Skip to main content

Artisan by John Varvatos



For as long as I can recall, I have been a sucker for orange. Whether or not it's the theme of a fragrance or a well implemented rendition of the note, I suppose I like what I like. I also own my fair share of these and have a few stockpiled for future use since everything is reformulated these days. If any fragrance becomes popular enough to keep in production, there's no telling how many times it will be "changed" over time.

Artisan, by John Varvatos has slipped by me these last few years. That is, until I obtained a large sample that was included with a bunch of others recently procured by yours truly. I admit I didn't expect to like it as much as I do. I chalk that up to the numerous, disappointing masculines presently available at our local malls. That's not to say that all things current suck. That would be assanine on my part, but let's face it, the standout releases are becoming few and far between. The ingredient restrictions surely aren't helping matters either. Artisan, by John Varvatos, has managed to smell very good in spite of it all.

The orange note represented here isn't "pure", but palpable enough to lodge in one's throat ( so to speak ). Atelier does that to me as well. This version isn't as big, fat or juicy, but good in its own right. It's definitely sufficient for the task at hand. The citric theme has impressive hang time as it remains obvious even in the base and drydown stages.

On my skin, Artisan delivers citrus, spice and musk all blended in such a way as to showcase the Orange note. The other players are there for the ride, but play a subtle and important role.  They give the citrus a different edge, plus allow for a comfortable sensuality to manifest later in the wearings.

I like this scent. Sillage is tuned exceptionally well and longevity is approximately 6 hours on my skin. Not too shabby for a citric dominant fragrance. Thumbs up from Aromi for John Varvatos and his Artisan release. A sample wear is highly recommended.

Comments

  1. I haven't liked any of the other JV frags I've sampled, and like you I wasn't expecting to like this at all. I was amazed at how good this is. The way it uses herbal notes to open up the orange and orange blossom (which I find are often too heavy in perfumes) and make the scent totally transparent is amazing. I probably won't buy this scent simply because I don't see myself wearing it often, but it is one of the best men's fragrances that have been released in the last five years.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Paco Rabanne Pour Homme

I am reviewing the original Paco Rabanne Pour Homme ( circa 1973 ) thanks to a generous basenoter who sent it to me recently in a swap. He also sent me the current formulation in order for me to do a side by side comparison. The side by side resulted in what I had already imagined would be the case. Not that the newer formula is terrible by any means. The original version simply is better by being deeper and a bit more masculine. No......you shouldn't go to ebay searching for the vintage formula and paying stupid prices. It's simply a notch or two better than the current and noticeable by comparing the two in real time. Rabanne Pour Homme opens with a slight shimmer in conjunction with lavender, spices and a subtle woodiness. It's an old school introduction, however a good one. The lavender takes about 5 minutes to raise its volume and evolve into a soapy rendition. I dislike when a boatload of soapy lavender takes over a composition, but here it doesn't go over t...