Azzaro Wanted Eau De Parfum Review: The Modern Spicy-Woody Powerhouse
Is this designer's bold gamble on a sweet, spicy, and woody scent worth your investment? We break down the performance, price, and personality of Azzaro's contemporary hit.
Launched in 2016, Azzaro Wanted Eau de Parfum marked a significant pivot for the historic French house. Known for timeless classics like the original Azzaro Pour Homme (1978), the brand aimed to capture a younger, more daring audience with a scent that felt both modern and unmistakably masculine. The fragrance was launched with a high-profile marketing campaign featuring actor and model Gaspard Ulliel, positioning it as a scent for the confident, adventurous man—a "wanted" individual.
In the market, Wanted EDP sits in the crowded designer sweet-woody-spicy segment, competing directly with juggernauts like Jean Paul Gaultier''s Ultra Male and Paco Rabanne''s 1 Million. However, Azzaro differentiated it with a more pronounced cardamom and gingerbread accord, creating a distinctive, gourmand-tinged warmth. It''s positioned as the bolder, more intense sibling to the original Wanted EDT, offering greater longevity and a richer scent profile for those willing to pay a premium.
The inspiration is rooted in the concept of the modern outlaw or anti-hero—charismatic, unpredictable, and magnetic. The bottle design, shaped like a revolver cylinder, reinforces this rebellious, Wild West-inspired theme. The scent itself is meant to evoke a sense of daring and seduction, a far cry from the clean barbershop fougères that built Azzaro''s reputation.
Within the fragrance community, Wanted EDP has developed a solid reputation as a reliable, high-performance designer scent. It''s often recommended as a "compliment getter" and a safe blind buy for those seeking a versatile, mass-appealing fragrance with above-average strength. While some purists dismiss it as a generic sweet bomb, its consistent sales and flanker releases prove its commercial success and cultural staying power in the late 2010s designer landscape.
The Nose Behind the Scent
The fragrance was created by perfumers Fabrice Pellegrin and Alexandra Monet. Fabrice Pellegrin is a prolific nose at Firmenich, known for modern, impactful scents like Dior Homme Parfum, Tom Ford Noir Extreme, and Byredo Bal d''Afrique. Alexandra Monet, also with Firmenich, has collaborated on numerous successful projects, bringing a nuanced touch to contemporary compositions. Their combined expertise resulted in a fragrance that balances boldness with wearability.
Accords
Notes Pyramid
Scent Journey
The opening is a bright, zesty burst of lemon and ginger. It''s energetic and slightly fizzy, but the sweetness from the underlying tonka bean is immediately detectable. This initial phase is bold and attention-grabbing, lasting roughly 15-30 minutes.
As the citrus calms, the heart reveals itself. Creamy, aromatic cardamom becomes the star, supported by a clean lavender and a crisp, non-jammy apple note. The gingerbread-like warmth from the tonka bean intensifies, merging with the spices to create a cozy, inviting, and distinctly masculine core. This phase is the fragrance''s signature and lasts for several hours.
After 4+ hours, the scent settles into a soft, woody, and ambery embrace. The sweet spiciness remains but is now firmly anchored by dry cedar and smooth amberwood. The tonka bean persists, offering a vanillic, comforting finish. The drydown is intimate, warm, and lasts for many hours as a skin scent.
Performance Dashboard
Exceptionally long-lasting for a designer EDP. Consistently delivers 10-12 hours on skin, often lingering on clothing for 24+ hours.
Strong projection for the first 3-4 hours, creating a noticeable scent bubble of about an arm''s length. It then moderates to a more personal space.
Leaves a pronounced and enticing trail, especially in the first half of its wear. It''s a fragrance that announces your presence when you enter a room.
When to Wear
Community Verdict
A high compliment-puller, particularly in social and dating scenarios. Its warm, inviting, and familiar sweetness tends to be well-received by a broad audience.
Pros & Cons
- ✅ Outstanding longevity and strong performance
- ✅ Mass-appealing, crowd-pleasing scent profile
- ✅ Versatile for most evening and cooler weather occasions
- ✅ Distinctive bottle design
- ✅ Good value for the performance offered
- ❌ Can be too sweet or cloying for some, especially in heat
- ❌ Not unique; shares DNA with many other designer releases
- ❌ The opening can be slightly synthetic to trained noses
- ❌ Not suitable for hot weather or close-quarter office environments
Price & Value
“Offers excellent value for money based on its performance alone. You are paying for potency and reliability, making the cost-per-wear favorable.”
📜 Reformulation History
No major, widely reported batch variations or drastic reformulations since its 2016 launch. Consistency in production has been a noted strength of this release.
Who It's For
✅ Ideal For
- Men aged 22-40
- Individuals with a confident, outgoing personality
- Those who enjoy sweet, spicy, and warm fragrances
- Fragrance newcomers looking for a versatile, high-impact scent
⚠️ Not Recommended For
- People who dislike sweet or gourmand notes
- Those seeking a light, fresh, or office-safe fragrance
- Individuals with a preference for classic, soapy, or aromatic scents
The Family
A deeper, spicier, and more aromatic take with cinnamon and tobacco, aimed at colder months and late evenings.
The feminine counterpart, featuring pear, pink pepper, and vanilla.
A fresher, more citrus-aquatic flanker designed for daytime and summer wear.
Explore More
🔍 Similar Fragrances
Shares a similar sweet, amber, and leathery backbone, though 1 Million is fruitier and more bubblegum-like.
Both are sweet, pear-infused, high-performance designer scents ideal for nightlife, with Ultra Male being fruitier and more floral.
A modern sweet-woody scent with similar performance goals, though Victory leans more into lavender and patchouli.
Offers a comparable apple and tonka bean structure but in a fresher, less spicy context.
💡 Clone Alternatives
A widely recognized clone that captures the core sweet-spicy-woody accord at a fraction of the price, though with slightly less refinement.
Another budget alternative often compared for its sweet tonka and woody drydown.
❤️ You May Also Enjoy
For those who enjoy the spicy, warm, and sweet profile but want something even richer with vanilla and tobacco.
Shares a similar cardamom and vanilla gourmand warmth with a more powdery, iris-driven elegance.
A comparable designer sweet-woody-ambery scent with excellent performance, focused on chestnut and rum.
For fans of the tonka bean and amber drydown who prefer a more sophisticated, powdery, and less spicy presentation.
More from Azzaro
🧪 Layering Ideas
- A light, clean musk fragrance to temper the sweetness
- A crisp, aromatic fougère (like Azzaro Pour Homme) to add classic freshness
- A pure vanilla or amber oil to amplify the warm, cozy base
🏆 Final Verdict
Azzaro Wanted Eau de Parfum is a workhorse fragrance that delivers precisely what it promises: bold, sweet, spicy warmth with exceptional staying power. It''s not trying to reinvent the wheel, but it executes a popular modern designer blueprint with impressive skill and consistency.
You should buy this fragrance if you''re a man in your 20s or 30s seeking a versatile, high-impact scent for dating and social events, particularly in fall and winter. Its greatest strength is its reliability—you can spray it on and not worry about it fading halfway through the evening. It''s a confident, easy-to-wear scent that requires little thought.
However, if you despise sweet notes or are looking for something unique and niche, look elsewhere. Wanted EDP is a crowd-pleaser, not an avant-garde statement. For its price point, it offers tremendous value in terms of raw performance, making it a smart investment for anyone building a core designer wardrobe. It''s a modern classic in the making for a specific audience, and it earns its place on the shelf through sheer, undeniable potency.