Reviews of Armani Code / Black Code (2004)
by Giorgio Armani

What a sensual, unique beauty this fragrance possesses! Easily my second favorite Armani offering, right behind the original Eau Pour Homme (1984). The olive flower note is very calming, and merges deftly with the woody base notes. It is a departure from Armani's previous offerings (particularly the Emporio Armani fragrances) as it is classified as a woody-oriental, but this is in no way a bad thing. Wearing this, one can expect to receive many compliments indeed. Longevity is quite strong for me; 3 or 4 sprays last close to 12 hours! Also, some reviewers have expressed that this fragrance is more of a formal evening scent, but I find it versatile enough to wear in any occasion!!

This is a terribly pleasant fragrance, with a citrus and anise opening that moves toward a tonka close. There also seems to be a sweet powdery thing going on. The whole thing just oozes class.

I'm not exactly sure when the right time to wear this would be, as I haven't analyzed it past the sample and to be honest, I haven't even given it much thought. The reason is because I could never buy this. Armani has become the go-to designer recently, and I'm searching high and low for either niche fragrances or "sleeper" fragrances in an effort to stay unique.

If Creed, Malle, or Montale made this I'm sure I'd already have a bottle...
this fact alone makes me feel like a crazy person in need of professional help.

A nice, intensely elegant musk with very formal and somewhat powdery dry-down hinting at vanilla, citrus rind, black tea. It is of medium sweetness. Limited silage and medium.

I absolutely love this fragrance. I haven't come across anything that smells quite like Code, as it's quite unique IMO. When sprayed, I get this dark chocolate, sweet tobacco, dark coffee mixture. Once dry down occurs and everything settles in, this scent really sweetens up and just smells wonderful. SEXY!

Oh I love this beauty. Sweet floral opening with citrus notes and base notes are a wonderful blend of spices. Infact its spicy base notes make me warm and lay a soothing effect on me. Although its longevity is good but has low Sillage. It is very good at night times (at cool and calm places) and I use it for special occeasions....Thumbs Up for this one

A very long lasting and well blended perfume. The scent is smooth, fresh, somewhat clean and at the same time smoky-spicy. People around love it!

This scent reminds me of one thing - Chicago. The same goes for Mania. Everytime I am in that city I smell this EVERYWHERE and I love it, albeit, it still disturbs me. In any event, it is a very refined scent and one I particularly enjoy on others. Good for all occasions and an overall safe choice for those not wanting to shake things up more than a stir. The minty-olive notes are especially nice and the woodsy powder of the base is done rather well, but I prefer Emporio Night He over this any time, anywhere, period. Still a thumbs up.

This fragrance and Acqua Di Gio are my two favorites of Armani. I don't wear this one as casually as AgD, but I wouldn't save this one for only formal events like most people suggest. IMO Its a good fragrance to wear almost anytime.

It has a nice spicy, elegant tone that drys down to a somewhat sweet and slightly floral finish. It is sort of an oriental fragrance, but I wouldn't say that it is a typical oriental. Its a hybrid.

This one lasts about 4-6 hours on my skin. Makes a good fragrance to wear to work (if you put a little on), and great to wear out to the club or formal events (put a little more on).

it is what it is. the number 3 or 4 club scent behind JPG,ADG, and allure. very sweet but not dark. i bought 2 bottles so.........

Decent Armani; they all tend to smell synthetic and well... fake. Not very good sillage but it does smell nice. I'd say this is on the verge of a gourmand but there are no food notes. I get a hint of coffee then a powdery wood then it's all the sweetness of tonka bean. I recommend it for semi-formal evening wear.

I'm not an expert, I just love this scent.

It's my nighttime/formal scent. It lasts very long on me.

It just smells a little strong/heavy for me to wear to work.

I smelled this and liked it on someone else and will try it on me. It was slightly spicy but since it was early morning it was probably the middle notes I was smelling which were pleasant. Sorta can't wait to see if I can wear this since I don't wear some fragrances I like on others well.

