Updated!--{{In-depth Review}}: Acqua di Gioia EDP




Acqua di Gioia retails for S$119 for 100ml, S$99 for 50ml.
http://sg.bestbuy-world.com retails it for $69.50 and $55 respectively

Acqua di Gioia.

Water of Joy.

This was first released in 2010 by Giorgio Armani.

Top notes: Mint, Amalfi Lemon
Middle Notes: Jasmine, Peony, Pink pepper
Base notes: French labdanum, Virginia cedar, Sugar


This eau de parfum is created to capture how a woman can live in harmony with nature.

Nature beckons, with its cascading waterfalls, lush forestry and secret escapes.



The scent of Acqua di Gioia opens with a burst of bittersweet lemony freshness. The notes of mint, amalfi lemon and sugar dances through the air, bringing delight and a sense of carefreeness. The amalfi lemon smells as though it is the distillation of the entire lemon - peels and all. The mint is icy fresh but doesn't smell very natural to me. Then, the sugar reminds me of icing sugar - very cool and sweet. I detect a hint of marine scent too, for there is something salty about the opening. It was as though I had immersed myself in a cool blue pool amidst a crystal clear sky and am enjoying a cup of minty iced soda. It is definitely a 'cold blue' opening - relaxing, aquatic and somewhat sophisticated (like a pricey imported bottle of water). The top notes feels genuinely androgynous.

Then, as the parfum settles, the sugar, jasmine and peony notes become prominent. I cannot identify the  jasmine note singularly but rather a mix of jasmine and peony florals. The middle notes conjure the image of flower petals saturated in water amidst falling sugar pieces. Still cooling, aquatic but now with a feminine aura.

After an hour or two, the base notes come into play. French labdanum and Virginia cedar lend a masculine edge to the sweetness of Acqua di Gioia. It is sweet, floral and woody, making the scent develop into a warm aquatic base. At first, I thought it developed a rather plasticky warm sweet scent on my skin, but I guess that is the work of the labdanum, which is a type of resin. Personally, I am unable to detect the note of virginia cedar but perhaps it is there to give the woody notes alongside labdanum. The drydown in our hot weather can be cloying because of its warmth, although the mint is there to retain its freshness. I'm not particularly pleased with the dry down as I prefer fresher scents but I guess you do need the woody base to hold the fragrance together for hours.



The gorgeous iridescent blue cap

Nonetheless, I do like this scent a lot and since this is cheaper than my L'occitane Eau Vert, I'd grab this product over the latter.

In hot weather, this is fresh, cooling and sweet due to the opening and the heart notes.
In colder weather, this is fresh, sweet and comforting due to its base notes.

I think Acqua di Gioia is a scent that seems initially linear but turns out to be multi-faceted and suited for all days of the year.
The nozzle has the symbol of Giorgio Armani

A word of warning though, please do not use this perfume as a coverup for sweat. I spritzed a spray or two one morning and decided to walk to a nearby mall unaware of the repercussions. With the blazing sun above me, I sweated profusely and the scent of body odour + Acqua di Gioia makes it appear as though there is something spoiling in the water.

Just no.

Also, go easy on the spraying of this one because it is quite potent. Anything more than 2-3 spritz makes me feel rather dizzy. A single spray on my hand lasted up to 6-8 hours. The sillage is moderate for the first two to three hours before it becomes a subtle skin scent.

Edit: Do make sure you use one spray per wrist though because when I tried dividing one spray for 2 wrists the scent lasted for merely 2-3 hours whereas a single spray concentrated on one wrist lasts up to 8 hours. Also, I find that spritzing on the wrist minimises the contact of any sweat scent mingling with the perfume, thus reducing the nasty smell I mentioned earlier.

Oh, and my bottle is a  2012 limited edition one which I purchased for S$72 from Sg Bestbuy World(which I will be doing a review on). I don't think it is available anymore except for the 50ml tester bottle.
The swirly motifs are unique to the 2012 limited edition of
Acqua di Gioia

Well, that is all for this review.
Do you own Acqua di Gioia yourself? Would you buy it?
Do comment!

Thanks for reading!

Love,
That Whimsical Blogger

P.S: Here's the commercial for it









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