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NEW: John Varvatos Artisan.

post #1 of 70
1/23/09 at 11:08am
Thread Starter 
This one holds a lot of promise, even by John Varvatos standards (I have a very high level of respect for this designer house, being a fan of the house's Vintage). No leather this time (BPI USA was promising something fresher for the brand's new release to the local rep anyway), but no aquatic notes, either... it's a citrus/herbal with some unique floral notes for a nice change of pace from a market that's drowning in aquatics (pun intended). And it should be out in March at a store near you. More info here.

But the name struck me immediately... will L'Artisan Parfumeur claim legal rights to the word "artisan" for the fragrance sector and threaten Bond No. 9-esque legal action against BPI USA (even though L'Artisan is tiny and BPI parent Shiseido is Godzilla-sized)?
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post #2 of 70
1/23/09 at 11:27am
The more interesting one out of that article seems to be Diesel Only The Brave. I like the name and the notes sound good..depending on the leather. I'm not sure how much Citrus type notes he can cram into Artisan.
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post #3 of 70
1/23/09 at 11:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MFfan310 View Post

This one holds a lot of promise, even by John Varvatos standards (I have a very high level of respect for this designer house, being a fan of the house's Vintage). No leather this time (BPI USA was promising something fresher for the brand's new release to the local rep anyway), but no aquatic notes, either... it's a citrus/herbal with some unique floral notes for a nice change of pace from a market that's drowning in aquatics (pun intended). And it should be out in March at a store near you. More info here.

But the name struck me immediately... will L'Artisan Parfumeur claim legal rights to the word "artisan" for the fragrance sector and threaten Bond No. 9-esque legal action against BPI USA (even though L'Artisan is tiny and BPI parent Shiseido is Godzilla-sized)?

I look forward to trying this.
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post #4 of 70
1/23/09 at 12:43pm
This sounds interesting. I like the original John Varvatos and am planning on testing out Vintage at some point as well. Guess I need to add Artisan to the list!
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post #5 of 70
1/23/09 at 1:07pm
I'll probably get this. I have the other two. I just like the whole "vibe" of the line.

I wish I could afford the men's Varvatos Skin Care line. The packaging is gorgeous, IMHO.
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post #6 of 70
1/23/09 at 1:44pm
i'm a huge fan of Vintage and the skin-care line they have....i use the skin stuff quite a bit and like it alot.

but this latest description doesn't really sound like my kinda thing.....the last thing i'm looking for right now in a scent is citrus and floral....ugh!

the first 2 Varvatos fragrances had light touches of leather, but not much of it....Vintage did a very nice fruit-suede-sweet and fresh cascade....and i was really hoping that the 'new' Varvatos would go after a bolder, spicier, even more leather direction....

but hey...they're doing what it takes to sell more fragrances! and the general public go buckwild for 'fresh' scents.....unfortunately!
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post #7 of 70
1/23/09 at 2:24pm
I too have both of Varvatos' scents and am looking forward to this one.

The notes certainly sound unusual.
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post #8 of 70
1/23/09 at 11:18pm
He really doesn't make bad scents, so I'm looking forward to this.
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post #9 of 70
1/24/09 at 5:31am
A great point about him is that, he is able to produce scents with a classical sophisticated touch without being outdated.
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post #10 of 70
1/24/09 at 6:27am
I sold my bottle of JV, and I have not tried Vintage. This scent, however, interests me, and I will likely seek it out to try. Also, I am not a bottle hound, but the basketweave bottle is quite striking.
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post #11 of 70
1/24/09 at 3:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ToughCool View Post

The more interesting one out of that article seems to be Diesel Only The Brave. I like the name and the notes sound good..depending on the leather. I'm not sure how much Citrus type notes he can cram into Artisan.

the bottle really sucks,. anyway ill try it...
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post #12 of 70
2/6/09 at 3:17pm
from what i know.....Artisan has been released at Nordstrom this week.

anybody try it yet? i DID see someone post that it was their SOTD today.....
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post #13 of 70
2/6/09 at 4:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by everso View Post

from what i know.....Artisan has been released at Nordstrom this week.

anybody try it yet? i DID see someone post that it was their SOTD today.....


