Idole d'Armani

I will preface this by saying that I picked this up in a bargain bin for about 20 dollars - it was a partially used tester. I have this idea that for whatever reason, testers are more potent and concentrated than the juice you actually get in the bottle you end up paying for. idk maybe I am imagining it but I have had this happen with multiple fragrances before. Anyway. The point of that was to say that while I personally thought this was not that strong on sillage, according to everyone around me the day I wore it to work, it was blowing everyone away. Which really surprised me. When I tested it at the store all I thought was pear pear pear ... and I love pear and have very few pear heavy perfumes in my wardrobe, so I snatched it up asap. I wore it a couple days around the house and out running errands - it seemed to me like a moderate perfume that could be worn any time of day - it is certainly one that could be worn for evenings, but somehow the pear and honey made it just sweet enough that it could be used to class up a generic grocery run as well. After hearing my colleagues comment on it though, I am not so sure anymore - they are not fragranistas but the consensus was something that smelled "incense-y, arabian, woody, patchouli, and spicy". Not at all what my nose thought it was picking up from my wrist. And while I do have a small fan at my desk, I had people coming over from across the room to ask me what I was wearing, when I only applied a couple spritzes to my wrist over an hour earlier. Now I don't know what to think. I am wearing it again today, and three hours after application the sweetness of the pear has faded a bit but I swear I can still smell it. The florals are a bit more prominent too - I can clearly smell the rose - and there is a bit of spice from the ginger and some earthyness from the base. But I would no where near call this an arabian style incense like fragrance. And it still doesn't strike me as a sillage bomb either, but I guess this one is playing tricks on me. I have worn some of my heavier Amouage fragrances to work - my newest great love Memoir in particular I can often not say no to - and they have garnered less of a reaction there. I do want to make clear though that the reaction was positive from everyone who came over - they all seemed to really like it and wanted to get a bottle for themselves (too bad its been discontinued!). Bottom line -- this one has made it to my top shelf for sure, regardless of whether or not I ultimately decide if it is truly work appropriate or not (and somedays work be damned lol). It had me as soon as that blast of pear left the bottle. It is a beauty and it isn't a perfume of a very common theme imo - it has a uniqueness about it, and it does have an air of elegance and a sense of class most often associated with the classics of a bygone era. It is very feminine and inviting, but also exudes confidence. I think if you are planning to wear it to work or in a small space, you may want to test it out on some guinea pigs first to see how it reacts with your body chemistry. It may just be a monster in disguise, or it may just be my bottle was one of the mysterious incidences of testers being filled with stronger stuff.

Idole is not appreciated as much as it should be.... Pear done right, thank you Armani for the combination of pear, that is prominent from the first spritz until the shower, with the clementine, that actually is not lost behind the pear, the orange, the honey (give the perfume time, honey develops two to three hours later) and the complementing saffron. Jasmine, ginger and vetiver prefer to reek; I actually love that. If this was some alcoholic beverage I'd drink it all the time, it's smells so delicious! The blend is perfect. It is a fragrance that develops, and it will develop indeed into something creamier and even richer. Idole is not sweet and i think of this being the main reason it's not as popular, audiences now want sugary-syrupy-fruity craziness in fantasy bottles or light inoffensive fragrances that don't stand out. Well this has a huge sillage, it's long lasting (i smell it on my pillowcase from the day before and even though in the meantime i chose to wear and sleep in another perfume, Idole is still there!) We have a strong perfume here, not heavy, but strong. Idole is absolutely suitable for daytime and nightime, any clothes work, but somehow I imagine classy office clothing, tight knee long skirts and white shirts, or any really classy and sexy office attire. Suitable all year round. I had a fear that i won't be able to wear it now that it's getting colder, but it works fantastic. Ages suitable: 20+ No note is missing. I don't really know how artemisia smells, but that's okay, i still love this perfume, which by the way can be layered with others as well, it's enough versatile for layering (making me all the more happy,btw i have paired it with London Burberry and it's just superb, people are effing wondering which fragrance i'm wearing...haha) Half of the time that i wear it smells intensely of:pear, jasmine, vetiver, clementine and ginger. When the fragrance develops, it's time for: honey, almond, rose and patchouli. Saffron is always there but i don't feel it all the time, sometimes i sniff my wrist and all i get is saffron and other times it's just hiding. Lovely, edgy,sexy and unique perfume. Weird enough that it can't be worn by everyone P.S.: BATHE IN IT!

