Francesco Smalto pour Homme

Francesco Smalto pour Homme is a unique, gorgeous aromatic fougere. It is a lovely smokey-herbal-Oakmoss scent that places it squarely in the 80's powerhouse fougere classification, and yet it is far more approachable and subtle than all others of that class: the huge majority of votes at the top of this page list FSpH's sillage as "moderate"! My 22-year old son uses FSpH regularly, precisely because it is so different than fragrances worn by his peers. Think about it: no citrus notes, no aquatics, no cocoa or vanilla, no wood elements, no soapiness and no sweetness whatsoever. FSpH was pretty unusual in the 80's, but utterly unique now! If I close my eyes and focus on the fragrance, FSpH's dry, herbal smokiness transport me into another place: nightime amongst desert sand dunes, where the warmth of a smoldering fire offers comfort from the cold night air. Onto the glowing embers someone has thrown some dried herbs and mosses which meld with the fire's smoke to wrap me in a comfortable embrace. Some reviewers have found similarities to Drakkar Noir. I guess to some extent that's valid, but FSpH is a far drier, smokier and more austere fragrance (while at the same time having less sillage, and being less of an attention-seeker). As I write this it occurs to me that FSpH might contain some of the elements that the current reformulation of Drakkar Noir is lacking compared to the vintage version. I wonder if layering FSpH with current DN might result in something akin to vintage DN? My rating: 9/10

After waiting and waiting for ages to receive order from an online seller (who shall remain nameless - but who rhymes with FlagranceX), my long awaited bottle of Francesco Smalto arrived. Woohoo. I have been focussing on collecting powerhouse fragrances and this one came highly recommended, so I bought it blind. I am glad I did. Wow, what a magnificent cologne! It has so many similarities with fragrances I already have. There is a definite similarity with Azzaro pour Homme, but F.S. is a little edgier. I also detect similarity with Polo and to some degree Red by Giorgio Beverly Hills. If I were to pick the two closest, I would say it's like Polo and Azzaro mixed together (with, perhaps a touch of Lapsang Souchong tea). Anyone unfamilar with Lapsang - it has a distintive smoky flavour. The smokiness in F.S.is very appealing. I was going to say I was surprised there is no artemisia but I Googled tarragon and what do you know... it's a member of the artemisia family. Artemisia along with patchouli are two of my favourite notes and they blend together with the lavender to make a potent yet attractive combination. The oakmoss is quite strong and in fact I sprayed some F.S. in the crook of my elbow, while comparing it with other fragrances and it ever so slightly irritated my skin (So I don't recommend applying it to your eyelids). This is a long lasting fragrance and well-worthy of its powerhouse status.

This one has always been a 'love' from my very first time wearing it. It's complex mix of notes winds up being enticing, exhilarating, sexy and comforting all at the same time. I love the earthiness, smoky side and the nice and noticeable oak moss and musk in this frag. I don't get any tonka bean notes in this at all. I love the fact that when I'm wearing it I've noticed both men and women lean in towards me to get another sniff. Most often the comment is "Whatever you're wearing - I like it!" So do I. Lol Yes as some have indicated, there is a bit of similarity with Drakkar and even similar notes shared with Giorgio Red for Men. I've sampled all three side by side. Make no mistake those are fine and worthy scents IMO. But Francesco Smalto is one smooth MF and less in your face than the aforementioned two fragrances. This was a sleeper frag in its day. Popular with a small crowd. Unknown by many. It reminds me of the discontinued Van Cleef & Arpels Tsar likely due to the oak moss as well. A timeless discontinued classic that I'm happy to still have in my collection. I'd never sell it. A very beautiful yet masculine scent. Could easily be worn year round. Overall: 9/10

Francesco Smalto pour Homme is a fantastic 1980's powerhouse fougere. It is almost as dry as Yatagan by Caron, although it smells nothing like Yatagan whatsoever. The opening is strong - a spicy, smokey lavender/leather combination with a touch of anise (the only seemingly "sweet note" during the entire development). This becomes a very nicely balanced fragrance once the initial olfactory onslaught mellows. After about an hour, the anise seems to be gone but the smokey leather is still there with the lavender coming through more distinctly, along with only a hint of some very dry florals. By the four hour plus mark, the lavender is at its finest (really nice!), the smokiness has faded, and I detect predominantly leather with some oakmoss in the base notes. This is a wonderfully masculine fragrance, and anyone that enjoys Quorum and Azzaro pour Homme is sure to enjoy Francesco Smalto pour Homme! This is without a doubt one of my all-time personal favorite fragrances.

Francesco Smalto PH is a love at first scent for me. The dry, burnt smokiness combined with a familiar green herbal mix and potent blend of oak moss and leather is addictive. While it doesn't have the depth or refinement as vintage Polo Green, it could be its younger sibling. Imagine a smokier (as in burnt wood "smoky") Polo Green but remove its prominent tobacco note. I wear Fancesco Smalto more often than Polo Green because it's cleaner (I agree w/ solidsergio7 on Xeryus) and you can wear it whereas Polo Green can sometimes wear you, if that makes sense. Antonio Puig’s Quorum is another classic that comes to mind, among others, but for me, I much prefer this drier/smokier approach to this crowded genre of woody aromatic/chypre classics, which is why Smalto’s PH stands out for me. Score: 8.5 ou tof 10 Would I purchase a replacement bottle? Yes, this is perfect for overcast days, but could be worn year round. Disappointing that this was discontinued.