Loris Azzaro

7 Awesome Azzaro Colognes for Men

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Loris Azzaro has been a house which has created popular and affordable men’s perfumes since the 1970s. These scents aren’t anything that out there or niche in any way, however, the colognes smell good and give guys an opportunity to wear different types of scents without breaking the bank to do it. Which is why, some of these scents have been best sellers for decades.

Here, I will keep track of the releases from Azzaro and add or subtract to the list based on new releases and availability.

Note: I have come back to this page to update it, some five-plus years after the fact, and make some changes to the list.

Favorite Azzaro Perfumes for Him

The New Best Wanted Cologne

The Most Wanted for Men– Wanted by Night had been my favorite from this Azzaro line. However, it has now been succeeded by The Most Wanted, which is better than either of the previous incarnations.

The Most Wanted opens up sweeter with a bit of spice. The cardamom note, actually plays two roles, spicy and giving it the impression of a lemon-like fruitiness. Beyond that, you get smooth caramel and bourbon vanilla to make this a delicious gourmand.

Nonetheless, it isn’t a thick or super heavy fragrance. The Most Wanted actually comes across as fresh with vetiver and a woody green aroma wafting up from the base. The performance is great and this is one that can easily be a romantic wear or nightlife classic.

Update: This is my favorite of the line and from this brand. The Most Wanted Parfum is right up there too. But, I still prefer this version slightly more.  The Most Wanted Review

The Popular Best Seller

Chrome Cologne for Men 3.4 fl. oz Eau De Toilette– A very clean and fresh cologne that can become a man’s daily wear fragrance at a very inexpensive price. Chrome is simple yet a quite potent blend of citrus notes.

Chrome starts off with it strong juicy citrus notes of pineapple and lemon, giving the cologne a bright and upbeat disposition. These two are joined by a very nice neroli, giving chrome a further semi-soapy cleanliness.

During the wear, you will notice aquatic aromas, a slight metallic air, and woods at the base. Chrome is a classic, still has a good performance, and smells great all these years later. Very easy to wear and perpetually popular. Chrome review

chrome

The Dry Classic

Azzaro Pour Homme Eau de Toilette, 1.7 Fl Oz– A masculine throwback to the 1970s, yet, it doesn’t feel dated. Azzaro blends many notes including leather, lavender, wood, and sandalwood. It is woodsy, herbal, and spicy.

At the start, I get anise and cedar, with a dry mossy scent coming through. The spice actually comes across as refreshing and cool, rather than, being a warm sharp hit. The spice, paired with lavender and leather, gets smoothed out and calmed.

Azzaro Pour Homme is best used during the autumn months through early spring. The performance is still great and hasn’t been watered down over the years. An excellent choice for guys who want a mature, fresh, and woodsy scent.  My full Azzaro Review

Citrus Spice, Classic Style

Azzaro Nĭght Tĭme Cologne for Men 3.4 fl. oz Eau De Toilette Spray– I’ll include this one as one of the best, although I really don’t care for the bitter orange note.

That note reminds me too much of Terre D’Hermes or L’eau D’Issey Nuit, both of which I didn’t like, though many other people seem to.

I don’t think this one is as bad as those two colognes but since this enjoys some popularity among Azzaro scents, I’ll throw it on here for you to try out. In cold weather, it’s actually pretty nice. Rhubarb and citrus, for much of the wear, with a fresh spice and woods underneath.

I think this one has been discontinued, so, you’ll have to track down the bottles online. Azzaro Night Time review

Unique Spicy Profile

Onyx by Azzaro – Eau De Toilette Spray 1.7 oz– It has a spice and green sort of feel to it from the patchouli note. It also has apple, bergamot, and lemon which adds a citrusy sweet profile to it. Onyx is a good scent for the winter months and one that projects very well.

Onyx starts off with a that nice citrus/fruity profile, with lavender, and the underlying spice of basil. Basil, among other spices, will be featured more during the dry down with an added leather ingredient.

Bottles of this are still available, the performance is actually very solid, and it’s usually available for pretty cheap. Nice spicy scent with the ability to be used in the nightlife.

onyx

The Second Best Wanted Fragrance

Azzaro Wanted By Night Eau De Parfum, 1.7 Fl Oz– Wanted by Night is a cologne that is better than the fragrance it followed, Azzaro Wanted. For a while, it was the best of the Wanted line up, before being surpassed by The Most Wanted colognes.

This one is spicier with less of the sharp citrus notes. Yes, the lemon is still present, but it doesn’t strike my nose with the same intensity. Cinnamon and fresh cedar, give this a dynamic and interesting composition to work from.

Really bold with that spice early on. Which is great, since I personally love the use of cinnamon as a note.

It can start out as sweet and spicy, then it begins to turn warmer, with an underlying tobacco note that is quite prominent. I wasn’t too much of a fan of the original Wanted, but Wanted by Night is definitely an improvement.  Wanted by Night Review

A Newer Chrome

Chrome Extreme– Chrome Aqua was another one that was pretty good. However, Extreme is a bit better and has a fairly close resemblance to AdG Profondo, but not entirely.

