FRAGRANCE | Pi EDT by Givenchy is all about harmony

halfwhiteboy - Givenchy Pi EDT 01

I don't necessarily hate math (I even recall being fairly good at it back in the day) but I don't know why Givenchy would take inspiration from mathematics in naming a fragrance. Whatever the reason, Givenchy Pi managed to catch my attention.

Although there's nothing special about the box, the bottle, on the other hand, oozes with personality. It's an odd, triangular contraption that I just find fascinating and unique. It's a far cry from the uniformly basic designs of today, which to me is just plain lazy. I love it when a fragrance is accorded its own bottle design because it helps establish its identity. Think of Guerlain's Shalimar, Dior's Poison, or Mugler's Alien, all of which are instantly recognizable from their bottles alone that repackaging them into something else is just plain inconceivable.

halfwhiteboy - Givenchy Pi EDT 02
halfwhiteboy - Givenchy Pi EDT 03
halfwhiteboy - Givenchy Pi EDT 04

Givenchy Pi is practically a linear affair, at least as far as my 2013 bottle goes. It's a smooth and elegant scent that combines vanilla and almond, which are the most prominent to my nose. It's topped with a citrusy zing and hints of anise, which temper the vanilla's inherent sweetness and warmth beautifully. As a result, the fragrance can easily be worn on moderately warm days. That its projection is also not much definitely helps in preventing it from becoming cloying. As far as warm weather-friendly vanilla scents go, it's in a similar league as Tom Ford Soleil Neige and Dior's Fahrenheit 32.

Instead of being milky, like in Xerjoff's Casamorati Italica, the almonds here have this slightly boozy vibe going on. It's not enough to label Pi a boozy scent, though, just as I can't really call it powdery either. Yes, it also has a mild, powdery accord that subtly contributes to the fragrance's overall lightness. However, it's very measured so as not to disrupt the balance in the composition. Even the fragrance's moderate projection seems most apt in this case. Absolutely nothing here screams or selfishly tries to make a scene. But what it lacks in projecting power, the fragrance tries to make up for in the longevity department, where it scores a few more points.

Givenchy Pi is all about harmony and restraint. Although it's marketed as a men's fragrance, there's nothing stereotypically masculine about it. That said, it's an absolutely safe wear for anyone. It's not as popular a frag but it's definitely worth a sniff for me. 

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