Invictus Aqua (2018)

Okay, this one will probably come off as a bit generic, but that's fine by me because it's pretty much my favorite summer fragrance ever created. Not saying it's the most expensive, or most carefully-crafted, or the objectively best, but it's my personal favorite that works so well to my tastes. I will say as a disclaimer that I've never smelled Paco Rabanne's 2016 version of this so I have no basis of comparison. To me, this is almost saltwater taffy in a cologne bottle. It's sweet, bubblegummy, but also very salty and oceanic with a slightly soapy quality, the latter two accords being the first thing you'll smell off the first spray. It later dries down to woods and amber, and this light, slightly aldehydic, almost fabric-softener vibe that lingers faintly. That part is actually my favorite. This won't be everyone's vibe, but it certainly is mine, and I feel like I pull it off extremely well. Honestly, the reason I reached for Invictus Aqua is because I saw it on a list that called it one of the most seductive men's summer fragrances ever created. But honestly, beyond the sex appeal (of which there is plenty), this is a comforting scent to me. It's got an innocent quality, something nostalgic, kind of recalling long-passed sunny summer days where you'd run around in the grass with your bestie, or a childhood vacation to your favorite beach... maybe I'm particularly drawn to this because gives me that feeling. It's very much my comfort cologne. I will also say that despite previous reviews, this actually lasts quite long on me. 7-8 hours, minimum, but there have been times that 24 hours have passed and I can still clearly detect the cologne without sniffing at my skin. Paco Rabanne has since discontinued Invictus Aqua, and given that I'm not really a fan of the other flankers in the Invictus collection, I've been stocking up on this one as much as possible. I will be needing it to get myself through every summer. As for everyone else (since I do realize this review was somewhat self-centered), because this is discontinued, hard-to-find, and probably very expensive due to its scarcity, this may not be worth it for you, especially since there are plenty of close, not-so-discontinued fragrances that have the same vibe and a similarly pleasing scent profile. It might be more worth it to explore those options. (My top examples: YSL Y Eau de Parfum or Hawas.) However, if you've smelled this before, and like me, have fallen in love with this exact vibe, or are curious about anything I or anyone else may have described here, then give it a shot. Your impressions might fall short of the pedestal my review put Invictus Aqua on, but more than likely you will still enjoy and appreciate the scent. For me, definite 10/10, for both technical and sentimental reasons.

I've been part of the fragrance community for at least 7+ years and have never felt like commenting or reviewing until now. Even though this kind of DNA that Invictus carries, is dominating the more modern fragrances, as it obviously appeals to great majority of people since I feel that we're just a very small percentage of people who not only just buy a fragrance, but collect them with passion and immerse ourselves deeper in their accords and stages. I have never owned the original Invictus, but I have obviously smelled it on more occassions since every 3rd guy either has that, One Million, Sauvage - you know the drill. Never have I tested this fragrance, but based on all the notes and vivid, picturesque descriptions of it, I felt like this is could be the best of both worlds, not only fresh but also mass-appealing, being slightly sweet. I ended up blind buying a bottle of this a bit over a year ago and boy I tell you this has far exceeded my expectations. The slight marine accord with a hint of saltiness and freshness perfectly compliment the sweeter, so called "bubble gum" nature of the frangrance (which isn't the best analogy in my opinion). I am so happy that I've picked up a full 100 ml bottle, now knowing that you literally cannot find this anywhere else anymore, being discontinued since a while. It performs like a beast, applied about 3 - 4 sprays at half past 7 in the morning and at 21:30 I can still smell it off of my neck, leaving and incredible scent trail. I do understand where most people come from, expressing dislike to this fragrance or the type of DNA it carries, but this to me is heavenly and could be worn all-year around, any season, any weather. Smells gorgeous and longevity is incredible. I feel bad for those that couldn't pick up a bottle of this before it got discontinued, mostly because of lack of reviews or due to negative ones. I am delighted that my bottle is still well about 90% full, will definitely last me for 3+ years more.

