Alberto Morillas’s 2015 incense-and-patchouli Acqua di Giò: the sea set against black rock.
At a glance
Acqua di Giò Profumo is a Giorgio Armani fragrance in parfum concentration, launched in 2015 and credited to Alberto Morillas. It sets the sea-and-citrus opening of the 1996 Acqua di Giò over an aromatic heart of rosemary, sage and geranium and a smoky base of incense and patchouli.
It became one of the most popular versions of the line. It has since been discontinued and replaced by Acqua di Giò Parfum.
Creation and context
Fragrantica and Parfumo both date Profumo to 2015 and credit Morillas; Osmoz, which also names Morillas, gives 2014 as the year of creation. Fragrantica’s launch text presents it as a new version arriving “nearly 20 years” after the original, “elegant, airy and deep”, and describes its theme as “the merging of sea waves with black rocks”.
That image explains the design. The original was about open water and light; Profumo adds weight and darkness underneath, and the bottle followed suit. Fragrantica describes it as black. Fragrantica and Parfumo both name the model Jason Morgan as the face of the campaign.
Profumo came three years after Acqua di Giò Essenza (2012), Morillas’s earlier attempt at a deeper Acqua di Giò. Where Essenza leaned toward woods and a mineral, ambery base, Profumo took the line toward incense.
The composition
Armani has not published the formula. The structure below uses the materials named by Fragrantica, Parfumo and Basenotes, which agree closely.
Osmoz gives a longer list that names the technical materials: elemi, ginger and the marine molecule Cascalone at the top, Paradisone in the heart, and a base of Ambroxol, Soft Cashmere, patchouli and incense smoke. One Basenotes reviewer summed up the result as “fresh but not light, aquatic but not ‘blue’, elegant but not too formal”, which is a fair description of its balance.
Why it matters
Profumo showed that a mass-market aquatic could be given depth without losing its identity. The incense and patchouli base gave it an evening, cool-weather register, while the top stayed recognisably Acqua di Giò.
It also became one of the most admired designer flankers of its decade. Parfumo ranks it 15th among men’s fragrances on the site, with more than 5,000 ratings, and its discontinuation pushed prices for remaining bottles up on the secondary market, as Fragrantica notes.
For the history of the line, Profumo is the clearest example of a pattern Armani has used repeatedly: keep the recognisable Acqua di Giò top and change what lies beneath it.
Reformulation and editions
Profumo was sold in parfum concentration. Fragrantica lists it as discontinued, and Parfumo’s entry says it was “last marketed” by L’Oréal.
According to Fragrantica, it was replaced in 2023 by Acqua di Giò Parfum, again by Morillas. Fragrantica’s comparison of the two finds the Parfum less salty and more floral: “this is fresh water, the clarity of rivers and lakes”. Treat the two as different fragrances, and check listings carefully, since the names are easy to confuse.
Wearing it today
Expect a bright bergamot-and-sea opening, an aromatic rosemary and sage heart, and a smoky incense-patchouli drydown. As a parfum it is denser than the original eau de toilette, so two sprays are usually enough. Give it ten minutes before judging it: the incense and patchouli take a little time to come through the citrus.
Its darker base makes it a natural choice for evenings, office wear and cooler weather, where the original can feel thin. Because it is discontinued, buy from reputable sellers and check batch codes; if you cannot find a bottle at a sensible price, sample Acqua di Giò Parfum as the current alternative.