Acqua di Giò pour Homme 1996 Eau de Toilette

Acqua di Giò pour Homme (Eau de Toilette) by Giorgio Armani
Bottle Design Fabien Baron
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Ranked 57 in Men's Perfume
7.7 / 10 2294 Ratings
A popular perfume by Giorgio Armani for men, released in 1996. The scent is fresh-aquatic. It is being marketed by L'Oréal.
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Main accords

Fresh
Aquatic
Citrus
Fruity
Floral

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
LimeLime BergamotBergamot LemonLemon JasmineJasmine Mandarin orangeMandarin orange OrangeOrange
Heart Notes Heart Notes
Marine notesMarine notes CorianderCoriander CyclamenCyclamen FreesiaFreesia HyacinthHyacinth PeachPeach ResedaReseda RoseRose VioletViolet
Base Notes Base Notes
MuskMusk AmberAmber CedarCedar OakmossOakmoss PatchouliPatchouli PersimmonPersimmon

Perfumers

Videos
Ratings
Scent
7.72294 Ratings
Longevity
6.31954 Ratings
Sillage
6.31909 Ratings
Bottle
7.01929 Ratings
Value for money
7.11238 Ratings
Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 01/19/2025.
Interesting Facts
The face of the advertising campaign is British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Acqua di Giò Essenza by Giorgio Armani
Acqua di Giò Essenza
Acqua di Giò pour Homme (Eau de Parfum) by Giorgio Armani
Acqua di Giò pour Homme Eau de Parfum
360° Red for Men by Perry Ellis
360° Red for Men
Acqua di Giò Profumo (Parfum) by Giorgio Armani
Acqua di Giò Profumo Parfum
Acqua di Giò Profondo (2020) (Eau de Parfum) by Giorgio Armani
Acqua di Giò Profondo (2020) Eau de Parfum
Light Blue pour Homme (Eau de Toilette) by Dolce & Gabbana
Light Blue pour Homme Eau de Toilette

Reviews

51 in-depth fragrance descriptions
10
Bottle
7.5
Sillage
7.5
Longevity
7
Scent
MasterLi

375 Reviews
MasterLi
MasterLi
Very helpful Review 5  
Sun, sea, salt... and Mediterranean summer.
The first time I smelled this, I found it really appealing. There's just something about it that makes safe and likeable, which I still wonder about. Then, I tried other things, forgot about it, dismissed it. As my tastes grew, I called it cheap, common, used the word "aquatic" and put it out of my mind for a few years. That is until recently... when I revisited it, tried it with an open mind, and surprisingly... it was still appealing! It actually feels like lying on an Italian beach, after a swim in the Mediterranean on a hot day in summer.

To start off, I can understand it's popularity, but I'm going to try and focus on why it's popular. Aqua di Gio is the fragrance which started the aquatic trend of the late 90's and which continues to the present day. Put simply... it was a landmark in that field, and spawned countless imitations, very much like Davidoff's Cool Water did 8 years previously. To me this fragrance does not smell as cheap or as cliché as other people make it out to be. It is popular for a reason, and just because it's common doesn't mean it smells any less good.

If I just focus on it's smell, not it's reputation, I would say that it reminds me of the beach under the hot Mediterranean sun. I really think the advertising fits the fragrance perfectly. I get salt water, hits of peach, jasmine and musk. In fact, when I close my eyes I get the impression of a basket of peaches and herbs and flowers all drenched in seawater and left drying in the sun. I don't know why, but that smells fantastic on skin!

I think I know why this is so appealing to many people. Personally I think it's to do with the salty watery vibe it gives off, coupled with flowers and sweet musk. It smells like warm skin, like you just stepped out of the sea (note: this smells nothing like a swimming pool... for those of you talking about calone etc.). To me it gives off a sweet smell of sweat, mixed with sea water and a jasmine floral musk type vibe. In short, it's like stepping out of the sea on a beach in Southern Italy, that's what I get out of it.

Having said that, it's very common and I can only see this working in certain situations, namely summer (especially hot summer days, I think it would do amazingly well then), any situation which involves swimming (beach, pool, vacations), I think it's perfect for a summer holiday by the beach; and finally I find it works best in casual situations, definitely a t-shirt and jeans type scent. Maybe a white or light coloured shirt but never a suit.

Yes it's common, a best-seller worldwide, but in the right type of situation (beach holidays, swimming, t-shirt casual), it works amazingly well. Summer Classic!

Edit: If you're interested in the "Essenza" version released in 2012, I couldn't find much difference between the two just that the eau de parfum focuses more on the woody and floral aspects of the original and less on the aquatic, fresh citrus side.
0 Comments
7
Scent
Drseid

820 Reviews
Drseid
Drseid
Helpful Review 3  
Helped Start A Trend But Should We Be Thankful?...
A tenuous thumbs up for this one. Enough has already been said elsewhere and everywhere about the notes, etc. I find it a pleasant enough aquatic, but way over-rated and over used. I own a bottle, and once or twice a year during the Summer will use it, but I find that the scent just is not really my cup of tea (like most other aquatics) and I almost always reach for something else. That said, Aqua di Gio still deserves credit for being the catalyst for the trend towards aquatics in general, earning 3 to 3.5 stars out of 5.
0 Comments
5
Bottle
7.5
Sillage
7.5
Longevity
4
Scent
Missk

1357 Reviews
Missk
Missk
Helpful Review 2  
Yawn-worthy and highly overrated
Acqua di Gio is one of those fragrances I just do not understand. The mere thought of hooking up with a guy wearing this would probably be a deal-breaker for me, as shallow as that sounds.

