Acqua di Giò Absolu Instinct

This stuff is just nice! There's no other way for me to describe it. It's definitely got the Acqua Di Gio DNA and takes that and adds some sweetness, a good bit of spice, a good bit of woodiness, and makes it all very modern and very versatile. It's not quite as versatile as Profumo, which is still my personal favorite in the line, though admittedly it's least like the original Acqua Di Gio. But this one would definitely be my second choice, followed by Profondo, then Absolu, then the original, and lastly would definitely be Profondo lights. That one is just a mess in the opening and it never really gets itself together, even in the drydown. And I've never tried Essenza. But back to Absolute Instinct, this one is very well done. It's well balanced, it has a nice transition from opening to mid and from mid to drydown. I'm getting really good performance as well. The longevity, projection and sillage are all well above average with me clocking in about 10hrs in longevity. I'm getting projection pushing out at least an arm length and a half, and sillage is a good 6 to 10 ft behind me when walking according to my wife. Also, it's not common for her to really thoroughly enjoy a fragrance I buy, but I can hardly keep her off of me when I'm wearing this stuff, and she says I'm not allowed to wear it anywhere but here at home!!! That's how good this one is so if you think that you might enjoy it don't go by the ratings or reviews here because they definitely do not match up with the quality, performance and smell of this awesome fragrance.

Blind bought from a retailer in Europe. Very nice! Much better than Absolu, this is what Absolu should have been as it smells more like Acqua Di Gio, And is like Profumo with Woody notes instead of the incense, while keeping the fresh signature Acqua Di Gio opening that can be found in the Original, Essenza, and Profumo (I find Absolu to be much sweeter to the point where it isn’t clear that it’s an AdG flanker, and I think Absolu should have been the flanker to this). After you spray it and as it dries down you can smell the woody notes slowly appear as if the Woods were submerged in the aquatic opening, and you get the slight touch of amber and ebony woods and patchouli fills in the scent creating a very comforting yet freshly invigorating scent. The woody scent almost makes it feel like you have the sun shining on you with the aquatic freshness making this an experience. (I can’t stop smelling myself as I’m writing this) The sillage and projection on first spray is very good, and it for me, has very good longevity. I sprayed it on my hand and arm before going to sleep and it was still there when I woke up. This is just in time for summer, and with the woody notes and in my opinion is extremely versatile (might even be more versatile than Profumo) and could be worn year round even in the winter. Highly recommended, especially if you are a fan of the Acqua Di Gio Family, and particularly Profumo. When this comes to North America go and try it and snatch it up if you can, because this fragrance is going to be huge.

I blind bought this after finding a bottle at too good of a price to pass up. I'm really glad I did. I have no idea what ebony-wood smells like, in life or in perfumery, but what I do smell here is amber wood, and lots of it. On first spray, I get hit with lemon, cinnamon, amber wood, and a slightly sweet and synthetic vanilla. All together, as other reviewers have noted, all of these notes come together to translate to something like a fizzy cola. I love cola, so I love this opening. After a few minutes, this all calms down to showcase the amber wood. It's there, front and center, but is backed up with the lemon, the vanilla, a touch of synthetic patchouli, and a small amount of the ADG dna. On my skin, after a few hours, this saline/seaweed note starts to really shine and it mixes really beautifully with the amber wood and patch. It's very refreshing, but it's also dark. This is the true dark blue of the ADG flankers, something that is still appropriate year-round but would really shine in the fall. Contrast this with Profumo, which is also year-round friendly, but shines especially in the summer because of its blue-shower-gel backbone. I'm decently impressed with the performance. This lasted about 8 hours on my skin and projected about a foot throughout its whole life. I honestly love Absolu Instinct. This could be signature-worthy for someone who wanted to stand out from the crowd but still smell crowd-pleasing.