For most young or even middle aged guys this is a phenomenal warm weather frag. Shortly after purchasing this I found myself reaching for it more and more. (Became my out and about summer go too) If you are mid 30's or under you could easily pull this off in any warm weather casual party or even a casual date. I know from hearing reviews that performance doesn't compare to the OG version, I can't really speak on that. I will say even the 2018 version I would get 5 really good hours with ease and then it would start to taper off. It remains a skin scent for a very long time. If you are a casual fragrance fan looking for a good go to for summer and casual warm weather this is as good or better than anything else I have found and women love it. I would honestly say it's like a summer version of Eros. Not in the sense that they smell similar, more so that they accomplish the same thing a loud bubbly, friendly, outgoing scent that will be noticed. Scent - 9 Projection - 8 longevity - 8.5 Girls - 10 Had 0 negative responses and well above average compliments Total 9/10 I'm sure this won't blow any serious collector away but for the rest of us this will work very well.

Overall a solid release. To my nose this is more of an "aquatic" version of the Invictus DNA when compared to the 2016 version. In the opening you get the grapefruit and violet with hints of aquatic notes , anchored down by the ambroxan and amberwood. In my opinion it is more smoother and pleasant than the 2016 version. This is just as good for compliments from the ladies. The 2016 does beat this version in performance, however this is no slouch. While the 2016 version projected more and lasted for 10+hrs , this gives you 7+ hrs, even longer on fabric ,with solid projection. It is still above average in performance ,especially when considering it is a "fresh" fragrance. I sprayed this 2x on a shirt then washed it and was still able to pick up the scent. In my opinion if you missed out on the 2016 release this is a solid substitute. If you own the 2016 but dont want to use it all up, this can take its place just fine. There's no need to over pay for the 2016 version in my opinion. I think Paco Rabanne refined the smell by using smoother chemicals that last a little less , but giving it an overall smother smell.

Having loved the original Invictus, I purchased a decant of this and the 2016 version that ended up on me buying the full bottle which says a lot about this fragrance. Its definitely a great release (or re-release) from the house of Paco Rabanne, its fresh, aromatic, clean and just the right amount of sweetness to top it all off. This fragrance lasted for a long time on my skin, around 8 to 10 hrs. Projects really well for the first 2 hrs and I got a really nice whiffs throughout the usage which I absolutely love. Compared to the 2016 Aqua, I slightly lean towards the 2018, 2016 Aqua is also fresh but too aquatic, sea-ish and a bit sour on the opening, and definitely not worth the inflated price. If you are considering between this and 2016 Aqua, I Definitely suggest this over the 2016 or probably Rasasi Hawas if you really wanted the 2016 Aqua feel but not wanting to pay the premium. Works best in daytime casual environment throughout spring/summer. Definitely signature scent worthy, people pleasing and compliment getter. Overall score : 8/10

I find this much better than the 2016 version. That stayed truer to Invictus with the bubblegum sweetness. It was loud and synthetic but maybe that's what you're after. This 2018 is more retrained, more mature, yet still exudes a youthful vibe. That infamous bubblegum note is still there but toned way down. It resides counterbalancing the sea notes of sea salt and slight mineralic notes. No funky egg, seaweed or other decaying aquatic notes here. The violet notes give it a fuzzy effect that evoke the ocean mist generating by crashing waves upon the shore. It reminds me of when you get home from a day spent at the beach. That warm sun kissed skin that radiates some sweetness from your suntan lotion mixed with the sea salt that clings to your swim suit and hair. It is a very alluring scent and much better than I was anticipating as I generally find the Invictus line too sweet. Some may find this too watered but I find it strikes a perfect balance. Get this while you can as it appears to be disappearing quickly as others discover this gem.

