Armani Code for Women

I'd like to preface my review by saying that I genuinely get baffled when I read horror stories about fragrances that have been reformulated. Well, people say they have been reformulated at least. And while I do believe that it happens and has destroyed some lovely creations, I think people often just either want to have something negative to say, or are comparing what they're smelling to a memory of that fragrance. So take my opinion on it with a grain of salt. Maybe my nose is just very poor at noticing, maybe I'm insane, who knows. But what I do know is that I consistently disagree with the reformulation reviews on most of the fragrances I've known since I started my fragrance journey at 12, which was a looong time ago. So here's that. Anyway. Here is my review on Armani Code for women. A brand new bottle, bought a week ago. Back in 2006 I was living in Reykjavík with my sister. The country girl had moved to the city to try new things and landed a job at a higher end boutique that required us to dress up and look the part. I had been a hopeless perfume addict for years by then, but with working at that particular store, my fragrance collection grew even bigger because now I could justify buying a new bottle because "of work". lol. One day I was strolling through a department store on my lunch break, hunting for a new juice. There wasn't a lot on the shelves I hadn't tried but there was one bottle that caught my eye as I didn't remembered seeing it before and because it reminded me of dusk of a night that would turn into a wild one. Also, the pretty black flower details, which they removed some years later (why? Why would you do that?) were so beautiful. Just by looking at the bottle I wanted to love the juice inside. I sprayed it on, liked it, bought it and left. I want to say that I loved it as much as I loved the bottle and the feeling it gave me, but that didn't happen at all. I genuinely think I bought it because it reminded me of some great nights in spring when partying in Reykjavík, at a time when the nights were getting longer but it was not daylight 24/7, people were full of life again after resting in winter. The excitement, the joy and wildness lay in the air, and it was all surrounded by the exact same beautiful deep blue color as on the bottle of Armani Code for women. But, at that time, I liked the fragrance, but didn't love it. Far from it. I used it up though, so I was very familiar with it. And regarding all the reformulation reviews. Well, it hasn't changed. If it has, the changes are minuscule. Smelling it again, and using it a ton for the past 10 days or so, only reminded me of the bottle I had in 2006. There were no surprises there at all. When I read that it had been ruined, and it's nothing like it use to be, I was just "huh?" and promptly decided that me and everyone who thinks this has been changed beyond recognition simply do not agree in the slightest. And reformulation in terms of strength? That actually made me laugh as this was weak back then as well. People, people, people. This hasn't been reformulated and gotten weak. It has always been weak. Back in 2006 I really didn't think of my fragrances in terms of strength (except after owning Euphoria by CK which knocked people out if I wasn't careful with the sprays) but I distinctly remember thinking to myself that it really didn't last. I even remember what I was wearing when realising this; I dusk blue coloured dress, much like the bottle, and a black sweater over it as I was quite cold that day. I sniffed my dress and sweater and felt a bit annoyed that there was almost nothing left of Code on there at all. And it only has been a couple of hours since I put it on. After that I carried the bottle in my purse to top it up during the day. And I am a light sprayer, so I can imagine that people who prefer a heavier cloud would not have liked this. So, if you think it's weak now, that's because it always has been. Those were my thoughts on reformulations. And now on to why I bought it again all these years later when I only liked it back in the day. I just randomly decided to try it again a couple of months ago and still liked it. I ended up trying it again and again every time I walked past it and one day it just hit me how much I loved it. It was weird, I just one day woke up and I was craving it and went out and got it. I have been wearing it non stop for a week now and I want to eat myself when I smell it on me. It starts out citrusy, but it's a calm orangey citrus and not bright and sparkly like lemon or lime. The orange blossom tames the citrus part. I