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Kiril_fr – :
Amazing juice. bright and yet warm.Compliments always.Discontinued but still around on ebay.
eterwesse – :
Uuuuuhhh this is heaven in a bottle. Pure Italian fougere-nectar!
The opening alone is highly addictive, like the openings of vintage -Lacoste (’84) -Xeryus (’86) -Basile Uomo (’87) -Tsar (’88) and so on….addictive stuff!
And then the unveiling of the equally aromatic, dense, mossy deliciousness that makes a classic italian fougere, imho 😉
Once you pop that cap, it’s gonna get you!
10/10
SpoodoTed – :
The best of the Aromatic Fougeres that I have tried. This was a favorite of mine for several years when I was much younger. It was so different from everything else I had, and I never smelled it on anyone else. I found it in a Spiegel’s Outlet store in San Marcos, Texas back in the day. I wasn’t sure I loved it then. I don’t think I was mature enough for it then either. There was something about it I liked at the time, but could not put my finger on. Years later I understood it was the oak moss. This thing is an oak moss beast. All I get is oak moss and leather; deep, dark, mossy leather and moist, musky earth. The opposite of a dry scent…wet and with an herbal quality. The bottle is the right color for the scent. Not floral at all, not just-showered fresh, not oceanic, not sweet, not slight. THIS IS MAN! It lasts and projects like crazy. I still have my bottle from the mid 90’s. It smells the same. I take more pleasure these days from knowing I have it, and from the memories of the time when it was mine; not from actually wearing it. They do not make them like this anymore.
Getwoppichott – :
This was my signature scent when it came out for many years! Still love the smell of this magnificent juice!
777anmark – :
my old time favourite EDT – wore it first when I was 20 – everyone loved the smell, it was unique – 6 years later I wanted to buy another bottle but I was not able to find it anymore – just recently I bought a bottle online – and still love the smell though I think the longetivity has somehow changed – apparently the early bottles were made in France and newer editions were made in the USA – anyhow I still love it and just recently I found cheap bottles for only €7 for 30ml on the french Amazon page Amazon.fr – had some hassle getting it so I bought immediately 5 bottles – just to know that I always have a spare available – the smell is fresh but also a little smoky – best to wear in fall or winter – I never found a smell alike this one, so it’s unique
snaik8989 – :
Francesco Smalto pour Homme is a great fragrance. Is herbal, woody, smoked, spicy, floral and leathery. The opening is beautiful and very strong, it feels lavender, tarrangon, bergamot, rosemary and anise, but after it softens, altouhg follow smelling very good. After two hours appears a smokey leather combined with lavender and a soft haba tonka, patchouli and cedar.
This fragrance is very aromatic, but at less the formula that I have is not so powerful.
I found a great similarty with Drakkar Noir, but Smalto is smoked and actual Francesco Smalto has better longevity and price than actual Drakkar Noir. I think It could be used every time of year.
I love this kind of fragrances, I love Francesco Smalto Pour Homme.
Беллочка – :
I used this back in ’95 or so. I remember I used to love it. One of the most original fragrances I have owned. I would really love to get a bottle now. I recall sillage was enormous.
Slotstream – :
In a time when oak moss was king and fougère were the perfect vessel to carry these aromatic fragrances… This is truly the stereotype of a manly & classy fragrance from that time. Francesco Smalto started his couture house in Paris in the 60’s. He was already an established designer when launching this first fragrance in 1987. You can easily imagine the well cut suit and opened white shirt with Smalto for Men.
So I decided to go « vintage hunting » (thanks to Colin Maillard’s review once more!) and was lucky to find a sealed box for a very low price. Lucky me!
I remember when it came out, as a young teenager, going numerous times to the fragrance counter just to smell this very intoxicating fragrance. Classy oak moss/lavender/bergamot trio with just enough leathery note to darkened the mix and that herbal & woody surrounding. A little bit of everything in just the right proportions.