My first fragrance I ever loved. I dont mean to oversell it (kinda hard considering its damn near impossible to find now). But this was a core memory of 15 year old me, smelling this on a sephora shelf. It is the gold standard for aquatic sets for me, nothing has yet to top it for me, even Rasasi's Hawas. Im kinda hoping Hawas Ice 2023 smells like it. Anyone who can dupe this perfectly and get them marine notes right can take my damn money. for a description of the smell, find a aquatic air freshener for a car, then imagine it 3 times more complex and 12 times more synthetic. Speaking of synthetic, i dont smell any beyond the initial 30 seconds. Now do I have bias, absolutely. But if you get a shot at this, i would reccomend it if you wanna feel like poseidon, or you are standing on a dock facing the whole ocean with some wonderful citrus trees near you. Would test, but not a blind buy unless your younger and a lover of swimming and water.

Honestly in my humble experience I have great, awesome feelings about the invictus aqua, that's why I catch some reviews as a point in my purchases because some people can have bad experiences, I understand, but I have heard many of them say: the longevity sucks, no projection, and go for. For me on my skin Longevity: 9 hours Projection: 1.5 hours Sillage: 1.5 hours Versatile: any season I am wearing in the strong winter in NYC. After it does not become a skin scent but it transforms in a bubble aura, why I'm telling it because after 1.5 hours later I could not smell it anymore, some moments I did, but here is the trick: everytime when someone was going through around me, they could smell it easily at point that two guys stopped me at aisle store and asked: excuse! What perfume are you wearing? Because this smell is so damn good. That being sad, I don't need to say, that this fragance is a beast because it is. Monster of compliments

Fantastic fresh floral and green fragrance for Spring/Summer. This has two of my favorite notes...violet leaf and violet. This did not disappoint. Opening is a nice citrus green opening. The violet leaf and grapefruit really pop off my skin. Great way to start a day! As it dries down, the violet really comes forth offering up a masculine floral vibe. Some time later, I detect just a bit of woods in the background to add some depth and complexity. Longevity is slightly above average, which is nice for a fresh fragrance. Projection is moderate. Spring/summer fragrance. I probably will still turn to my Manceras more this spring/summer for my violet fix, but this will certainly make it into my rotation. I highly recommend you getting a sample to check it out. Great value when you can get a 3.4 bottle for under $50.

I honestly feel most Invictus flankers are redundant (barring Invictus Victory) as nothing changes much when it comes to the scent profile but I love how the bubblegummy sweetness is tonned down a bit on this with the introduction of marine notes. The grapefruit at the top definitely makes this scent mass appealing and easy to wear in most situations. This is not a performer like the OG but for a freshies the performance is decent, around the 5 hour mark. Is this better than the OG? Yes & No. Yes because this doesn't feel as synthetic as the OG and is more versatile. No because the OG out performances the Aqua in all departments. For me this is a 8 on 10. Skip this if you already have the OG.

I wore this to work one day with the 2016 on the left 2018 on the right and I asked 10 sexi women which one they think is better 6 of them said 2018 smelled better cause it was cleaner,so I waited to see if the 2016 lasted way longer than the 2018 and I'm sorry but people have clearly lied when they say it doesn't last as long,2016 lasted only a hour longer and projected maybe 30 to 45 minutes longer than 2018,2018 lasted 9 plus hours and how can a fresh scent that last that long be weak?clearly it's just people who hate just to hate cause they life revolves around speaking negative,to me and to women the 2018 is better and I don't care if u hate cause plenty people hate the truth.......peace

I own both Aqua '16 and '18 and prefer the prominent aquatic/marine, and sharp citrus characteristics of the re-release which make Aqua '18 ideal for hot and humid weather; and truly worthy of having the "Aqua" designation. Whereas, Aqua '16 isn't a true aquatic/marine flanker, and would've been best characterized as an "Eau Fraiche". Which consquently made it a somewhat boring flanker, albeit -- not a bad flanker---just boring in many senses. I personally don't get all the hype that Aqua '16 has gotten, and conclude that it's a farce. Nonetheless, to each its own. :-) Lastly, I believe Paco Rabanne realizes the mistake of Aqua '16 as well, hence the changes that were made in the re-release.