Aquatics and citrus based scents don't go down too well with me. I find Acqua di Gio sharp and irritating. There are some citrus masculines I adore, for example, Acqua di Parma's Colonia and L'eau d'Issey pour Homme, yet this incredibly popular fragrance just can't, and will not appeal to my tastes.

The opening is heavy with citrus accords, most notably lemon, lime and bergamot. To my nose these notes are not crisp nor refreshing, but rather astringent and metallic. The ocean water note makes matters worse, introducing an odd and somewhat clashing salt accord.

Acqua di Gio is the masculine equivalent to D&G Light Blue for Women. Both fragrances are popular citrus scents that fall into either a love it or hate it category.

Perhaps in a gym or a sports situation, Acqua di Gio is tolerable, however I find too many guys wearing this during Winter, out clubbing, or in the worst case scenario, applying it far too heavily which leaves me gasping for air. It's a Summer fragrance and should be worn casually, in moderate doses.

Due to its popularity and expensive price tag, I know many men will buy it thinking it's the best smelling thing in the world and that it attracts women like bees to a honey pot. Marketing is not always accurate. Sniff around before putting your cash on the register for this one.
0 Comments
Richet752

14 Reviews
Richet752
Richet752
Helpful Review 1  
Classic
The classic aquatic fragrance. To me, this was the maximum standard for the nineties and it began my fragrance curiosity as a young boy. Very clean smell, very refreshing to wear, and a crowd pleaser. Sadly, this has been both a victim of its own success and doesn't perform like it did. It's iconic, it was a heavy hitter for Giorgio Armani and the perfumers, but I'd say just get it for your own collection since its easily available, but don't pay retail price for it.

If you want the next best thing in the Acqua di Gio line, definitely go for Profumo or Profondo. Give them a shot, choose the one you think will fit you best.
0 Comments
7
Pricing
8
Bottle
8
Sillage
6
Longevity
8
Scent
MirzAsim

21 Reviews
MirzAsim
MirzAsim
Helpful Review 3  
The Beauty of 1996!
It is a legendary fragrance. Simple to wear yet surprisingly sophisticated. Everyone was using it about 20 years ago. Many people still do and this is a fragrance that simply withstood the test of time.

The reasons for that are many, as it represents all that the Mediterranean is. Citruses, light flowers, ocean breeze, a few dry trees, and a bit of aldehyde and salt. Refreshing, uplifting, and easily recognizable.

There are a few reasons to hate or be skeptical about it. And as stupid as it sounds its popularity made it less of a signature scent than it was. An army of clone perfumes was made, some better some worse - all to push this fragrance DNA to the masses.

As someone who had the chance to wear it on a few occasions, I must say that I would not buy it for myself, but would be happy to receive it as a gift.

Surprisingly, the reason for that is that Lidl (supermarket in Europe) released an analog of ADG while removing a few notes. Not as sophisticated as the original, nor as expensive it gets the job done. Essence Acqua Fresh by Lidl can be used as a cheaper alternative to this legendary fragrance.

I know that someone might hate this comment, however, I must say that the recent reformulations made ADG weaker, thus bringing it closer to some of its homages.
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Statements

28 short views on the fragrance
VitalieVitalie 1 year ago
7
Bottle
6
Sillage
6
Longevity
7
Scent
This fragrance is a very nice old school scent from Armani its fresh and clean you can always wear it.
0 Comments
DarkbeatDarkbeat 7 years ago
7
Bottle
6
Sillage
7
Longevity
7.5
Scent
Acqua Di Gio is the freshest and most versatile perfume that exists, an authentic generator of compliments.
0 Comments
SpacebaseSpacebase 2 years ago
9
Bottle
3
Sillage
3
Longevity
8.5
Scent
This is an all-time favorite based on nostalgia alone, but it just does not perform AT ALL anymore! Way better aquatic options out there.
0 Comments
ParfumojrgsfParfumojrgsf 2 years ago
4
Sillage
4
Longevity
7
Scent
Someone made the comment that it smells like sport deodorant and I can't shake that thought now... Regardless, it's a decent scent.
0 Comments
Jbrez1Jbrez1 3 months ago
Clean, fresh, aquatic, elegant and classy. Perfect summer frag. Only issue is the longevity and performance. 4-5 hours on my skin.
0 Comments
VilarVilar 6 years ago
Iconic. Groundbreaking. This is a scent that will be (re)discovered by generations for years to come.
0 Comments
StarA1StarA1 7 years ago
7
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
10
Scent
Refreshing sensations of vitality and purity
0 Comments
ChicoRoch1ChicoRoch1 3 years ago
7
Bottle
5
Sillage
6
Longevity
8
Scent
My very first aquatic fragrance when I first bought it in 1997. Wish I still had that bottle!
0 Comments
JMWeedJMWeed 3 years ago
6
Bottle
6
Sillage
6
Longevity
7.5
Scent
A classic fresh scent that is unmistakable. An aquatic masterpiece that has little performance to show for its brilliance.
0 Comments
LaurentiuLaurentiu 3 years ago
7
Bottle
4
Sillage
6
Longevity
8
Scent
This is perfect to spray right after a hot shower. It's quite uplifting for me, very fresh and citrusy. I wish it had better performance.
0 Comments
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