Armani Code Ice Giorgio Armani 2014

I should complain: What does Giorgio's colleagues allow? I'm not taken seriously! Recently at the Armani stand in Alsterhaus, the ladies only handed out the luxury samples after my wife made a purchase, and only upon request. Even though I had ostentatiously and dramatically sniffed through the Privé line, both mimically and verbally, and with full risk...! - I had made quite a scene (“Was Haitian vetiver used, or what do you think?” - Shrug... Ha!) and was also relatively well-dressed. Well, at least: I got what I wanted.

But my son! He was fobbed off with Code Ice. What does Giorgio allow? To interfere with our parental educational mission like this! What will become of the boy, when school is already failing so miserably in this regard? He usually gets selected niche stuff under his nose. Mainstream fragrances are only allowed for educational purposes and always after proper theoretical preparation, never just like that. Without the appropriate training, one can expect the worst olfactory missteps during puberty, which pose a serious threat to family peace and, not least, jeopardize parental plans for securing the family lineage. And there’s not much time left; the boy is already seven! I immediately palmed the vial at home when unpacking and set it aside "temporarily" for myself. This was only not a topic because we were also at the Lego store that day, and he had other things on his mind upon returning home. By the way, it’s funny how he pronounces the name of the fragrance.

We’re not forcing the boy into it. He can only add something on truly special occasions. He grows about ten centimeters taller each time, which, by the way, he desperately needs - he looks like he’s five. In the store, he also likes to try things out from time to time; I’m sometimes quite grateful for such arm-lengthening opportunities. However, we consistently pay attention to taste development.

Now, the present perfume is by no means nasty or anything. It’s admittedly even completely O.K. It also strikes me as an overly similar offshoot of the “Source Code” and is indeed disappointing more for that reason than due to inferior quality. I find it acceptable, actually a bit more defined towards the middle and end than its progenitor. Nevertheless, it doesn’t really stand out. Fresh opening with mint & Co., the heart note somewhat unique with its twist into the bitter-sour. The description by my predecessor as “creamy-almond DNA” is very well done. This note should indeed have a high recognition value. From the fifth hour onwards, it develops into a slightly soapy finish devoid of any originality. However, this quite original, bitter-sour nuance remains in the background until the evening. Therefore, the scent undoubtedly stands out among many others that may be marketed similarly.

Nevertheless, one expects simply more from the generally stylish house A., especially since Mr. A. doesn’t have to feed any financial sharks with his store. No idea why he doesn’t calmly nurture his brand (as well as his certainly well-filled neck) and only observes the rural new perfume pig-sticking from a distance. It doesn’t have to escalate in terms of price and subsequently in terms of sample acquisition efforts like the Privé line…

Conclusion: Hopefully, the bottle will be empty soon!