Armani Code is the latest perfume for women from the Giorgio Armani line, and is meant to be the female counterpart to their best selling fragrance Armani Code for men (originally released as Armani Black Code). It was created by perfumers Carlos Benaim, Dominique Ropion, and Olivier Polge of International Flavors & Fragrances, and has notes of of orange, orange blossom, ginger, pear sorbet, jasmine, vanilla, woods and lavender honey.
Armani Code opens with fresh orange and ginger, and the top notes have a nice zing. After that, it is all very soft and muted and indistinct, with vague honeyed florals and even vaguer hints of fruit — I would not have guessed pear — over a warm but mild base of vanilla and pale musky woods. A touch of the ginger lasts into the dry down, but not much: it isn't particulary spicy after the first 30 minutes have passed. Happily, it also isn't overly sweet.
Armani is positioning Armani Code as a sexy, femme fatale kind of perfume: “a woman's mysterious code of seduction revealed” and all that. It is a very pretty, wearable fragrance, and I would pick Armani Code over any number of the sugar-laden fruity florals on the counters at present, but it strikes me as more safe than sexy, and as with many of the big name fragrances released this spring, the bottle seems more unusual than the juice itself.
A 30 ml bottle of Eau de Parfum is $38; it is also sold in 50 and 75 ml sizes. It is available directly from Giorgio Armani, at sephora, or at most major department stores. You can also find it at a discount at imaginationperfumery, and I would imagine that we will see more price competition later in the year.
Note: image via Images de Parfums.
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Ginger? Did someone say Ginger? Might have to try this.
It sounds lovely, although am learning more & more that the Notes most often, don't tell the whole story. At least this should be easy to try at any cosmetic counter, right? Thanks R!
It smells very food-like to me. Like orange and chocolate…something familiar that I can't remember.
There is that sense of “armani”, that alot of his perfumes have. Some notes are always the same…I don't mind keeping my sample, but I don't think I'll be buying it.
Totally agree with your assessment. So nice to have you back, R!
Let me know what you think…you'll certainly like the top notes, but I know you're looking for a fragrance with tons of ginger so not sure this will satisfy you!
Interesting, it doesn't strike me as foody. Now I'll have to try it again and see if I can find the chocolate! Have seen several comments elsewhere saying that it smells “Armani-ish” but haven't tried enough of the line to know.
Thanks M! Is it just me, or are we having a particularly lackluster crop of new releases this spring? There seem to be so few fragrances I am really excited about
If you're looking for a ginger scent, you might try Parfum d'Histore's Eau de Gloire (think that's the right name). I get a great blast of ginger ale from this!
Will post back after I've tried it.
Just went through some of the older blogs (10-05') and noticed you are from my generation! Yippee! Santana, Doors, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Ten Years after, Jefferson Airplane……. Now I think I might try the Carlos Santana for Women, also.
Hoping that it IS Ginger that I'm liking. Have a feeling that the top note I like in Zenzero is not just Ginger alone…maybe some lime in there that they're not mentioning?
Funny, I tried the Vaniglia de Madagascar and simply do not like it. But add Ginger, and whole other story.
Thanks Vanilla Girl! I'll look it up online, and see where I can sample it.
Oh dear….nothing in English on Parfum d histoire – Eau de Gloire – and the 'Translation' pages are nearly hilarious at times! (but of no real help unfortunately). Will keep trying.
It is a lackluster spring. I've liked a lot of them, but they're sorta like a lot of other things I've liked and then quickly forgotten. ::: yawn :::
Don't snicker at me, but I still am looking forward to trying this anyhow! Everyone and their dog seems so “meh” on it, and yet I still am enticed by reading. Oh well, I tried a million mediocre things last spring, too, so why not do the same this year…
I think this line will be in the US before too long, so hold on…
Then I'm not crazy
It is certainly worth trying K! I wouldn't call it mediocre anyway — there is plenty enough of that this spring — just not as exciting as I'd hoped.
It sounds like something my DH might like on me. I must confess I have started to purchase fragrances that receive a positive reaction from him.
I say confess because he seems to like things that are rather sweet. Of all the fragrances I have tested lately, what is the one that he said “*That's* nice what is it?”? Flowerbomb. So that's what I wear lately, and now I like it because he likes it (hangs head).
In his (and my) defense though, he also bought me Nuit de Noel parfum for Valentine's Day.
Good job I can like and wear many things.
I liked this better than most of the stuff I smell at the mainstream dept. store fragrance counters, but I admit that's a pretty low bar … I keep reading that Euphoria is everyone's top seller, I asked the SA and she said it was hugely popular. Have you smelled it? Ugh. I can see why people liked, say, Angel, or Tommy Girl, even if they're not for me. This one has me completely stumped.
