Azzaro pour Homme (1978)
by Azzaro

I have so many fond memories of this. My best friend acquired it in 1982 and it always brings back those free and easyish days of yore. Underage consumption of gin and tonic and dancing to "Let The Music Play" whilst smoking and smelling of APH.
Azzaro PH is perhaps the true grandfather of all the 80's over the top "powerhouse" colognes for men of that decade. He may have invented it. He certainly ruled the roost by 1982. So it took four years for him to migrate from the Continent. But prior to that, Azzaro wasn't exactly a household name like St. Laurent or Cardin. I'm not sure he even made mens' clothing...so how he managed to gain such a strong and popular foothold is anyone's guess. But he was quickly overtaken by the many imitators and successors to the throne that came on his heels. Calvin Klein's Obsession for Men comes to mind. And it wouldn't be wrong to say that Obsession is Azzaro PH's not too distant cousin.
In any event, APH is of course now a classic. Tried and true as they say. Manly yes, and I like it too! A scent for grown-ups. Spicy, leathery, yet clean. Just a touch dirty and very sexy on most men. Or rather it can make most any man sexy. My one point of confusion: this is almost always mentioned in the same breath with Paco Rabanne Pour Homme; but to me they are nothing at all alike.

25th January, 2012.

I love this scent! It's one of my favorite after-shower, lay-around-in-the-house scents. Like 4711 only not so light-and much spicier. I also love it on cool mornings when I've got alot of running around to do. It makes me feel light and free, and I leave a big wake for those who come after me.
I don't smell the anise-at least if I do, it's not liquorice-like, the way I expect anise to smell. This fragrance is a teriffic mixture of my favorite spicy aromatics. I like to say, when talking of Azarro pour Homme, that this is what OldSpice SHOULD have smelled like. Like OldSpice this one will last you all day! I love it.

4th January, 2012.

Azzaro pour Homme is an aromatic fougere that opens strong with a prominent and long-lasting anise note accompanied by various herbs, including caraway. There is a slight blast of citrus, but this is primarily an herbal opening. I liken Azzaro's opening to a poke in the eye by your annoying but basically affable big brother. Like your older sibling, Azzaro can be off-putting at first, and this is where those who dislike this fragrance are lost. But stick with it and Azzaro will take you on a pleasant fougere foray. Lavender plays a prominent role in the progression of Azzaro. This is where we see the path on which Azzaro is headed...straight to the fougere palace in search of its crown. On the way, it meets some contenders such as Rive Gauche pour Homme, which is a similar barbershop-type fougere, but is drier (talcum powder accord) than Azzaro. Azzaro settles into a vetiver, patchouli, leather and woody base that lasts for hours. I also detect some oak moss in the dry down as one expects in the standard fougere formula. There is also a sweetness to Azzaro that is just the right counterpoint to the other base notes.

Azzaro is a classic fragrance that since the late 1970's has staked its claim to the royal crown of the fougeres. Is it worthy? Maybe. If you want to "understand" Azzaro, wear a gourmand or an aquatic for a few days, then reset your nose with ApH. If you want to understand your older brother, forget about it. He'll poke you in the eye anyway. Azzaro on the other hand, goes straight for your heart and more often than not, lands there softly and securely.

31st December, 2011.

The smell reminds me of Simple Green mixed with the dry, musty smell of my grandparents' house.

I was fully expecting to love this and almost did a blind-buy. I'm quite glad I didn't.

The scent definitely gets a lot better as it settles down on my skin, but it never reaches a stage that makes me say "I want to smell like this"

I can't imagine someone my age (mid-twenties) wanting to smell like this. Very dated to me.

12nd December, 2011.

I cannot be too tough on Azzaro pour homme because I know quite a few guys who could wear this fragrance rather well. Where I live, it used to be extremely popular in the early 80's. For some reason, many girls would offer this fragrance to their boyfriend as a gift. Women seemed to appreciate it more than men, so it seems. I remember vividly when I first tried APH. My wrist reeked of melted plastic for hours. I had not seen APH for many years and last spring, I saw it on sale in a perfume shop close to work. I tried it again with the same disappointing results. I think Azzaro pour homme is not the problem here. I am!!! However, I cannot say this EDT is great. Just average. Nothing to write home about.

27th November, 2011.

I honestly thought this was the same thing as the atrocious Azzaro Chrome, but WOW was I surprised. I tried a sample of it in a store after a sales associate who knows my tastes well recommended it. I bought it the next day!

The opening doesn't leave you wondering - this is a real fougere. The barber shoppe notes are just a playful sheer shawl over the scary depth that this fragrance hides. After the scent settles a little, the sweet dirtiness of the fougere heart comes out with clever additions of the sweet herbal notes from the basil and lemon. Throughout, the stunning (and I mean QUALITY) Ambergris and musk base gets louder. The ambergris smell is substantial, and brings the other scents in better focus. However, if I'm too liberal with this fragrance in the "warmer" areas of my body (maybe because I'm in Florida), everything starts smearing together and the notes develop at the wrong times, giving it less of its sharp and sweet and more dirty mouthwash.

This scent is expertly blended, and smells AMAZING in cold weather. Pure lasting quality. My advice if it's not particularly cold out is to apply it lightly to the neck or wrists, and avoid applying it under clothes where it tends to get too mouthwashy.

22nd November, 2011.