Onyx

Onyx by Azzaro could very well be the number one in my top five. I can't think of any other one I own (that I consider to be in my top five) which I would be comfortable wearing every day, except for V by Valentino. Onyx is at least 5 times stronger than V is, so it wins by it's sillage alone. Long lasting too, at least 6 hours on me. I was having a difficult time putting the notes in this one in writing. It's a very spicy opening with Bergamot smoothing over the spices. Lots of rich spices in the heart, including Cardamom, Coriander, Basil, Caraway. The base is Amber, Patchouli, and little Benzoin. The reason I was having a hard time writing about this one is because there is an accord in it that makes me think of an Anise note, or an Anise-Amber accord, but there is nothing in it like Anise or Licorice. I did figure it out, it's seems like it's a coniferous note, but not Pine. It's more like a Cypress or Juniper note (maybe Retem?) that gives it a slightly sharp edge without dominating it. I remember one recent comment I got on Onyx, indirectly, from a woman. I got on an elevator and there was 2 women behind me. Just as the doors opened for my floor I heard one of the young women take a deep sniff and ask her friend "Can you smell that?". Her friend said something like "Yeah, sooooo nice." as I walked out. This one is a Winner! And, the ladies seem to like it too. 10/10, 4 Aces, 5 Stars, 2 Thumbs up!

This scent is definitely in the "black" category of fragrances. It is dark, eerie, mysterious. The green apple scent can be somewhat deceiving on the first 5 to 10 minutes, and thank God it finally deploys a little, because this is one scent that fouls my senses for other notes that I can appreciate more than the apple. Once the initial shock of the apple is gone i start picking up on the bergamot, anise, and patchouli. Later comes the leather, cardamom. lavender and basil. On the final, it continues with the leather and patchouli, and although it is not always detectable to me the geranium adds some floral aspect at a distance accompanying the amber and oak-moss for a more earthy scent. Folks, this is a dark fragrance, I would dare say on the level of Zino but in a slightly different way. I think this scent CAN be overdone for your own personal space, and appreciated more from afar in it's sillage. If I had been involved in designing this I definitely would have looked for a different opening note besides apple. I would say this is more impressive to those around me that get a whiff, than it is to me at wearing it close up. As far as a rating, my personal pleasure score is about a 6/10. For the audience, I would say 8.5/10.

I got a 5ml decant of Onyx, and liked it so much that I tried to buy a bottle, only to find that Onyx isn't sold anymore. But several sources say Silver Black is the same fragrance, so I bought a bottle of that. But I didn't like it as much. So I decided to do a side by side. My decant of Onyx and bottle of Silver Black are not the same fragrance. That could be a result of the Onyx being older, and the SB getting reformulated, because they are quite close. But I like Onyx better. SB is a violet-forward fragrance with the characteristic cold metallic edge. Onyx has the same violet leaf, but at lower levels, while also having slightly higher levels of eugenol, fougere elements and wood notes. This gives it a spicier, warmer profile that is more complex than SB. The difference isn't huge, but it is definitely noticeable, and I prefer Onyx. To that end, I will probably layer SB with a diy decant of eugenol and Firmenich Dreamwood base that I can make for about $4. I know my results won't convince anyone who thinks these are the same, but for me, Onyx is enough better that SB that I just picked up a vintage 50ml on Ebay for $33. Well worth it.

I got a big bottle yesterday and i really tried it good today i was so excited as a huge azzaro fan. Im now smelling it close to the skin. At first spray it great for starter very fresh n vibrant! Dry down is real nice too very hip! its a true timeless scent in a way i think this one will stay "modern" over the upcoming decades. Its a well constructed modern spicy but fresh scent Totally dig this one! its sexy! I really like the way the bergamot and mandarin is not present at all but almost hidden behind other ingredients alsmost perfectly leveled out so the scent of its freshness is not so obvious like other citrus scents. Big thumbs up for ONYX!

This projects pretty good but the longevity is only moderate on me. This to me is a classy night time fragrance but also something you could wear anytime. This smells pleasant and masculine. This is just the same as Azzaro Silver Black but I feel like Silver Black is a tiny bit sweeter for some reason. I like Onyx more maybe just because the name is better. I own both anyways. This isn't too sweet, it's not childish. Any age could wear this and smell good. Its fresh, clean, slightly fruity, and a little floral. It's good! I give this a 9.2/10