The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Acqua di Giò Profondo EDP arrived in 2024 as the deeper, more concentrated successor to the 2020 Profondo. The fragrance extends the Profondo line into an Eau de Parfum concentration, building on the aquatic character established by its predecessor with a denser, more resinous formulation. Alberto Morillas, credited as the perfumer on this 2024 release, brings the same botanical precision that shaped the original Profondo's marine-green architecture. The composition leans into mineral facets and amplifies the warmer base materials, giving the juice a longer fade and a more substantial skin presence than the lighter Profondo iterations.
What makes this composition interesting is the restraint. The marine notes are present but never dominant, used as accents that suggest seawater and sea breeze without drowning the other materials. Lavender and rosemary take over the structural work in the middle, their herbal facets doing the heavy lifting while the aquatics orbit around them. The patchouli at the base reads as a clean, almost luminous take on the material, with the earthy, humid side largely absent, which prevents the composition from collapsing into the murky territory that weighs down many aquatic flankers.
The evolution
The first 15 minutes are all salt and green mandarin, that sharp, almost bitter citrus peel that signals the sea before you see it. The marine accord arrives early alongside the citrus, cool and slightly metallic, like a gust of wind off the water. Then the lavender and rosemary arrive together, cutting through the marine with something herbal and sun-warmed, almost Mediterranean garden. By the two-hour mark, the citrus has completely evaporated and the composition settles into its mineral heart. The cedar and patchouli dominate the drydown, turning warmer and more skin-toned as the hours pass. What surprises is the musk: on a second wearing, it shows up earlier than expected, giving the base a soft, lived-in quality that the opening doesn't promise. The scent stays close to skin in the late hours, a quiet woody-musky hum rather than a projection statement.
Cultural impact
Profondo sits in a lineage of aquatic fragrances that includes the original Acqua di Giò, a long-established benchmark in the marine category. The 2024 EDP version leans darker and more concentrated, building on the Profondo name with a denser formulation and a more pronounced base. It carries a different mood from lighter aquatics, swapping quick brightness for a slower, warmer fade that rewards extended wear. The herbal heart gives it a botanical richness that distinguishes it from straightforward marine scents, and the patchouli-cedar base adds a woodiness that grounds the composition.
