Chrome Aqua by Azzaro

Azzaro has been churning out flankers to its mega-hit Chrome for decades now. In 2019, they released Chrome Aqua to the market, to go after that aquatic cologne segment. I recently grabbed a sample of this and didn’t know anything about it beforehand. How does it smell? When should Chrome Aqua be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Chrome Aqua Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, basil, vetiver, violet leaf, sea notes

Click here to try: Azzaro Chrome Aqua Eau de Toilette – Cologne for Men

My Full Review

The opening act of Chrome Aqua is a lot more ‘green’ than I was expecting. Now, it is quite fresh and the sea notes are there, but it’s not the blue aquatic that I thought I was getting. But, I did go in blind to trying this out.

Initially, I get a big dose of basil, bright grapefruit, and a cooling vetiver aroma. There might be some mint in here also or it could just be the basil and vetiver interacting…I’m not sure. However, do expect a bit of minty-like spice in the composition.

The further along in the wear that I get, the less and less of an aquatic it becomes. Which it never really hit that pure aquatic status. The dry down sees the basil note getting weaker and the violet leaf/vetiver combination taking root.

Finally, almost everything else is gone and I’m left with the impression of a fresh woody type of cologne. It’s really hard to distinguish the individual notes

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, Chrome Aqua starts off with a nice burst and I thought that it would be a borderline strong fragrance, as it projected well from my skin. That initial power, dissipates pretty fast and it devolves into a moderate, and finally skin scent.

It’s pretty average for the first few hours and then it’s a skin scent. Disappointing.

The longevity isn’t much better. On my skin, it will go 5-6 hours in total. Yep, most of that is going to hug the skin closely. This one isn’t a monster or even a overachieving performer.

My Overall Impressions of Chrome Aqua

Do I like this scent? I do like the way it smells. Basil gets underused in fragrances and this makes me think of the old L’Homme Libre. That had a very close vibe to what you’re getting with Chrome Aqua.

I like the freshness here. The basil and vetiver are really nice together. I do wish that it actually was more aquatic than it ends up being. A lot of what marine qualities it has, seems to just come from the violet leaf note.

Nonetheless, the dark marine aroma that it has for a period is solid and I enjoyed wearing the scent, as a whole.

The main gripe with this one is the performance. It opens up with a nice sillage, but the strength and ability to project just falls apart, rather quickly. Also, the cologne seems to last 5-6 hours at the most. Much of that, as a skin scent.

That mediocre performance is really what hampers this Azzaro from really being worthwhile. It’s fine, but doesn’t give you enough reason to want to own it.

Seasonally, Chrome Aqua is a spring and summer wear. It’s appropriate for any age and can fit in a variety of situations. More of a daytime wear versus a nightlife cologne. Though, since it isn’t overpowering or too niche, you can find plenty of opportunity to spray this one on.

What Fragrances are Similar to Chrome Aqua?

Acqua di Gio Profumo has a similar style to this one. There is some overlap in the actual aroma. Like, if you stripped away the incense from Profumo and toned down the marine notes. This one isn’t nearly as ‘aquatic’ of a scent, despite the name.

Profumo also has much better performance. Plus, I think it smells better.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.