A criminally underrated designer with niche qualities, I think that is the reason it never took off. It evokes the image of golden women’s skin, much like the J’adore adds. Actually it fits those adds better than J’adore if you ask me. Very alluring and unique, it smells like a saffron-spiced, sweet, golden and JUICY pear with almonds, and well-rounded jasmine on a vetiver / resin base. Patchouli is very light here. The bottle is incredible as well, heavy glass and a heavy cap. This has cost money producing, that’s clear. What’s most impressive for me is the structure of the perfume, the notes blend seamlessly and no note screams at you, like a soft but very present aura with blurred edges. No synthetic or common base here. It lasts an entire day with soft to medium sillage. Very suitable for transitional seasons. There’s nothing really like it, the closest I can think of is Cinéma, which is sweeter and less spicy, more dark golden than light diffusive golden like IDOLE. Highly recommended if you value composition, uniqueness and quality as much as I do.

It's difficult to put this fragrance in a nutshell, but on the whole I think it's a very likeable fragrance. It's safe, but with safe I don't mean that it is not unique; I have found nothing else like it. I've got very positive feedback when wearing this, definitely! I think it has just the right amount of sweetness - it balances beautifully with the citrus. It is not at all too fruity, rather I think it's more flowery, maybe it's the combination of clementine and jasmine that makes it so luscious. Just like it says in the main accords list it is both fresh spicy and warm spicy, which is difficult to get right, but Idole is a very harmonious, balanced blend of those. One doesn't overpower the other. I'd like to emphasise exactly this that Idole is harmony in a bottle! I think it's a severely underrated, absolutely beautiful fragrance that you can wear around friends but also on dates and people will be more than happy to be around you. It fits every occasion. The sillage is moderate and the longevity is moderate to long-lasting.

I have longed to own this scent since it was first released last year. Today I finally went perfume shopping and was able to buy my own big bottle of this. I have not tried it on myself yet since today I am still wearing Intimately Beckham. But I went shopping with my mom and she did try it on her wrist. It smells wonderful on her and she just loves it (something odd, as she is a bit picky about perfumes, and almost exclusively loves Chanel). Well, I am sure it will be wonderful on me too and I cannot wait until I can try it on. :) UPDATE: I tried L idole for the first time yesterday. After I had sprayed it on my wrist my first thought was: PEAR??? Anyway, after the fragrance settled down on my skin it was absolutely fabulous, it remained fruity but other notes were noticeable. Normally I am not into fruity or foody fragrances, but this one is so well composed that I just fell in love with it. It also helped that I got many compliments (even when it was the first time I used it).

I picked this up when it was on sale and I'm so glad I did. I seem to really love Armani perfumes and this fits right into my collection. I've never smelt anything like it. It's very unique and I've had a lot of compliments from friends and family. My nans hoping to pick up a bottle for herself soon :-) When the perfume is first applied It's very fresh and you can make out the pear and honey but also that spicy ginger note. Then after about thirty minutes I notice that it's not as sweet and has a slight floral note but to me the best part of this perfume, is when it's been lingering on your skin for about an hour. The dry down is beautiful. The honey and the almond comes together with the ginger and creates a stunning warm perfume that just shouts elegance. In less than a week it's taken a front row seat on my dressing table, the bottle is beautiful. I appreciate it's simplicity. I have lots of other perfumes that scream "Modern" thankfully this just states "Classic"

