Acteur (for men)

vertigo

Acteur is more chypre-leather to me ...
It amazes with its boldness, it has a distinct character, it is somewhat different, it brings to mind mysterious travels to exotic lands and intellectual adventures ...
The composition is cheeky and stout.
I think for elegant and noble men, who are actors - not extras - on the stages of their lives.

flannelman

I had this in my wardrobe around 1989 or 1990, shortly after it was realeased. In a forgotten old box, I just found what remains of a mini bottle I also had at the time, with about 1ml of juice left. I thought, "this will likely have gone off in a big way" but to my surprise it was still perfect and exactly as I remembered it. Talk about a trip down memory lane!

One thing I like about eighties fragrances for men is that they were not afraid of having a lot of character. Acteur is not a powerhouse fragrance, but it definitely has an unmistakable personality.

I agree with Knightz's excellent review, to which I do not have much to add. The "azzaro accord" is there, but Acteur has an exquisite floral heart in which the top mace note seems to linger. Despite the spices and the musk, I find Acteur to have some sort of mellow quality. If I didn't know better I would say there is something reminiscent of honey in the juice but it's not a flowery honey, rather something like honeydew.

The overall feel of the fragrance is warm, sensual and sophisticated, with a woody-musky base and a close-to-skin soft leather note.

Really nicely done, perfect for autumn or evening wear.

knightz

If you know the smell of Azzaro pour Homme, then you know what is in the heart and base of Acteur... minus a few Azzaro pH notes... but still the original 'accord' is unmistakably there.

The top florals are switched to heart florals, with the spices staying mostly in the top. Some of the top notes they took out are Lavender, Geranium, and Iris. They are replaced in Acteur, as heart notes, by light Jasmine, a noticeable Carnation note, and the most dominant of the new florals is Rose. The Rose in this smells old, like a flower that has blossomed already and is starting to whither. It's not a bad smell, it's just not a fresh, clean Rose. I think it is a result of Mace in the top, the Mace is the harshest part of the nutmeg, very dry and peppery. The notes here say Nutmeg Flower in the top, but I'm pretty sure it's the Nutmeg husk (Mace) I am smelling, not the flower. The mace hangs around until well into the dry down.

The scent is average in longevity and sillage. Acteur is actually a little bit lighter than Azzaro pH but lasts about the same time. After about 2 hours it mostly smells of the original Azzaro accord to me, with more spicy dryness from both Vetiver and Mace. Very masculine. Another good one from Loris Azzaro, I like it.

If you are a fan of Azzaro and find Azzaro Now is too sweet for a Rose scent, then you might like Acteur's Rose better than Now's. Acteur is a lot more mature and manly than the playful sweet fruitiness of Now.