We might be the same generation…I grew up on that music, but was very young when those bands were still active. Don't know the Quicksilver Messenger Service or Ten Years After, but loved Santana, the Doors & Jefferson Airplane. Do try the Carlos Santana scent, but it isn't likely to evoke either his music or that era
Hey, there is nothing wrong with wearing something your dh will like — you are just nicer than I am! Actually, my dh doesn't much care either way. And I would say yours has good taste if he likes Flowerbomb & Nuit de Noel.
Must admit I have yet to put Euphoria on skin, although I did sniff on a card. I keep confusing it with Hypnose for some reason and so forget to get a sample. Old age…
Hello, everybody! I have sampled the new Armani….That´s all. I have no desire of purchasing it, and I usually like a lot Armani fragrances. It´s a nice but boring scent for me, and smells a lot of sweet honey. I prefer my honey more wild, like in Ambre Narguilé? I agree with you, I don´t like many fragrances this spring, I repurchased my old dear Angeliques sous la pluie, Divine Bergamote, un Jardin en Mediterranée and the new Aqua di parma Fico di Amalfi
Thanks for the review, Robin. I have been looking forward to sampling this one. I will look into seeing if I can find it this week and possibly asking for a sample. I really like the bottle.
Hi R! Thanks for featuring this new Armani here. I got a sample and fell in love! It has a slight incensey quality to my nose, lots of the vanilla and woods, and I don't detect much musk if any at all. I'm kind of surprised that this is a Spring launch, since to my nose it would be much better suited to cooler weather. Of all the new Spring scents, this is the best by far. And I agree, the rest seem to be just more of the same, cheap, synthetic, fruity, generic scents.
Ah, well that is a nice list of purchases in any case, and you did get the new Fico di Amalfi so the spring isn't a total waste, LOL…
My local Nordstrom actually had a huge glass jar of samples sitting out on the counter for anyone to take….I love Nordstrom!!
P, really, incense? Ok, now I've got to smell it again and look for chocolate *and* incense. Definitely agree that it is one of the best this spring ~ although the competition is scanty
Chocolate and incense sound very High Mass Easter Sunday to me! LOL
Give it another try!
LOL — then will have to do so
Oh, how I miss Nordstrom!
I liked it and ended up buying it this weekend. Sort of a cross between XOXO Heartbeat and Addict. I like it better than either.
V, don't know the XOXO Heartbeat, but will have to try it next to Addict! Congrats on your purchase
Robin, I tried this on my skin yesterday, and while I wasn't crazy about the opening, the dry down was very nice. However, it is more expensive here, 42 Euro for 30ml (over 50 US dollars).
Hello R! Hope you are well.
I did get to try this a couple of weeks ago when I went to get some Armani makeup. It is nice and certainly one of the nicer releases this spring but I doubt it will be FBW for me.
Have a great Easter weekend.
K, do you have lots of online discounters, or are you stuck with the “suggested price”?
N, we will both save money then
You have a lovely weekend too!
Excellent question, Robin. And I honestly don't know. I live in Germany and haven't looked. I guess I could check ebay.de, but I kind of like buying my fragrance in a store. I guess I am rather old fashioned
I just checked the price at one place here (Douglas).
I love shopping in brick n mortar stores — I like to see the bottles in person and I like to browse the fragrance counters. But: I am cheap! If I think a fragrance will cost less online, I'll wait until it hits the discounters.
This is for Little Blessing…the first post…if it's ginger you like, try Blv Perfume by Bvlgari. Tons of ginger; almost heats up the skin!
If it's ginger you're after, you might love Blv by Blvgari….ginger galore!!
Thank you for the suggestion! Most comments I found about it were very favorable. Another one said that BLV Absolute also had 'tons of ginger', so will give that a test also. I have walked right past BLV so many times! I'll make a special trip tomorrow to try it. Again, Thanks!!
Hi LB
Did you give BLV a try yet? I haven't sampled Absolute so I've no idea about that one. I've been impressed by Blvgari's fragrances in general, and I ordinarily steer clear of “mainstream” fragrance houses. Most of them seem to repackage variations on a theme, but Blvgari makes an effort, I think, to make each of their perfumes unique. Take care!
CBG – I did. Took a trip to Dillards and tried not only BLV, but … Extreme, Omnia, Au the Vert, Au the Blanc, Voile de Jasmin, Rose Essentielle, Pour Femme, and BLV Notte!! Those were all on my skin. But then I also did tester cards of Carlos Santana, Burberry and Escada!!
Fear I overdid it, ya think?
At which point my senses were on overload! So alas, I must go back, and try just a couple of them at a time!!
I do know thus far that BLV Notte is not for me. (I think I lean towards Foody, Gourmand scents…coconut, ginger, vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon, and some floral…..can't handle Citrus). Notte was very powdery to me.