I’ve had this charming discontinued perfume so long it was when you could get rollerball vials from Sephora for $25. It’s warm and spicy like Christmas cookies and candles in an overcrowded gift shop created by the top notes of ginger, pear, clementine, honey, bitter orange, almond, and artemisia. The middle notes of saffron and rose are very strong but balanced out by jasmine. The blend of spicy and floral notes give the fragrance a real richness. The base notes of vetiver, and styrax give it a lingering sweet forest-like smell, and the patchouli maintains the warm spiciness. This scent reminds me of sitting in the lecture hall in a stats lecture listening to the professor who sounded exactly like Tom Hanks. I’m assuming that it won’t have the same effect on everyone. Generally, if you have the opportunity to get a hold of this lovely fragrance, snap it up, especially if you want to capture the warmth of a cottage in winter.

I've been reading so many negative reviews about this fragrance that I was about to change my mind on buying it..but no, I'm quite sure it's gonna be my spring-summer purchase.Why? Because it's a shiny, totally feminine and almost unclassifiable fragrance. Floral-oriental maybe? Surely saffron and jasmine do a weird mix, but somehow in this fragrance they are perfectly blended and create a hazy honey note, which I was able to smell since the first try. On my skin the pear note isn't so defined, so personally I wouldn't think to this scent as a fruity. About the lasting power, I think it's decent even though it's not good as one could suppose by a fragrance like this: that's a pity, cause the patchouli-vetiver dry down is truly lovely. By the way, I'm totally captured by this alluring scent, no matter how strange it could seem to someone...I hope to smell like Idole d'Armani soon!

was given this as a gift, its a perfume that I wouldn't have bought for myself. Its a fresh, light, clean floral scent. Its not my normal taste, but I still found it pretty nice and very wearable. Its very floral and a little bit sweet, with a touch of a aqua scent. Im not really sure about the lasting power yet, I have only been able to test it in a very hot climat yet. Its pretty avrige, nothing speciall, but still nice. Good for everyday use.. UPDATE: I must say that I have changed my mind about this one, I really adore this perfume. Yes, I still think its good for everyday use, but its really lovely anyway! Its great to have a perfume that you are able to wear everyday without getting bored at it.. I recentley swapped my bottle away, so now Im looking for a new one again!! It seems like I couldn't be without it after all...:)

This is such an underrated beauty. It is criminal how much this was overlooked and discontinued I believe. I don't agree with a lot of the reviews that it has curry note. If I had read this before I bought it I may not have so pleae don't worry it doesn't smell curry. True it has a spicyness but it is not like a strong cumin or anything its a lot lighter and that fades ayway. In my opinion this is quite a fresh deep fragrance. It smells of spicy pear with ginger and jasmine perhaps. It is really sexy in a classy way. I can imagine a beautiful woman in a dazzling dress with heals wearing this and turning heads. I previously had the EDT and if you find the spicyness to much the EDT is just fresh pear. I am still considering getting a bottle of the EDT as they are a bit different and it is divine.

I love this one so much and am slowly running out of my bottle. I am very afraid that this might get discontinued some time in the future. Here in the Netherlands and Germany, the lotion isn't sold in all stores anymore. It's the same thing with the different sizes of the edp, there is always one or two sizes missing (in the webshops) and don't see the edt version at all anymore. This is one of the most sexy and alluring scents, while still being feminine and not too much, and also wearable all year round fragrances! I will be so sad if they get rid of it.. I have a bad predicting feeling in my belly :/ :( Let's hope I'm wrong. Everybody buy this fragrance, so they will keep it!!!! :p

I am a little disappointed :( Although I love the smell, it doesn't last long so it's a short-lived pleasure.. I bought "IDOLE d'Armani" with my expectations being so high because I'm using "Acqua di Gio" (and not only) for years and it lasts on my skin very long, about 12 hours. In conclusion: sadly - it's a disappointment, however I do NOT regret that I bought "IDOLE d'Armani" (and yes, I would buy again!) As in life, not all pleasures are long-lasting .. some are short-lived pleasures and I know how to appreciate and enjoy these pleasures too, like "IDOLE d'Armani"! :P

Idole is beautiful, sparkling and sexy. Glamourous without being pretentious, but incredibly confident. Ginger and pear lead the way into a clean, floral heart married with a hint of fresh, dry wood. Saffron contributes a little saltiness without being too obvious, creating another intriguing facet. That said though, I'm craving a heavier base. Idole is somewhat of a flirt--magnetizing all the way and she knows it. In constant motion at a party and never sitting down for an intent engagement. She's the one whose everyone's eyes follow all over the room, male or female.