In a time when Polo Green, Paco Rabane for Men, Drakkar Noir, Xeryus, Jacomo de Jacomo were all references… Smalto is from that era, but still relevant today. Probably less known than the above-mentioned but… truly a classic!
lada0774 – :
A plain, testosterone-prominent, aromatic fougere with a bitter / smoky character. It opens with the most typical fougerey accord to then become starker and darker during the middle-phase / dry down. By all means masculine, by all means a fougere. Not much too add…
Rating: 6.5/10
290829 – :
The English tagline for Smalto’s original ad campaign is “Smalto, you make me weak,” with a picture of a reclining woman, bejeweled in a sleeveless gown biting her hand. This doesn’t represent the fragrance well at all.
A better tagline, “Smalto, you’re making me uncomfortable.”
Or, “Smalto, you’re scaring me! For the love of everything holy, please put that knife away.”
An austere leather built for the powerful and the world weary, Smalto is not a scent for seduction, and it’s not a scent for clubbing. Smalto is a scent for the man who owns the club, the two clubs next door, runs the illicit trade inside said clubs, and does what needs doing to keep his empire intact. It goes on a lot like Knize Ten. But where Knize Ten, so beautifully oily, is the leather for dime-store hoods with too much grease in their hair, and no ambition beyond Friday night, Smalto is for the gangster who isn’t a gangster, the man who wears Canali, drives an A4, and dines out with Michelin. It oozes class.
I can’t understand why this doesn’t get more love. LuckyScent just nominated the reformulated Helmut Lang Cuiron as one of the best releases of 2014. Both tragic and comic that – also a sad comment, I suppose, on the inability of niche perfumery to match the quality of forgotten glory day gems such as this. A gloomy, powerful, utterly modern leathery fougere for around $40.
Astonishing.
gaddy – :
If you don’t like Sung pour homme – don’t worry !
Because Smalto (according to this reviewer of course) has as much in common with Sung as fine Pear Liqeur has in common with urine. They both contain water and aromas, that’s it, the similarities end there.
Smalto was a serious 80s creation, not one of the big landmarks, but good, and therefore still worth searching for. Sung in comparison was an attempt to make money that needed a freakish color to attract buyers.
Smalto’s bottle looks a bit like a gilded and strictly stylized pear. And that’s how Smalto smells. In those days what you saw not rarely was what you got.
Compare if you will Smalto’s bottle to Quorum’s and to Iquitos’s.
They all have glass in an Amazonian night green color with gold lettering. This is a color combo that resonates with the 80s infatuation with Indiana Jones adventures – the desire to go looking for treasure and existential meaning in warm and exotic places.
monster88 – :
I agree with karlovonamesti in his review. Smalto por Homme is very similar to Sung Homme. Both are also powerhouse products of the 80’s. But there is a herbal, dry vibe in Smalto that is not in Sung Homme. Sung, IMO, is more soapy. A long lasting scent (12 hours) that goes on and on.
I remember the ads in gentlemen’s magazines of that era, ( Playboy, Penthouse, Oui) A Black and white shot of a woman ( in distress? in heat?) with the caption ” oh smalto, you make me weak…”
igor125 – :
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
vol19 – :
A dark 80’s powerhouse. On me it’s, the top notes are smokey, dry leather. Over the next 6 -8 hours it’s stays the same, and that’s not a bad thing. Happy to have this unique gem.
Blueebird – :
A nuanced and complex aromatic fougere that resides along the Jazz/Tsar/Tuscany axis of this fragrance type. What I’ve always appreciated about Francesco Smalto PH is that, unlike Molto Smalto, this fragrance embraces the dark/smoky aspects of “leathery” aromatics, and opts out of the “fresh” dihydromyrcenol approach, instead favoring intense oakmoss, tarragon, artemisia, rosemary, sage, black pepper, and a dab of anise for warmth. This scent is one I’ve put on the backburner for a long time, and today I finally bought a bottle and I’m just as pleased with it as ever. It’s fresh, herbal, floral, and dry-leathery (in an abstract sense), and it always smells great. Revisiting this, I find it reminds me of Tsar and Jazz, but it also reminds me a lot of Sung Homme. It’s got a similar lavender note as in Drakkar Noir, also. But the Sung Homme association gets stronger as Smalto dries down. That’s a good thing – Sung smells good. Smalto smells excellent, too.
