Azure Crystal Man

I don't know why, but to my nose the opening smells very minty, like a freshly made mojito, even though mint is not listed anywhere in the notes. This lasts for about 20 minutes and then I get more of the citrusy lemon and bergamot notes. After the first hour, it transforms into something very similar to Xerjoff's Ivory Route: Spicy, slightly vanillic, soft sweet tobacco. Great scent with interesting development. I never would have guessed it would smell this way based on the note pyramid, unless I was sent the wrong sample!

Delightful but notoriously difficult to source aromatic aquatic scent. The scent opens with notes of bergamot, neroli, pink pepper and lemon. The heart is jasmine, tonka bean, cinnamon and an ozonic accord. The perfume settles on an ambery base with woody notes, synthetic musk and vanilla. The masculine leaning scent has moderate projection and good longevity, Like a nice day out sailing on a tropical island. Enjoy!

This is an excellent, under-the-radar exclusive that was released by M. Micallef in conjunction with the legendary perfumery, Osswald's NYC. While I'm not 100% positive, I'm pretty sure that's the only place to find it for sale, with the occasional possible exception of eBay (though I haven't seen any on eBay to date). Still, bottles of this are available, and some of you may want to at least get your hands on a sample before it disappears. On to the important stuff... What does it smell like, from beginning to end? Azure Crystal Man opens with a very fresh, cooling accord that seems to be some kind of combination of bergamot, pink pepper, geranium or mint, and some sweet variety of floral like jasmine, and maybe a touch of orange blossom. It's all very much blended, so the bergamot isn't particularly strong as far as its citrus quality is concerned, the mint or geranium really just cools things off rather than providing much of a distinct smell, the pink pepper provides its variety of freshness without becoming too sweet, and the florals are very tempered, adding some sweet floral subtlety to the opening accord without ever dominating. At the same time there's a marked mineralic/ozonic edge to the entire accord, which really does a good job of capturing the "crystal" element alluded to in the fragrance's name. Part of the opening accord really does smell like some kind of stone, but it's a light smell, not off-putting or strange at all, and it works with the other refreshing elements. The opening lasts a good while, maybe about an hour, before the heart of the composition takes over. The heart is largely a sweet amber scent. It's a soft, sweet, citrus-influenced amber, not particularly white and powdery, but also not resinous or dark. It has a bit of warmth which contrasts the cool beginning. During the heart phase, Crystal Man hits a nice, mellow stride, warm, but ultimately uplifted and fresh as well, with a nice trail of citrusy amber projecting softly but persistently. It's never a loud fragrance, but it's definitely present, and other people will notice it when you're around them. It stays in this phase for a while, gradually transition to the base over 4 or 5 hours. In the base, tonka and vanilla emerge, giving it an oriental finish with some light woods blended in. What's great about Azure Crystal Man is the contrast between freshness and warmth, which gives you the alluring, comforting qualities of amber and vanilla, with the cooling, upbeat qualities of the top notes. It also wears very easily, the kind of scent that you don't worry about once it's on--you know it's working and at the same time you know it's not bothering anybody. All the notes are smooth and natural, there's little if any 'synthetic' qualities to it, and it's never too heavy as to drag you down or so light as to seem absent. In my opinion, it's a great fragrance for a casual date, especially when it's a little warmer outside. It has a friendly, upbeat feeling and doesn't take itself too seriously. Still, it exudes a comfortable, understated class. Final rating: 9/10 Though it's not terribly complex, it's just a very nice wear and the contrast between freshness and warmth provides something unique and different than typical citrus fragrances or typical orientals. As mentioned earlier, Azure Crystal Man has limited availability. Even the box is hand painted, which immediately gave me the feeling that there can't be too many of these out there. My recommendation is to try this NOW if you're interested in it, as it could very well disappear at any moment. I have no idea if it's even in production anymore, and it's very possible that it was just released as a special edition for one year and once they're gone, they're gone. Samples can be provided by Osswald's NYC.