Invictus Aqua (2024)

I spent a lot of time looking for Paco Rabanne's Invictus Aqua 2016. Discounter websites, brick and mortar boutiques, I couldn't find it anywhere. People were selling it on eBay, but for $300+. Not one to be price gouged, I resigned myself to having to deal with the reality of not being able to experience what most people consider the best of the Invictus Aqua line. Just as I had given up hope, favor shined down upon me and PR announced they were bringing back the original formula for Aqua 2024. As soon as it was back in stock I scooped it up. Needless to say I'm very excited for this review. Let's get into it; Scent: Opening is citrusy, aquatic, and sweet. There are only three notes in the official breakdown; grapefruit, sea notes, and amberwood. I can easily pick up the grapefuit and sea notes, but I don't quite get the amberwood. The strongest of the notes are the grapefruit and sea notes. The grapefruit note is not super realistic (ex: D&G Light Blue Forever), it's more of a mass-appealing designer flavor of grapefruit. The sea notes are again very designer and mass-appealing; not overly salty or funky but still giving a solid impression of being around water. I do get a bubble-gummy sweetness that I know 2016 is renowned for, as well as a tinge of aromatics, but I'm not sure where it's coming from. The dry down is sweet, woody, and aquatic. The strongest of the notes are the amberwood and sea notes. In the dry down the amberwood has come through in a big way for a blast of sweet woodiness. This couples with the marine accord of the sea notes for a fresh, sweet, and woody experience. The grapefruit is also still slightly present in the background, but not enough to consider it a main note in the dry down. Performance: Initial projection is nuclear and fills the room when I walk in. Sillage matches that intensity with an unmistakeable scent trail. After a few hours the projection was light and within arms length, while the scent trail was moderately noticeable. At the 8 hour mark the fragrance was essentially a skin scent with just a hint of scent trail. When to wear: This, like the rest of the Aqua's, is a classic spring/summer scent most suitable for daytime wear. This could also work as an office scent, but I think other entries in the Invictus line would be a better choice for the office. This is not what I would consider a date night fragrance. It would be a great pick for a picnic/outdoor date though. Blind buy: If you like the Invictus Aqua line, or just enjoy sweet and woody aquatic fragrances, this is a safe blind buy for you. Final verdict: As stated before I have never tried Aqua 2016, so I can't comment on how close it comes to that DNA. However, I do have 2018 and I can confirm 100% that it is NOT a re-release of 2018. Anyone that says so is either lying, has a broken nose, or doesn't know what 2018 smells like. Aqua 2018 is much more musky and aromatic, whereas Aqua 2024 doubles down on the sweetness; reminiscent of the kind of sweetness I get from my bottle of Valentino Born In Roma Intense. In terms of performance they're pretty much equal. Both will give you about 8 hours before they're completely gone. However, it does seem that Aqua 2018 has a bit more projection within the first few hours. Between the two I prefer Aqua 2024. Aqua 2018 is a great fragrance and was one of my go-to warm weather scents. However, Aqua 2024 will definitely be my Aqua of choice moving forward. The DNA is just sweeter and more appealing to the masses, myself included. I would recommend Aqua 2024 to anyone looking for a solid men's summer fragrance. Get it while you can, because it definitely appears to be a limited run. Scent: 10/10 Longevity: 7/10 Sillage: 6/10

I'm a fan of every Invictus Aqua. I own Aqua (2018). Aqua (2016) was long gone by the time I got into fragrances, but I did get to smell it one time. I wanted to get this new Aqua cuz Rabanne is re-releasing it in the new bottles for 2025, and they'll most certainly water down the formulation. So I got Aqua (2024) in the original trophy bottle from FragranceBuy. This is a fantastic fragrance. It smells ALMOST identical to Aqua (2016). The Yuzu is back with the grapefruit, and no violet from Aqua (2018). Among the minor scent differences, is the difference in performance. Aqua (2016) was a great performer, and this new one is only average on performance. This version gives me 6-7 hours longevity with moderate projection. This fragrance is awesome for summer. It isn't centered around the violet note like Aqua (2018) so it's less bubblegum sweet and it can really shine in high heat. One of the best scents a man can own. If you're interested in getting this new Aqua, I would recommend getting it now before they move it to the new contour bottles and weaken it even further.