As with majority of the users, I prefer the 2016 version but I don't crib over it. It's almost like a reformulation and as such, this is still a great freshie. Where I am disappointed, though, is the performance. A lot of people here have rated performance well and sillage also decent. It disappears from my skin in 2-3 hours and lasts about 5-6 hours on my clothes. As far as the scent bubble goes, I can barely smell it on myself for half an hour with occasional whiffs for another hour. Great aquatic let down by poor performance for me. I'm going to try legend spirit to see if I can enjoy it for longer. Would love to hear any suggestions from the community as well...

Recently recieved Invictus Aqua 2018. It's a pleasant scent suitable for summer but also a nice all year round fresh fragrance. It has Invictus DNA but with less sweetness. It smells a bit like Invictus with some elements of D&G Light Blue Intense. Performance is good, but not as beastly as the original Invictus. I see a lot of hype around fragrances that are "beast mode" performers, like Rasasi HAWAS and Afnan 9pm. I have both of those and Invictus Aqua 2018 performs much better in terms of strength, projection and longevity. I prefer the original Invictus, but Aqua 2018 is good and I look forward to trying it in the summer.

This one was a blind purchase. I have never tested first Invictus aqua release. Based on reviewers' opinion on Youtube, I expected something stronger. I have found it kind of weak. BUT, despite of that, it is a very nice fragrance on its own terms. It performs good, but in low profile mode. In the opening I get a soft marine vibe, hints of some citrus, and violet leaf, which for instances reminds me of L'homme Libre by YSL, (which is not bad). The dry down is rather pleasant, tinged with very subtle sweet / greenish notes. It gives me a barbershop feeling too. Definitely I'll wear it more, hoping it grows on me.

Aqua 2018 is a nice release and a true Aquatic/Marine fragrance, that luckily does not smell like Invictus. Whereas Aqua 2016 smelled to much like Invictus, making it an unoriginal and somewhat a boring flanker. Aqua 2018 can now compete directly with other true Aquatic/Marine colognes that are on the market now. Paco Rabanne was smart to reformulate Aqua 2018 to give it a true Aquatic/Marine scent. The original Invictus (Not Aqua 2016) is still the best Invictus release though. Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to enjoying my bottle of Aqua 2018 when the temperature starts to increase. :-) Overall Score: 7.5/10

This is a very well done fragrance IMO...the original Invictus is very sharp and synthetic, nice scent, but gives me a headache after awhile. The aqua is less sharp and more rounded. All these people that say "nothing special, just another generic fragrance..meh...blah" have too many fragrances..every fragrance can't be ground breaking?? Designer frags are made to be mass appealing...not polorizing. After all they in it to make money. That's why when one fragrance sells alot, the rest just copy with little tweaks here and there. Invictus Aqua is a good summer scent for all occasions.

Even though it's known as "cheap, syntetic, not as good as 2016", this is my favorite fragrance that I own. I just can't get enough of the ambery aquatic smell. The only thing I don't like is that it really doesn't project and last long in the winter and colder months (in canada it's cold from october to april). In the summer, I get good projection for 1-2 hours and the smell lasts on my skin for 5-6hours which is very acceptable and not overpowering. I can't imagine what the 2016 smelled like because the 2018, to me, is incredible.

Directed to men but I'm in LOVE with thiiis! I've been looking at aquatic fragrances but women's tend to smell a little too fruity or too floral. I tested this in Sephora and it smells divine with the fresh, airy violet and the subtle grapefruit. I kinda missed the middle notes but the dry down was soft and still fresh. Amazing longevity for an aquatic, they're usually in EDT and last maybe 2 hours if I'm lucky. This can easily be unisex, and a unique take on an aquatic. On my wishlist for this summer, I'd bathe in this if I could!

Most of these people's reviews I ignore cause they sound crazy,how could this scent be worse than the 2016 version if it smells less synthetic and last just as long and smells almost the same?first they say a fragrance is bad cause of synthetic but in this case it's not better when it's less synthetic smdh,all fragrances have synthetic smells so stop the bs if u don't have the 2016 version get this and stop worshipping a fragrance that isnt made anymore,this frag is 9 out of 10 and women love it stop hating on invictus.......peace