can smell honey and jasmine as well, and the jasmine has a slight spiciness to it which keeps it from being cute. It's not a complex fragrance and it's not groundbreaking, but on the right person it is utterly beautiful and alluring. It is not a very popular fragrance in Iceland, or at least I hardly every smell it. But then again, Icelanders are very discreet fragrance wearers so I might possibly be missing it. You usually have to come pretty close to a person here to smell what they are wearing, which doesn't happen unless you know the person, because in true form of Scandinavians, we do not like having people standing too close to us. Having to stand far away from the next person during covid? Not. A. Problem. lol. Which is great because I can feel like I'm the only one wearing Code even though I'm not. And nowadays I overspray this one. That means 3+ sprays. Which is a lot for me. People may actually be able to smell me from a little distance in the first hour. And if sprayed on clothes, I get whiffs of it for a big portion of the day. So, weak it may be, but not weak enough where overspraying won't help it. I'm not exactly sure why I love Code so much now and didn't in 2006, but I'm inclined to believe that it's just an age matter. The more grown up version of me now delights in creamy and warm and sensual scents, whereas my younger self was more into louder and colorful and didn't appreciate the calmer once as much. I still love those now, but I grew to love the quieter ones too. I feel sexy when I wear this. Not because anyone has told me that it's sexy on me. I just think it makes me feel sexy independently of anyone else's opinion. Which I think is the ultimate key to being sexy - not letting other people's opinions dictate how you feel. You unapologetically love what you love and are who you are. I feel like a grown woman wearing this, who has her own back, doesn't apologise for her opinions and knows what she wants. But with an upbeat twist. There is playfulness in the citrus. Which works well for me because at the same time I love being a woman, I also love playing like a kid. Which is the best of both worlds. Oh how I adore Code 💕

My perfume journey with this scent is a funny one. When I first moved to London I had just turned 18. I was Christmas shopping in Piccadilly Circus (or perhaps it was Oxford Street) after my part-time job at the time doing promotion finished. There was a small perfume shop inside the Trocadero, a shopping and entertainment complex on Coventry street (it WAS in Picadilly after all, just checked.) There was a man shouting about a special promotion, and a bunch of curious onlookers (including me) stood by while he gave his sales pitch. It was basically for 4 perfumes from the shop, for £20. Even as a struggling student, this was a great deal! Only £5 a perfume, and though they were all knock-offs on closer examination (being not that into perfumes at the time I wasn't initially sure) they were full sized, sealed and retailed for a lot more in store. And I really needed to buy Christmas presents and was on a budget, so it sounded perfect. I gave the man £20, got the 4 perfumes in a big shiny gift bag, and continued on my way. At home, I gave my purchases a closer look. One was a 3.4 oz called Lovely, which I know now was obviously a rip-off of SJP's scent, although with a completely different bottle, packaging, etc. One was a Miss Dior dupe, the third a Paris Hilton Heiress dupe, and a fourth was entitled Secret Code in a mysterious tall shapely purple bottle with flowers which I later found out was a dupe of this scent, Armani code. (See? I got to the point eventually! :P) I gave the big bottle of Lovely to my Mother in Florida for Christmas along with another gift and a card. (this was back in the days when you could mail perfume legally from the UK to the US, don't know why that changed recently >.<) I thought the Miss Dior dupe, with its gorgeous girlie bottle with the silver bow and name would be a perfect gift for my close friend Marie. The only perfume I didn't much like the look of was the fake Heiress, and cant remember its fate! And as for the Secret code? I kept that one for myself. It smelled AMAZING....jasmine and liliac and orange blossom and honey. It was so silky and classy yet also drop-dead sensual and sexy! I used it primarily during the evenings or whenever I just wanted to smell gorgeous. That one bottle lasted me over a year and a half....I still had about a third of the bottle left when I had to return to Florida for 6 months, although now sadly all I have is the empty bottle back in FL. So what