This is a wonderful fragrance I don't have any complaints last up to 8hrs on me gets me tons of compliments this is sure to stay in my collection with a back up in the waiting a definite thumbs up.

A very nice oriental scent. The citrus opening is not at all acrid like in many other fragrances, but very soft and pleasant. The warmth of the fragrance kicks in immediately, giving it a sensual allure. The mid notes become spicier (a characteristic of many Armani perfumes), but not over the top, so that the olive flower remains very noticeable. The blend of the ingredients is just right, making it one of the best Armani fragrances.

Everyone loves smelling Code on me except me.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think it is bad but I mainly pick up a "medicinal" background throughout that turns me off.

With that said every woman loves this on me and I therefor wear it and pretty much have to give it a thumbs up just for the female attention factor.

Good stuff, very cedary and a bit bitter. Similar to Burberry Brit...too similar to rock them both in a collection. Also similar to Givenchy ph and Givenchy Blue Label. They all dry down to that manly cedary goodness. Can't go wrong with this though, as Armani does very well with sillage and longevity. Good stuff.

I have the mini. While I like the scent a lot, it doesn't last. Also, my female friends are split slightly in favor or 'no big deal'.
I would agree with the fellow who said it is a safe, but decent, choice.

It doesn't smell much oriental to me.. Actually, it reminds me more of mediterranean, bit of oil, flowers and wood (olive flower, huh?). The scent is, IMHO, very beautiful, attractive, sensual but also very straightforward, without any development, surprise and mystique in my nose, which I like about A*Men or Very Irresistible. 4 out of 5.

This is a very safe choice, highly wearable in any situation. Probably won't fetch the most compliments, but won't offend anyone either. The dry down is wonderfull. One of the few fragrances I will ALWAYS have in my collection.

I have a COLLECTORS MUST OWN list (male) with one of the major criterion being that the fragrance be truly unique, and Armani Code is on that list. It is SO VERY intriguing and sensual, dry and dusty, yet sweet and insensy.

The first blast is like inhaling a molecule cloud, or like watching a snow channel on TV: spice, sour citrus, insense, powder and more, all scrambling to find their place. What is so ABSOLUTELY fantastic about this fragrance is that on me, I smell a slight hint of warm, salty, sweat, almost cumin like, that blends INTOXICATINGLY with the sweeter oriental side of the composition. I get this from the VERY beginning (I assume it stems from the gaiac wood's warm/salt and sharpness of the citrus). In NO WAY is this a foul odor. On the contrary, it adds to the amazing mysterious darkness of this fascinating fragrance.

This is a VERY itriguing, extremely sensual fragrance that somehow seems to tap into and enhance the rawness of a man's personal, natural scent. I simply can't get enough. And if you love this I strongly suggest Lanvin Arpege pour Homme.

I cant see someone disliking this. I am wearing it right now, and it is amazing. The top, middle, and base notes blend together incredibly, and this smooth fresh fragrance is ADDICTING!!!
Longetivity = 10+ Hours

A MUST have!!!

Armani code is my favorite...period. I tried it once at Von Maur and loved it. I only have a couple of others, but Armani is by far my best. I love its smell after a couple of hours, its great. I bought the 4.2oz from Macy's, as they were the only store who carried it in that size.

A definate two thumbs up, as it's the only scent that makes me weak at the knees. I can see how people might not like the opening notes, however, it fades so quickly it's almost not worth mentioning. I found it easy to handle during the time it took to develop into the warmer, wood notes.

The rest can only be described as pure sophistication, warm, and comforting. Although its described as an evening scent, it's appropriate for the workplace.

It's not an overpowering scent; you would have to be within a reasonable distance of the person to smell it, but when you do, you end up moving closer to keep catching a hint of it.

