Armani Privé - Rondò Armaniano Giorgio Armani 2023

In music, a rondo is a composition in which a constant, repetitive part alternates with various intermediate parts. What does this mean for Rondo Armaniano? Perhaps that the classic style of Armani with its pure elegance is the constant, recurring refrain and the appearances of the so different fragrance notes from lavender, sage, iris, vanilla to woods and patchouli ultimately always lead back to the elegant refrain? I am curious ...

My blind order comes in a simple petrol-colored cardboard box, Armani according to without ostentation and pomposity. The rectangular bottle with the rounded edges, a square metal shield on the front and the cap modeled after a rounded stone is common to all Privés. In the case of Rondo Armaniano, the serene color scheme from natural white to light gray to sage green is captivating. The tones appear milky, calm. The bottle itself is off-white, the sage-colored plaque graphically clear with a diamond of the same color. Between the bottle and the pebble-gray cap, which is a real hand-flatterer, two color-coordinated silk ribbons with small gold balls at the ends are artfully looped. The toned color mood acts as a soft focus for the angular flacon.

For all my confidence in Armani, I am nevertheless tense before the first spray. After all, 660, - euros you have to pay for it. First impression: highly aromatic and intense lavender, slightly reinforced by sage, clearly a fougère and a reminiscence of classic men's fragrances. But just as the muted colors take away the austerity of the bottle, so too in the fragrance, soothing veils quickly cover the strong herbaceous lavender. On the one hand, delicate in the form of iris powder - but the iris plays rather a supporting role in this annual fragrance and the listed rose I can not even perceive in the background -, on the other hand, amber-like notes and a delicious vanilla essence keep the intense, almost sharp, lavender in check. They bring a balsamic and sweet warmth into play, ambery, harmonious, endearing, and balanced with the lavender. You hardly like to take your nose off your wrist, it smells so irresistible. The ambered side never gets too dense, too sweet or too tired, because the lavender keeps stimulating and cheering it up with its lively aroma. I don't smell any earthy or mossy scents, the patchouli just creates depth and a slight melancholy. Rondo Armaniano is aromatic, balsamic, harmonious, soft - in no way "lavender fresh".

So not a classic fougère, but an amber fougère fragrance. Although I associate this with classic men's fragrances, the pendulum on the scale between masculine and feminine does not swing too far in the direction of masculine for me. I think it's because there's no oakmoss or other earthy/forest ingredients used here, but warm, sensual, sweet-spicy notes. I can imagine Rondo Armaniano as a great evening scent as well as during a hike in nature through meadows and forest or even for deep breathing and relaxing on the sofa at home. The fragrance has a punch, an enormous durability beyond the day and a strong sillage. The intense interplay of herbaceous lavender and balsamic amber certainly provides positive attention. Thus, it is not suitable for every occasion, and it is not a fragrance to be thoughtlessly drizzled with. He requires a conscious decision, perhaps also a no longer too youthful age and I feel him as a fragrance for the cool season.

To be able to classify and compare him, I would have to know other ambrierte Fougères, but there I must unfortunately pass and can only say from my current fragrance experience that I find Rondo Armaniano extremely harmonious, expressive and warming and can not imagine that there is very much equivalent in this balance. Rondo Armaniano is classic Armani elegance with modern facets. I would wear it myself as a lover of delicate and feminine fragrances probably only very rarely. In the evening with a slim black dress I would find it a striking and great choice. At (m)a man I would love to smell him but more often.