Oh i can't wait to own this one. I have been testing it since it came put. Idol will be my fall scent this year. Falovalo, i too smell evil patchouli, and it says in the paragraph above that it is included. Thank goodness the big P is blended in well enough to just seem like a spice in the mix. Idol is a JUICY oriental. The overall effect to me is warm, spiced pear juice. Feminine pear juice that is. Idol will be just the perfect spiced drink to warm me in the cold Utah fall and winter! Also its very bold and long lasting. Can't wait to get a bottle!

This fragrance has a wonderfully unique personality on my skin. I get a lot of ginger, saffron, and vetiver. It's better in winter than in summer, because the cold weather enhances these notes. The top and heart notes last a long time, too (which is not usually the case with my chemistry). It's a zesty, feminine, and comforting fragrance. I like it very, very much. I tried it during the summer, and it expressed itself as a saffron-tinged floral fragrance then. I prefer wearing it in cold weather.

This is a very unique fragrance. I had a chance to smell it back in the day just after it was launched. I remember it as a smooth sweet fragrance, nothing special, just sweet and soft. Yesterday, I was given a full bottle of this gold juice. After one spray I got intrigued...this fragrance is nothing how I remember it. It smell very fougere and pungent. This is thanks to Ginger and Artemisia. After few hours it dries down to this most beautifull sweet scent...gorgeous!!!!

Received a sample of this in a swap from a lovely member and absolutely fell in love. Went online and immediately found a bottle and it arrived today. This is such a beautiful perfume. Spicy ginger and sweet honey and pears. It works perfectly on my skin and my only regret is that I didn't know about it sooner. This is already in my top ten. It's fresh, but not overly so, it's sweet, but not tooth achingly, it's fruity but refined, and now it's mine. <3

Very classy scent, it gives me a mental image of a woman with a tailored skirt suit, perfectly laid hair, an expensive purse, real jewelry and shiny high heeled shoes. A woman with money and a certain amount of power. Unluckily for me, this woman is also at least twice me age. I don't feel comfortable wearing this perfume simply because of that, but I look forward to fitting into my mental image as well as the fragrance once I do reach that age.

Ooohhhh I LOOOOOOVED this fragrance!! Why did they discontinue it. It had the perfect composition to me, with the ginger, the pear and the sweet bitterness. SIGH!! Also have never gotten more compliments on any other perfume than this one (and I wear a lot of amazing different fragrances), especially from men. :'( Now I have to find a different fragrance that smells JUST like this one. Aarrhhg DAMN YOU Armani!

My love at second sniff ;) At first I thought 'meh, just another strong stuff, not for me'. Oh how wrong was I! It had me when lighter notes gave space to deeper ones. The mixture was addictive and smelled so sexy! it still does and I wear it anytime I want to feel confident and powerful :) Sometimes it can fill up a small room and it's rather longlasting as on my hair and clothes it literally lasts for days.

The first HE perfume bottle I bought back at my first year of uni, which prompted years long perfume collecting. 22 bottles later, this is still in my top 5. So unique, warm, fruity and spicy, perhaps it's Armani's best release. Couldn't believe they discontinued it. I'm out of it and looking to repurchase. Smelling it makes me so nostalgic, I wore it every day to school and outings. Absolutely love it.

This is the one. It is lovely! Warm and fresh... I don't know, I'm not good at describing. I cannot say it's the "one of kind" type of fragrance, but it has some personality. It is not bold but quite sexy. Smells elegant... Smells like a woman. And I am so sorry for this review, I don't really think you'll find it helpfull, but to be honest, I only liked it because it is quite me. Sorry once more!