Really nice blue/ green blend scent. I like the opening a lot like a citrus/ seaweed sucker punch to the nose. It's supposed to emulate seaside woods which I guess it does kinda bring me there mentally. Great stuff. Then it settles down to some nice woody undertones and still get some whiffs of the citrus opening. My only complaint is performance. I sprayed 5-6 times and smells absolutely amazing for the first 20 min or so until it dries down (more sprays doesn't really matter either). Becomes a skin scent shortly afterward and then almost to nothing after a few hours. Wish this had the same Parfum concentration/ performance as the Stronger with You line; one spray is plenty, I get whiffs all day and into the following day. 11/10 for the scent 3/10 for performance Update: This is very much discontinued and hard to find anywhere even on ebay. I found that Parfum Belcam makes a clone and I have to say it smells very similar to this; especially the citrusy seaweed opening which I love. It's essentially that throughout. Very pleasantly surprised. No it does not last long on skin but if you overspray your shirt, it lasts me the rest of the day. I've put on the same shirt the following morning and still got whiffs of it every now and then which is awesome.

I am surprised that this adg version has not received more love and appreciation - especially as most love the Profumo - which also differs significantly from the typical EDT version. I wasn't interested in this because of the reviews, but today I managed to trade Tom Ford Oud Minerale and I'm very pleased. Actually, this ADG could be in Tom Ford's line just as some variation of wood/ Minerale. I agree that it is a niche adg- other than the rest - 9 people votet YSL Y - it's joke nothing in common Very woody, quite strong, I wouldn't use it in the summer especially during the day, but why not in the colder evening. I don't detect strong seaweeds etc or they are hidden in the top notes - which adds a bit of freshness to the whole. The top notes are not strong, but are a fresh addition. Really interesting composition and I am pleased that finally completed the entire collection of adg. Nice bottle, box, and cap It's not for beginners but for collectors, because if you have just 5 frags and looking for somthing fresh for summer - better chose any other ADG.

Sprayed this today on my neck and wrists. Maybe 6 sprays in total and it was gone within 2 hours, maybe less than that. From what I smelled it was amazing. Citrus opening with the oceanic notes in the mid and the dry down, it was very different to anything else I have smelled, so it gets some points for that. Here lies the problem for me. I can get many beautiful scents for 30 bucks now a days that outperform commercial colognes for a quarter of the price. So in saying that; it’s hard for me to justify paying $115 bucks for a 75ml bottle that I would have to drown myself in to get any performance and if I use it with normal applications my silage trail and longevity is poss poor. I didn’t get any wood but my nose isn’t as experienced as some of you in here. I got to keep it real here, because of the performance issues, I don’t even want to rate this. This seems to be becoming a trend with many commercial brand name colognes these days anyway, another example is Calvin Klein summer 2019. Smells beautiful for 20 minutes, then gone like a fart in the wind.

I wore it last night and felt f--king fabulous. I have gotten some compliments too. It is a very mature scent and manly elegant. Absolu Instinct is a mix between Classical Acqua di Gio + Bvlgari Aqva Pour Homme + AdG Profumo, at least to my nose. In the opening, lemon comes through stronger than the bergamot does and indeed also has that AdG DNA, that aquatic DNA. Yup, Absolu Instinct it does have almost same kind of vibe as Bvlgari Aqva Pour Homme due to Seaweed note, although the seaweed that has been used in BAPH is much more bitter, like it has been extracted from deep-sea underwater, almost raw seaweed. The seaweed in Absolu Instinct definitely to me is much more pleasant smell, less bitter and raw, gives it more of an aquatic oceanic kind of feel. After 10 mins or so it starts to become woodier, the ebony wood gives a darker woody feeling and it also has this slightly, slightly smoky kind of hint to it. On my skin it really goes into a dark wood forest. Absolutely magnificent! Bravo, Armani!

I got a 10ml based on the notes as I thought they looked interesting. I used most of it during summer and it was okay overall. Has the ADG thing with the airiness and the way they develop, its just good. But it was very light and didn't last. Then the weather changed and I tried it on a 45-55 degree day, oversprayed like normal cause it never lasts more then 3-4 hours. Man... this came to life! I wouldn't say I got the citrus but I experienced the marine vibe but it has a certain sparkle that was amazing. Then the patch came in with the deep woods! 10x better than when I tested in summer heat. Also, went 8 hours, not crazy but better performance then I had gotten from this prior. The ironic thing, this was the last of my 10ml. Im debating on picking up a bottle. This is really interesting and the best Ive tested from the line, even like it over profumo. Get a sample its nice...fall and spring this shines.

