Jacomo de Jacomo

This perfume taught me to always be careful with the reviews we see out there. Challenging? Difficult? Only for those who only knew perfumery from 1 Million. Jacomo de Jacomo is a perfume that doesn't hide its purpose: it's an extremely masculine and woody-spicy fougere. It bears the mark of the time it was launched, with the same dense and forest-like base formed by oakmoss, patchouli, pink pepper (whose combination reminds me of Zino) among other minor notes that make it woody, full-bodied, and earthy, an accord that presents itself from the opening. This weight is quickly balanced by lavender, basil, cumin (which isn't even among the main notes, appearing much less than expected, fortunately), other aromatic notes that I can't distinguish, and the musk - which isn't the "sweaty" one from Kouros, Gentleman 1974 among other animalics, this one reminding more (not the same, just reminiscent) of Narciso For Him. In other words, Jacomo de Jacomo doesn't have the animalic punch of its contemporaries, which makes it less dated than them. This aromatic and woody duality is balanced by spices, a ton of them, especially clove, quite noticeable from the opening, the star of the perfume, which is by no means so difficult, on the contrary, it's quite pleasant, bringing a smoky and incense-like touch (it reminds me of the scent of ecclesiastical myrrh) that obscures this fougere. As it dries down, it becomes more balanced, neither too spicy nor too woody or aromatic, with patchouli and woods maintaining the earthy touch that becomes slightly sweet and almost creamy, always balanced by lavender (reminiscent of that in Drakkar Noir, but here darkened by the other notes). The dry down is interesting, as at certain moments the lavender stands out, at others the spices and woods, remaining so until the end of its life. It's an extremely refined and pleasant barber-shop perfume, somewhat obscured, evoking old shaving foams. I see no restrictions on usage other than special occasions (it calls for full formal attire) and temperatures below 25°C, although it shines best in the cold. It indeed evokes a dark and ancient atmosphere, I would even say that it takes me back to times even more remote than the era it was launched, presenting the same opulent dark and gothic vibe of perfumes like Van Cleef pour Homme, Encre Noire, Antaeus, and Oscar de la Renta Pour Lui (all different, only the atmosphere is the same, with the latter following a more floral path, while this one is more spicy and smoky), and those who like those (like me) will probably be enchanted by this one. Among the more recent ones, perhaps this one will please those who like Sauvage Elixir (which is a modernized and more commercial reinterpretation of this one, being much sweeter). I imagine it as something characters from old horror movies played by actors like Vincent Price and Christopher Lee would wear, evoking a villainous and somber atmosphere. I don't see men under 25 years old using or liking this one, it requires a certain maturity and personality. The performance, as far as I could test, is excellent, projecting very well for the first 2.5 hours and lasting for at least 10 hours, and as today is a particularly hot day, I believe it will perform even better in the cold. My bottle is from 2014 (lighter cap), therefore, before the last reformulation and bottle change, so these considerations only apply to it.

STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS Clove essential oil is credited with having a stimulating smell that is considered an aphrodisiac, as well as helping to manage anxiety energy and increase the ability to concentrate. If used correctly in a perfume, I believe it can do a whole lot more still. Jacomo was a very innovative fragrance when it was first released in 1980. Four decades have now passed and it can be considered (still) as a modern perfume. It has a powerful aroma, showing an avalanche of sweet and warm spices, hints of powdered cinnamon, and woody floral nuances, and develops swirls of smoke... a sheer delight! We could be looking at a typical vintage men's fragrance, with oakmoss, leather accords, patchouli, and musk. However, in Jacomo, a very dry ambience stands out through the intense use of oakmoss and "Evernia plum lichen" (an unusual note only listed by Jacomo), almost as if we have moss and lichen in a double dose. The theme of a "typical 80s perfume" also presents another important deviation. The development is essentially dark and gloomy, with a penetrating and rather harsh smoky mist. However, the main audacity comes from a heart with a dominant clove note that overshadows a timid lavender opening. Then the clove also overlaps - but without eliminating - other warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom and cumin, well in addition to greens like rosemary and basil. Finally, it perpetuates itself in the base while amplifying the effect of moss, lichen, cypress, patchouli and musk. In my opinion, we are way far from a trivial fragrance. It is so modern that it survives to this day, with its legion of enthusiasts, and even gaining new followers. It is an extremely masculine perfume, performing above average, and well crafted enough to challenge any young 'dark spicy fragrance' enthusiast. I just pass the no longer fashionable Zippo-type cap, always stealing a bit of juice when spraying. The final good news may be the observation that several reformulations have not been cruel to this perfume, and its retail price is also a very agreeable surprise. Music: by Paul Simon - "Still Crazy After All These Years" Note: I find the name "Jacomo de Jacomo by Jacomo" a sheer delight!

