Armani Code Sport

When Armani Code Sport hit the shelves in 2011, I guess it offered a rather bold and unique perfume profile for that period. Today, I still have a bottle from that year in my hand, and it has successfully withstood the test of time and reminded me once again of how special a composition it is. It has aged magnificently. The freshness that greets you when you first spray the perfume is directly reminiscent of a mojito cocktail: Mint, lemon and a light citrus breeze... However, the mint here, beyond creating a simple freshness, carries a natural liveliness that is far from artificial, reminiscent of freshly crushed mint leaves. The transitions between the notes are extremely smooth and harmonious; this takes the perfume beyond an ordinary summer scent. I don't know if it has matured after 14 years, it has a very nice sweetness. The most striking aspect of Armani Code Sport is its unique scent, which is not easily encountered at that time and even today. When compared to other fresh summer perfumes that can be included in its category, it is immediately noticeable how different it stands on a line. It is neither too sweet nor too aromatic; It has a completely balanced, original character. For this reason, the cessation of production of this perfume can be considered a serious loss for the perfume world. The fact that fashion houses act according to short-term trends unfortunately prevents such timeless scents from becoming permanent. However, Code Sport exhibits a much more refined and original stance than many modern summer scents today. It is almost a pioneer and harbinger of the summer collections that Jacques Cavallier, the creator of the perfume, later prepared for Louis Vuitton. The elegance, freshness and luxurious details felt in the DNA of Code Sport appear before us in a more refined form in the Les Colognes series that came later. However, this perfume has a much bolder and more masculine energy than the Louis Vuitton series. If you have a bottle of this rare piece in your hand, you are not only holding a perfume, but also a turning point. It is a perfect example to see both Jacques Cavallier's design evolution and to feel the quality summer perfume concept that is about to disappear.

Clean and Fresh... Armani Code Sport is a great smelling fragrance, and what I get is a nice composition of citrus, aquatic, and vetiver notes. While similar to other “sport” fragrances, Armani puts a more refined and distinguished touch to this release. As you may guess, the performance is a bit of a question mark, lasting maybe 4 hours on me and my clothing at very close projection. Not surprising for a citrus aquatic fragrance. But nonetheless, the fragrance smells great and is a crowd pleaser. I will add that in my (more mature – close to getting “old”) opinion, Code Sport maybe better suited for the younger audience, but I would pitch an occasional wear for the more mature crowd (myself included). And obviously, given the composition of notes, Code Sport is geared for warmer weather wear. I do like this fragrance and believe everyone should have a “sport” fragrance in their collection. All said, Armani Code Sport is a solid choice that will fill the need. Final tally is 4.2 stars out of 5 stars with a solid recommendation to purchase and “love” for the fragrance community. If you can get by the performance challenges, Code Sport smells great and will leave you feeling clean and fresh. Enjoy your day and happy fragrance hunting..

About two weeks ago I stumbled on a 1.5ml vial I had forgotten I had for years. One whiff and I rushed online searching for a bottle of this. To my dismay, it was out of stock at all the shops in the country that I could find on Google. How disappointed I was to learn that it had also been discontinued. Yesterday, I called my favourite fragrance shop (1400km away from me) and was told that they ordered 80 units which should be in the shipment that arrived the previous day. I breathed a sigh of relief and stayed on the line while the guy checked to see how many pieces arrived. ONE! A coffret (1x 50ml EDT and 2x 75ml Shower Gels). I wasted no time in placing an order for it. In the meantime, I'll continue sniffing my vial until my gift set arrives. This reminds me of my days as a cocktail bartender at a beautiful and busy beachside restaurant shaking up delectable cocktails after delightful cocktails on a hot summer day. I always found the smell of mint and mandarin oranges energising while working in the busy bar, and so do I find this fragrance. It makes me want to have a mandarin mojito after work.

Ok, I just got Hugo Boss Iced and from what I can tell the opening is almost exactly like Armani Code Sport. Maybe not as bright as Code Sport, but the scent is very familiar. That's the thing though, the opening of Code Sport isn't why I love it, it's that amazing dry down that last for hours is what is so captivating to me about Code Sport. I do have Under the Lemon Tree by Maison Margiela which I think has a dry down close to Code Sport. I'll report back later and update on how the dry down of Hugo Boss Iced as well as Under the Lemon Tree compare with Armani Code Sport. Update: Not even 2 hours later and the Hugo Iced is pretty much gone from my arm, and I sprayed it 4-5 times...It's hanging around on the shirt a bit, but all in all it's pretty much gone. Dammit! Under the Lemon Tree has dried down to its lemony-woodsy dry down that smells about 70% of Armani Code Sport. Man, you just can't replicate the real deal, but at least these two help pacify that need to smell Code Sport. The search continues for my new bottle.

I adore this cologne. I've had it for a couple years now, and even though people consider it ordinary, it's quite special to me. There's something special about that citrusy ginger burst. It reminds me of Sprite and Cola mixed together. It's fresh, pleasing, crisp, and it has excellent longevity and silage for a summer fragrance. Usually, you can't count on these Sport-type fragrances to last longer than an hour or so, but this lasts four to six hours on me, with decent three/four foot sillage. It's fresh, clean, and completely inoffensive. I've never received anything but compliments for wearing this scent. On my skin, there's also a bit of something extra special. Possibly from the mint/ginger combination, my skin creates a fresh cannabis note. When I wear this around my friends, they give me "the look," like "Eh, smoking the good stuff?". I love the smell of marijuana. The plant itself, unsmoked. That's what I get, on my skin. Beautiful, fresh, clean zingy herbal marijuana.