happened next? My mother loved her bottle, though being my mother and ever the eternal bargain hunter (me and my dad had a hard time convincing her to stop wearing very bad EDT's she would get at the dollar store) I don't think she would run out to get the official SJP version! But that is ok....she is happy to wear the perfume my dad and I buy her for her birthday and mother's day, and we no longer had to smell the bad $1 toilet waters! Fast forward 4 years. My friend Marie I mentioned is now my best friend, and last time we met up to go see Lady Gaga free VIP through her business partner who couldn't sell his extra tickets, we hugged and I noticed she smelled amazing! What was she wearing? Miss Dior! Although she has always had amazing taste in perfumes! I would definitely consider her a major influence in my later interest with fragrances. As for me, I always remember those four £5 dupes fondly. They helped bring excitement and the glamour of a luxury EDP into the hands of a struggling student just looking to make Christmas a bit more magical. I am sorry for this long review, which is not really a real review of Armani Code at all! But if it is anything like that bottle of Secret Code I just know I will adore it. I guess the real point of this review is how one Christmas offer in the Trocadero (sadly closed down now, with the shop along with it) totally helped save my Christmas, and more importantly introduced me into the magical world of perfume. Since then, up until now it has been very hard for me to start a collection of anything. Moving so often, having to constantly uproot your life because of bureaucracy...life is not easy. Which is what makes the things that make you happy, the little luxurious like the scent of something truly fabulous that brings a smile to your face, all the more valuable. Since moving back to London I was determined to settle down, and I slowly started building a small but precious perfume collection back up again. Will I miss the scents of my past? The Dolce and Gabanna Lace the One left in NYC, Enchantment in Florida I can't have shipped? (among others). Of course, same as I miss the close friends I have lost, or those who are moving away in the next couple of weeks. But with life, all you can do is try and rebuild, have strength, keep going. And look for things that bring you happiness along the way. One of those things for me was that tall purple bottle, and although I way overspent this month (I had an opportunity to purchase a 1.7 oz tester of Miss Dior Cherie pre reformulation (vetted through awesome members of this site) from an international seller and I pounced.) I WILL experience code again. I will save up for it and hope it is as good as my memories. And it will make my update on this review with a more proper one that much more special for all those years of waiting. Edit: just recieved my code and its glorious. As wonderful as my memories, if not even more so as its the original. The wait was truly worth it ^_^ 10/10

They had me at "orange blossom - honey"... No wonder this perfume has been such a popular commercial success. Don't prejudge this one based on the first spray - and the first hour or so of wear - It really doesn't start to open up and blossom, until you have worn this awhile. This is the type of perfume which goes on very strong and potent upon first spray. It behaves more like the EDP version of Versace Noir Tease in this way (very different from the EDT version which begins to open up and blossom within the first 20 minutes of wear). [It does NOT smell like Versace Noir Tease in any way, but the chemical response is similar to how the EDP of VNT opens up later than the EDT]. If you prejudge this perfume based on the first hour or so of wear, you may mistake this perfume for being a bit cold and aloof. However, the magic with this perfume happens when the notes begin to have more of an interplay with the skin -- and this is further into the unfoldment of the perfume. When this reaches the dry down phase: The notes of this perfume blend very well with my chemistry. This is a nice chord composition where the notes form a sweet classic type chord. The notes are not fighting for attention, the chord is harmonious and elegant. This perfume is signature worthy, it is so classic and elegant that this could be worn day/night - and any season as long as it is not too overly cloying on the hottest days in the summer. This is a classic. The notes blend beautifully into my skin. This is harmonious, it is not shouting so loudly that the notes seem "off putting". I can definitely see why this has been so popular. This