Azzaro Now Men (2007)
by Azzaro

I've to say I'm a bit disappointed with Now Men as I expected something more edgy and daring. The opening is incredibly conventional and banal. Citrus plus an acquatic feel that's pretty cheap. In the drydown it gets a little better with an interesting mix of (synthetic) woods, but still nothing that really catches my interest. Unnecessary.

18th April, 2011.

I get the harsh synthetic vibe, and I also understand all the complaints, but what I find surprising is that people who don't like Now love Chrome...this just does not make sense. Now is nothing more than a sharper and greener Chrome.

The opening is all citrus and I guess cactus with a bitter and synthetic "fresh" aroma that lingers longer than any opening has a right to do, but then the middle notes come in and they are the same metallic notes from Chrome. These mid-metallic green notes (I can't really call them anything else because it is a synthetic mix with no comparative natural ingredients), stick around for a while, 4 hours at least. People who are not that patient with their scents will mistake this overly long middle as the base, and will thus unjustly downgrade what is a above average modern green fragrance.

The base is not amazing, but it is competent and has the same white musk and synthetic suede that makes modern fresh fragrances smell cookie-cutter similar after 6 hours. The beauty of this one is that a little goes a long way, and the duration of "Now" is most definitely 8-10 hours into the future.

A good, fresh/green scent that has replaced Hugo's synthentic equivalent from my main counter.

20th January, 2011.

Fairly generic, fresh scent. I get a hint of cucumber or cactus leaping out in the top notes which is quite interesting, other than this, fairly generic, but wearable.

17th May, 2010.

Azzaro Now Men is a green woody scent in the general mold of Grey Flannel, though noticeably softer and sweeter. The conventional citrus top notes are rather crudely alcoholic, but they resolve quickly and the main body of the scent is much more appealing. The sweet herbaceous green notes gain interest from an unexpected and judicious dose of spices, which briefly suggest Azzaro Now might veer off into woody oriental territory. That doesn’t happen, and instead the scent rolls on for a few hours in a quietly pleasant green woody direction and smelling like a low-budget Ormonde Man. There’s not much sillage or projection, so Azzaro Now wears close to the skin throughout its lifespan.

As with so many contemporary fragrances for men, Azzaro Now goes to pot in the drydown. It avoids the standard issue, überstrong, chalk-on-a-blackboard woody amber you can smell in scents like Lolita Lempicka au Masculin or Guerlain Homme, but opts instead for the (other) standard issue, “fresh,” clean chemical spill accord familiar from Acqua di Gio, Light Blue, and their accursed ilk. Too bad, because this fragrance had the potential to be a pleasant workhorse of an everyday masculine. As it is, the ugly bookends that surround its friendly middle volume ruin the experience.

11th December, 2009.

Booorriiinggg!! In one bottle, Azzaro Now Men represents everything that is wrong about masculine designer scents released since the release of Cool Water. This is a "sporty", "perfect for casual, work or formal occasions" sort-of-fougere-hybrid-with-oriental-influences-and-rare-herbs-and-spices-capturing-the-subtle-sweetness-of-a-man-who-seeks-adventure-but-is-true-to-himself fragrance. There isn't a single original note, accord or idea contained in this snoozer of a scent. It's simply every boring masculine fragrance at the Macy's counter poured into a single bottle. You certainly HAVE smelled this before, I can assure you.

3rd December, 2009.

I really want to thumbs up this. The sharp metallic quality in contrast to the woody/lichen base is nice. However, this stuff gives me a headache and makes my stomach hurt everytime I wear it.

13rd November, 2009.