Duro by Nasomatto

It's probably impossible to talk about Duro by Nasomatto without referencing Luca Turin's review (from the Fall 2008 addition to The Guide):

"...This is a masculine, intended to celebrate the exuberant, unwarranted fondness Italians have for their weenies.
...Useful as a contraceptive, but little else."

Basically, Dr. Turin is telling us that Duro smells like an Eros Ramazzotti* song.

The thing is, I really like Duro. It's a leather scent, and I have yet to encounter a perfume in this category I didn't like. It opens with a strong almost camphoric note that softens after a few minutes into something reminiscent of Daim Blond, though not as soft and sumptuous. Duro is darker and leaner- if Daim Blond is a smooth and luxurious suede jacket from a top Madison Avenue boutique, Duro has a more downtown vibe. But I don't get the scent of an Italian playboy Luca Turin is talking about.

I also don't feel any vulgar in-your-face masculinity. Maybe it's because my skin amplifies the ambery, almost sweet drydown and tunes out a lot of the dry spicy wood I smell when my husband wears Duro. Or maybe it's because telling me a perfume is only for men always makes me say "just watch me". The bottle in my perfume cabinet might belong to the man of the house, who tested several Nasomatto scents and favored this one every time, but I wear it happily. It goes well with a cashmere dress in the winter or a white tank top and ethnic jewelry in the summer.

I bought the bottle of Duro by Naomatto ($148, 1 oz extrait de parfum) from Barneys. It's also available at Henri Bendel in NYC and Luckyscent/Scent Bar in Los Angeles.

* I actually have a weird soft spot for Eros Ramazzotti. The Blond and I have spent our honeymoon in Italy. I don't know how things are today, but back in 1996 Eros was everywhere and you couldn't escape his voice, no matter where you went- on the radio, on TV,blasting out of random cars and played in most restaurants.



Photo: Marcello Mastroianni in Fellini's 8 1/2, 1963