Armani Code Absolu Gold

I have been a fan of Armani Code since it was released. I bought this when it was announced and bought it from the Armani USA site. I had never been a fan of the florals but it is done very nice with this one. I get more Iris than Saffron but you definitely get both in the middle. Yesterday, during quarantine, I was eating outside and a waitress came by when her mask dropped below her nose. She turned around and asked what I was wearing. I put on two spays 4 hours earlier. This one lasts as long as the original Code on me. If you have Absolu already, this may seem like a redundant purchase but I own both and I am glad that I do. After the dry down, Absolu Gold and Absolu are close. But, the middle is different on this one. It is my favorite of all the Code flankers.

divine opening of mandarin and apple as in code absolu then instead of the annoying carrot seeds comes the floral part not made from orange blossom but from a divine iris not absolutely a lipstick iris because divinely accompanied by saffron which gives it a sweet and sour taste. then a dark tonka bean and excellent cedar wood and so much benzoin that does not make it cloying like the albeit excellent code absolu. vanilla is replaced by iris and this gives it a non-gourmand and in my opinion more balsamic taste. mandarin is always present. guaico wood masculizes it even more with a slight smoking. masterpiece. a version of a perfume with iris but not feminine but masculine. divine performance. 9/10 the best of the series.

Exists in a space between Code Absolu, Le Male Le Parfum, and Dior Homme Intense. On its own, it's a beautiful sweet vanillic iris garnished with a fresh, fizzy orange-apple top. This is less intensely powdery or pure vanilla than OG Absolu to my nose, with the floral-aromatic accords in the mid, but less aromatic than LMLP without lavender here to bolster the iris. It's fairly well balanced between the vanilla and iris notes. The woody and suede-ish base is quite a bit more noticeable here as well, giving it shades of DHI if you traded ~55% of its iris in for vanilla. Similar performance to OG Absolu, though I get more longevity as a skin scent from that one. Moderately soft projection for 2-3hr, longevity 10-12hr.

I have smelled both absolu and this one and actually own this, and I will say both of them do not smell like each other. In fact, I wouldn't even know that this is a flanker to absolu. That's how not similar they are. Absolu is sweeter, more vanilla heavy and kind of young and youthful, whereas this one tones down the sweetness a little, and takes a more floral and powdery direction. There still is some vanilla sweetness with the tonka bean and benzoin, but the florals help to kinda balance it out. So it's not as sweet, and not redundant to own both, in my opinion anyway. Too bad absolu is discontinued. Would've loved to own it.

In my humble and honest opinion, this is the best Code fragrance of all time. I know, I know. There is some really good competition. Absolu is great, as is the Profumo. The older batches are (for obvious reasons) also great. But this, is Code on another level. I hate the fact that these flankers are all discontinued, in favor of streamlining/mass market/Macy's fragrance walk-ins/etc..., but we cannot do anything about that. Bottles are becoming very difficult to find, from reputable resellers. It frustrates me, but yes it is part of the fragrance space. Again, this is just my opinion.