Along with Aqcua Di Gio Pour Homme, Armani Code Pour Homme is another great fragrance by Giorgio Armani. Like Aqcua Di Gio, it's top notes contain an intensely fresh citrus aroma and it's base notes are clean and woodsy, but, Aqcua Di Gio is more of a daytime fragrance and Armani Code is more of a nighttime fragrance (It's a darker/heavier scent), in my opinion. Aqcua Di Gio is more for the beach (oversized sweater and lightwash jeans) and Armani Code is more for the city/streets (black leather motorcycle jacket or 5-piece suit). It's a beautiful fragrance, but, you either love it or you hate it. I love it!

Having had the chance to wear the fragrance 2x. Here are my thoughts. First I think this thing has a rather annoying opening. It's not bad it's just so boring and played out. It smells like orange cleaner. However the key is in the dry down. Once the olive and tonka/wood come out this thing becomes a new fragrance. It has good sillage. It isn't over bearing but it will give just a hint to anyone close by. I love that effect. Love the drydown and squeezed at least a good 7 or 8 hours out of this one.

This one is difficult for me to wear. I cannot stand the top notes, it smells almost like body odor to me, but once that goes it is incredible. I absolutely love this in cooler weather, I just wish the opening wasn't so harsh.

This is a another good fragrance from Armani. I think they have succeded in making a pleasantly heavy scent perfect for both festive evenings and formal occasions.

A bit too pricy but I don't agree that it is short lived. On me it has medioker longevity.

Try it out if you haven't!

I just bought this last week. The initial burst has an almost nausea-inducing peppery note similar to Cartier Declaration, but this passes quickly. What is left is a warm woodsy drydown with a hint of sweet candy. The pepper is still there, but much more subdued. I think this is a modern masculine classy frag appropriate for day/night and formal/casual wear (at least in cooler months). Sillage and longevity are both low on me - maybe 4-5 hours tops. But this one is really growing on me.

I liked this scent more than I wanted to. I thought it was going to be yet another soft masculine frag with peppery notes and some vanilla and/or woods at the base, but found it to be much more complex than what it states and I liked that.
The pyramid seems very simple, but the real deal is that the layers are more than that, and it shows…the nicest part of the whole thing was the drydown, wih resinous, smoky woods that combined with the surprisingly long lasting top and mid notes, develop in a very rich scent. This one is far better than the mis-step that was Mania.
Some women have said to me that it was “yummy” and masculine and that the drydown was way better than the top notes. I am a fan of bergamot and the top has lots of it and that makes me happy. I got “new refinement”, luster and class.

This is a great smell. It is great for the young crowd also. You can get away with wearing this everyday because it is not overpowering. it sort of blends in in a good way.

This is perfect for those of us who like classic fragrances, but don't feel old enough to wear them everyday. Most of my young lady friends adore this fragrance - but it doesn't appear overworn by the un-fragrance educated masses. It's great for a day at the mall, or for everyday at work. My wife loves this on me. It opens tart and woody and has good sillage and longevity. Absolutely unoffensive and very pleasant. Its as close as you can get to the Armani Private Collection (Which I highly recommend any true fragrance Connoisseur own) without spending $150 an ounce. As far as mass market fragrances go - this one gets a thumbs up. Warm and woody - but still feels fresh and clean from top to bottom.

Come on people.. this scent is fantastic! Meander through any smokefilled club and you WILL turn the heads of more than a few young women with this blast of sweetness. It reminds me of the root beer candies I used to get in my pillowcase on halloween. Add a 1/4 tsp of vanilla and bam! you've got a dozen chicks licking your neck. Great stuff, powerful sillage. Grand slam Georgio.

Very nice fall scent very masculine and lasts throughout the day. A must have for any Armani fan

Right now one of my top five. As with Chanel Allure, it gives a great mix and balance of citrus and wood notes. Transition from opening citrus to wood/tonka Drydown works. Hard to be disappointed with this one. Simplicity of note structure works great. Very likeable, especially if you prefer oriental spice scents.

