Acqua di Gio Profumo Special Blend

I find it hilarious that some of the people on here immediately justify not even trying this in the store because they already spent all of their money on the original Profumo, and they would be pissed off if a newer flanker ever dethroned it. Well sorry to say kids, but Special Bend is better. Way better. Please stop leaving comments on here saying "it's the same exact fragrance just with a different bottle, it's just a cash grab, it smells 99.9% similar." This is all completely uninformed bs. You are making any excuse you can to hate on this fragrance simply because you bought the original Profumo, have no money left, and you want to keep your huge ego intact. Special Blend has dethroned the original Profumo. Period. Even Jeremy Fragrance is buying up bottles of Special Blend because he considers it to be the ultimate AdG. Special Blend sold out at my local Macy's. You don't see that happening with Profumo. If you don't have enough money to afford a fragrance that is similar in some ways to its predecessor, you shouldn't even be rating the fragrance or commenting on it in the first place. Be happy with your inferior bottle of Profumo, or be unsatisfied and buy Special Blend to become satisfied. Or maybe you prefer the original Profumo. That's completely fine, and you can say that. But don't come on here and say that the original Profumo is the same fragrance as Special Blend, because that is complete bs and it is clear that you haven't even bothered to thoroughly test Special Blend, if at all. This is the exact same thing that happened when Dior Homme Parfum came out and when Dior Sauvage edp came out and when Bleu de Chanel edp came out, and it will happen ONCE AGAIN when Bleu de Chanel Parfum comes out within the next month. I AM SO TIRED OF THIS. If you don't have enough money to afford new flankers, please stop pretending like you do and leaving negative reviews just because you are SALTY that you cannot afford a bottle. Utterly pathetic. Stop participating in this community if you're gonna be terminally salty just because some people happen to have more money to spend on fragrances than you do. You're making us all look bad.

If Thorin Oakenshield had discovered a bottle of Acqua di Giò Profumo before the events of The Hobbit, he never would've needed the Arkenstone in the first place. Two sprays into that magnificent beard, and everyone in Erebor would've simply agreed he was the rightful King Under the Mountain. Smaug would've caught one whiff of that smoky incense trail, slowly looked around at his mountain of gold, then back at Thorin, and thought, "You know... maybe I've been a little materialistic." He'd politely slide the Arkenstone across the floor, apologize for the whole "burning villages" thing, ask what fragrance he was wearing, and spend the next three centuries trying to convince dragons that incense and patchouli were the real treasures all along. When a fragrance smells this noble, commanding, and dignified, jewels start feeling a little unnecessary. Beyond the joke, Acqua di Giò Profumo earns its reputation. The unmistakable Acqua di Giò DNA is still present with its fresh marine opening and clean citrus brightness, but it quickly steps aside for what this fragrance is really about: incense and patchouli. The incense is rich, smooth, smoky, and almost mineral-like, giving the fragrance an elegant depth that feels both timeless and effortlessly masculine. Patchouli provides an earthy foundation that keeps everything grounded without becoming overly dark or heavy. Together they transform the familiar aquatic freshness into something far more sophisticated. The fresh marine accord never disappears—it simply becomes the backdrop for one of the finest incense-driven designer fragrances ever made. It evokes the feeling of standing on rugged cliffs overlooking a cold sea as smoke drifts from an ancient stone hall, balancing freshness with mystery in a way that very few fragrances accomplish. Profumo doesn't abandon what made Acqua di Giò iconic; it perfects it, proving that a legendary fresh fragrance can become even greater with the addition of masterfully blended incense and patchouli.

The perfume pyramid of Profumo Special Blend is completely incorrect, it should not have the same note breakdown as regular Profumo. I'll just leave this here: What was the process of making Acqua Di Gio Profumo Special Blend from the beginning to end? "I always focus on a base, which will be the signature of the fragrance. If there are too many ingredients you can easily lose your core idea. I chose patchouli because of its complexity, which brings contrast and depth to a fragrance. The overall process was then to create a fragrance that remained faithful to the Acqua Di Gio original. Its breathtaking sea scent is now enhanced with patchouli and other new ingredients." How do the unique combination of ingredients work together to create the final scent? Why did you choose these specific ingredients? "The new Acqua di Gio Profumo Special Blend is more textured, unveiling a spiciness mixed with salty minerality. The top notes of bergamot combined with elemi and pink pepper create a surprising, spicy freshness. A wave of Cascalone®, a fantastic aquatic molecule, ensures Acqua Di Gio Profumo Special Blend retains an essence of the sea. The heart of the fragrance is rich with fir balsam and patchouli, which gives the fragrance sensuality. It was really important for me use ethically sourced patchouli: we chose a unique origin of patchouli, selected and harvested in Guatemala." Below, are the full note listings: Top notes Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Elemi, Cascalone® Middle notes Lavandin, Rosemary, Incense Base notes Patchouli, Fir, Labdanum, Wood Fragrance category aquatic, woody Source: notino.co.uk

I was able to buy a small decant from a friend and since ADG Profumo has been one of my most-worn fragrances ever, I felt I had to finally try this one. Right away, you can tell this is classic ADG DNA, just darker, smoother, and more rounded thanks to the incense and patchouli similar to the OG Profumo. The main difference between this and Profumo is the patchouli. It doesn’t smell minty but has that cool, almost mint-like freshness coming from what comes off as balsam fir in the opening and mid. In the dry down, the patchouli becomes even smoother, less sharp, and just a little (and I mean a little) more resinous than the OG Profumo. Nothing dramatic, just richer and more polished. By the dry-down, the fragrance feels very well-rounded and on my skin, the performance is also louder than the original Profumo. I think this works best in the fall, early spring, or cooler nights. It’s still not a full-on winter fragrance but maybe not as meant for all-year wear like most other ADG releases. It’s not a “blow your mind” difference from the OG Profumo, but it’s very well blended and I’m glad I got to try it. I honestly don’t know if this is even sought after anymore or if it ever really was, but it’s unfortunate that this one, Profumo, and soon Absolu are so hard to find and so expensive now. They’re some of the best releases from the entire line. As for me, I’m a big fan of the regular Profumo and think this is a beautiful fragrance as well. I’m happy I got to try my little sample, but $700+ for a full bottle is a hard pass.

This one took me a minute since I normally wear regular Profumo during the Fall/Winter months here in Italy. So I took the plunge and bought a bottle since there wasn't a sample, but off the initial tester spray I could tell that it has a bit more of a spicy sandalwood scent. But it really took me a minute to see if it was worth it. So I went home and I did a test. I sprayed a sample paper in one room with regular Profumo and left it there, and then I did the same with Special Blend in another room. I then waited a few minutes and walked into each room and smelled the paper and I could clearly tell the difference and I actually prefer Special Blend to regular for colder weather. To me, it has more of a slight spice note and more of a sandalwood back end but it mellows out into a nice light yet warm aqua scent. Kinda like what you get from Acqua with the green notes and aqua scent, but mild and more rich since they're not coming off as "sweet" but coming off with notes of "spice". It's subdued in a good way. But in terms of the difference between Profumo and Special Blend, to me is the strength of the spice and how it tames the Acqua scent in a good way. I think it compliments the sweet and fresh scent of Acqua better than regular Profumo.