Absolu Instinct still has the classic fresh smell of Armani (You can definitely smell the AdG DNA, with a twist) but lasts much, much longer than the EDT, or even than Profumo due to the ebony wood. Also, in my view the ebony wood is a big changer in this perfume, creates some sort of aroma that can be found moreover in Profumo, it has a bit of a slight smoky odor along with a smooth-dark-woody feel. Overall, It's deep, dark, woody, warm, masculine yet sensual and light. Smells elegant and confidently. It's definitely an evening scent, great for Fall / Winter, cooler weather. It's woodsy tone, and very consistent throughout, the undertones have an earthy warm scent – might get a little heavy over the summer depending on how many sprays you take. Armani did an incredible job by revealing this splendor! A darker version of Profumo, surely it is. Score: 10+/10

Bought a backup last night, wearing it today and loving it as always. This stuff is so much better than Absolu and it's not even close. Opening is pungent and almost boozy. Gorgeous fresh citrus and seawater on a woody base. One of my favorite opens. Spicy and rich but still fresh. It's almost too good. My only issue with this is it feels almost too classy sometimes. Sometimes I spray it on for casual days and immediately feel underdressed. Overwhelms me with a feeling that I smell great, more than any other. Something about it injects confidence. Dry down is woody, deep but could have a little more going on there to set it apart. I'd love some of the incense from profumo in the woody base. This really smells incredible. Deeper and spicier than Absolu (though not very similar at all) projects a few hours, and lasts a long time. One of my favorites. 9.5/10.

When I first smelled Absolu Instinct, the patchouli and seaweed note was too dominant, strong and off putting. I had to force myself to give the fragrance extra wearings to get a good feel for it. After a few wearings, my nose was able to pick out the lemon and bergamot citrusy and aqua freshness, along with the amber and ebony🪵 notes. The way how it transitions from the dominance of patchouli & seaweed, to aqua-freshness, lemon and bergamot, and to the dark ebony wood with the sweetness of amber is soo beautiful! I now Luv this scent. It’s just as what Aqua di Gio slogan describes it as “embraces the sensual relationship between man and nature, mixing the power of water with the delicate texture of wood." Sad that this gem is discontinued

ah men such an elegant fresh woody scent. if you are a men that want to smell elegant classy this is the smell. Citrusy, marine, patchouly. the quality of the ingredients is top smells super realistic not synthetic at all. refreshing and sexy, this is the fragrance you wear in a suit with a tie. 9/10 Sillage and performance are very above avrage considering the bad performers of the ADG line... i've smelled the new profondo parfum and the EDT and men this is so much better IMO better performance, better scent profile, better quality of ingredients. Also very safe blind buy, if you are into freshies give it a try.

I'm getting a bottle of this juice. It's woodier, a little saltier because of the sea water, citrus lemon and seaweed. It does have a strong blast of that AdG DNA. It just has a much more woody, seaweedy kind of vibe. In fact, it reminds me of AdG Profumo but centered on woody tones, very good and mild. It is like a deep wood smell with a tiny bit of spice at the end, very smooth smell and not too strong. A very elegant and mysterious woody scent. It's mainly ebony accord, the most precious wood giving that darker woody feeling and a little smoky flavor. Another stellar fragrance from Armani!

Needs skin to evaluate properly. Smells like Pledge on a tester strip. On my skin it smells like I just walked out of a tree that's behind the shoreline, once we get pass the lemon. The lemon is wet, it's like a like a drink you finish in 20 minutes. I like it when it has subsided. This is the first ebony wood in my collection. Wears well, dynamic even. Mahagony meets Morrilas. This is one of my colognes where I favor the dry down and entirety of the fragrance more than the opening.

Re-tested today. Is a safe buy for spring-summer night. Not boring as absolu and different to other adg flanker . An absolu less sintetic but more citrusy and Woody. don't have the quality of profumo or profumo special blend. But is very good. 8/10 Impressive performance. Less marine and more woody,quite sweet.but not sweet as invictus acqua flankers ...is a quality sweet for the Amber. Not sintetic. Good quality of patchouli. The dry down is completely citrus-sweet. Good work.