I have used a local made dupe of 2016 version and fell in love with it, found the 2024 version on discount and bought it. Using it since the beginning of this summer. It has a synthetic smell if you get really close to it and smell it, the initial spray and opening is energizing, you get juicy grapefruit-ish smell that is not so sweet and calming marine notes are present after the opening, it is a very fresh scent and longevity is great on clothes. The scent will not last all day long and has no nuclear silage, safe for blind buy and daily use if you are looking for a fresh, basic summer scent. However, it gets boring to me after some time. I use it some days that i want to wear a nice shirt that can resemble the fragrance's summer vibe. The bottle design is iconic and icy blue color looks very good, the atomizer is ok, but the atomizer button feels too cheap and makes the whole bottle feel cheap.

Paco Rabanne Invictus Aqua (2024) is pretty darn good. I never got to experience the original 2016 version, but this is very nice. It's not too sweet and actually has some light floral/soapy type notes whispering around. The notes listed are spot on, although I get more a general citrus blast rather than grapefruit oil. It's crisp and enjoyable. Lightly sweet while staying airy and 'crowd pleasing' marine. Perfect for Summer. I'd say you can wear this most of the year despite very cold days. It's shines in the warmer weather. Lasts about 5-6 hours for me with a few hours of projection. I believe this is still only available online and at duty-free locations. It is cleaner and lighter than expected. I'm very happy to have it.

I literally got this fragrance right before it ran out of stock on the USA website. Luck was on my side! And good thing, too! I LOVE this fragrance, it encapsulates everything I want in a warm weather scent. Beautiful sillage, strong projection, and lasts so long that I could even smell it in my car the next day after wearing it. Is it a challenging fragrance? Not at all. But it does its job better than anything else in it's class. I don't think this can be called boring, either. Just my two scents 😂 Don't go to Ebay, you can probably get a good deal on this or even 2016 on r/fragranceswap. Get this if you can, you won't regret it! But sorry, you can't have mine!

After doing a lot of research, the main reason I purchased Aqua (2024) is that it is not sweet like the original, its flankers and all the other fragrances that imitate them, and it would have been an expensive purchase if I had gone the Aqua (2016) route. I was looking for something different and I was not disappointed. Aqua (2024) is a very nice and energizing aromatic / aquatic scented fragrance that is perfect for either warm or very hot weather. I will be purchasing a backup bottle. Highly recommended 5 / 5 stars

I have them all. 2016 still is the best one. I'll say that this is the one that smells closer to the original, minus the crispness (the original) had. Still aquatic, sweet, fresh and a bit salty-oceanic. Note: Aquatic and oceanic are not the same. Still testing the new one. So far it has really good projection and decent enough longevity (Five sprays, 6 hours on my skin). Get it, if you were a fan of the original, at rabanne.com, while is still available.

I don't have the 2016 version to compare it side by side but I did get my nose on it when it first released however I can say the 2024 version is 90% the same scent and in the air you won't really be able to tell the difference unless you are really trying to look for the differences. I get about 7+ hours longevity with good projection and moderate sillage. If you didn't get a chance to try the 2016 version this is the next closest thing imo

If you want to smell fresh and clean, this will get you there. Although "marine" is listed at the top of the main accords, I don't feel like it has a heavy marine feel.. Nothing fishy, eggy or seaweed-esque. It's just enough to give some character to the original's scent. I live in a place that gets pretty hot and humid for a large part of the year, and this works really well for that environment.

I don’t want to compare it with the 2016 and the 2018 formulations I just want to judge it on its own, and on its own this fragrance is a 10/10 for the summer it lasts long projects good and I love the smell In the opening you get a lot of grapefruit mixed with the bubblegum dna then when it drys down it’s gets more soapy and aquatic, you honestly can’t go wrong with this it’s a safe blind buy.

Crisp and clean Invictus. I get a very salty sea breeze with the slightest touch of powder (almost soap like). Aqua is very versatile and likeable, can't imagine anyone will be offended by this. It does smell very close to Legend Spirit but is so much higher quality. Performance and sillage is about average. Overall, very happy I finally got my hands on a bottle.

Snagged a bottle from a duty free for $63. Been wanting the original formulation for so long, but by the time I started collecting, it was long discontinued and prices were insane. Never smelled the 2016 formula, but this is very similar to Legend Spirit, just with more push and a little sharper in the best way possible. Not overly sweet either

The worst performing Invictus, sadly. Finally got this about 3 months ago from an airport. I really like the smell, but damn, the performance is bad. I also have Invictus Aqua 2018, original Invictus, Invictus Legend and Invictus Intense, and they all perform much better. Such a shame, as I really like how it smells..

Had been waiting on this for a long time. Glad it’s finally available in the US. Smells amazing. Lasts 6-8 hrs. Not as overpowering as Invictus original. Just gorgeous. So glad they brought it back, smells just like aqua 2016, I can’t tell the difference. If you were a fan of aqua 2016 you will love this.