1991 was a strange year. On May, I answered to a desperate, poetic ad in a heavy metal magazine. "I can no longer cope with my existence, in my glaring pitch-black territory, wailing endlessly over the end of the world. My future, a little water in your eyes." A couple of days later I found her waiting outside my door. On the same night, while she stood by the window, naked and moonlit, she was emanating a bluish, otherworldly aura in the dark room. She was the most comfortable while naked person I ever met, stripping herself not only from her clothes, but from norms, rules and conventions as well. She was a heavy smoker, and what's more, she was playing with the ashes in the ashtray during our long talks. She had her nails always painted in black. She always wore an old oversized leather jacket over her gypsy dresses. She had grey, troubled eyes, which were like two shards of her shattered soul, trying to escape her battered body. She was tacking cloves in her short maroon hair. Her rough skin was beaming a surreal torrid smell of cummin and milk. She was acting crazy most of the time, to the point of wondering whether she was posing a threat to herself. She taught me how important it is to share your last cigarette. She showed me the melting point of patience, cause a three hour train ride in order to meet her was always feeling like millennia. Every street urchin knew her by her first name. She was living in an old house, with a small yard full with carnation bushes. Her febrile mind was geysering dark poems; each of them a new cicatrice to a heart already covered with scars. All I recall is that I kept on following her. I followed her to her small hometown. I followed her through her jewel making years. I followed her on a mountainy island in early autumn. I followed her in a southern Greek island for a week in summer. I followed her through a song that I wrote for her and she never listened. I followed her through countless silent whimpers in empty hotel rooms. But I was too scared to follow her through life. Her name was, most ironically, Joy. Jacomo de Jacomo is how she smelled like. Joy de Jacomo is how I call it ever since...

First read Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ when I was ten years old and Jacomo resembles what I always imagined the spice “melange” from Arrakis would smell like. Always assumed that the name “Jacomo” was an allusion to the legendary master of seduction, Giacomo Casanova. This was a blind buy based on reviews and articles on Fragrantica - found a 100ml tester of the original version (the one with blue lettering) for less than the retail price of the current version. Amazing. Rich and spicy - a veritable “spice-bomb”. Most noticeable for me in the first impression is cinnamon and cloves - with a camphoraceous aspect to the clove that imparts a kind of freshness, very reminiscent of oil of cloves or Indonesian cigarettes like Kretek or Gadang Garam - on a backbone of oakmoss, palisander, galbanum and patchouli along with a bunch of other things my inexpert nose can’t identify. Patchouli, Galbanum and Oakmoss become more prominent in the dry down. Lots of oakmoss. The effect is invigorating and curiously seductive. Smells niche, natural and high quality. Can’t detect the “new tyre” smell others have described. Although my mind associates oakmoss with last century Jacomo doesn’t strike me as particularly dated or old-fashioned - this is a complex, somewhat enigmatic blend that smells luxurious, rich and pleasantly “spicy.” Definitely doesn’t smell noticeably “artificial” in any way and if anything the overall effect is “niche”, natural and vaguely reminiscent of a blend of essential oils. On the flacon is a list of bases and absolutes : “Bases et absolus: cardamome, galbanum, lavande, bois de rose, mousses de chêne, cannelle, cumin, patchouli, geranium” (cardamom, galbanum, lavender, rosewood, oakmoss, cinnamon, cumin, patchouli, geranium). Really glad I found this. It’s quite unlike anything else in my collection. The original vintage Jacomo is a classy creation and I can well understand why it was so popular with the denizens of Studio 54. At some point I hope to try the current version.

Smoke, patchouli and greens. Jacomo de Jacomo is pure smoke and masculinity in a bottle. The first whiff of the top notes is extremely strong and potent, nearly stomach churning. I won't lie, it might make you feel sick and uneasy from the initial blast. It's like being trapped in an ashtray, or sitting in a cigar room with no ventilation and incense musk burning. However, do NOT be fooled. Once the top notes settle down, 45 minutes later the middle notes develop and it slowly becomes a very manly blend of patchouli, greens, leather and smoke. It projects very well without being cloying or irritating for several hours in this stage. Pure beauty. The drydown in this is simply amazing, the complexity of going from being purely nasty and then morphing into pure manhood is unbelievable. Imagine a couple-days-unshaven, aviator shades wearing guy wearing a leather jacket with a vintage T-shirt and jeans, smoking a cigar outside the hole in the wall trendy bar in the city kind of smell. A confident, cool, knows the ropes kind of dude that plays guitar and rides a Triumph. That's what this is. The base notes are pure patchouli, leather and tobacco. After about six hours it stays closer to the skin and gives you a subtle and sexy, almost natural smell. Lasts at least 10-12+ hours in longevity for me with ten sprays (neck, wrists, shoulders, chest), with above average sillage and projection. I've owned about 100 different colognes over my lifetime and I've never come across ANYTHING that smells like this. It truly is one of a kind, and holds a special place in my collection, and it will be in yours if you're a true collector or enjoy powerhouse 70's & 80's fragrances. Highly recommended.