is signature worthy. A perfume that fragrance collectors will want in their collection. ------------ Some of the reviews mention that this is super popular and that a lot of people are wearing this. Because the chord of this is fairly linear - this would be a great perfume to use in layering - with notes that could make this more "your own". Don't let other's opinions of this determine whether or not you will wear this. However, I would just make sure that you don't wear this to events where a number of people could be possibly wearing the same perfume... without doing something to shift the layering and make this more your own. (This is similar to the popularity of perfumes like Delina De Marly, Delina Exclusif, Baccarat Rouge 540 - there are so many people that wear this that it is a perfume that you may want to steer away from at a crowded public event). ------------- If you have worn this for years and want a slight twist on this with different notes - I would try Carolina Herrera's Good Girl Legere'. Both Armani Code and Legere' share similar base notes in the chord. Armani Code stays fairly elegant and basic - and Legere' moves more into the range of coconut/almond - more tropical (these notes are not listed, but this is what this perfume smells like with my chemistry). ----------- Why didn't I try this perfume earlier? Where have I been this whole time this perfume has been on the market? I was loyal to my signature perfume for years - and really didn't start seeking another signature until recently. Also, what I had heard about this perfume were things that I felt like were not going to allow this to be anything other than a "date night" perfume. However, after wearing this awhile - I really feel that this is not such a heavy hitter that it couldn't be worn during the day - and during every season (except maybe in extremely hot climates in the middle of the summer heat). This perfume will be too heavy on those that don't feel that they can handle a strong perfume. This starts extremely STRONG. -------------- Verdict: This starts extremely strong and in a focused, aloof way where the notes of the perfume are tightly structured where they really don't open up at all, until the dry down of the perfume. The dry down has gorgeous silage, but there is over and hour and a half -two hours where this is aloof. I want a perfume that opens up faster than this and I never want to be perceived as being aloof - during the first hour or 2 hours of wear. This isn't a perfume for me, although there are a lot of people who this would be perfect for. There are things like this that make me appreciate my long standing signature perfume more and more. Beautiful by Estee Lauder is hard to beat.

disclaimer: my Armani Code's batch code says it's made in 2015. I know nothing about more recent formulations. I even don't know if it's really reformulated or not. I'm into white floral-vanillas so no wonder I really like Armani Code. it opens with a sparkly orangey, gingery blast rounded by honey sweetness which I find delightful eventhough I usually don't like citrusy or spicy scents.after it settles down, I can pickup clean jasmine, orange flower in a creamy vanilla, sandalwood base. white flowers can have some dirty vibe but I can't detect any of that dirty, sexy thing here. jasmine and orange flower are there but they're somehow tamed(I thing I would prefer it if they were stronger). fortunately there's still some spicy, orangey honey thing present to keep it interesting. I used to LOVE Armani Code a few years ago. this one and Yves Saint Laurent Cinema were my orangey vanilla floral heavens. I still like both of them a lot but I have tones of other perfumes in this genre(JPG Classique Essence, JPG Classique Intense, JPG Scandal, Elie Saab Le Parfum,Elie Saab Le Parfum Intense, Love by Kilian Don't be Shy and this list goes on and on) which makes the Armani Code to feel not as special as it used to be but I still find it very pleasant, feminine,sensual but also easy to wear and I can't tolerate not having it in my collection. I believe it doesn't show it's true beauty in hot or super cold weather so I prefer it for autumn and cool spring nights.longevity is 6-7 hours max on my skin and sillage is an arm length or a little more when first sprayed. even this 2015 Armani Code isn't a room filler and I used to have two bottle a lot older than that and the performance was always like this. it's not strong but it's strong enough to make you noticable for people around you without killing them. if you like the notes go for it because all of the notes are detectable (well, maybe