Tuscany / Etruscan (1984)
by Aramis

What a misleading beginning! At the first sniff, few instants later the first spray on my wrist, i was on the point to put it apart; too pungent, sour and bitter-lemony (almost disinfectant kind) the initial bergamot whiff. What happened few instants later? A wonderful bold spicy-patchouli, citrus, florals and suede connection started  disclosing its soul and planting the roots on the skin. There is a notable pungent undertone of orange-cinnamon playing like a counterpart of a sort of laundry and conservative basic neutrality. The final outcome is very smooth, refined, natural, floral but decidedly masculine (astringent elements, patchouli, moss and woods), a bit laundry-toilette (citrus, caraway and lavender), slightly herbal-aromatic and silky-leathery. The leather requires time to come out but is finally protagonist. A classic with all its baggage of reminiscences.

9th February, 2012.

Bought a bottle in about 1988 after the brief test sniff. Brought it home and wore it maybe five times before I realized I really didn't like it.

Almost twenty years go by, and after years of moving the box when I clean whatever shelf the box now occupies, I decide that I should at least give the stuff another try. I actually liked it less upon the new testing so I decided it had to go. I have obviously not missed it,only wish I'd saved it now for collection purposes.

13rd December, 2011.

I couldn't really get past the soapy opening. It was inoffensive enough I suppose, but it lay kind of one dimensional -- way too stereotypically "department store circa 1988" to be of interest. Yes, it was cheerful and clean, but it was decidedly linear and boring, I wanted to give it a thumbs-up because of it reputation, but it didn't really speak to me.

Updated Oct. 17, 2011

Ok, well, it's speaking to me now. This is nifty, cheerful little frag, after all. Uncomplicated, but very good at what it does, and that is -- lifts one's spirits. Unoffensive to others, with a discreet but detectable sillage, and one that persists for 12 hours or more. There's a lot of lemon pledge on its opening, but once it fades, you're rewarded with a long drydown redolent of honeyed vanilla and the very mildest wisps of tobacco.

22nd September, 2011. (Last Edited: 17th October, 2011.)

As a fan and user of several Aramis offerings, it pains me somewhat to not post raves about Tuscany.

The opening jumps off the page with a nice citrus blast; this is my favorite part of the fragrance. With the nice spices and hint of leather (see Ho Hang for a similar note) it seems on the right track. After a couple of hours, however, the citrus disappears and the leather is very muted and it becomes an Azzaro doppelganger. Not bad in and of itself, but the box said Tuscany, not Azzaro, which I already have. Five hours in and it barely registers.

24th May, 2011.

Tuscany Per Uomo is a great example of how an inexpensive and easy to find perfume can be sometimes way much better than many hype creations that cost you a fortune. Masculine, solid and ageless. An herbal patchouli composition that leaves no room to sweetness and still one of the best homages to my region. Rich and invigorating but not loud. Beautiful work!

25th April, 2011.

A true classic.

I'm new to this forum so, although I know what I like and do not like - my descriptions wont be as advanced as many of the experienced reviewers here.

In my opinion, the name says it all. From start to finish, warm balmy Mediterranean evenings come to mind.
The range of notes very much remind me of a Mediterranean day; with the fresh citrus top notes reminding me of the freshness of the morning breeze. Middle notes reminding me of calm and relaxed afternoon. Base notes reminding me of warm and slightly humid evenings.
If you're taking your holidays in the Med, take Tuscany.
The aromatics blend very naturally with the skins moisture (on myself anyway) which is another reason why I love this scent so much.
It's sophisticated and, I think, gives the wearer a sense of confidence and a distinguished feeling overall.

One downside - does not last anywhere near as long as other Aramis scents, such as Classis or New West.

14th April, 2011.