Editors Rating
Key Takeaways
Pierre Bourdon dreamt up Cool Water in 1988, and it’s another very popular aquatic men’s fragrance with top notes of lavender, seawater, mint, coriander, and rosemary. It gives way to refreshing hints of jasmine and geranium that melds into Sandalwood and slightly spicy Neroli. The base notes feature deep scents of Cedar, Oakmoss, and Musk.
Cool Water is a bit heavier and muskier overall, but it provides a similar scent profile for you to try instead.
Kenzo Pour Homme
Kenzo’s Pour Homme is another aromatic aquatic cologne popular among men. It came out in 1991 as a brainchild of Christian Mathieu.
Like Cool Water and Acqua Di Gio, it has top notes of Bergamot and seawater along with tart citrus. The Middle notes include Juniper Berries, Pine, and Carnation. There are also hints of decadent Lily-of-the-Valley, Orris Root, and Nutmeg. The base notes of Vetiver, Balsam Fir, Cedar, and Sandalwood for a rich, earthy finish. They blend beautifully and create a warm, nature-inspired scent profile.
Salvatore Ferragamo Acqua Essenziale
The final Acqua Di Gio alternative is Acqua Essenziale by Salvatore Ferragamo. This aromatic fragrance came out in 2013 thanks to Alberto Morillas, who if you remember, also created Acaua Di Gio. This scent includes some familiar fragrances, but it’s the most unique of all the alternatives listed, in my opinion.
The top notes of citrus are spiked with refreshing mint notes that give way to seaside-inspired smells along with heady Lavender, Rosemary, and Geranium. The Patchouli base notes are similar to Acqua Di Gio, but the Vetiver, Labdanum, and Musk end up stealing the show in Acqua Essenziale.
FAQ
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Imagine walking along a sunny, sandy beach on a warm summer day in Italy or Greece. That’s where Acqua Di Gio takes you. Bright hits of floral and citrus enliven your mood before giving way to the salty smell of ocean air. The middle notes enchant and then eventually give way to those deep, sensual base notes of earthy, rich, woody luxury.
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Longevity varies based on a lot of factors, but on average, Acqua Di Gio lasts between 5 and 7 hours. It’s got moderate sillage and projection, which is nice if you hate overwhelming scents.
Typically, the first 2 hours of the scent are the strongest, shifting from top notes to middle notes. Then the base notes steal the show from hours 3-7. Sometimes it still lingers on your skin and clothes for hours after use.
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For fans of their aquatic aroma, Armani offers more than just the original Acqua Di Gio, which boasts the lightest scent profile of the bunch. Acqua Di Gio Profundo is a nice middle ground regarding scent strength. Then you have Acqua Di Gio Profumo, with the most pungent scent, projection, and sillage of the three colognes.
So it’s less a matter of “best” Armani cologne and more a concern of how strong you want your Acqua Di Gio scent to be.
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In the 1980s, Armani had already achieved fame as a famous fashion house with perfumes and cologne offerings. In the 1990s, they expanded their fragrance products, and Acqua Di Gio was born in 1996. Alberto Morillas brought the scent of Giorgio Armani’s favorite Italian island to the whole world.
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