I took a look at the Nordstrom's website and it looks like it's a Nordy's exclusive for now. Only saw a 4.2oz available. Going to have to stop by my local store to check it out!
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post #14 of 70
2/6/09 at 7:50pm
Will it have similar longevity as JV, or might it last a bit longer? That really is my only problem with that scent.
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post #15 of 70
2/6/09 at 8:47pm
Some more info on this:

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/s...e,707419.shtml
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post #16 of 70
2/7/09 at 3:01am
It makes me laugh when companies try and copyright words which are in common parlance. Artisan is a noun, nobody owns it.
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post #17 of 70
2/7/09 at 6:18am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mchoi76 View Post

I took a look at the Nordstrom's website and it looks like it's a Nordy's exclusive for now. Only saw a 4.2oz available. Going to have to stop by my local store to check it out!

Looks like it will only be available in a 4.2 oz until April, when it hits 900 more stores (though Saks and Neiman's will be getting it in-between, in March). Then, when it's available everywhere, it will also be available in a 2.5 oz and a matching deodorant.
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post #18 of 70
2/7/09 at 2:51pm
Got it today, and it's quite nice. Starts out with a very sharp citrus burst of oranges and tangerines for perhaps a minute or so before delving into what smells like orange blossoms. From here, the scent starts to really turn floral, but not in a bad way at all, with a bit of a soap-like quality. It's like somebody took JPG's Fleur du Male and stripped it of all its obnoxiousness overkill and left a quietly composed, self-assured orange-floral fragrance for men that has roots based in some of the older, classic edts. That being said, like the two other Varvatos fragrances, it manages to take a familiar concept and give it a bit of a unique twist. I don't know if this will be to everyone's liking, but I do have to give the Varvatos house credit for putting out three scents now in the mainstream that don't smell like a lot of other stuff on the market.
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post #19 of 70
2/7/09 at 2:58pm
reminds a lot of a watered down le Labo Neroli..very nice and very cool bottle
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post #20 of 70
2/7/09 at 3:31pm
Need to samples this one.
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post #21 of 70
2/8/09 at 11:16am
i really really want to try this... !!! but will be hard to find it in mexico ciy.. what a shame =(
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post #22 of 70
2/8/09 at 11:17am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thebark View Post

It's like somebody took JPG's Fleur du Male and stripped it of all its obnoxiousness overkill and left a quietly composed, self-assured orange-floral fragrance for men that has roots based in some of the older, classic edts. That being said, like the two other Varvatos fragrances, it manages to take a familiar concept and give it a bit of a unique twist. I don't know if this will be to everyone's liking, but I do have to give the Varvatos house credit for putting out three scents now in the mainstream that don't smell like a lot of other stuff on the market.

I can understand the similarities. After all, both John Varvatos and Jean Paul Gaultier are Shiseido licensees, and their subsidiary Beaute Prestige International distributes both brands.

After all, I liked Fleur du Male, but found it way too "sharp" and soapy for normal wear... it was like wearing a bar of Ivory around your neck. I guess Artisan might be the ticket then.
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post #23 of 70
2/8/09 at 12:11pm
Totally different from the previous two Varvatos.
Where John Varvatos was vanilla, dried dates, suede & play dough...
...and JV Vintage was Cartier Pasha/Michael Jordan Cologne (in the black box) with extra woods and spice...

...Artisan is a familiar transparent green accord of fake herbalness (marjoram/thyme/lavandin they claim) that I have smelled in green dime-store body washes in the 90's, and maybe in some green jovan tonic aftershave gels (again 90's), mixed with some ok-sweet synth citrus and a pleasantly smooth woody base under it.
It's alright, but not a winner imo.
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post #24 of 70
2/8/09 at 5:40pm
Seems like the name is more of a winner than the fragrance. I'll have to give it a shot though!


Quote:
Originally Posted by DULLAH View Post

Totally different from the previous two Varvatos.
Where John Varvatos was vanilla, dried dates, suede & play dough...
...and JV Vintage was Cartier Pasha/Michael Jordan Cologne (in the black box) with extra woods and spice...

