Our take
What does Costa Azzurra smell like?
Yann Vasnier composed Costa Azzurra in 2014 for the Neroli Portofino collection of Private Blends, alongside Mandarino di Amalfi. You expect a beachy citrus. You get something woody and salty, and much drier. The opening mixes seaweed, driftwood and celery seed, with cardamom and ambrette adding spice and musk. A light oud roughens the wood. The heart smells of scrubland by the sea. Juniper, myrtle and lavender mingle with artemisia under a flash of lemon and mandarin. The base stays rooted in wood. Oak, vetiver and incense give a faint smoke while mastic brings a resin that is almost aniseed. Vanilla only softens the edges. It evokes a rocky cove more than a sandy beach. A Parfum version by a different perfumer followed later.
When to wear it
Summer and spring, daytime or weekends. Three sprays; it stays present without shouting.
It belongs to the Woody, Aquatic family. Costa Azzurra is one of 35 creations by Tom Ford in our encyclopedia.
