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Acqua di Gio and all its reissues... Is the Profondo 2024 worth recommending or can it be dismissed as unremarkable? That depends...

Well, we need to clarify what the intended use of this perfume is, what expectations one can have, and what not. Furthermore, it is important to explain why a comparison to the 2020 version is inappropriate and whether the Profondo 2024 has its justification.

Let’s start with the intended use
The Profondo 2024 is a relatively unremarkable, fresh, and aquatic scent with a certain something. The fragrance notes listed here give, in my opinion, a pretty good impression. It fits best in spring and summer, yet it is actually wearable anytime and anywhere. You will always smell fresh and pleasant, as if just showered. I can't make much of the term "Profondo," which means "deep," but it does sound cool.

Now about me and why I bought this perfume:
I was looking for a high-quality perfume for any sporting activities that is not cheap but still within a reasonable price range for its purpose. At just under €80 for 100ml, the Profondo 2024 falls into this category for me.

Until now, I had either perfumes that were too overpowering for sports, ones I simply didn’t like, had a different intended use, and didn’t embody sports for me, making them feel out of place, or expensive niche perfumes that were too precious and costly for me to wear while exercising.

While browsing the new Parfumo search function, I eventually stumbled upon the Profondo and remembered it, then decided to test it, and what can I say, it was a complete success. In my opinion, the Profondo does not change much in its scent progression and remains relatively linear, which I personally find optimal for the purpose I defined. I want to smell good, fresh, and modern; I don’t want to experience a fragrance journey of various facets while exercising. This it fulfills. It keeps coming back to my nose and has, at least for me, a very pleasant interplay with my sweat. Receiving compliments for its scent while being completely drenched in sweat is something you can get used to. It is by no means intrusive and stays in the background. It does not overshadow me but supports me with its background presence. At the same time, it has a very slight sweetness alongside the citrusy, fresh, and aquatic notes, which gives it that certain something without being intrusive and also sets it apart from other perfumes in the lower price segment.

Even if not everyone can appreciate it, for me, it also adds to the appeal that you are wearing an Armani and not a cheap fragrance copy from elsewhere. The DNA is not copied and builds on the foundation of a big name in the perfume world with this flanker. The bottle looks quite nice, even if it obviously doesn’t have Roja quality. It is indeed very attractive and also of high quality. The sprayer is good too.

What can you expect and what not?
As already stated, you can expect a spring/summer perfume that proves to be a high-quality companion, especially for sports. What you should not expect, however, is a completely new, unprecedented fragrance DNA that evolves throughout the day. That is not what it is, and it shouldn’t be.

Why is a comparison to the 2020 version inappropriate and, above all, unnecessary?
For some months now, it has been evident that a change has taken place at Armani, and they are reissuing many of their perfumes with slight modifications. Anyone who smells the 2020 and 2024 Profondo side by side will notice only minimally changed nuances and, without the direct comparison, probably wouldn’t even recognize which version it is. In general, it can be said that Armani is making their perfumes more mass-appealing and tailored to the mainstream. This means, in plain terms, that green notes, which can sometimes be considered "edgy," are being removed or their proportion reduced, while everything pleasing is being ramped up. Fragrance enthusiasts usually appreciate these nuanced facets, as they make the scent more layered and thus more interesting, while the average nose either doesn’t perceive them at all or finds these facets unpleasant and perceives the linearity as more pleasant and agreeable. Therefore, it is understandable that Armani tailors their perfumes to their primary target audience, and rationally, this is the right decision. You won’t find niche here, and you shouldn’t expect it. The adjustments are therefore logical, and comparisons of the 2020 to the 2024 version are, in my opinion, inappropriate and unnecessary, especially since you can no longer buy the 2020 version new.

Conclusion
Now let’s return to the question from the title: What is the Profondo 2024 and what is it not?
If you are looking for a high-quality perfume for sports activities, you will find it here, just like I did. For that, I give a clear recommendation. If you want to experience an unprecedented, new fragrance journey with various facets, you are in the wrong place. One must be clear about what to expect and what not. For my purpose, sports, the Profondo 2024 is fantastically suitable. I also find the small adjustments compared to the 2020 version good.

Finally, please understand my evaluations in this sporting context.

First, a few words about myself to put my review into context: I am neither a perfume expert nor a person who can particularly distinguish and categorize individual notes. I enjoy smelling beautiful scents and take pleasure in them. One could say that I am one of about 95% of our society who have little expertise in perfumes yet still enjoy them.

Now, let's talk about "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes | Zara" and especially the question of whether this scent is a dupe of "Imagination | Louis Vuitton." I have a sample of Imagination and a bottle of "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes | Zara," and I compared them in various scenarios.

Comparison 1 - Back of the hand
On the backs of the hands, you can already smell a slight difference, as Imagination comes across (I don't know if these are the right words) as a bit more robust, established, and mature, while "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes | Zara" appears somewhat fruitier, fresher, and more youthful. What one prefers here must be answered by each person for themselves. Personally, I would prefer "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes | Zara" in summer, while Imagination would be my choice in spring and autumn.

Comparison 2 - Personal perception while wearing
My personal perception while wearing it for a whole day showed me that both scents perform almost identically throughout the day. Here too, the difference can only be discerned in the degree of fruitiness and freshness, and to notice that, one must pay explicit attention. Due to the slightly stronger freshness of "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes | Zara," it seems to last a bit shorter to me than "Imagination | Louis Vuitton," but to a degree that does not negatively impact my direct comparison and is standard for fresh "summer perfumes" anyway.

Comparison 3 - The perception of other people
As we all know, our own perception often deceives us significantly, and we think differently about ourselves and our perfumes than other people do. Therefore, I wore Imagination for 2 days and "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes | Zara" for 2 days in the same environments and asked my acquaintances for their opinions. Day 1 of both perfumes had the same people, and Day 2 of both perfumes had different people, but both had the same. The result was that out of 18 different people (about 40% male and 60% female), only one person (female) recognized that I had worn different perfumes at all. All the others thought I had worn the same perfume.

Conclusion
Based on my own perception and that of others, I have come to the conclusion that "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes | Zara" and Imagination are, in my opinion, nearly the same perfumes, and hardly anyone you encounter will notice a difference between the two. The longevity of "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes | Zara" is overall a bit worse, while I noticed no difference in the sillage. One aspect that is really negative about "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes | Zara" is the bottle, as it may initially seem fine but is absolutely inadequate. The spray head is a disaster, so I always transfer it to a spray bottle. Additionally, the bottle falls off if you only hold it by the cap. Ultimately, however, I think this is also bearable, as you only pay 30 € for a really good perfume, including shipping costs, which, in terms of scent, hardly falls short of "Imagination | Louis Vuitton." With "Imagination | Louis Vuitton," you also pay extra for a more beautiful and overall rounded presentation. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the gigantic price difference is unjustifiable, except that you are buying a "brand" with "Imagination | Louis Vuitton." To answer the initially posed question: Yes, in my opinion, it is a dupe.