...Artisan is a familiar transparent green accord of fake herbalness (marjoram/thyme/lavandin they claim) that I have smelled in green dime-store body washes in the 90's, and maybe in some green jovan tonic aftershave gels (again 90's), mixed with some ok-sweet synth citrus and a pleasantly smooth woody base under it.
It's alright, but not a winner imo.
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post #25 of 70
2/8/09 at 11:07pm
The use of Murraya in Artisan intrigues me. One of my favourite plants. I love the smell of the flowers and also the wood when pruning it. I wonder if it's the flowers or the wood they're using here because they are completely different! This is the first time I've seen it listed as a 'note' in a perfume, so I'll be checking this one out!
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post #26 of 70
2/8/09 at 11:11pm
I have a feeling this is going to be a real mainstream kind of cologne, in the sense that it'll just be a standard, basic scent and smell something like the other JV scents only a little dissimilar, and have that standard Hugo-Boss scent to it. i dont know, its my intuition, but i think i'm right on this.
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post #27 of 70
2/11/09 at 7:18am
I'll swing by and pick a bottle up this weekend as a valentine's day gift to myself!
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post #28 of 70
2/11/09 at 7:54am
I was able to sample this at Nordstom. The bottle is nice, sort of a basket wrapped version of the other Varvatos bottle design. Scent was unique, starts with citrus and other fruit, turns into more of a gourmand with some other sweet food scents in there. i didn't really care for it on my skin, but I may give it another try.
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post #29 of 70
2/12/09 at 2:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by charger View Post

I was able to sample this at Nordstom. The bottle is nice, sort of a basket wrapped version of the other Varvatos bottle design. Scent was unique, starts with citrus and other fruit, turns into more of a gourmand with some other sweet food scents in there. i didn't really care for it on my skin, but I may give it another try.

I thought it was okay...but I will test drive it this weekend before I give it a thumbs up or down.
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post #30 of 70
2/13/09 at 9:44pm
I picked up a sample from Nordstrom yesterday. They have the 75 ml and the 125 ml. On my skin I pick up the orange notes right away. Almost like the peel itself when you scape the outside of the fruit. It quickly goes to the orange blossom with the top notes moving to the background. Maybe the ginger note comes through, but faint. I cannot get anything else. It is nice, but will require more testing to see if it is for me.

Longevity is like the other scents from him - 4 to 6 hours (at least on my skin).
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post #31 of 70
2/13/09 at 10:18pm
First let me say that I was really excited to try this.... I picked it up yesterday at Nordstroms.... nothing special at all - very similar to Art of Shaving Lemon except not as good and with a little aquatic note. I would recommend AOS Lemon or Acqua di Parma over this - hands down. In my opinion Vintage is still the best from Varvatos.
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post #32 of 70
2/13/09 at 10:47pm
Glad to see someone informed everyone as I was about to say it too. I just smelled Artisan and its nothing special at all. Water and Lemon Juice was what I got from it. Very simple and nothing intriguing. not at all recommended. i sniffed at the varvatos store. VINTAGE is much nicer.
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post #33 of 70
2/14/09 at 3:36pm
Thread Starter 
Tried this today at the Michigan Avenue Nordstrom, as I'm in Chicago this weekend for the Chicago Auto Show.

My impressions: very good. Starts out citrusy, then evolves into a scent like a nice French-milled soap I used once. And it's selling like crazy at the initial rollout... the BPI rep said that they got it in on Thursday, and they already are down to one bottle at that particular store. She thinks it's going to be a big hit, and I agree.
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post #34 of 70
2/14/09 at 3:50pm
Tried this one yesterday...Have to say that I really am enjoying it. It certainly has a very unique vibe to it, which is something that I don't see a lot of these days.
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post #35 of 70
2/14/09 at 4:40pm
Thread Starter 
UPDATE:

Two hours after I tested Artisan, I have to say that the drydown reminds me of my very first scent (and in a good way): Gap Dream, which I had in middle school. Anyone remember this one? Must be the orange blossom and floral/citrus notes.