I’m way past the whole Invictus DNA at this point in my collection, but I grabbed this because I’ve always wanted this version. I can’t compare it to the 2016 one, but this is so much better than any Invictus Aqua clone or “twist.” Hawas doesn’t even come close to this summer gem.

Surprising it lingers even after I already bathed and it is pleasant even though it has some very very slight similar characteristic which I don't like from D&G Light Blue intense...that egg like smell but here it is very minimal. Not beast mode but gets compliments, 9/10.

Unlike the person below me, I just got my bottle in Actually the same " bilge water " and same bottle, not different. I assumed I would pick up a difference since I still have a empty sample of the old stuff but I don't really

This has been out all year in UK (and has been getting reviewed on the Aqua 2016 page) - it is literally described by Rabanne as a re-release of the OG 2016 version, which it is.

I’ve owned the 2016 & was so excited that this re release smells pretty much exactly like the 2016 but from what I remember 2016 had a tiny bit more marine to it.

This stuff smells great! I never tried the 2016 or 2018. This is a great daytime freshie

Trolls, plz stay the F*** AWAY from voting.. Can't wait to get my hands on this.!!😍

no one wants it to smell like the 2018 reformulation @Bond James Bond lmao.

Not the best performer but smells really really acquatic and delicious✨🤩

Let me start by saying this - I haven’t used nor have I smelt the 2016 formulation of Invictus Aqua. I’ve owned and I still own a 2018 bottle. Recently, I managed to acquire the ‘Travel Exclusive’ version of Invictus Aqua 2024. This bottle has the batch number 40851. Coming to this version of Invictus Aqua, considering the amount of hype the 2016 version gets and how much people say it differs from the 2018 version, I was expecting an entirely different scent altogether, as this is said to resemble the 2016 edition to a great degree. Upon first application, I was quite surprised to find that the scent profile was almost the same. It was only when I sprayed the 2018 on an arm and smelt it side by side, I found that there were differences. The 2024 version is less sweet and smells less bubblegummy, consequently more natural. When it dries down, there is the note of Yuzu, which is absent in the 2018 version. Other than that, the scent profile is more or less the same, and it doesn’t deviate from the overall DNA of the 2018 significantly. When it comes to performance, it’s alright for an EDT. The projection is quite loud when you first spray it on, and it stays loud for about an hour or so. Post which, it is quite moderate. The longevity is alright, for a freshie. Lasts for about 5 hours on skin. I wish it would’ve lasted a bit longer though. Perhaps it gets better with age. Overall, it’s a nice scent, a very nice scent. But it’s quite casual. I think anyone from teens or up could pull this off, and it leans masculine, though a woman could also pull this off. It is also a fantastic summer scent that is ideal for hot summer days, especially vacations. I do think it’s a bit overhyped though. Overall, I’d give this a 7.75/10.

As far as capturing PR Invictus Aqua 2016 DNA goes, this is spot on. Fresh, airy, aquatic, bubblegummy (slightly sweet). If you are using 2016 upto recently somehow saved the bottle and now running out of it, definitely do get it it won't disappoint. However, if you're like me, read below: I loved Invictus ever since it came out, got tons of compliments until I used it, 2020 was the last year I had the pleasure of finishing up another bottle. After that tried Rich Man Aqua which was super close too however missing the performance later forgot about it since it became so overpriced I never bothered. However, recently found out about this on the airport and I must say even tho it's quiet close, it kind of smells outdated in 2024/5, I'm not talking specifically about this one but IA16 DNA overall. Now I'm more fond of Ysl Y Edp, Dior Homme Cologne, Roja Elysium, BDC Parfum, Nautica Voyage, MM Ocean Noir and so on. However ik few of these might be since before/around 2016 but my point is, it's not as timeless or great anymore to stay in my top freshies list given my nose has smelled all these new scents and evolved ig. It just feels basic now, I understand when it came out it was awesome but not anymore and hence I was disappointed. Heck even Hawas Ice smells and performs better than this 🥲 idk what else to say atp it's just an okay (altho great to others and just not me anymore) aquatic freshie unfortunately which I'd pick 10 others before picking this one. Yet this scent in itself is super good 8.5/10 for a summer freshie compliment monster (hopefully continues in 2025 summer else I am right) 🙂

I've never smelled the previous versions of Invictus Aqua, but I have owned Hawas Ice and Legend Spirit.... and I like this better than both of those. Legend Spirit has this strange, creamy marshmallowy thing going on, which I find a tad cloying in the drydown... and the Hawas frags also turn chemically to my nose in the drydown. I don't get any of that with Invictus Aqua. It's definitely a higher quality fragrance, in my opinion, a very pleasing fresh DNA.... but having said that, it's still just an active, hot-weather freshie – I.E., it's not the most powerful performer in most conditions... but I find that if I reapply once after a couple hours, it lasts quite well the rest of the day. Overall it's a very pleasing scent, and one of the nicest aquatics..... but I certainly wouldn't pay over $75 for an aquatic freshie. HINT: If you haven't smelled Jimmy Choo Man Aqua, you should. (Although I will admit Invictus Aqua is better on really hot days.)