Acqua di Giò Absolu Instinct Giorgio Armani This fragrance is only about a fresh lemon and Ebony wood.it is like a fresh cutting piece of lemon tree with a small touch of the sweetness. The quality of the juice is good, but it is nothing new.longevity and projection are quite weak and it is not even a competitor for Profumo. Hoewer it smells good. LONGEVITY:4/10( 3hours) PROJECTION:3/10 UNIQUENESS:5/10 SEXY:6/10 SCENT:7/10 PRICE:5/10 VERSATILITY:9/10 OVERALL:5.5/10

Wow! This one smells much better than I thought it would be. It’s actually stunning to me when I smell it in the air - it’s aquatic, a bit fruity, sweet, thick, spicy, woodsy. I wouldn’t recommend it for working indoors as i underestimated how strong it was (a couple sprays to the wrist was enough to choke people out). Amazing scent but I don’t think it will appeal to everyone.

A hot summer day, you open up an ice cold coke, you take the first sip... woah! This is the feeling i get with Absolu Instinct, very fresh aquatic opening, then woody aromatic dry down. There's also a stingy note i really like, probably the seaweed. Classy scent, high quality, longevity is pretty high with me, i get whiffs up to ten hours when the weather is warm. Love it.

I've gotten a high partial bottle a week ago to add to my ADG collection. Absolu Instinct is less sweet than Absolu. It's opens with this citrusy woodiness that is there along with the salty marine sea notes for quite a while. I'm not sure if I get the seaweed but I do get the patchouli. Not too bad but I can see why it was discontinued and not as popular as the rest.

The best flanker of Acqua di Gio period! It's absolutely amazing! From my whole collection this is now the most appreciated scent of my wife and her female friends! Very good longevity and projection and I can see this absolutely shine in summer when you're a bit dressed up like an italian going out for dinner.Very good aromatic woody marine smell!

This is nice much much better than the very sweet absolu version. They toned down the sweetness here and added more citruces like the original one. You can easly smell the original DNA in this fragrance. Girls love it on me. And long Lasting too. A very nice scent👍 Does not deserve the hate it gets. One of the better from the line for sure

ADG Absolu Instinct is my favorite in the line. Why? Because of the base, which I can only describe as smelling like driftwood mixed with refreshing marine notes without veering into the salty realm. Overall, I love this fragrance. Nighttime, ocean breeze, and chill vibes are what I get from ADG Absolu Instinct.

For me, this one beats them all, even the washed up original. Absolu Instinct is the best representation of ebony wood that I've come across so far. The fact that there's so many dislikes for this gem proves what I've known all along about the standard Aqua Di Geo crowd. They're NPC fragrance heads.

This is the best Acqua di gio besides profumo. It's very similiar to profumo but with a woody and vanilla vibe. I get beast mode performance 8+ hours and average projection 3 hours tops. I think this is the best release of 2019 I like it alot and will buy another bottle when I run out.

This is the perfect high quality juice! It's how Acqua di Gio should have smelled from the start! Perfect combination of ingredientes. Fruity,woody and fresh. You can't compare this with nothing on the market right now,it's unique in smell and the performance it's incredibile!

The closest an AdG has ever come to being "Niche" super woody, warm sea water beating off of a rocky shoreline with warm resinous woods in the background, there's a storm that just passed through and the humidity in the air is high it's 75° Fahrenheit with a slight breeze.

Woody, classy, and very addictive to smell. It develops a very smoky wood smell on my skin and I love it. Most suitable for outdoor hangouts or in the office imo. A proper gem. Understandably, not for everyone because it’s not sweet or a complement magnet of any sorts.

Dark woody, seaweedy, and a touch of contrasting ambery sweetness. The mid is a little less interesting, it sweetens up a bit. But the dry down is very woody, that ebony is beautiful. Also, good performances. What a gorgeous frag, I can’t believe it’s discontinued.

Crapped on by most but I really like it. It’s thick without being cloying. It has that acqua di gio dna with a sweet base. This is very linear on me and gives me a solid 6 hours of moderate projection. This is ranks just behind Profumo as my favorite in the line.

