STRAIGHT FROM THE SEAS

Giorgio Armani's Acqua di Gio Profondo stays true to the original Gio's DNA by diving deeper into farthest depths of sea

- Ashwin Rajagopalan

THE PROFONDO OPENS WITH A FRESH BLAST OF SEA NOTES THAT ARE ACCENTUATED BY THE ZESTY BERGAMOT AND GREEN MANDARIN NOTES

ACQUA DI GIO PROFONDO — GIORGIO ARMANI FOR MEN

IF THERE’S one scent that embodies the quintessential aquatic olfactory experience, it has to be Acqua di Gio from Giorgio Armani. It’s been 25 years since that high-energy scent with marine accords debuted.

It’s still relevant and popular but that hasn’t stopped master perfumer Alberto Morillas to keep revisiting one of his most successful creations. Back in 2019, we checked out Absolu, a new interpretation of this classic; it certainly didn’t disappoint. The new flanker — Profondo (profondo del mare refers to the depth of the sea in Italian) dives deeper to make the aquatic connection.

The deep blue flacon should come as no surprise, it’s the same iconic flacon that wears a new coat of paint. There are no real surprises in the juice; that should come as a relief to most Aqua di Gio die-hards.

It opens with a fresh blast of sea notes that are accentuated by the zesty bergamot and green mandarin notes. Rosemary and lavender shine in the heart of the scent before the base notes — that include musk and patchouli — take over.

Profondo is yet another welcome detour in the Acqua di Gioline, proving that flankers are not such a bad idea after all. It scores on the longevity and sillage fronts. It might just what you need till the mercury drops.

-->₹7,100/100ml

ISSEY MIYAKE IGO L’EAU D’ISSEY POUR HOMME

IS THIS a packaging gimmick or a clever idea that captures the essence of the uncertain times that we live in? Either way, IGO has our attention.