If a perfume is still relevant after 37 years that probably speaks a little bit to how good it is. In our need, of which I am guilty of, to name things “new classics” or “modern masterpieces” you might miss the real classic right in front of you. The extra bonus is these perfumes have been around so long that you can easily find them in the discount bins. No matter when I go shopping at the discounters I have always found what I consider to be one of the greatest aromatic fougeres ever for $9.99. That perfume is Azzaro pour Homme.
Azzaro pour Homme was released in 1978 and it was meant to be competition for Paco Rabanne pour Homme. It is not easy to determine who the perfumer on it was. In the Fragrances of the World reference Gerard Anthony is listed as the only perfumer. In numerous other places both Richard Wirtz and Martin Heiddenreich are credited with having a hand in composing it. It was evidently a tortured process. I have always mentioned the proverb, “success has many parents but failure is an orphan” when writing about Azzaro pour Homme because besides the three names listed above there are at least three other perfumers who have claimed to work on it. I can only go with what is on record but especially in the heart it feels like there were many hands at work. It succeeds because the density of those heart notes is what makes Azzaro pour Homme so memorable.
The opening of Azzaro pour Homme is a combination of lavender, citrus, and anise. The anise really stands out in the early moments and the citrus and lavender are bracing. Then we get to the heart and it is reminiscent of looking through a kaleidoscope and rotating it. The colors and components are the same but they keep rearranging into new patterns. What I can detect is a strong herbal presence of sage, basil, rosemary, and cardamom. There are hints of more and the anise lingers down into the heart. A very green geranium is also part of the heart. This is the aromatic part of this fougere. It is a wonderfully complex heart and it lasts for hours like this. When Azzaro pour Homme moves towards its base notes it goes for that very typically 1970’s musk and amber finish. This seemed to be the default finish to a lot of masculine perfumes at this time. It is less prevalent today and so if you are new to the perfume game it may come off as something fresher. For those of us who grew up during this time period it has a bit of the dated “ladies man” vibe a lot of men’s perfumes of the time went for. There is so much good before getting to this that it doesn’t change the way I feel about it but others might feel differently.
Azzaro pour Homme has 18-20 hour longevity and above average sillage.
As I mentioned earlier you can find Azzaro pour Homme at most of the big discount stores in the US. I have seen it as low as $9.99 for a 1oz. bottle. I have also seen 5mL minis in these stores for $5.00 or less. I don’t know if there is a better perfume you can find for this price. If you love fougeres this is one you must have in your collection.
Disclosure: This review was based on a bottle I purchased.
–Mark Behnke