Absolu but in a more woody direction, simply gorgeous scent. If you're in the biz of wanting to smell awesome, this will do everything for you. Smooth, woody, masculine but soft in ways, sexy, it's top notch. I'll be sure to always have a bottle

Not a one to one comparison but Absolu Instinct shares a lot of similarities with Heritage by Guerlain, especially in the dry down. They do not share the same notes but the scent is really close. Both fragrances are excellent!

Very nice .!!! this is what the original Absolu should have been...Woodier end deeper version of absolu.. .. certainly less fresh marine vibe !! better for evening .. all year round. excellent longevity and projection.. 08/10

So much hate smelled it a couple times and felt like a mix between their Profumo and Absolu. This is 10x better as far as smell goes compared to the original Absolu. I’d say best for a warm or cool summer or fall night.

I hated Absolu, thought it was completely pointless and coloured water in a bottle...but THIS is fantastic. It's everything I'd hoped from from Absolu and more. They've redeemed themselves with this one

I sprayed my chest once today at noon and it's still very much present under my shirt at 8pm. Best performer in the line. Lasts as long as profumo but projects further and for longer. Great stuff

I believe it's the most unique, musculine, and mature of the line, although profumo is my favorite one and most usable, but i bought two bottles of this one.

Amazing! The ebony wood in this version makes it the best ADG flanker! It smells deep but also fresh and clean. You can wear it in formal situations also.

Its eau de parfum concentration and marketed as LE (limited edition). I feel it in my gut it's gonna be dark yet refreshing. I can't wait to try it.

It reminds me of Versace Eros Flame, long lasting, blind buy, was expecting more spicy, but pleasantly its not. I cannot explain the notes.

spicy...rich....good....lasts forever on clothing....scent 8.2/10 silage/long 8.0/10 ...with minimal sprays....CIAO..happy holidays!!

In the mid the patchouli catches fire. Interesting transition into the woody base. Base has a buttery texture with the wood aroma.

This is infinitely better than Absolu. It's a pleasant salty oceanic scent.

Try it for yourself! Everyone's skin is different!!

It reminds me of spiced up version of Issey Miyake

Today I am heading back to the house of Giorgio Armani to analyze another discontinued fragrance: Acqua di Gio Absolu Instinct. I recently reviewed Acqua di Gio Absolu, and it proved to be one of the best spring/summer fragrances in my collection. Its unique combination of sweetness with citrus and aquatic notes made it an irresistible and extremely mass-appealing scent, not to mention its stellar performance. Now, I will delve into its successor to see if Absolu Instinct continues this positive trend or perhaps even surpasses its predecessor. Let's get into it. Opening: The opening is citrusy, aquatic, and ambery. The primary notes I get are lemon, amberwood, sea notes, and bergamot, with the lemon and amberwood being the most prominent. The lemon starts the fragrance with a bright, zesty, and uplifting accord that is very tart and rindy, reminiscent of fresh-squeezed lemon. In almost equal measure is the amberwood, imparting an intensely ambery and sweet woody accord that helps to offset the acidity of the prominent lemon. Up next are the sea notes and bergamot. The sea notes introduce a noticeably salty, aquatic accord to the opening, keeping the fragrance in step with the rest of the Acqua di Gio line. Lastly, the bergamot adds a bit more citrus on the backend, underscored by some aromatic spiciness. Dry Down: The dry down is ambery, woody, and aquatic. The primary notes I get are amberwood, ebony wood, sea notes, and lemon, with the amberwood and ebony wood being the strongest. The amberwood is still a highlight note in the dry down, and in fact, has moved to the forefront with the same intensely rich, ambery, and woody accord. It is joined by the ebony wood, which compounds the woodiness but with a dark, dry, and elegant edge that reminds me of the aroma of expensive wooden furniture. This is followed by the sea notes and lemon. The sea notes maintain a presence in the dry down and still provide that same salty, oceanic accord from the opening, albeit lighter and more reserved. Lastly, the lemon has moved into the background, providing hints of the zingy and tart citrus accord from the opening. There is also just a touch of green and slightly metallic seaweed in the background, but I only really pick up on it when I'm specifically looking for it. Performance: The initial projection within the first hour is very strong and reaches out beyond six feet. The sillage is also very strong, leaving a heavy scent trail. After about three to four hours, the projection had died down to about three to four feet, and the scent trail was lighter but still noticeable. When I checked again at the seven-hour mark, the fragrance was only projecting within arm's length and leaving a faint scent trail. It became a skin scent shortly thereafter. When to Wear: Absolu Instinct is a spring/summer fragrance that would work equally well in the evening as it would in the daytime. The prominent woods lend this fragrance an air of elegance and sophistication. As such, I could see this being worn for special or formal occasions just as well as it would be casually. This could also be a great pick for the office. Blind Buy: Absolu Instinct is a pretty far departure from the rest of the Acqua di Gio line, so I wouldn't recommend someone blind-buy it just because they like the original Acqua di Gio. However, if the idea of a darker, deeper, and woodier flanker appeals to you, this would definitely be worth sampling. Final Verdict: With Acqua di Gio Absolu turning out to be one of my favorite warm-weather fragrances, Acqua di Gio Absolu Instinct had some big shoes to fill. In the end, I would say it came close but was not quite good enough to edge out Absolu. I certainly appreciate the bold direction that Absolu Instinct went in, significantly dialing up the amberwood and adding that dark and elegant ebony wood note. If I wanted to go for something woody and aquatic, Absolu Instinct would definitely be the best choice in my collection. However, the performance was surprisingly weaker than Absolu, not even lasting a full eight-hour workday. All things considered, I think Absolu Instinct is a great spring/summer fragrance, and I am happy to have it in my collection, but I don't see myself reaching for it over Absolu very often. Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 7/10 Sillage: 7/10 Versatility: High Mass Appeal: Average Gender: Masculine Value: Fair

