Tristano (1989)
by Tristano Onofri

Spicy woody green but highly synthetic. Well yes they all are but this one comes off as a very sour leathery fougere. Good longevity and a good work cologne as it's not overpowering. i've tried it a few times and I simply did not like how it wears on me.

6th October, 2009.

As everyone have mentioned...under the radar frag, smells AWESOME! I have been privy to the impossible to find Kouros Eau de Sport (not to be confused with Kouros Sport) and this reminds me very much of Eau de Sport. The difference is Tristano takes you on a journey first, through everything nice about fragrance...mystery, joy, pleasure, day-dream, love and infatuation. Then it gently brings you to the house of Kouros. I have seen bottles of this on eBay for waay to much money...look thru eBay europe (especially ebay.de) you will be surprised that you might find this for cheap.

Naturally as a Kouros lover Tristano gets a perfect 10 from me. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, if you can find it.

29th August, 2009.

With neroli and lavender in the top notes (see the note pyramid below), you would be correct to guess that this starts off sharp. I'm not a fan of this kind of opening, but it's not unbearable, and after a couple hours or so it settles down nicely. It's a little sharp all the way through, but at this point it's quite pleasant. Think of this as a better blended version of a Rochas Man fragrance, more connected to traditional perfumery (with oakmoss and an animalic note, "dirty" jasmine or but possibly the ambergris). This keeps it from being like a combination of candy and lavender. It's also not as "loud" or crude as those kinds of fragrances, and more natural smelling. Yes, if you are not used to a strong neroli note you might think this is really sour and sharp, but give it some time, unless you don't have the patience to wait for the drydown. Longevity is excellent and the projection/"sillage" for the drydown is quite good, though not so strong that it gets irritating.

Neroli, Lavender.
Cedar, Sandalwood, Clary Sage, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Heliotrope.
Ambergris, Oakmoss, Vanilla.

My old review of January, 2009: Other than the top notes, which I usually try to avoid (as I did when I applied Tristano), I detect a strong green note, along with civet and what I think is juniper berry. It's strong for the first hour and a half or so, then settles nicely and lasts a while. Sillage is at least moderate. It's not really my kind of fragrance, so it's hard for me to assess it, which is why I'm giving it the neutral rating. If asked to compare it to Ungaro II, I'd say that U II is more blended and has a richer feel whereas Tristano is more articulated and straightforward.

14th January, 2009. (Last Edited: 19th June, 2011.)

Tristano is a real FIND! I just tried it and it's great. It's been kept a real secret. If you like a fresh, warm, woody scent...then you'll love this one. It has great staying power and it's unlike any other fragrance out there. I also use the After Shave. This is worth a try...I love it. Josh Augustt 4-12-04

31st March, 2004. (Last Edited: 14th April, 2004.)