Decibel by Azzaro

Very interesting, rich, and original scent for this Azzaro dB. It doesn’t smell like Dior Sauvage Elixir to me, which is a beast. People say nonsense and get stuck on that comparison. The dB has a weird scent, like a vinyl record aromatized with sweet licorice. It reminds me of the legendary ‘purumoro’ (an 80s-90s candy bar shaped like a black stick with bitter licorice flavor) due to the combination of lemon, tons of aldehydes, licorice, violet, and incense (these last notes are soft, mind you, not as noticeable as in other perfumes or Arabic fragrances) and a vanillated, tonkabeaned, and ambered finish. Attractive and original design, a microphone, giving it a rock-and-roll touch. Naturally, it was intended for young people (though honestly, my grandfather could pull it off) and lovers of Pop music (if you’re a fan of The Strokes, even more so; worth noting that Julian Casablancas announced it and was in the photo for the double packaging). It’s a men’s fragrance with personality, cool, charismatic, nocturnal, seductive, and a bit of a bad boy. It had a good price (30-40 euros for 100ml) but had a flaw: its performance, somewhat disappointing. Short duration (2-3 hours on skin) and short sillage. Well, if you were out and about, you’d grab a pocket decant, reapply, and be good to go. As happens with many perfumes. Unfortunately, this Azzaro dB is super discontinued and has been for a while. It sold poorly, and the house Azzaro dropped it a few years later. To get it today, you’d need to look online or at small perfumeries with outlets/old stock. It might be worth a higher price. Be careful, don’t pay more than 50-60 euros/dollars for 100ml because it’s not worth it, and there are many scammers and metah smokers in the vintage or discontinued perfume market who go crazy with prices. If it didn’t have the flaws I mentioned, it would have been a cult fragrance, hype material, or constant nostalgic re-hype. Did I deliver? Absolutely, and from the most cannon girls. They didn’t even wear this until the cats, unlike the most famous commercial perfumes of the moment.

Smells like vinyl, super original, but only right out of the bottle; after a while that scent fades to leave tonka and licorice, which is quite pleasant. It doesn’t remind me of Lolita Lempicka, CK One Red, or Loewe 7; I own all of them and can’t compare this Kenzo to them because I wasn’t familiar with it. It would fall into designer niche territory because this scent isn’t found anywhere else—it’s a risky, striking bet.

It doesn’t resemble Loewe 7 at all; I had a hard time finding it, not sure why—maybe it’s discontinued or, since it’s not a bestseller, they don’t stock it. For my nose, the dominant notes are incense, licorice, and lemon. Longevity and sillage are moderate; I tested it a few days ago in the morning.

Rich for night wear, ideal for a wine lover. Smells like vinyl and a turntable, synthetic but well-executed. I used a sample and loved it; if I see it again, I’ll buy the bottle.

July 9, 2017. Confirming my previous comment: an intense and pleasant initial explosion, but it lasts as long as a sigh. It’s winter now, maybe it would be different in summer. For now, it’s a huge disappointment.

June 2017. Tried it last night. Wonderful initial explosion: sharp, intense, original, strong. After a while, I felt nothing, just a faint trace when bringing my nose close. It also doesn’t linger on clothes. I expected that power to last, but it didn’t. I like strong and persistent perfumes, so for me, it’s a disappointment. Longevity is scarce, and the trail is strong at first and then nothing.

Something citrusy and sweet at the start, then lots of incense, too much for my nose, even though I love that note. In the end, I gave it away. I bought it for the incense but made a mistake: it’s too synthetic, harsh, and intense. My nose got saturated, and nothing stood out until an hour later, when it settled and became warmer. The first hour is unbearable. For those who like intense perfumes, cold climates, and night wear.

Started a bit confused with that citrus and licorice mix giving a cloying, synthetic vibe, but within minutes the incense takes over. At 6 hours, the incense yields to tonka bean, and by hour 8, it’s just vanilla with residual tonka. I didn’t really pick up on the vetiver or violet. The trail is heavy for a few hours before moderating, lasting about 12 hours on skin. If you’re considering this for younger people, it’s confusing and strident at first, then loaded with tonka; it works well at night in polluted cities. Better suited for winter or cool evenings.

Smells artificial at first, like plastic or a vinyl record, but once that note fades, the incense comes through.