Trussardi

Trussardi was launched in 1982, not 1983 or 84 if I recall correctly. But either way, it doesn’t change the fact that the first duo from the house, black and white, were impecable in many ways and absolute beauties that perfectly defined the Italian glamour of the times. Theater, movies, music, fashion...Italy was booming, and the perfumes had to reflect that! And boy did they!! I have 2 Trussardi Donna, or white, from 1985 and 1986 respectively, but I first encountered them many years back, around 1992/1993 when I was about 8 years old. And they stuck with me since then! Around that time my aunt had a second hand shop that looked more like a junk shop; old pans, shoes, Burda magazines, clothes, accessories.. stuff she somehow pretended to sell in a shop that was cluttered with dust and junk all around. There, she had samples of Anaïs Anaïs (I first smelt it there) and Trussardi sample cards that were packaged in plastic sleeves to scent drawers and closets. Up until a few years back, they still had scent! Faded echoes of leather, galbanum and powder that always stayed with me until I got hold of actual bottles. The magic for me is the opening! Bitter green herbal notes of artemisia and galbanum that recall slightly the opening of Kouros, but with an added iris softness. This robust beauty, that in its vintage formula makes todays mens scents seem like kids cologne, soon shows its fangs. Worn leather that smells of bitter isobutyl quinolene just like Bandit or Aramis, with hints of geranium and carnation. The flowers don’t lend a sweet or innocent aura, instead they add more greenness and dimension only softened by a powdery veil of iris or heliotrope. But never becoming a soft or gentle scent. This is leather and galbanum with oakmoss and resins in the base that define the general feel, with touches of everything else. Some opening aldehydes to add sparkle, while the heart simply softens the herbaceous character with undefined and perfectly blended florals. Trussardi is leather of the highest quality, carnation soap and herbs, a primal sexual tension that was perfectly captured in the original advertisement. Musky notes of the dirty variety to anchor it on skin, which gives it an amazing longevity but with a moderate sillage. The white version, marketed to women smells today infinitely more masculine than what you find on counters. The black male version, which I have yet to find, was the yin to the yang with a more butch character and a sweetness in the middle that felt so sensual! How times have changed! And yet the original vintage Trussardi still lives on! And still smells like a million bucks!

A strong and healthy chypre, the original Trussardi satiates my yen for smoky, savory herbs, propelled with aldehydes, bitter greens, and balmy coriander. It has such a muscle in its hustle that it could easily be mistaken as "made for men" but it isn't at all to think that a strong-boned, strong-willed feminine personality would wear this with aplomb as many have worn Bandit or Azurée. The scaffolding is a fumey and fierce leather, similar to that of its male counterpart, Trussardi Uomo, but here, an expressionist aggregation of florals form its heart. There's a bit of stank and skank to the jasmine, some salicylate tuberose, a stimulating smattering a vaguely rosy-lily flutterings, all boom! and pow! against a geranium-and-quinoline snappy-snap. Oakmoss alert: there's heaps, as a good chypre should, softening the blast with inky pleasure. Then there's cedar—lots of it, which I always love to experience as a follow-up to jasmine and florals in general: there's a reason for its versatility in perfume, and here, it just adds to the overall brawn of Trussardi into its dry down. It may seem a bit too harsh and acrid to more sensitive, delicate noses, but for one who wants a chypre that nibbles while making out, Trussardi may bring you to your knees. It's not a total stink-stonk-monster—it still transmits refinement. There are others that are for more harsh and unrelenting (and I love them to pieces, too) but this one does draw its claws just a bit. For now, it seems like this one hasn't reached "unicorn" status, so if you dare to blind buy it, you won't need to take out a second mortgage.

For me, Trussardi epitomizes the classic chypre in an entirely different way. It's FUZZY! I love this cozy aspect, which I attribute to musk, powder, and almost vegetal spices. Trussardi manages to be so well blended that it's seamlessly soothing, chic without trying. The opening sparkles with bright green sharpness, and then the almost suede - like warmth envelops me. On first trial it was a solid like, now LOVE. Comments about this being a mild mannered chypre are completely accurate - at least for me...hehe. My skin likes powerful scents and tends to demolish lighter fragrances. Yes, Trussardi could alarm someone just testing the chypre category for the first time, but lacks the Pow and Volume of ( for instance ) vintage Paloma Picasso or Knowing. With Trussardi you have a pungent opening, warm heart and drydown, and noticable sillage throughout. Not a wallflower, but a poised woman of the world! Longevity - good Sillage - moderate Overall aura - good taste

On me this is a chypre-leather, and (with much thanks to everyone's reviews) it was a good blind buy, I might add! It starts out loudly, finishes quietly, and feels like a classic! I love the aldehydes combined with the citrus-green-galbanum opening! This one will most certainly wake you up! I get warm and earthy floral notes throughout the heart, but on my skin, this is a very brief phase. No specific floral note seems easily identifiable, except...maybe the tuberose? But most certainly not the ylang or geranium (which was a concern for me, I admit.) The base emerges quickly and reminds me a little of Estee Lauder - Knowing...just add the leather note. So, for me the base is a bit of a dry, earthy leather, but not as dry as Cabochard. I imagine Trussardi will feel very fresh in the summer. This is when I prefer my chypres the most!! Thank you all for helping me achieve another successful blind buy!!

Wild Thang, you make my heart sang... As my son would say..."What the hey now?" Ok one of these days I am going to learn to detect notes but for what it's worth, there is an animal up in this here bottle. Ahhhh, that stanky Jasmine never let's me down. The green is gorgeous here, dirty and true. What does Galbanum smell like? If this is the note that is giving me this rush of euphoria, then I'll need to get to know this sexy little note a little better. Animalic may or may not be an appropriate word to describe this scent but it has a lush - wet - green - leather vibe that is making me yearn for more. I need a bigger bottle! Another love at first sniff. Thank you Amarah for the giveaway.