Armani Privé - Thé Yulong Giorgio Armani 2020

Opens on tart mandarin straddling a slow and smoky, tempered spice, the kind that builds up in the back of your throat but never forces a cough. Tea notes unfold quickly thereafter with a healthy mien. Cool, refreshing green tea meets the bitter depths of black, enlivened tonally by a spa-like eucalyptus accord, minty and rejuvenating. In gentle gradations, she introduces a temperate, lactonic sweetness. The dry down is a spectral photomontage of its previous phrases: chilled spice, milky aldehydes, and musky citrus. This is an uncommon clean scent that strikes an even balance between tranquility and professionalism.

With three sprays on each arm, it has moderate projection and sillage. This is not my usual spraying pattern, but I’ve had multiple scents underperform and wondered if my application technique was the problem. I veered on the heavy-handed side today, and it still had disappointing longevity (four hours maximum). This is my first intentional foray into clean, tea scents so maybe that type of performance is normal. Personally, I think it should retail about $50 cheaper.