Francesco Smalto pour Homme (1987)
by Francesco Smalto

This late-eighties gem stands out from the powerhouse crowd with its smoky, oily quality which underpins the fragrance from the breathtaking first blast to the smooth, mellow drydown. The strong, herbal opening is very pleasing with a prominent lavender accord which balances out the smokiness. In time the floral heart shines through and the fragrance becomes deeper, fuller and the leather moves to the front, albeit a rougher, oilier leather than found in the likes of Trussardi or Aramis, and the patchouli emerges also. The drydown is lovely, mossy-leather with the ever present smokiness now much subdued. There's plenty going on here - this is not a one-dimensional beast. Sure, it is a heavy-hitter and lasts 12hrs+ with ease but it's a shapeshifter and there are suprises in every sniff. Absolutely wonderful - a firm favourite.

26th July, 2011.

Powerful soapy lavender and a "meaty," leathery quality to begin with, but it doesn't really go anywhere special, and there are so many others I'd rather wear instead. One that is still reasonably priced is Montana Parfum d'Homme (in the red box), which I find far superior in every way. I had an old bottle that lost it's top notes, so beware of this possibility, though it's more wearable that way. It is natural smelling and I could almost imagine this one being worn by those who use it as a kind of aromatherapy treatment, perhaps if one is getting ready for an "ultimate fighting" match. Clearly, it's the antithesis of the fresh/aquatic type of fragrance.

6th April, 2011.

Francesco Smalto pour Homme is a fantastic 1980's powerhouse fougere. It is almost as dry as Yatagan, although it smells nothing like Yatagan whatsoever. The opening is strong - a spicy, smokey lavender/leather combination with a touch of anise (the only seemingly "sweet note" during the entire development). This becomes a very nicely balanced fragrance once the initial olfactory onslaught mellows. After about an hour, the anise seems to be gone but the smokey leather is still there with the lavender coming through more distinctly, along with only a hint of some very dry florals. By the four hour plus mark, the lavender is at its finest (really nice!), the smokiness has faded, and I detect predominantly leather with some oakmoss in the basenotes. This is a wonderfully masculine fragrance, and anyone that enjoys Quorum and Azzaro pour Homme is sure to enjoy Francesco Smalto pour Homme! This is without a doubt one of my all-time personal favorite fragrances.

12nd April, 2010.

Released back in 1987, this fragrance must have felt like a blast from the past at the time, because it has more in common with the powerhouse fougeres of the 1970s than the power chypres of the 80s. It pins the needle on the macho meter. It is shamelessly and unapologetically masculine, cast from the same mold as Azzaro Pour Homme, Jacomo de Jacomo and Calvin.

The opening and heart accords are very woody and spicy, with a dark smoke note lurking underneath. This is where I see a lot of similarity to Jacomo de Jacomo, though Smalto is more assertive. I’m surprised the pyramid doesn’t mention sandalwood in the mix, because it smells like sandalwood to me that is providing the woody spiciness in the first hour or two. However, I am probably misinterpreting this note, which is probably anise. Smalto dries down to a very dark leather accord, and it gives this scent a strange, oily glow. Very nicely done.

If you’re looking for an androgynous, gender-neutral scent to wear, this is definitely not it. Like its brethren Quorum and Paco Rabanne, Francesco Smalto is a strong macho man fragrance.

Big thumbs up for this powerhouse.

13rd January, 2010. (Last Edited: 14th January, 2010.)

Francesco Smalto comes on as a truckload of soapy lavender, eventually underpinned by cedar, anise, and bergamot. The note pyramid claims leather in the base, but it must be deeply buried under the heap of moss, residual lavender, and coumarin that leaves Smalto smelling like a classic, padded shoulders 1980s fougère. The coumarin note expands over time, so that (unlike this reviewer) Francesco Smalto sweetens substantially as it ages. The drydown of moss, amber, and woods is notable for not smelling as cheap or aggressively chemical as that of many recent fougere scents.

While it smells convincingly “natural,” Francesco Smalto is a loud scent, and a bit crude as well. I can’t deny that it makes an impact, but I don’t think it smells terribly original in comparison to the many other rugged fougeres of its decade. I certainly won’t put myself through contortions to obtain it now that it’s discontinued. If you like this sort of fragrance, I think Azzaro pour Homme and Lauder for Men perform the same act with more flair and finesse, and both have the advantage of being in production and available for relatively little money.

16th December, 2009.

I love this fragrance ..........I only discovered it about six months ago as a blind purchase on shopping TV of all places and have to say I was plesantly surprised ....................it has a lovely fresh opening which turns to a very plesant green fragrance ......not to strong but with great staying power ........ highly recomended buy if you can find it as it is unfortunatly discontinued

23rd March, 2009.