I want to write one more paragraph about something regarding this fragrance that I don’t think can be overstated: FSPH smells incredibly natural for an eighties fougere of this type, and especially at this price-point. The opening blast of moss and herbs is multi-dimensional, and really shimmers. Then the early drydown yields all the herbal notes at their most intense, a veritable garden of spicy manliness that is out of this world. Wait for the far drydown to smell an incredible tonka/anise/moss/musk that is smoother than horsehide. I rank this up there with Tsar as being one of the best aromatic-green ferns of the last thirty years. And if you were to suggest that FSPH is a bit of a “fougeriental,” I wouldn’t argue with you.
root02 – :
Francesco Smalto Pour Homme is a beautiful and captivating powerhouse scent that integrates many of my favorite notes. It starts out with herbs, lavender and anise while gradually passing into a heart heart of fern, carnation and geranium and then yielding to a leathery, tonka, oak moss and musk finish. What I really love is that the presence of smoke, motor oil, soap and leather is always at hand letting you know that this is a manly scent that deserves respect. FSPH has quickly become one of my consistently used favorites. Not for a younger crowd, it needs to be worn by men who have experienced life and understand their place in this world.
nicolette063 – :
If you long for this fragrance but can’t find it anymore, just pick up a new bottle of Giorgio Red and you’ll pretty much have it. I own both and I’m wearing both on my wrist right now as an experiment. If I didn’t know which one I sprayed on each wrist, it would be very hard to tell.
bride10 – :
This fragrance got me a one night stand in 1996..hook ,line and sinker..thankyo
lolipoper – :
I bought two 100ml bottles like 1.5 year ago of this old 80’s powerhouse due to all reviews I read, not being able to test it.
It was not in vain as I really love the stuff! Ubermasculanity in a bottle! This juice really rocks and contains all powerhouse qualities! It’s macho, dark, smokey, leathery, ubermasculine, strong, lasting and projecting! Most powerhouses don’t have all these qualities as Shamu points out correctly as they are mostly not smokey and this dark! (assuming the brilliant Tsar is no powerhouse)
The opening is a mix of lavender, flowers and leather mixed with anise. The anise seems odd but makes this dry fragrance smell pretty different than any other powerhouse I can think of. The anise complements the other masculine notes during opening and smokey heart stage and disappears when the drydown sets in. The drydown which is pretty soft compared to the first 1.5 hour of the opening and heart goes on for many hours lingering around and never seem to leave you which makes it a pretty long lasting fragrance. The drydown is also still smokey with some masculine stuff going on. lots of patchouli, leather and oakmoss are the key players there which keep it dark. As ericrico pointed out there is no freshness at all in this scent but just brilliant boldness in a bottle! To be used in fall/winter only! Longevity is 8+ hrs and sillage above average first two hours and average to close last 6-8 hrs of its long life time. Thumbs up! Rated: 9/10
dgapoliv – :
Ok, this bring back fond memories of 24 years ago. But I’m glad I found Smalto on here because I just have to say – I thought this was sex in a bottle. I haven’t been around it in a very long time, so I don’t know if I’d still like it today. The ad campaigns in the late ’80s with, “Smalto… You make me weak…” were spot-on perfect.
LiliMinerva – :
I agree with most of the descriptions of the notes from previous reviewers and overall I think this is alright.
BUT I have two reservations.
– The first is that the smokiness and leather notes combine to give a slight but definite urea smell which puts me off (like the smell of fresh kidneys cooking).
– Secondly it seems like a watered down powerhouse – the projection is good early on but fades fast and longevity on me is only 5 or 6 hours and it’s barely detectable for the last few hours.
Can’t help feeling it was made as a “safe” version of some earlier powerhouses and didn’t really commit to anything fully – that might be what you want if some of the others don’t suit you – but it just doesn’t do it for me. I have other scents that IMHO do a better, more full-blooded job (that I can get hold of more cheaply) and this doesn’t add anything to my wardrobe.
OK but can’t recommend.
qwertyuiop369 – :
shamus1, instantjim and preetmonger – fantastic reviews! I was a little hesitant at first to buy this – although I am a powerhouse and aromatic fougere lover, I was worried it would be overly-done or perhaps a shadow of another scent. I was also concerned if the bottle I got was a good one as there are threads on other forums of cheap (possible immitation) bottles. I got the real juice from a reliable source and have very serious affection for this fragrance! Excellent.
