Chrome Extreme
Eau de Parfum, Azzaro (2020)

So after a while I decided to blind buy this fragrance. I've been a fan of the OG since it came out "was my go too as a teenager and still kicks ass to this day."

Everyone keeps comparing this to profondo and I don't see it at all. Maby it's an old blend of pronto that I haven't tried. Maby its because my bottle needs to settle. But this reminds me of that smell you smell after 2aday practice in high school.

Close your eyes and remember the day of ax body spray. There was that one scent that every guy sprayed way fucking too much of that was kinda ok but kinda smelt like a mix of old spice fresh deodorant and your sisters body wash over it.

This is that smell 100%. First spray I instantly remember it cause I grew to hate it because every kid in class had way too much of this on and it's one or those scents that gets burned into your memory.

Kinda like when you walk into anywhere and you smell that after wiff of woods of a guy who just saoked himself in way too much savage.


We all know these memories. OK so enough of that I'm not totally bashing this smell here. But if you wanna smell like that stereotypical "dude who wants to smell good." And really didn't put any thought into it back I'm 2005. This is your scent. It's cheap. It's overpowering. It's basic and not as pleasing as everyone says. And more than likely the girl your talking to has been crushed by some dickhead who wore way too much of this and will loose most interest after first sniff

Or who knows it might be your go to.


Idk call me old-fashioned. But this is definatly a smell from the early 2000s that should have just stayed there.

Typical modern blue fragrance. His main muses were Bleu de Chanel, Dior Sauvage and more than those - Versace Dylan Blue.

Being so quite "seen/smelled already", going too much into depth with a review and descriptions doesn't make much sense.

The old, original Azzaro Chrome is an example and a staple of this line. In my subjective opinion, Azzaro Chrome is still the best and a compliment getter, doesn't smell "old" to me.

Conclusion: Azzaro Chrome Extreme just barely has an echo of the original, if that even. It is much closer to modern iteration of "blue" fragrances and it doesn't stand out. Is it bad though? No. It'll do its job, whatever you want it to do - work/office, date, walk/stroll, day or night, all seasons except for winter evening or night because I don't think it has the character for that.

Originality: 3/10
Scent: 6/10
Longevity: 8/10
Projection 6/10
___________________
Objectively 6/10
Subjectively 5/10

This marine fragrance offers surprisingly good quality at a discount price. In my opinion, it beats out the Acqua di Gio flankers such as EDP or Profundo. It combines all the typical "blue" fragrance notes with woody amber to create a fresh and slightly sweet shower gel vibe, which has a nice sillage. While it may not smell amazing up close, it is an excellent option for those who want a solid summer scent without breaking the bank.

There are plenty of other aquatics that sell for $80-90, even at discounters, so this option is a fantastic value for the price. While I personally won't be purchasing a full bottle since I already have decants of ADG Profumo and Nautica Voyage, I would definitely recommend this fragrance to anyone new to the fragrance game who is looking for an affordable and decent summer scent.

Right off the top I need to say that Azzaro Chrome Extreme Eau de Parfum (2020) in no way shape or form smells like Azzaro Chrome (1996). The biggest-selling masculine pillar release since the original Azzaro pour Homme (1978) has begotten many a flanker, some of them related directly to the original, and some not, so this comes as no surprise to somebody that's tried a lot of them before reaching this one. The big plush hedione white floral arrangement of the original Azzaro Chrome took a play from the book of the unisex-marketed Calvin Klein cK One (1994), merging it with a bit of the semi-aqautic white linen feel of the eponymous Nautica (1992), creating an instant winner that now might seem dated to Gen Z noses. This is since floral hedione like that and what is used in the original Dior Eau Sauvage (1966) has been replaced mostly with Hedione high-cis ever since Acqua di Giò pour Homme by Giorgio Armani (1996) made that the more popular choice with masculine perfumes, or its sharper descendant, paradisone. It makes sense then that Azzaro Extreme doesn't have that quality as it tries to catch the "blue fragrance" wave to give Azzaro a horse in that already-overcrowded race without introducing a new, untested nameplate. Discount blind-buyers looking for a daily mule to whip at work or local dive bar will like this for the value it represents, but that's not setting your bar very high.

I must say that I find nothing wrong from a qualitative point of view with Azzaro Extreme, because it is commercial perfume sold at a relatively affordable price, so expectations were not crushed upon first sniff with that in mind going in, I'm just a bit tired of smelling things like these overall. The opening here is "green mandarin" which translates to citral and a bunch of other citrus movers and shapers, mixed with some commercial orange smell. I could do here what I did in a recent designer review and just prattle off aromachemicals, but I'm too tired for even that, and someone not knee-deep in fragrance nerd knowledge like myself wouldn't make sense of it anyway. You get a sharp medicinal juniper thing, a bunch of ionones giving fruity floral notes, something zippy and metallic/marine, then a similar creamy/semi-sweet base that mirrors a mix of Paco Rabanne Invictus (2013) minus the bubblegum, and the dry down of Ferragamo Eau de Toilette by Salvatore Ferragamo (2020). Mostly this peters out to sweet tonka and ambroxan with bits of the "blue" melange on top, lasting for about 8 hours but with close EdP sillage and projection that vanishes at the second hour. Best use is casual all-weather situations where you just don't really care, or given as a gift to a teenage son that likes Versace pour Homme Dylan Blue (2014) and Dior Sauvage (2015) but might like something just a bit sweeter than those without going "full clubber" mode.

Not even a year in and this stuff is already between $35-$50 at retailers should give you an indication of the trajectory this will have, until it gets discontinued like many of other flankers and magically increases tenfold in price for the guys who will swear it was an unsung gem of the Chrome range. Until that hysteria hits in 6 to 16 years, Azzaro Extreme Eau de Parfum is a cheap thrill with a fast food burger a few notches above McDonald's kind of satisfaction to it. The quality to price ratio is to be expected, and very much passable. You won't find fault in the efforts of the unknown perfumer, and performance will leave you without much to say either way, so if utilitarian modern perfume with relevancy to trend is all you're after (aka "compliments"), then Azzaro Extreme is a bargain. If you're already topped up with the big-name "Bleu Crew" from the hype-tier players such as Dior, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, this will feel redundant and without anything distinct to make you reach for it. If you are tired of the post-aquatic "blue fragrance" phenomenon, this will just be one more nail in that coffin, and should be avoided. I'd say test first, but most domestic department stores outside maybe Macy's don't stock testers of the Chrome range, so cracking open a box at Ross and sneaking a spray may be the only way to know outside of just buying it. If you're from Europe, testing opportunities at boutiques may be better. Neutral

Opens up like a mix of Dylan Blue, Legend Spirit, Invictus, and Nautica Voyage. Fresh, clean, modern, super-synthetic, and also some spiciness. Done before, yes. But still done pretty well.

Lots of citrus-blue notes and woody amber, like you'd expect. Follows the current trend at the mall in men's scents.

Not bad, overall. It definitely smells better than Axe and is for sure compliment bait, so it has its place and purpose. You could do far worse. But it is not refined and could get lost in the crowd. That's my main detraction. There are better versatile warm-weather scents out there.