Oh my god, I SO love this!! Pear, ginger, sweet spiciness. Just perfect. But the lasting power is not that great. I have the eau de parfum and it stays for max 3 hours. So maybe wont be re buying this even though I think it smells amazing! edit: Somehow the lasting power improved on me. When I wear it, I now can still smell it in the evening. Maybe thats because the weather is a bit colder now..

I'm in love with this scent. I want it for a long long time. And I tested it for many many times. Everytimes all I feel in this fragrance is the elegance and stunning lady like the ad. So warm but still a little bit fresh. It make my heartbeat like a drum, I don't know why. It's like this scent is just for me and I was born for this scent! I'm so obsess with Idole. XD

Oh my luscious peary little princess! You mystify me with your discordant notes & lushness. Every time I took a snootful of you, I got something different, something amazing & allusive. I love you. I would wear you everyday. Isn't it amazing how sometimes the most chaotic assembley of different notes is the most pleasing?

My favorite perfume. It is a very classic and rich scent. It transports my mind to a different time, like the 20's or 30's. It is very feminine (not in a floral cute way) but a sophisticated way. Lasts very long, I can wake up the next day and still smell it on my skin.

I know at the first time when I saw Idole pyramid that there's something missed. It didn't include honey, patchouli and styrax that I can smell when i spray this on my skin and include the other note that had been missing. fortunately they fix it now!

Its classy & expensive smelling.It is a nice scent. But rather for older women. I think around the age of 25 or more. I have 19 years and I feel older than I am when I wearing this perfume. Its for mature ladies:) and it last a long time.

i love this perfume, it seems to be one that no one has really jumped onto and im not sure why. i can definitely smell the pear, which is very smooth on the skin. unfortunetly, even the edp does not last very long on my skin

Wore this at my wedding reception which was a night function and since then this has become my go-to perfume for all special occasions - weddings and nights out. Love it! And yes, the staying power and sillage is wonderful.

it's perfect for a classy and elegant woman. this is def. a favorite! at first it starts out floral, but unlike most floral scents being sold lately (a much more sophisticated smell) and ends with a hint of cream. LOVE

At first I didn't like it. Seemed too strong and a little bit masculine. But then... I felt its charm- the delicate rose, the pear... a wonderful mixture. Feminine,elegant and very seductive fragrance!

This was my third Armani perfume, I also own Acqua di Gioia and Armani Diamonds.I have to say that this is my favourite fragrance. It is sophisticated, long-lasting and oozes confidence.

so unique fragrance, it ́s spicy and fresh.. received so many compliments with this one.. it ́s a shame they discontinued it. This is is the best Armani fragrance so far in my opinion.

I haven't owned this perfume long enough to give a full review yet, but thus far all i have to say is this >>>> BEAUTIFUL SOPHISTICATION in a bottle..Love it! :)

Love this composition but 1/2 way through the bottle, I became allergic to it. So sad. Same thing happened with L'Instant by Guerlain and Osmanthus by Molinard.

Why are the Styrax and Patchouli not reperesented in the pyramid above? Those are THE two facets that stand out most to me when it comes to IDOLE. Fix please :)

This is such a gorgeous scent I'm devastated they discontinued it. It's impossible to find now. Love the pear and ginger. Can we campaign to bring it back!?

it is My favorite perfume. It is a very rich scent. Wow! amazing fragrance.. A good scent,a powerful bottle,a striking name. long lasting and classy!

Today was the last day of this discontinued gem being in my collection. It will be sorely missed. Sweet, spicy, interesting.

I love this EDP! Fresh, slightly spicy and sophisticated. Great perfume for the fall and winter. Good staying power.

ooooh this is super sexy, reminds me a tad of Sensi but with a more old fashioned powdery dry down , LOVE IT

Complex and sophisticated. I smell pear ...sweet pear and ginger. It is a very beautiful combination.

really like it. it's floral, classy, citricy and really elegant.