It's nice, refined, and very elegant. However, there's a note in here that kinda smells stinky, in a stinky, ambroxan way. It's not too crazy, and somewhat faint, but it's definitely there. I think that different noses may not pick it up, but mine does. It could be the clash of seaweed, patchouli, and amberwood that's in here. But even with the faint stink, I still enjoy this. Like I said, it's very refined. Smells like a classy, handsome man in his 30s-40s with a stubble beard, 4 sports cars, and a massive mansion with an elegant pool, and this said man is headed out to a sparkling, amber-tinted indoor gathering in the evening. It also smells like an adventurous, nautical, tanned blonde man who's holding a large, white conch shell while looking at the shores through a lighthouse window built with dark, aged, rustic wood. This is very nice. It's ambery, inviting, and mysterious, it's dark with the contrast of something sparkling. It's masculine, but not all in your face about it. Instead of screaming, "SMOKE! SAWDUST! PATCHOULI! LEATHER!", this is more of a speech, or a gentle, paced conversation with citrus and fancy wood. The citrus in here is jammy, but not all that sweet. That lemon note is classy; it smells like a jammy, fragrant spread that would pair well with a golden-toasted piece of bread. The bergamot balances that lemon, and gives it that subtle sweetness. The sea notes gives it a slight, and very light touch of freshness, and the seaweed kinda just gives it a bit of funkiness, which isn't really my thing, but it somehow works with this fragrance. After a bit, that faint stink I mentioned actually kind of works with this fragrance, and I have no idea why. I can't really see myself wearing it because of the stink, but I don't see it being an overly offensive stink to the point where it's an issue. I don't have a full bottle of this, I only own a small sample of this, so that's what I'm going off on. This is unfortunately discontinued, so it'll be hard to get, if you're interested. If it wasn't discontinued, I honestly don't see myself purchasing it, even though I like it. I feel like it wouldn't improve my collection much; this is really just your basic, mature, rich and refined sailor-man type of fragrance. I think that there are certainly better options that fit this genre that you could find anywhere. Longevity is good on my skin. I'm getting 8 hours here. Overall rating: 8/10. I really like it, but not enough to buy it, especially for the resell price. If I was somebody who fit the two descriptions I gave it, then I would buy it in a heartbeat, but this fragrance isn't really me at all; It's more like the man that we all dreamed of being as a kid. (And for context, I'm 18 years old.) If this ever comes back from being discontinued in 10 years or so, (which I highly doubt, considering that ADG still hasn't brought back Profumo) I would buy it.