Otherwise think I pretty much liked everything else. The Au's didn't 'jump out at me', but were pleasant. I'm amazed that I actually liked so many of them!
They didn't have Absolute there or I'm sure I would have tried it! – Per Dillards they won't be carrying Bvlgari any longer. Said to try Saks in the future.
LOL, LB, you are just like me shopping for perfumes! Smell so many I can't tell the difference after a while, no matter how many coffee beans I sniff!
Yes, BLV is one of those scents you either love or hate. I have a mini of it, but I have to be in the mood for it, which is rarely. I haven't smelled Omnia yet, but maybe that's more your taste judging by the ingredient list (chocolate and tea, interesting). I went through a gourmand phase myself for a few years, but now I'm craving something different…although no one could tear me away from Kenzo Jungle L'elephant, ever!! What did you think of Burberry?
CBG~
I have yet to try this Armani Code, which to me sounds interesting.
CBG – I quite liked Omnia! Lovely, and creamy. How they accomplish that with some 13 notes in it, I have no idea.
Currently I'm wild about i Profumi di Firenze's ZenZero… (for the first 10 min.!!) Simple notes of Vanilla & Ginger.
Burberry was also quite nice, at least at first – mild, soft and creamy. Cedarwood, Jasmine, Moss, Sandalwood, Musk, Vanilla. But after 30 min.- 1hr. of being around the tester card, I felt sick.
Kenzo Jungle d'elephant….never heard of! Wow, what different notes than the usuals! Mandarin, Cardamom (still don't know what that is), Cumin, Licorice (red or black?)
Ylang, Patchouli. Holy cow! Plese do tell me what it's like. (Oh no, I might have to try a sample!)
And when you were into the Food/Gourmand scents, which did you love? Any suggestions?
Hope R doesn't mind us posting like this. We might need to exchange emails, if so.
- Is this OK, R?
Don't mind at all
First of all…thank you, R, for letting us indulge ourselves…and, I'd also like to say that I am SO addicted to this site! Well done! I'm a newbie here, and having so much fun. And, LB, I'd be happy to exchange emails with you so we don't “clog up the works” here, so to speak…how do we exchange?
Oh my goodness…I could wax poetic about Kenzo Jungle forever. It all started with my boyfriend. He's crazy about Opium, but I am not (I think I've determined it's the carnation note that I'm not fond of)…anyway, I was looking for an alternative, a scent that would evoke the same exotic mystery that Opium does. A friend of mine in Paris suggested Kenzo Jungle L'elephant (apparently it's beloved in that city), and voila! It was one of those rare perfume moments when you know you've stumbled on perfection. First of all, you must like spicy-incensy scents to enjoy this, but it's a “creamy” spicy, nothing harsh. I believe the licorice helps to make this rounder than most spicy orientals. No one spice note dominates, they all blend very harmoniously. Give it about 30 minutes to settle in before your final decision. This is the kind of fragrance that is perfect in fall and winter, evokes a curl-up-by-the-fire with a Chai tea sort of mood, though I wear it year-round. And…my Opium crazy boyfriend LOVES it. The EDP lasts all day and night, and it doesn't “turn” on my skin at all. Do try it; I'd love to hear your opinion! My favorite gourmand/foody fragrance is Hanae Mori (some call it “Butterfly”). Absolutely beautiful soft, berry-almond scent. Also love Casmir by Chopard, and Lolita Lempicka. Thanks for your input on Burberry and Omnia!
CBG~
So glad you're having fun! If you will both send me your email addresses, I'm happy to forward them on. My address is nowsmellthis at comcast dot net.
R, you were so correct! Tried Armani Code and quite liked it at first (the top notes as you said). To me it seemed similar to Ralph Lauren Hot, except milder and absent of the mocha note. After about 30 min. however, sadly Code started eeking of a citrus note that is not my thing. (Citrusy scents generally give me slamming headaches)
It started reminding me of the citrusy Calvin Klein type scents that were so the rage over the past years. Till the drydown happened though, I was liking it pretty much.
I then tested Ralph Lauren Hot on the other hand, and it was defintely off to the washroom for Code.
Thanks for always being so helpful!
LB, you'll find the perfect ginger eventually, I'm sure! Have to kiss a lot of frogs first
ChicBohoGal where did you go? – Went to Nordstrom's this past week and asked to test your favorite….Kenzo Jungle L'Elephant, but they said it's not sold here in the U.S. and I've not found any Samples online to try.
R has my email address for you, if you'd like. Hope all is well.
Longtime reader, first time poster…hoping to find perfumes similiar to Armani Code pour Femme.
First smelled it in a magazine and loved-LOVED it. Went and tried some on my skin and loved the first blush, but after a half hour or so it became distinctly blah, tame, so-so…disappointed, but oh well!
