By Thomas
For being a child of the 70’s I have some serious aversions to most of the culture from that time. I generally avoid most of the music of that era (yes, disco still sucks), shun rollerskates and gold lame, and keep my hair short. In other words, none of the sloppy excesses that define the 70’s. So when I dipped my toe in the pool of Azzaro Pour Homme, I was not expecting much.
Boy was I wrong.
Okay, the opening is a tad sharp – the bergamot and lavender come roaring out of the bottle and make me think that the 70’s in general were really smelly and this was a bit of push-back on the perfumer’s part. Based on the pictures I’ve seen, the 70’s was all about hippie communes anyway, right?
Once the bergamot settles, this becomes rather nice indeed, in a simple, gentlemanly way. Some scents have too much going on and wear like a heavy quilt; for example – YSL Rive Gauche pour Homme. Azzaro Pour Homme is not very far from YSL Rive Gauche (both are aromatic fougeres, whatever that means), except where Rive Gauche is a heavy and gloomy from all the excess weight, Azzaro is a good bit lighter and friendlier. It breathes with open spaces and there’s not much competition between the notes: anise, lavender, bergamot, sandalwood, rose.
Well into the day the earthy bite of anise is still prominent but well balanced by the lavender and it’s taken on a softer, fruity tone. Just enough tangy sharpness (Neroli? Lemon? Does it really matter?) to keep from getting all mumbly on me.
I really like this one, but must caution you – avoid this if you a) detest licorice, b) want a popular brand name, or c) like spending a lot of money on a scent. Outside of those criteria, this one’s a winner.
Year: 1978
Perfumer: Gerard Anthony, Martin Heiddenreich, Richard Wirtz
Notes: Caraway, Iris, Lavender, Clary Sage, Basil, Anise, Bergamot, Lemon, Sandalwood, Juniper Berries, Patchouli, Vetiver, Cedar, Cardamom, Leather, Tonka Bean, Amber, Musk, Oakmoss
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