Azzaro pour Homme (1978)
by Azzaro

To be honest.. This is a power house. It permeates the nostrils and sinuses. It's almost hard to wear. But.. It works some how.. It smells synthetic almost.. Strong, and a little soapy. One can smell it a mile away, and I can smell it on me after 24 hours. I actually get complimented on this one. If ever I want to feel masculine, I turn to this. Try it, you might like it!

Azzaro is one of the more spicy and sharp-edged fougère scents, its top notes bristling with sage, lavender, thyme, and any number of dry aromatics. While it’s not as aggressive a masculine scent as say, Yatagan, (which came out only two years earlier,) it is only slightly less harsh in its profile. Imagine Yatagan having made a few concessions to civilized society, and you might come up with something very much like Azzaro. Not to imply that Azzaro pour Homme lacks distinction. With its brash, unsweetened herbal character it is immediately recognizable.

As it develops Azzaro’s herbs and spices make room for a pine accord that’s bitter enough to suggest creosote-soaked timbers. There’s a good deal of moss and vetiver buried at Azzaro’s core as well, and these lend the composition an earthy quality and a certain degree of sophistication it might not otherwise possess. Unlike some of the hard-hitting ‘80s masculines that followed it, Azzaro makes a brisk, outdoorsy impression – more lumberjack than junk bond trader. The lasting power is outstanding and the sillage tremendous, so it pays to wear Azzaro in moderation, especially if you’re going to be working or traveling in close quarters.

Is Azzaro dated? Only in the sense that no designer label would release a scent like this today. Azzaro is far too assertive for today’s pallid, spineless men’s fragrance market. Thank goodness. And thank Loris Azzaro for leaving this classic stand, alongside the likes of Kouros and Yatagan, as a monument to the scent industry’s braver days.

I bought this for cheap as a blind buy based on all of your reviews, and I'm sure glad I did. Azzaro is now at the top of the macho scents in the collection, but it's not a sledgehammer. Azzaro is brisk, bold, and drys down through a journey of swirling changes, some tobacco-esque, and ultimately grows warm and inviting on the skin. Sure, it's a formula based on colognes popular in the past. And it can conjure up "old man" smell to some. But the truth is that this is a classic. I compared it recently to Drakkar which I had never paid real attention to and never owned. Drakkar seems nearly powdery in comparison, and Azzaro is indeed richer, less wish-washy, and has come to the show ready to play it cool, seduce, or kick some serious ass. Now its all up to you.

I avoided this for a long time for no real reason, Silver Black/Onyx was decent but boring, so I figured ApH was probably going to be boring. I was wrong, very wrong. Reading thru the reviews I realize I am not the only one who finds ApH to be pure sexy. 30 plus years and still going strong...for those who try it anyway. I will never be without a bottle of this stuff.
What does it smell like? The opening is a barber shop (think Brut) with an industrial metallic edge (WD-40?) that can be off-putting at first. But just as your brain wants to dismiss this, a telegram shows up to alert you that more things are going on here simultaneously. Then you sniff again...someone hands you lemonde that is more water and sugar than lemons...then you spot the drydown in a distant. You can't take your eyes off, but if you don't you'll get a headache, so you do. But not for long, so you keep sniffing. Then the dry down arrives. Genius.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I sprayed this on at first. HATED IT!!!!! I left the store and never wanted it, later on after the notes died down for 30 mins-1 hour it started to smell good. Very mature cologne , i see a man no younger than 40 wearing it but i like mature colognes and i think the young guys can wear it too to diversify their wardrobe. We are lacking real manly colognes these days. Thankfully you can still find this one. :)

I totally agree with Vibert's excellent, detailed review of Azzaro pour Homme. There isn't much I can add, except to be one of the many who strongly recommends this classic, spicy men's fragrance. This is one of those timeless creations that will always be in my stable.