I don’t know how trends become trends. Every Fashion Week I marvel at how each designer manages to find the same color palette to work from. Perfumes do the same thing as trends seem to spring up out of nowhere that is not being imitative. It is like there is an unconscious hive mind for creatives. The latest trend showing up all over this year in fragrance marketed to men is a deep ocean aquatic.
Over the nearly thirty years of aquatic style perfumes it has been a sea spray and fresh air combination. Light airy, clean and fresh. It has driven the mainstream marketplace for decades. In the last six months I’ve received a variation which is less fresh and clean. It captures a deep-water effect as if you are out of sight of land, rising and following on the indigo swells. This has a different weight to it. It has made me look forward to the new offerings. One of the best I’ve tried in these early days is Azzaro Chrome Extreme.
Philippe Romano
Azzaro Chrome was one of these original mainstream perfumes catching the first aquatic wave. It has launched over a dozen flankers since then, many of them typical derivative versions. Last summer’s version, Chrome Aqua, stood out for me because they kept it fresh and clean without using the same typical building blocks. Now Chrome Extreme extends that by moving from the beach to the high seas. Perfumer Philippe Romano is our captain.
Chrome Extreme opens with a more concentrated citrus of green manadarin. This isn’t that sunny citrus most used. This is closer in. Not to the degree of claustrophobia but it isn’t that typical smiley face of a citrus opening. The deep blue of the ocean is formed by an accord of watery notes plus a lot of juniper berry. The gin-like part of juniper berry adds a chill to the aquatic accord. It also adds a hint of spiciness which is also another way M. Romano keeps Chrome Extreme more consolidated. As it develops further warm Cashmeran and amber push back against the chill of the aquatic accord. It produces a pleasant cool and warm effect that lasts for hours.
Chrome Extreme has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.
These early days of 2020 are offering those who enjoy the aquatic perfumes an opportunity to find a new experience. I think if there are others which are as good as Chrome Extreme the genre might move from the beach to deep into the ocean.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample provided by Azzaro.
–Mark Behnke
