Armani Code

The new version smells like play doh, I hate it. This version is beautiful. I love the spicy star anise mixed with the sweetness from the tonka. It reminds me of crisp autumn days and Halloween.

Classic masculine scent, aromatic and complex. Smells like an older brother 5/6

The new version smells good but yes it has been reformulated and it's unfortunate.. the first time I tried this fragrance out was around 2014 and it was one of the best scents I had every smelled in my life. The new version is good but some of the original notes and hopefully they bring the old version back someday, even if it's just for a limited time only! I would pay extra money for it, just not "ebay money" like what some of these scalpers sell for vintage bottles/formulas! I give the old version of this fragrance a 10 out of 10 and the new version gets a 7 out of 10.

In case you wonder why some rave Armani Code and some sh1t on it: the lovers describe their vintage bottle or the memory they have of it (2007/8), I am one of those, the haters are the ones describing the horrible reformulation sold in the last years. It was great, now it's not. Don't buy, don't feed the beast.

Every time I wear this, it does the same thing. Dark, smooth, polished. The olive blossom opening is brief but it sets the tone for everything that follows — warm tonka, a whisper of leather, nothing sharp. It doesn't demand attention. It just gets it. Been in my rotation for years and I've never once second-guessed reaching for it before a formal evening. Some fragrances are reliable. This one is something more than that.

People can say whatever they want about this fragrance, pretend their noses are so sophisticated they've ascended to a higher plane of olfactory enlightenment, and fill their reviews with every fancy fragrance term they can find. But there’s one tiny detail that even the most dedicated hater can't explain : the massive sales, the enduring popularity, and the fact that this thing attracts women like a magnet. Funny how the fragrance "experts" keep trashing it while regular people keep buying it and women keep complimenting it. And sure, if a woman doesn't like it, that's perfectly fine. But judging by some of the comments around here, she'd probably have to be another fragrance snob with a highly cultivated, award-winning nose to join the anti-fan club.

Splendid. My uncle got me this as a gift when i was 13. U cant imagine how distraught i was to find out this was discontinued. Genuinely the safest leather perfume u can buy and i think this is what got me into leather perfumes. Glad its not rare to find yet.

so simple yet so nostalgic for me, late october when i was a sophomore, peak era, absolutely love it, smells like 2022

This isn't a bad smelling fragrance but it has tight-ass office square energy. Sterile and stuffy. It's for the tight-ass office square who even all the tight-ass office squares say is a tight-ass office square.

I had the aftershave of this and it was absolutely amazing. For some reason I don't like the EDT as much as I loved the aftershave. It just suited being effervescent, light and barely there. Formal freshie. Not trying too hard but just fresh clean and nice smelling. Suitable for all seasons and occasions. Perfect for work in an office amd definitely worth a blind buy if you see it at a discount. Universally pleasing but not loud or strong. Stays close to the skin but you can smell it on yourself all day long. But for a night out, you'll probably need to reapply at some point.

I wanted to read comments about the original 2004 Black Code but it don't have it's own spot here … 🫤

It reminds me of when my father cheated on my mother with another woman, so objectively it's perfect, but personally I hate it.

Armani Code is a true classic that takes me right back to my high school years. The sophisticated blend of citrus and star anise creates a smooth, alluring opening, while the leather undertone adds a subtle, masculine depth. It’s elegant and timeless, perfectly balancing freshness with warmth. A nostalgic scent that remains a masterpiece of understated style.

Despicable. Smells like "fresh car smell" air freshener and cloying teenager deodorant. Rubber and headaches. Just yucky.

A masterpiece. A sophisticated gentleman should smell like this.

I used to wear this back around it's initial 2004 release. I just bought a bottle of the recently discontinued version (roughly 6 years old) and it's not like the old one I remember. Way way weaker. At least it's better than the new EDT though. Now that I have this one it's brought back vague memories of why I stopped buying it once the version with the collar near the lid came out.

