Every Acqua di Giò Compared: Original, Profondo, Parfum, Elixir

Giorgio Armani spent his holidays on Pantelleria, a volcanic island between Sicily and Tunisia, and Fragrantica traces Acqua di Giò to that coast. Alberto Morillas composed the men's version with Annick Ménardo and Christian Dussoulier, and it launched in 1996, with a first campaign of the model Larry Scott shot by Herb Ritts. Thirty years and many flankers later, Armani's US site lists seven men's versions. The short answer: the 1996 Eau de Toilette is the bright citrus-and-sea original; Profondo (2020) is more aromatic and mineral; the Parfum (2023), which followed the discontinued Profumo, adds incense and woods; the Eau de Parfum Intense (2026) leans ambery; and the Elixir (2025) is the darkest, with violet leaf and leather.

Acqua di Giò Eau de Toilette (1996): the original

Armani released a women's Acqua di Giò first, in 1995, and Fragrantica credits Morillas with that one too; the men's version followed a year later and became the one people mean by the name. Morillas has said he never expected it to be a big success. Asked by Fragrantica in 2022 which three of his fragrances he would keep, he chose this one and said, "Acqua Di Gio is when I smell the sea." It arrived eight years after Davidoff's Cool Water, the other big aquatic of the era. WWD reported in 2015 that Acqua di Giò made up about 30% of Armani's perfume sales, and the Fragrance Foundation added it to its Hall of Fame in 2012. Armani died in September 2025 at 91; the year before, the Acqua di Giò campaign had Aaron Taylor-Johnson diving off a cliff into the sea at Pantelleria.

Armani describes marine notes with Calabrian bergamot, neroli and green tangerine, then rosemary, persimmon and Indonesian patchouli, with cedarwood among the key notes. On skin the citrus and salt come first, then jasmine and rosemary, then a clean finish of cedar and white musk. Fragrantica voters place it in summer, spring and daytime well ahead of evening; Parfumo voters rate its longevity and sillage as moderate, and Basenotes reviewers split on how long it lasts. Writing in 2025, Fragrantica's Igor Masyukov called it "genuinely good even now." It suits warm days, the office, and anyone who wore it in the late 1990s and wants it back; Armani restaged the bottle in 2025. Armani sells the 100 ml bottle at $130 (30 ml $62, 50 ml $99, 200 ml $175).

Profumo (2015) and the Parfum that followed it (2023)

Nearly 20 years after the original, Morillas made Acqua di Giò Profumo, which Armani described as sea waves merging with black rocks: bergamot and a marine accord over geranium, sage and rosemary, with incense and patchouli beneath, in a black bottle, with the model Jason Morgan as its face. It became a favorite; Fragrantica members still rate it among the highest of the whole line. Profumo has since been discontinued, and Masyukov describes the 2023 Acqua di Giò Parfum, also by Morillas, as its successor.

The Parfum keeps the same frame: bergamot and marine notes, rosemary, clary sage and geranium, then frankincense and patchouli, in a refillable bottle. Masyukov finds its water fresher than salty, "the clarity of rivers and lakes," and calls it "the only true heir to the original." It suits someone who loves the original's freshness but wants more depth and staying power for evenings or cooler weather. Armani sells the 100 ml bottle at $186 (50 ml $150, 75 ml $160, 200 ml $248).

Profondo (2020) and Profondo Parfum (2024): the deep-sea pair

Morillas's Profondo arrived in 2020, which Armani called "the intense marine interpretation of Acqua di Giò," in a navy bottle themed on the deep sea. Fragrantica lists sea notes and Aquozone with bergamot and green mandarin, then rosemary, lavender, cypress and mastic, over mineral notes, patchouli and musk. Fragrantica's Eddie Bulliqi found the core Acqua di Giò bitter greens and sharp citrus intact, with "an energetic, soapy lavender," and called it "inoffensive, light and happy," an everyday fragrance. It suits someone who wants the original's family with more herbs and a cooler, mineral finish. Armani sells the 100 ml bottle at $155 (30 ml $88, 50 ml $120, 200 ml $199), refillable in every size.

Profondo Parfum (2024) goes darker. Armani builds it on bergamot, balsamic cistus absolute and everlasting essence for a resinous, mineral take on the sea, and Fragrantica adds mimosa, patchouli and labdanum. Armani lists the 50 ml at $150; the 100 ml ($186) was out of stock when we checked.

Eau de Parfum (2022) and Eau de Parfum Intense (2026)

The 2022 Eau de Parfum, credited to Morillas on Fragrantica, was Armani's sustainability statement for the line: a refillable bottle, natural green mandarin, sage, vetiver and patchouli around the marine notes, and a forest-preservation program in Guatemala. On Armani's US site today it appears only as a 150 ml refill at $175, out of stock when we checked. It suits someone who wants the original's sea notes made greener and more herbal, with sage and vetiver.

The newest version is the Eau de Parfum Intense, released in 2026. Armani says it reimagines the signature of Acqua di Giò Absolu, Morillas's 2018 flanker, which no longer appears on Armani's US site (nor does Essenza, from 2012). It opens with Calabrian bergamot and green apple, moves to marine notes and clary sage, and settles on amber and woods, in a black-lacquered bottle. It suits someone who wants Acqua di Giò with more warmth and a fruity edge. Armani sells the 100 ml bottle at $160 and the 30 ml at $90.

Acqua di Giò Elixir (2025): the darkest

Morillas returned in 2025 for the Elixir, which Armani calls the most concentrated men's fragrance Acqua di Giò has produced. It is built around a violet accord: bergamot, green mandarin and nutmeg open over violet leaf and a marine accord, then leather, patchouli, vetiver and labdanum. Fragrantica's launch article described "a richer, darker, and more mysterious interpretation" of the original. It suits someone who reaches for leather and woods in autumn but still wants a breath of sea air. Armani sells one size: 50 ml at $170.

How to choose

Start with the 1996 Eau de Toilette if you want the sea-and-citrus Acqua di Giò most people know, for summer and daytime. Profondo is the next step for daytime: the same family with more lavender and a mineral finish, which Armani bills as long-lasting. For evenings or cooler weather, choose by texture: the Parfum is incense and clean woods, the Eau de Parfum Intense is ambery and fruity, and the Elixir is leather and violet. If you miss Profumo, the Parfum is the version Fragrantica's reviewer points to.

With this many close relatives, smelling two side by side helps more than reading notes. A decant of the original next to the version you are considering shows the difference within a few minutes.