Flash forward to this week, my hair stylist gives me a new conditioner from an italian company that unexpectedly smells so incredibly close to Armani Code I almost fall over in the shower. My hair smells amazing this whole week, every time I move poofs of smell come out, and I'm wishing again that Code had worked for me.
So, does anyone know a similiar fragrance? I have Ralph Lauren Hot on my list to try from this posting, any other ideas?
Hi Tiffa, and welcome!
Do you have any idea what notes from the Armani that you like? If you prefer the opening, wondering if it is the orange blossom that you like?
I'm afraid I'm still learning what specific scents I like in a fragrance composition, so I don't quite know. I'll write down what I think I'm smelling, I'm sorry if it is a long post!
I get smoky figgyness, maybe from a blend of vanilla and wood? Is it Vanilla Pod? Sandalwood? Maybe some fig?
I have L'eau Par Kenzo because of the same phantom rich plummyness Code has (I think of it as figgy, but I'm sure it's not really fig) that comes off my skin when I wear it, although there isn't much of it with Kenzo. It just thrills me, wherever that pronounced plum comes from.
I was recently really interested by Hermes Jardin de Mediterranee, but it turns into a strong cedar-only note after an hour that was way too masculine and, well, cedary for me. I smelled like a linen closet. I still went back twice to try it wistfully, though!
Is that enough clues?
The Hermes is figgy, but the other 2 I don't think of as figgy. For fig with less cedar, try Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Fico di Amalfi. It also has cedar, but less of it. Other possibilities: Diptyque Philosykos (lots of wood & earthiness, but not cedar closet-ish), or L'Artisan Premier Figuier Extreme — actually, that one might be more to your taste, as it is probably the most feminine of the figs I've mentioned.
Later today after I've had a bit more caffeine, will have to put on some L'Eau Par Kenzo and see what else that makes me think of
I had heard about this perfume on a t.v program and it had gotten rave reviews.I told my boyfriend I wanted it for Christmas.I have been wearing it ever since.It is a very sexy fragrance and it makes me feel sexy every time I put it on.Wherever I go people stop me and ask what I'm wearing.The only down side I found was that it didn't last very long.The smell died down after about 40 minutes.However,I would recommend it and I would give it a 9 out of 10…
Sounds like you've found a winner, congrats!
I love it! It's bold without overpowering, sensual and sexy and seductive. One of my favs to wear in a bold state of mind!
Jenny
Glad you like it
I love this perfume! The scent stays strong throughout the day and doesn't fade. I love the orange blossom.
My mum purchased Armani Code not long ago, i find myself using it, alot! At first i didnt like it, when i first sprayed it on myself it smelt rather salty, however it grew on me. Once the perfume started to develop i fell in love with it.
I often get comments on the perfume when i wear it. I think I'm going to have to buy this one for myself!
And you're right, it does last all day, a feature which many perfumes seem to lack.
Or borrow your mum's bottle
I LOVE this perfume! It's my new favourite! Which is funny, coz I only bought it for the free gift it came with.
On a completely random note, is it a little weird for a 19 year old girl to like perfumes like this?
Gosh, I'd think it would be perfect for a 19 year old girl! Glad you love it.
Really? I thought I was supposed to like fruity florals like Nina by Nina Ricci, or all the celebrity scents that are being released at the moment. Not the more womanly scents I'm into.
Well, this is a step up from Nina for sure, but it isn't what I'd call unapproachable or “mature”.
Hm… Well, it's still not a perfume I wouldn't associate with other girls my age. I can kinda picture a woman in her mid twenties wearing it, but not a 19 year old. Especially a 19 year old wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Yes, I have worn Armani Code with jeans and a T-shirt. I am officially strange.
I received a sample of this perfume when I bought the new Notorious (which i'm starting to regret, and i'm selling on craigslist if anyone's interested.) and I love it! It smelled delicious on paper, and even better on my skin.
I thought it would be more citrusy because of all the orange, but i find its quite a warm fragrance with a pale musk to it. It's a very colourful scent on me, with alot of depth to it. You can really smell the honey and vanilla when it dries down.
With some other perfumes, the alcohol is too prominent, but in this one, it is pure fragrance if you know what i mean.
Armani Code feels perfect for night or day, winter or summer, as it's not too dark and strong but not too fresh or light.
I also really like the bottle with the oriental flowers on it, it's very elegant and modern.
I'm thinking of buying it, I think this could be something I'd wear every day, I feel really good in it and have already had compliments. It also has good lasting power, i can still smell it well on my skin hours later.
Does anyone here think the one for men should be unisex? I like it a lot more than the one for women, which I found unbearably cloying, almost sickening. I'm really tempted to wear the men's. I love its powdery-citrusy notes (at least on my skin), and I think I can pull it off. Opinions, anyone?
Well, I think everything should be unisex — wear what suits you, who cares who it's for…
Congrats on finding a new favorite!