I received my bottles today, and I can report that Invictus Aqua 2024, smells 99.9% like Invictus Aqua 2016. However, performance and projection seems to be a tad bit dialed down from 2016, which may be a good thing for many people.🤣 I will say that IA 2024 seems to have better performance than many EDT/EDP/P fragrances currently on the market. I will state that I don't recommend anyone pay overly inflated prices on eBay for IA 2024 as you will likely be highly let down if you never smelled or owned IA 2016. While IA 2016/2024 smells decent, this particular scent profile isn't anything special or creative, nor is it a must have for people that missed the hype train! 💯 IA 2024 makes for a decent summer dumb reach for most any situation as the scent is simple and inoffensive. Particularly, if you were able to get a bottle(s) on the Rabanne USA site. 😋😛🥳 Overall: 6.5/10

I just got mine from Rabanne in the mail today. I was not into Paco Rabanne in 2016-2018 so I have no preconceived feelings about Invictus Aqua. I really like this. It is pretty much what I expected, based on everything everyone has been saying the last few months. It is not overly and cloyingly sweet like I feel most Invictus, Phantom and One Million fragrances are. It is crisp, clean, tart and mildly sweet in a pleasing way. Longevity and projection are both good for me. I think anybody age 10-90 can wear this. It reminds me of YSL Y Eau Fraiche, which I absolutely love. I would say Invictus Aqua is one notch below YSL Y Eau Fraiche. I would give Eau Fraiche a 9/10 and Invictus Aqua 2024 an 8/10.

I'm wearing this Invictus Aqua 2024 today to work. I work indoors with some nice cool A/C blowing strong all day long so weather is not an issue when wearing my scents. The notes on Fragrantica are an exact description to what I'm getting. I especially get a Fresh, spicy, citrus scent that's definitely a salty/aquatic/marine scent. I just started my work day so let's see how long this scent last. It's certainly projecting a little more than an arms length away. I can also smell it on me sitting at my desk or moving around. It's a nice fragrance that just about everyone will like the only thing that I would change would be the price. It can be a little pricy depending where you buy it.

I recently purchased this fragrance on sale for 59 euros and it was a very good decision. This fragrance reminds me a bit of YSL L’homme cologne bleu just much less harsh citrus and a bit sweeter. Longevity I would give it a 6/10 around 4-5 hours with a medium sillage for about 2 hours and a low basically a skin scent after 2 hours. I believe for the right price it’s worth a purchase as an easy wearable fragrance. Overall I would rate this fragrance 8/10 scent 7/10 longevity and 6/10 sillage and 7/10 wearability . The bottle design is very nice with frosted glass making it very unique with a decent atomizer overall bottle design and atomizer 8/10.

Where to start?... Invictus usually isn't my thing because it is just so synthetically sweet. However, Aqua 24 isn't nearly as sweet as the original thank goodness, instead it's tempered with some of the freshest aquatic notes I've smelled in awhile, with a hint of soapiness to round it all out. It comes across very well balanced between sweetness and freshness. Second, for me the performance has been decent. I'm getting a full workday in longevity, with average projection, and moderate sillage the first 3 hours. After that it is a pretty strong skin scent for the duration. Overall I'd give it an 8.5 out of 10

My first invictus fragrance, heard the 2016 invictus aqua was a legendary fragrance so i had to pick it up when i heard it was coming back this year It smells fresh, marine, and aquatic, kinda fishy but relaxing, definitely a summer fragrance, glad to have this one, i use it pretty often Lasts around 3-5 hours and doesn't have strong projection, but i like the smell, it makes me relax

Paco Rabanne Invictus Aqua stands out with its lemon and citrus notes, in addition to sharing characteristics with Paco Rabanne Invictus. Both fragrances are worth considering. I will wear this fragrance in the summer; its fresh and vibrant vibe makes it perfect for daytime use. I LOVE SEA NOTES !!

