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3lbows

Helpful Review 10

About the Ambivalence of Carrot and Hospital Entrance

From Coca-Cola to floral-fresh, from powdery-soapy to carroty-herbaceous, from sweet to “sweet-there-is-nothing-at-all!”, from less serious to the well-groomed gentleman, from eeeeewig lasting to delicate, soft, and fleeting, from masculine to old-fashioned feminine, from the hospital entrance to the wooden terrace by the sea - man, man, man, there really is something for everyone. When scrolling through the comments and statements about Ermenegildo’s Acqua di Iris, one wonders if they all had the same scent under the olfactory bulb. However, these descriptions are certainly intriguing - and once again prove that our subjective impressions can drift apart like continental plates.
Therefore, I had to take a closer look at this thing, especially since I’m into powdery iris explosions and am still searching for something summery that doesn’t constantly poke me in the eyes but is still perceptible even under the mouth-nose protection.
The fragrance opens with a strong cloud of iris powder, which, as is common with its counterparts, quickly dissipates and transitions into a floral yet woody grounded top note. Such an opening can be found, for example, in Dior’s Homme Eau for Men (here refreshed with citrus), in Prada’s L’Homme (paired with a hefty portion of Lux soap), or in Givenchy’s Gentleman (EdP and Cologne). Dior’s Homme Intense and Valentino Uomo also start this way, but are significantly sweetened, resulting in the often-cited “lipstick accord,” that slightly old-fashioned but since DHI not only metrosexual hipsters find acceptable scent from grandma’s handbag.
Acqua di Iris starts conservatively herbaceous, somewhat cool yet powerful and masculine - for me, the least unisex-assignable iteration of the iris in a fragrance to date; woods and musk catch the scent from the late top note onwards and ground it warm-earthy towards the base. I clearly associate leather here, although none should be present. At the same time, I perceive nutmeg (which shouldn’t be included either), giving the whole a soft, spicy-nutty aspect. Therefore, I can understand that the fragrance tends towards sweetness for some, especially since labdanum and iris can indeed play sweetly and softly. In its entirety, and especially compared to truly sweet fragrances, I find Acqua di Iris, as mentioned, rather herbaceous. It is not really fresh or, better said, refreshing, like, for example, Prada’s L'Homme L'Eau or Givenchy’s Gentleman Cologne, but still not too heavy to be worn in summer. Overall, Acqua is a universal fragrance, not only regarding the seasons. However, its wearer should have a good record collection, or in other words, a few years under their belt.
Among the aforementioned iris fragrances from the designer mainstream, Zegna’s comes closest to Dior’s Eau for Men. However, I like Zegna’s Acqua just a tad better, as I can’t help but picture a business man in his forties on particularly hot days wearing a light blue corporate jacket with greasy, shoulder-length hair but a neatly groomed full beard when I think of Dior. I can identify much better with the calm, unexcited aura of the Zegna fragrance. Thanks to our esteemed fellow perfumer Fresh21, I now get to enjoy this little water for almost 100ml.

08/12/2017

Voluptatem
5 Reviews

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Voluptatem

Helpful Review 5

Summer Evening on a Wooden Terrace by the Sea

This fragrance is perfect for a summer evening at a beach café. Fresh, cheeky, and mysterious are the words that suit it. This perfume is the liquid embodiment of the freshness of a breeze pushed through a wave against a wooden cove. Perfect scent for a beach vacation :)

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