Shamus1 nails this – I got hit with the smoky opening full of rich green herbs (tarragon, sharp lavender, and rosemary) and florals (similar to Drakkar Noir but with added smoke), which sort of floored me…in a very good way. Surprised not to see artemisia as a listed note – (as was Instantjim, who found tarragon to be in the artemisia family…bingo). It is not as tarry as Jacomo de Jacomo (which can be over the top for some) and the smoke blends very nicely into this. The specific accord is the carnation-clove, blending with the rich oakmoss and heavy, warm leather. I would have to say that it is an Aromatic Fougere (classic 80’s style after DN’s success starting in 1982) with a lot of leather, lavender, oakmoss, deep patchouli, musk and other green/floral notes. The citrus is minimal – this is a rugged scent, not “fresh” – but in your face macho. It is not the tough guy at the bar – it is the bouncer who will throw him out!
I recently have reviewed the reformulation of Drakkar Noir and feel it is very good (lighter than before). Ironically, this is like Drakkar Noir “Black” – 😉 ! The notes are very well-blended here…impressively so. The smoke stays, but other florals come forward in the heart and the fresh top green herbs keeps this from becoming dank or musty. This is the perfect smoker’s fragrance…and yet there is no tobacco note. Apart from Drakkar Noir, I would have to say that this is actually fairly unique. I don’t get a strong anise note from this (although it is mentioned), but there are subtle nuances of dark licorice undertone, along with a nice, green fern note in the late heart. Overall, Francesco Smalto Pour Homme is a rich, smoky leather scent that has well-incorporated green and floral notes – I do get the rich tarragon and some nice rosemary, so green, earthy/herbal indeed. The patchouli here is deep, earthy and rich. The musk, just slightly dirty – which goes perfect with the smoky leather, oakmoss and warm tonka bean (coumarin) for that classic fougere vibe. I have a large collection of Aromatic Fougeres and this one just found a home in my rotation! Excellent.
Throw my hat into the ring of really, really like – damn near love. I am curious for a full-wearing of this, but I can tell it is a powerhouse. For now, I give it a solid and respectable 8+/10 and a recommendation to buy (I have worn the latest Drakkar Noir several times lately and increased my rating to 7.5+/10 – I would say they are very close, but slight nod to Francesco Smalto Pour Homme for the depth and not reformulated that I can tell). I would reach for DN to be less-offensive/daytime scent. I’d rather not compare, but when in the mood for a composition like this, one will choose either this bottle or the opaque, black one that says Drakkar Noir on it. This is actually closer in vibe to a layered wearing of Drakkar Noir (current with vintage formulation) as you get both the green/herbal/floral notes with the rich base from what only the Vintage juice can offer.
This bottle is great to hang out and enjoy on cool, fall & winter evenings projecting an intense, macho-vibe – and wear just to feel I got a pair. Great bottle of juice and only to be worn by men, not boys.
Highly recommended.
cousini – :
I love all the 80’s leathery powerhouse fragrances, and Francesco Smalto Pour Homme is one of the best of that lot. It’s unlike most aromatic fougeres in that it smells very smoky, which is very unusual for this genre. It also smells darker than any other fougere I’ve ever smelled.
Fans of Drakkar Noir should really enjoy this because it shares the same strong oily leather smell as Drakkar, and it’s that leather which gives Smalto its powerhouse strength. Boatloads of oakmoss and patchouli mixed with the leather set this frag firmly within the 80’s powerhouse category. It smells macho and badass.
Smalto is one of the most masculine fragrances I’ve ever smelled. It actually increases in strength the longer it’s worn, and you will wear this a long time, since the scent will stay on your skin for well over 12 hours. Sillage and projection are also phenomenal, making this a bonafide power scent without a doubt.
This juice totally rocks.
MY RATING: 10/10
lagren16 – :
I was giving this tarry juice a chance few times, but…never it convinced me of its olfactory “merrits”, in all; the WORST I have, worster than Sung For Man, I’ll keep on keeping it in the collection anyway.
wno228InsuffBooni – :
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.
cristofer – :
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.