Never tried aqua 2016. To me this a pretty nice dumb reach that I can use for any occasions when I just wanna quick spray and pray. Citrus salty oceanic with that Invictus bubblegum dna. It's definitely synthetic smelling and a bit light, but not in a bad way. One of the best Invictus flankers

Very good summer scent, but for me performance is awful on skin. Sprayed at 1pm, and at 3:30pm it's a skin scent only, and barely noticeable. For me, this one is for clothes only. I have other similar summer freshies that last way longer. Scent - 8/10 Performance - 4/10

Tested it at the Airport Berlin. It is excellent. Fresh, sweet summer scent. Nothing like Hawas which smells too artificially sweet. Even Hawas Ice. This is super nice. Performance isn't that great though. Did last only around 4 hours on the tester strip.

Salty synthetic citrus bomb, and that's it. It is ok, designer generic scent, not dated yet, but nothing special. Cologne for a hot day, after gym, a clean sensation. Not worth the full price, but for around $60 in disconters, worth.

Love the bottle more then the scent is it hyped yes scent profile is more of gym scent white T shirt type scent but I feel like it’s not a scent I enjoy wearing after going thru niche and designer scents within the last 20 plus years

this smells AMAZINGLY GOOD what the heck, I can only imagine what 2016 smells like if people say this is trash... it aint trash its amazing . i have smelled many perfumes and there is almost nothing that comes close to this.

I mean its decent, quite close to Mont Blanc legend spirit, but without the warmth of cardamom it has. Longevity is ok, about 5 hours projection. Not worth overpaying

Fresh, sweet, long lasting spring/summer fragrance.

Now sold out on Rabbane's USA website

Just got this in last week from Rabanne after hearing for years how much of a holy grail the 2016 was. However, after 4 days, I sold it and got rid of it. The scent is fine, smells clean, fresh, somewhat aquatic but powdery. However, after all the hype from the 2016 on how beastly it is and hearing some reviews saying that hasn't changed, the longevity makes it not worth it for me. It barely lasts more than 3 hours, only slight sillage (which in air on a hot day is quite nice) and projection. Tested it the other day on skin and I couldn't pick it up after 3 hours. I guess it smells close to the OG, though I've never tried that before. I also have Rasasi Hawas Ice and have gotten compliments and attention from that, so this is not necessary.

I've been looking forward to getting this ever since it was on the Rabanne site in Europe. I finally acquired a bottle and, I gotta be honest, I'm not impressed. This smells totally different from Invictus Aqua 2018. While the 2018 version smells very aqua, this 2024 version smells more soapy. Also the sillage and longevity are almost nonexistent. I'm disappointed. I'd rather rock the 2018 version of Invictus Aqua. But I'm not paying the inflated prices for it on ebay. I'll settle for Montblanc Legend Spirit. Invictus Aqua 2024 is a downgrade from the 2018 version.

I actually really like the scent but it lasts maybe 30 minutes in the air, 3 hours MAX on my skin. Its a nice sweet fresh scent that could be good for everyday use, but the performance is really disappointing essentially makes this a waste of money. But since I have it, I suppose it could be an ideal gym scent. Idk why anyone would wear perfume to the gym but this has such weak projection that you could get away with it. This works if you dont really want to smell like anything but simply fresh and clean, but at that point idk just take a shower

From testing a sample, my initial impression is: oily, marine, salty sweet. Scent: Imagine something like sweet, candied sardines lol Projection: like a mime in a football stadium I'll revisit when it's hot out to see if that changes anything. I've not owned any previous formulation so I'll defer you to the Invictus Aqua experts here.

This is like LNDL Bleu Electrique's version for Invictus Aqua. You get VIBES of what the true OG used to smell like, but not 100% the tale. This is so much better than the 2018 version, hopefully it just doesn't discontinue fast.

I fell for the hype train and echo chambers with this one, thinking it had to be an amazing fragrance because everyone said so. And since it was discontinued so quickly, I assumed it must be something special. I forgot the simple truth: when fragrances go out of production, it’s usually because they didn’t sell. I bought a bottle and regretted it after wearing it a few times. It’s probably the most synthetic smelling fragrance I’ve ever worn. It smells like cheap fabric softener or a budget toilet freshener. A very sharp, overly fresh, synthetic scent that honestly shouldn’t even be sold as a fragrance. I absolutely understand why this, and the 2016 version, didn’t last, and why the 2024 release is on discount shelves in every airport I’ve seen it in.

Smells similar to Invictus Aqua 2016, but with awful performance. I tried it at the airport and was shocked at how bad it performs. 2016 aqua performs well for me, however 2024 aqua has no projection and doesn't last.

2024 Invictus Aqua is trash and smells nothing like the original 2016 Invictus Aqua. This one literally smells like cheap hand soap from Walmart and it doesn’t last more than 1 hour on the skin.