Absolu Instinct opens with the smell of the original AdG, yet developing additional woody notes that was not present in the grand-daddy original. The water of Absolu Instinct becomes warmer & saltier than both AdG and AdG Absolu, heated by a rising amber accord and a gently spiced, pimento-like nose feel. The flanker then, is a darker, woodier, warmer, spicier and earthier take on the AdG DNA. Altogether a different beast compared with Absolu that came a year before it, with freshness and sweetness dialled back and the facets above boosted significantly. There is a significant amount of woody aromachemicals holding and boosting Absolu Instinct. I sampled the full power of the woods by stepping into a hot shower with Absolu Instinct still on my neck. My nose was instantly flooded with woods of all sorts. The woody base here is much more potent than any of the other AdG flankers. It smells smooth and warm to my nose, but people who are sensitive to woody fixatives beware! The dry down is woody with clean musk and amber, finishing with a rounded nose feel. Durability is good whilst projection is average. Overall performance is decent. This is an AdG flanker that can be worn on summer nights and colder days. The bottle and cap are very attractive, though the cap is not magnetic like some other AdG flankers. Overall, a worthwhile flanker to the original AdG. Not a direct replacement of the original, but a fairly extreme twist on its DNA. Fans of summer woods and warmer marine scents will want to sample this.

To me this is a very underrated flanker (flanker of a flanker if you want to be accurate). What Absolu did was understandable, Armani needed its take on the Invictus Aqua genre as it's became very profitable and even though I'm not a fan of AdG Absolu (it's a little too sweet for those hot summer days) I understand the business decision behind it and I can see why so many people liked it however trendy it is. Absolu Instinct to me is a whole different story, you can tell from how badly it's been received that this is by any means a crowd pleaser, in fact this seems to be playing against all odd becoming very divisive. I for one am in the side of those who really enjoy this fragrance, I like the fact that it is the 'ugly duckling' of the AdG family to a point where I believe this is the only flanker that is better suited for Spring/Fall rather than Summer. It opens with a nice blast of lemon, there's bergamot but I get more lemon, there's also a saltiness to it and even a seaweed feel with a nice patchouli and ebony wood backbone. The ebony wood brings a woody touch but also brings some darkness to it, there's also some resinous sweetness that feels just right, very playful. Performance is good, I get between 8-9 hrs with a decent projection. As this is not a mass appealing fragrance I find it very unique, you'll probably be the only one wearing it and I somehow find a connection or parallels between Absolu Instinct and 40 Knots by Xerjoff. Not that they are that similar but I believe the concept is.

Armani missed a golden opportunity to compete directly with Hermes. They could have started a whole new line with this and called it Terra Di Gio, or at the very least, it should have been a Code flanker...because marine notes? Where? Lemon? Bergamot? Must have been missing that day... This starts with a blast of seaweed (which isn't so much aquatic as it is aquatic adjacent), mixed with patchouli, and then dries down into a sweeter amber. The quality is there, thankfully, but I think they were trying to pull the "wood" over our eyes with this one. Even after looking at the notes, expectations vs. reality are worlds apart with Absolu Instinct. 10/2023 Rating: 6/10 3/2026 Update: After wearing this a few more times, I've noticed the seaweed/minerality scent starting to fade. Maybe it's just my nose getting used to it, or maybe the age of my bottle (3/2019 batch) has caused it to dissipate slightly. Either way, it's enough of a change that I can now say this moves from OK to Like. Rating as of 3/2026: 7/10

This is my second or third time trying this one on my skin. Today upon initial spray I found it off-putting and slightly harsh, now though as it has settled down it's much more agreeable. It doesn't seem to have any of the typical Acqua di Gio DNA that is in the original EDT and EDP. So yes perhaps it really is more a flanker of 'Instinct' I don't remember much about that one just that it was along the lines of Montblanc Legend Spirit et al though not as appealing and more expensive. 'Absolu'- Instinct is darker and more what is usually considered masculine. On my skin it smells leathery (no bull although I am a Taurus!) and the amber-woody notes are very prominent. This smells pretty good, it's interesting. I might try to get a sample to try out properly but it's not a priority for me, especially given the Armani pricing (at least here in France). I definitely advise not to blind buy this expecting something like the original EDT or EDP (Profumo), or even 'Instinct'. Try before you buy.