Armani Code in 2026. What would make a scent timeless to me is not only its popularity, but its distinct scent profile. Maybe someone much more experienced with fragrances than me can find another, but to me, there is no other fragrance that does that star anise note like this one. Armani Code is a citrus-licorice leather, done so well. This is a versatile leather scent, something that you won't get sick of if you wear it for days on end. The opening is citrus star anise, and the leather only shows just slightly on the drydown, with the licorice vibe staying all throughout. Combine it all to make an incredibly pleasing statement fragrance which has stood the test of time. I saw someone suggest this was Sauvage before Sauvage and I can see that: I didn't wear perfume in 2004 given my age, however I can imagine the 2000's consisted of ADG, Code, and Calvin Klein dominating sales, as they still seem to do so today. What makes a scent memorable is a standout note: Sauvage has the peppery ambroxan which I cannot find similar in another scent, Creed Aventus has that fantastic pineapple birch note, and Armani Code couldn't have blended the star anise better here. For me, this continues to be a daily wear, and still a 9.2/10 for me. Armani Code is a reminder of what the fragrance industry once was: I am a sucker for 90's-2000's fragrances, I found them to be more unique especially compared to today's releases. To me, no flanker beats the original here.

Armani Code was my first real fragrance after moving beyond drugstore scents. I loved how Acqua di Gio smelled on a coworker, but when I tried it myself at Macy’s, it didn’t resonate. I remember smelling everything at the counter, repeatedly circling back to Ralph Lauren and Kenneth Cole Black. Then a sales associate introduced me to Armani Code, and the decision was instant. The only thing left to do was sign up for a Macy’s card. This became my signature scent from roughly 2004 until 2008 or 2009. I still have about a third of a bottle left, though sadly it has gone bad. On skin it now smells mostly like rubbing alcohol, with only traces of its former character emerging in the drydown. Today, this fragrance reminds me of someone I’m no longer—and of a period in my life that’s somewhat painful to revisit. Years I won’t get back, and years I could have used better. Still, it was a beautiful scent. At the time, it was spicy and unlike anything else on the market, and even now it feels distinct from most modern releases. If I had to frame it historically: imagine Sauvage before Sauvage existed. That’s what Armani Code was. I’ll always be grateful for the memories attached to this fragrance. But those memories belong to a different version of me. I’ve since moved on to scents that reflect who I am now—and that feels right.

Opening is really nice, drys down quickly into nice smelling boring soap~_~. Smells good, but boring.

Tomasz K. earlier it's likely that he's talking about, the Newer weak formulated versions.. the real Code from 2004, as I noticed, was one of the most irresistible scents for women when I walked past them. Some of them literally turned around and wanted to See me. I'm not lying

2026 i would say this is not ground breaking now it is very generic but time then when it first mad was masterpiece. It is dark fragrance but ok to wear all year a round ,leather,sweet with touch of wood long lasting and loud when you first spray it.

I genuinely cannot comprehend how the legendary 2004 Armani Code — a fragrance that reshaped modern men’s perfumery — could be so brutally abandoned. What was the brand thinking? None of the modern flankers come even remotely close to capturing the depth, mystery, or masterful composition of the original. Armani Code is a true perfumery legend. Sadly, the brand seems to have forgotten that, choosing instead to milk customers by endlessly pumping out yet another Stronger With You flanker. At this point, we’re probably just waiting for SWY Blackcurrant and SWY Coconut Milk. And the so-called modern successor, Armani Code EDT? Not even worth discussing — a lavender-heavy splash for grandmothers with 30 minutes of projection. An absolute joke. Sigh.

I love this one, it was my signature scent for years that I could wear anytime, anywhere. When the bottle got close to empty is when I began getting interested in fragrances. I smelled the reformulation and it has nothing on the OG here. This formula is not perfectly duped yet either. Decent longevity and projection.

Original Code EDT used to be my daily driver for everywhere back in the day. Nowadays it's YSL's MYSLF EDP. Original Code EDT looks like MYSLF's older brother inside my wardrobe, lol. Similarly gentle, warm but more mature vibe. Not to forget they both open with a bold bergamot. Even the all black tall sleek bottle design... Who knows maybe YSL was actually inspired.

The drydown sweetness is similar to Versace Eros edt.

@ croatus You are 💯 correct, mate!

Its old but still gets the job done....i find it very versatile and can wear it all year around....would buy again

I had a sample of the 2023 code and ended up blind buying this one instead. I thought I liked it at first, however it has lost its lustre as the months went on. It is now almost headache inducing. Great scent for an older guy, I could see my dad wearing this, but as someone who is 29, it does not hit my nose properly.

My 60 y/o dad has worn this my whole life. He kinda has issues but he is also one of the highest selling salesmen in the rural Ohio county we live in. It smells pretty good.

Pretty much just weak tonka. I have been hearing about the bold masculine leather in this for years, but it is nowhere to be found. 8 sprays are gone in one hour.