فوق العادست بوش.بویه گلابی و یاس اش با روحه آدم بازی میکنه.

Absolutely one of my all time favs, I LOVE IT!

This is a wonderful discontinued gem!

Very, very different coming from a designer frag company and I had to sort of warm up to it, simply because it was so unexpected. I’m not a huge fan of the smell of artemisia and it’s rather dominant, specially in the opening of this one and mixed with ginger, honey and jasmine it becomes overwhelming. Actually it reminds me of the opening of Burberry’s body, another fume heavy on the wormwood. I understand why some people say it smells like curry, since artemisia does have a sort of coriander-heavy curry vibe to it. However, this is more subtle and certainly more alluring when smelled on the skin. Three notes that always alert me are artemisia, pear and honey, since they can all be very difficult and have to be used with great consideration and care. Here we find all three at once, but to be honest, I think this is what great consideration and care possibly smell like, when treated by a very good perfumer. Idole d'Armani is deep and intense, yet soft and though the opening is rather overwhelming, it soon morps into this delicious, slightly creamy and rather fluffy hedonist juice. I find Idole d’Armani to be one of the most interesting designer frags made in the last 20 years or so and mourn its discontinuation, while acknowledging that this kind of perfume is a niche-thing and hardly something a mainstream company can pull of succesfully. A shame though, since this could have been the next best niche perfume ever, if only it had been made by an independent house or company.

This is not at all mainstream. I am surprised it is by Armani, given the usual crowd pleasers they produce (I am not being snobbish or disparaging, as I have several Armani fragrances and enjoy them). On first spraying Idole EDP, I get an unexpected but very distinct smell of curry spice. I love curry - Indian and Thai food are my favourite cuisine - but I don't want to smell like it. Fortunately, this abates within five minutes, leaving a highly spiced, warm fragrance on my skin. I really can't detect pear at all, but it's quite cool and damp here today in SE England, which may account for it (as pear has been voted the most prominent note). This fragrance is discontinued, but my bottle was new and sealed when purchased last week, although the date of manufacture is June 2009. There's a possibility that the top notes have been impacted by its age. To my nose, the prominent notes are saffron, ginger, vetiver and artemisia, with jasmine, fruits and honey adding natural - not cloying - sweetness. I don't detect rose at all. This smells very fresh and natural - I don't get any sort of manmade chemical vibes from this perfume, which I find unusual and really refreshing. In summary, this is unique; I've never smelled anything similar. It's not been put in a group by Fragrantica, but I'd describe as a spicy Oriental. Lovers of Kenzo Jungle L'Elephant and Lutens Arabie should really enjoy this.

Sweet, fruity, juicy, lies somewhere in between Britney Spears’ Fantay and Maria Carey’s Luscious Pink, but has the best from both is the initial impression Idole d’Armani gives to me. It’s fresh, sparkling citrusy and a little bit gourmand at the same time, I find it nice and interesting. It is really welcoming (in comparison with some other commercial perfumes which kinda gives me a huge headache). A little bit later I can smell patchouli which has been slowly coming out to play, it is quite a self-assured dreamy scent, sensual yet not too demanding, relaxed yet still have some cute little daily worries, like a modern day working woman. Somehow it makes me think if Narciso Rodriguez for Her and Chanel Coco Mademoiselle had a sweet and more down-to-earth cousin, it would be Idole d’Armani. Towards the final drydown, Idole is quite heavenly in a cute domestic goddess way (more pastry here). It reminds me a bit of the moist biscuit smell I get from Black Orchid by Tom Ford, but Idole is actually warmer and less moist, which makes it more comfortable to wear to me. Pretty and versatile perfume to wear in cooler weather. Quite worth trying, Giorgio Armani you has gave me a rather nice surprise! I won’t purchase it myself because it has a slightly generic tendency, but it’s a nice version of generic perfumes’ merits put together tho, and I wouldn’t mind being gifted a bottle of this.