I'm in agreement with nearfantastica's review - especially that Armani Code is a 'James Bond' scent! I bought this for my husband and when he wears it...I turn to putty! It's slightly fresh and not too "perfumey". Manly!
I think the tonka in the base keeps it close and sexy. Also purchased the deodorant which he likes very much. Thumbs up for sure!

Armani Code is fresh, masculine, elegant & sexy. differnt from Acqua Di Gio & Armani Mania.
AC similarity to Very Irrésistible & Dior Homme. AC & four unisex collections is best fragrances by Giorgio Armani.
enjoy!

A simple scent that is masculine and modern.

Wow.. sexy sexy sexy scent! The tonka base helps to create a drydown that is truly mysterios and oriental. The black bottle suits the mood of this fragrance perfectly. Though a fairly light fragrance by oriental standards, I would not consider this a scent to wear in overly casual situations.. the seemless blend of florals, sweetness and slight woods.. make this choice great for office, formal.. or romantic situations. I would consider this.. a James Bond scent.

Great for the evening out, smells great the entire time. The drydown remains with me a long time. Still isn't so popular that everyone in the club is wearing it yet. Enjoy!

Very unique scent in my opinion. This is what i wear out in the evenings.

A real slick fragrance that has some spice to it on me, like a spicier version of Chanel Allure, Black Code doesn't really develop into anything but the scent is on point just the way it is, some say Black Code and Brit share alot but i own both and don't really see it, if you like Tonka bean don't pass this up

I really dont know what it is about this cologne, but dear god this one has a great unique smell, that's strong, masculine and very sexy!

One of my favorite colonges. Masculine. Clean fresh, just like you stepped out of the shower. Wear this to the club.

I like this scent. It isn't super citrus like smelling and its more of a soft smell, and its not like some where it feels like an icepick is being shoved up your nose. It lasts for a very long time as I've worn it all day and still heard comments at the end of the night. My Girlfriend absolutely loves it.

It's a nice oriental, but sometimes it's too light. It's most suitable for intimate occassions when you're up close and personal because it stays rather close to the skin. It's not one to turn heads because it lacks in the sillage department. I'm among those who complain about its longevity. It doesn't last long for me, which is a major issue because most oriental scents get me through the day. It's a nice scent and good for those who want something along the lines of Le Male, but without the atomic strength.

I ADD A THUMBS UP TO THIS GREAT, ARMANI SCENT! Joshaugustt

It's wonderful!!! This is the first oriental flavor of Armani. If you are the one who very much like manly fragrance, you should not omit it!!!

Shares similar notes to Miracle Homme, except I find Black Code to have a heady floral note that is quite prominent (must be the olive flower). Fresh and floral yet sophisticate and masculine.

I wear this scent during the day and it lasts until my late night evening engagements. Although the dry down remindes me of soap and that "out of the shower scent" that has been so overwrought and emulated by many other perfumes, Black Code towers above the competition. This fragrance is definitly one of my fav this year

Wonderful - a skin musk accord blended with a creamy floral and powdery woods. Intoxicating and surprising. A classic is born.

Black Code is great for Sunday wear or more formal events. I suppose that you could pull it off for everyday, but I would rather have something different for daily wear. If you can only have one fragrance this probably isn't the one, but if have several and need something more formal/evening like then this would be a great addition.

I love Black Code, the only problem is that it does not last very long on my skin. I have only worn Black Code out a few times but already I have recieved a few compliments from the ladies.

definately a sunday go to meeting bottle, elegant indeed!!!!!!1

A well made fragrance. Gets your attention easily and gets lots of compliments. You can wear it in every occasion. I wish they start to sell Black Code in Turkey quickly. Very long lasting and gets attention whole day. I loved the olive notes much. Well balanced and very well made fragrance. Recommended.

I don't know why only Yvan has given a comment to this great fragrance. But he is right. It's very sophisticated and warm.

This fragrance is in the top four in my collection. I like it very much for work. I still go with my creed scents for special occasions, but this works very well for every day in the cooler months.