Chrome Extreme is a fresh, orangey aquatic scent, without the metallic soapiness of the original (there will be some soapiness later in the wear, though).

The juniper pairing with the orange note here, is probably the highlight. The oceanic saltiness will come on and give this one an added pleasant smell.

The dry down has more of the amber note with the orange. Nice and clean. The performance is good here, not incredible, with a moderate sillage overall. It’ll give you a few hours of solid projection before quieting down much more.

There have been a ton of flankers to Chrome, but this is the best of the recent ones, that you can actually still find bottles of. Many of the others, have been forgettable, though.

Chrome by Azzaro

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Chrome is a fragrance by Loris Azzaro, which is quite often a best seller and has been for years. I mean, rally since its release in 1996. Like other Azzaro scents, Chrome is an inexpensive option for men, who want something fresh yet masculine. Update: The pricing can be more affordable and it seems to have stretches when it’s on sale, then expensive again. In this post, I am going to share my experience with this cologne and whether or not I think it is worth a try.

Note: I am continually updating this post, several years after the original, to expand upon my review and talk about my latest testing of Chrome.

What does Azzaro Chrome Smell Like?

Click here to try: Men’s Chrome by Azzaro Eau de Toilette Spray – 3.4 oz.

Notes include: neroli, lemon, bergamot, rosemary, pineapple, musk, woods, and jasmine

My Full Wear Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Azzaro describes it: Fresh, vibrant, aquatic, woody. “A harmony as pure as metal, a blend of strength and complicity.”

The first thing you notice about Chrome is the citrus notes, mainly a blend of lemon and pineapple. It is interesting how refreshing and bright this fragrance smells, it feels quite sharp and fresh. A big player in the beginning is neroli.

Obviously, this flower plays perfectly off of the citrus top, and is joined by a light jasmine note. The top is very similar to CK One, that citrus/floral aroma, has lots of overlap with that 1990s showstopper.

Chrome always induces thoughts are bright and sunny days, in the summer. It has an aquatic-like smell at times, without having any oceanic notes, which is a nice little trick of the mind.

After the first few minutes, where neroli is powerful, the rosemary begins to come through with that herbal spiciness. It’s similar to that note in Acqua di Gio, but these are ultimately pretty different fragrances.

The first hour or so, is really all about being a citrus/floral fragrance, with a light aquatic and soapy character. Thankfully, they didn’t overload the neroli and jasmine, to make it a bath soap-like scent, those notes are empowered just enough to make Chrome smell great.

I like the dry down period quite a bit, and it does have a metallic vibe to it as the name suggests, but I don’t think it distracts from the overall presentation. The notes that emerge during this time, are the various woods, and the musk.

The musk isn’t heavy, but it is noticeable. Chrome becomes a clean woody scent, with citrus sitting on top of it, and the floral notes don’t seem as relevant anymore.

Chrome is just really vibrant and reminds me of a sunny summer day. It isn’t a complex fragrance at all really, just one that is straightforward with a clean, soapy, citrus, masculine aroma.

How Long Does Chrome Last? How Strong is the Sillage?

It does seem to be pretty strong right out of the bottle, so there’s no need for more than a couple sprays. Chrome does settle down a bit, but it can be overwhelming if too much is used, in the wrong climate.

I’d say that the sillage overall, is pretty middle of the pack, once it settles. However, the initial burst, will provide plenty of power.

Updating this review here in 2020, I still find the longevity to be really good. It’ll go 7-8 hours, off of 2-3 sprays, before become a complete skin scent. I’m not sure how long it continues after that, but sprayed on a t-shirt, Chrome just kept on going. Still a great performance value, for the price.

When Should Azzaro Chrome be Worn?

Chrome can easily be worn year round. I think it’s awesome in the summertime, but it isn’t limited by season at all, unlike some other scents. It has great versatility for both younger and older men. You can wear this one casually, to school, to work, etc.

For me, I have enjoyed wearing this when it’s warmer outside and I’m just moving about town.

It doesn’t strike me as a nighttime scent, but it’s so fresh, that it’ll get complements. It’s just not a ‘sexy’ sort of cologne. Not a nightclub monster, by any means. Also, I wouldn’t call this formal and isn’t really a luxury kind of fragrance. So, if you want something high end, it’s not this.

Is Chrome Worth a Try?

Is Chrome worth a purchase? I say it is. It is a very inexpensive cologne (usually) and one that smells good and performs well. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it is pretty versatile and pleasant, as long as it’s not overused.

It can sell for a higher price at retail stores, but on the online secondary market, you can find really cheap bottles. Go for those. 2023 Update: I’m seeing bottles in the $35-50 range, right now. Again, that seems to change every so often, and the super affordable bottles gets bought up.

This original Chrome release is still nice, after all of these years. The other flankers can be hit or miss and not have much to do with the original formula.

Even though, not everyone will like it, Chrome is still extremely popular with the masses. If you’re in the market for a cheap everyday wear, it is definitely worth a consideration.

The citrus and floral opening is great, like CK One. It can have a sharpness to it that might be off-putting for some. I’m not too bothered by it and Chrome gets better.

But, I think when the woods start to come on strong, is when this Azzaro fragrance really begins to shine. Well done.