except bitter orange, I don't feel any bitter orange here. it's a sweet orange with absolutely no bitterness). but they're all detectable in a well blended way and none of them overpowers the rest. BTW I also have Armani Code Satin(Armani Code+cacao and chocolate) and Armani Code Cashmere(Armani Code+nutty,powdery notes) and I like them even more. if you like Armani Code but want to have it with a more gourmand or more powdery twist, try those ones too. آرمانی کد با رایحه دلپذیر پرتقال و زنجبیل و یه شیرینی عسلی شروع میشه و در ادامه ضمن اینکه اون رایحه عسلی، زنجبیلی، پرتقالی رو تا حدودی حفظ میکنه، شکوفه پرتقال و یاس که توسط یه بستر خامه ای وانیلی، صندلی احاطه شدن هم بهش اضافه میشن. تمام نتها رو میشه حس کرد اما خیلی خوب میکس شدن و هیچ نتی خیلی قویتر از نتهای دیگه نیست. یاس و شکوفه پرتقال هم بنظر من اینجا تمیز هستن و توسط نتهای دیگه تا حدودی کنترل میشن. بنظر من عطر فمینین و خیلی دلپذیر و جذابیه و اگه این سبک روایح رو دوست داشته باشید واقعا حیفه که آرمانی کد رو امتحان نکنید. بنظر من برای آب و هوای گرم یا خیلی سرد مناسب نیست. برای آب و هوای خنک مناسبه مثلا پاییز یا شبهای بهاری. من ورژن ۲٠۱۵ رو دارم که موندگاری و پخش بوی متوسط یا بهتره بگم کمی بهتر از متوسط داره که همین باعث میشه عطر خیلی پرکاربردی باشه و عملا همه جا از محل کار گرفته تا سر قرار قابل استفادست. اگه آرمانی کد رو دوست دارید و دنبال ورژنی هستید که گورمندتر و خوشمزه تر شده باشه آرمانی کد ساتین رو تست کنید(کاکائو و شکلات بهش اضافه شده)، یا اگه دوست دارید روایح پودری، بادومی، زنبقی حتی یه ذره چرمی بهش اضافه شن آرمانی کد کشمیر رو تست کنید.

I remember I was always smelling Armani Code in perfume shops but never bought it because I found the orange blossom in there too indolic to be paired with honey. It was like a bad mix in my opinion, even if I LOVE indolic white florals. But, some days ago I sprayed it on because I didn’t remember it well and I was surprised to still see a tester around. I didn’t consciously notice the change in the bottle and haven’t thought about a reformulation. I tested it directly on skin, again, I don’t know why since I usually spray on the card before. I think this was not a case: in the last weeks I was searching for a new white floral based fragrance, something sweet yet mysterious, not too obvious, who could create a unique and seductive scent bubble all around me, without bothering my stomach. Most importantly, I was searching for a timeless scent, since I always wear vintage smelling fragrances and I realized that as much as I love them, for my everyday life I just want something that smells more “modern”. At first I wasn’t impressed so much, but I immediately noticed it was different than how I remembered. I also tested more hyped perfumes with similar scent profiles, like l’Interdit by Givenchy and The Only One by Dolce and Gabbana which I had much higher hopes on.. but, the evolution of this was incredible, it was the best. This new one has a more prominent Jasmine note which is better suited for the honey, orange blossom is still noticeable but less loud. Then, there is this LOVELY ginger note that makes a big difference, because it gives more character and kind of “dries” the indolic aspect of the florals. You can also smell a light sandalwood touch in the dry down, giving a light powderiness to the scent trail. This is what I wanted Dior Pure Poison to be, which is too linear for my taste. Smells so captivating, mysterious but also pure like an ethereal femme fatale. I washed my hand multiple times, where I had this, and I was also so impressed by the longevity of the scent. Yes, this reformulation is very good and so much more interesting compared to new releases of the last years. It’s sensual, alluring, feminine; soft but also dark, calm and classy. This is for a true confident woman. A kind of woman who doesn’t have to prove herself, doesn’t have to scream, she just is quietly proud of herself and you can feel it. It kind of reminds me of Guerlain L’Instant but a lot better, like if l’Instant is the princess and Code is the Queen. Also could be compared with Bulgari Jasmin Noir but this one is more feminine and less woody. The old formula could remind you about Mugler Alien (not my vibe at all), but not this one fortunately. Yes, maybe it shares something with Dior Addict, but this is brighter and more pleasant. Besides all these comparisons, Armani Code stands out, it’s la crème de la crème of the modern take on white florals and it smells unique, most importantly. This could be easily my new signature.. we will see! So, I highly recommend the reformulation, if you have the ability to see it as a new thing in this new world, and still, it feels like a classic.