Armani Privé - A Milano Giorgio Armani 2021

The boundaries between need and addiction sometimes seem to blur for me; where is it still need, and where is it already addiction? Parfumo is also an example for me; when I look here, is it about my need to inform myself and exchange ideas, or is it already addiction? I occasionally ask myself this, and in between, I also go on withdrawal, but that shouldn't be the topic here, it just serves as an introduction.

At first, I wanted to title this review with the word Harmony (-addiction), but that seemed too strong to me.
“Those who are addicted to harmony fear being excluded from a group due to conflicts”
is one of the first sentences that the search engine returns.

Well, my pursuit of harmony isn't that extreme, as this kind of addiction would prevent my review. Moreover, in my opinion, this forum (among other things) thrives on the diversity of preferences and perceptions and on expressing them. However, I notice that something inside me hesitates to regard a fragrance that has received the highest rating in all statements and comments here, which has been wonderfully described by the Parfuma/os I appreciate and sympathize with, and which is experienced as even more wonderful - if that's even possible - as “just” good. Yes, that is probably the need for harmony...

Harmony = agreement, balance, consonance, symmetry. Even the term conveys well-being, and I wanted to use it in the title because it fits well with A Milano.

The scent is harmonious, balanced, nothing stands out. Citrus notes, lavender, iris root, musk; yes, you get what it says. I find no connection to what is written on it; unfortunately, the inspiration for the name is unknown to me, and I couldn't find anything about it online. The scent does not remind me of Milan, but I don't see that as a disadvantage. If I had to name a place, it would be a wellness center, perhaps that of a luxury hotel in Milan. The color and transparency of the bottle remind me of shimmering aquamarine, and when I look at the bottle on its own, I imagine a fresh-transparent scent, although the attribute fresh still somewhat applies, it is not transparent at all to my nose. By the way, I find the bottles beautiful from the photos, but I did not rate it only because I haven't really seen and held it in my hands.

On me, the composition overall, throughout its entire progression, is absolutely not sweet, almost a bit smoky-bitter, at least measured against my expectations and previous classifications. The citrus notes, which probably lead to the categorization of “citrus-fresh,” are just one component of A Milano; lavender and iris root contribute so clearly for my nose that I find it aromatic (+ fresh + powdery + bitter). Furthermore, I find the scent somehow compact, denser than I expected, and also more powdery. For you as readers, it may be of little help if my scent description keeps leaning on my expectations, but I find it difficult to detach myself from that. Somehow, the whole presentation awakened in me the idea of something fluid, of delicacy, freshness, and lightness. That is also there, but only partially; at the same time, there is earth and density, and perhaps precisely because of that, it is hard for me to describe, because the harmoniously combined sum of its parts results in something unique.

Even though it is a beautiful scent, A Milano has not captured me; therefore, I am not bothered that its longevity is only average. On my next visit to Milan, I might take a closer sniff. As of today, I prefer a short trip to the city over the scent...