Molto Smalto

My 5ml splash bottle arrived recently and I wore this scent today...and I liked it immediately! I'am a huge fan of Fullchoke (the fragrance mind you) and also enjoy Smalto for Men, so I was looking forward to trying another one of their gentleman's scents. It largely did not disappoint. In the opening, I was greeted by lavender and creamy sandalwood accords. The mental image I received was of taking a warm shower while bathing with a gorgeous bar of creamy, soapy sandalwood soap. Sure, there were some spicy elements in the background, but the mental image was as I described. After a few minutes the spices kicked-in and I could clearly detect the sage, coriander and rosemary. I'm sure there were some other things adding to the spicy-aromatic quality of this fragrance, but I could not specifically identify them during my busy day. To me, Molto is a soapy-sandalwood scent with some spices. Some have noted they detect a strong amber and musk accords but these parts are quiet in the drydown...at least on on my skin. Performance is very good is that is lasts a solid 7-hours on my skin and projects moderately just like a well-behaved gentleman's scent should behave. Overall, I really like this offering but, sadly, I won't be buying a bottle for two reasons: 1) it has been discontinued and 2) there are other fragrances I perhaps enjoy more in this genre (e.g., Lalique Pour Homme) that give me a similar feeling but don't cost an arm and a leg. I would love to see Smalto bring this one back; shame that it was discontinued. Update (20180911: I just used the last drop of my 5ml mini and, just do add to what I previously mentioned, what a fantastic Spring or Fall gentleman's scent. I can understand that some into more modern scents would say this one smells a bit dated, but I disagree. To me, it has a slightly-mature, but gentlemanly refined (aka I'm the boss) quality that just excused warmth and class without getting too snooty. Although not the same scent, it's got a similar vibe to when I'm wearing Chanel Egoiste or Hermes Bel Ami Vetiver. Regardless, I managed to order one of the last 5ml minis from FragranceNet and...well, gonna try to put my mitts on 50ml bottle from the eBay bandits.

Wow - fantastic juice! Discontinued sadly, but this is truly awesome stuff! I get the connection to Eternity, but the juice is fuller, less synthetic (to current formulation Eternity) and very masculine. I get a blast of coriander, lavender & rosemary with fresh-squeezed orange and lemon followed by a very key note, clary sage. That transcends into the heart with some nice warm florals but the strength and power come from the basenotes of amber, musk and sandalwood (very rich). I don't get a chypre-vibe at all from this, at least not in the traditional sense. If I was blind-smelling this - I would say a Fresh/Aromatic Fougere-vibe with an oriental spiciness underneath the great crisp and warm fresh notes. Very nice blended wood and floral notes in the composition make it sing. Categories aside...terrific. 8.5+/10 and a grin on my face. ;-)

This was a great perfume. Green, deep, unique and rich. Not boring at all. Such a shame it's not available anymore. Why always great perfumes get discontinued is something I will never understand. 10/10

I bought a mini of this thinking to save it for summer--you know, that season when it's warm? I was reminded today that Houston has a very extended summer, so I whapped on some Molto and ventured into a mid-80s November day. This goes on very floral and herbaceous, moves through other floral and herb notes, and winds up with a sweet floral/musk blend. Good blend. It is soft and has decent sillage and longevity. Reminds me of Bvlgari Soir and even a little bit of GIT; understand, though that I am profoundly undiscerning about anything that doesn't explode out of the disco and Reagan eras. And it's for that reason that I won't buy a full bottle--this doesn't move me and is not my style. Edit: I need to remember that non-bomb frags require a more liberal hand to get the full effect. What I'd detected with a light application was florals and a little musk. What I got with with a heavy hit from the splash bottle is a floral beginning that dries down in an hour to a very creamy amber/musk/sandalwood that my wife likes a lot. Still may be too light/sweet, but it's high quality and I may buy another mini... avoiding contempt prior to investigation these days. Scent: 7/10 (but not for me) Sillage: 6/10 Longevity: 7/10

When Molto Smalto was first introduced, I dismissed it as just another Cool Water wannabe. I've tried it a few times since, though, and there is more to it than that. It opens with the same harsh citrus-and-orange-blossoms on steroids blast as Cool Water, but settles quickly to make room for a very nice accord of woody sandalwood with warm amber and vanilla in a very harmonious blend that lasts very nicely and retains a touch of the opening freshness. This isn't a style of fragrance I enjoy wearing often, but Molto Smalto is one of the more elegant representatives of the style.