And yes, Dream was a unisex scent, as I remember the Gap selling it that way, although the Basenotes Directory lists it as a feminine.
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post #36 of 70
2/15/09 at 6:33pm
Quality fragrance - pretty impressed. Closest associations I made...the orange had a fresh tartness reminscent of Penhaligon's Castile....Artisan drys down differently, though, not having the powder of Castile. Became much closer to the men's Clinique Happy. Good stuff, someone seeking out a new summer citrus could certainly do much worse.
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post #37 of 70
2/16/09 at 7:07am
I bought this at Nordstrom in Atlanta on Saturday. My wife and son helped me pick something out as my Valentine's Day gift. They only had the 4.2 OZ from what I could see, so I took the plunge.

Real nice and "zesty" scent. Has a sparkly presence about it, and comparisons to Happy are warranted. This will be a great summer scent. Also reminds me of scents like Creed VIW, Guerlain Homme, and the Tommy Bahama Set Sail series. There is a boozy, suntan lotiony, quality to it.

It smoothly positions itself as something different in the JV lineup, yet my wife remarked when she smelled each one last night that they all do have a common note. She has a far better nose than I, so I'll take her word on that.

Is it worth the $75 price tag? No. But my wife was desparate to get my gift purchase off the list! I like it well enough, however! The packaging is very cool with the woven bottle cover...

Vintage shines better in cool weather, JV is good year 'round, and Artisan is the Spring and Summer choice.
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post #38 of 70
2/16/09 at 7:12am
As with most designer offerings, folks seem either to love or hate Artisan. I, for one, have been impressed by several recent designer offerings. The creative directors seem to be raising their games given the ascent of the niche industry in recent years. The most intriguing comment I've read above is TheBark's description of the fragrance as a more subdued FdM-type orange-floral offering. Although I wanted very much to like it, FdM's neroli synth-bomb was just too much to handle. That and the comment above regarding the fragrance's relative longevity. I'll be checking this one out soon.
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post #39 of 70
2/19/09 at 3:21pm
I'm intrigued by the positive comments on this.

Although the references to Fleur de Male are confusing since I thought that was much more richer and neroli prominent (not orange blossom).

I have been looking for a masculine orange blossom scent that's affordable. I just got a sample of Jo Malone that I haven't smelled. If anyone has smelled the JM and the Varvatos would you compare them?
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post #40 of 70
2/28/09 at 1:20pm
Um.. This fragrance is stellar. I got the chance to test this in vegas at the Forum shops and I instantly fell in love! The orange blossom in this is divine! So good very nice relaxing and clean. Perfect for summer. This is by far one the best ne releases of 2009. Varvatos is awesome for putting out scents that are just downright good. Kudos to BPI . This might very well be my 2009 holy grail
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post #41 of 70
3/18/09 at 5:55pm
Great scent. Tried it a Holt Renfrow. It smells really fresh, clean, and earthy for lack of a better word, and the citrus note really stays strong from beginning to end.
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post #42 of 70
3/27/09 at 11:00am
Just tested this for the first time. Rather weak longevity, scent is ok but not great. Smells unisex to me.
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post #43 of 70
3/29/09 at 6:27am
Thread Starter 
Well, it seems like this is breaking out of the exclusive period with Nordstrom now... Sephora and Von Maur have it on their websites (and probably in their stores, too). And I talked with the local BPI rep yesterday... she just got a megaton of training material in preparation for the full launch at other major retailers such as Macy's.

So if you haven't gotten a chance to sniff it yet, you will any day now.
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post #44 of 70
3/29/09 at 6:34am
It's now at Macy's.
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post #45 of 70
3/30/09 at 9:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DULLAH View Post

[b]...Artisan is a familiar transparent green accord of fake herbalness (marjoram/thyme/lavandin they claim) that I have smelled in green dime-store body washes in the 90's, and maybe in some green jovan tonic aftershave gels (again 90's), mixed with some ok-sweet synth citrus and a pleasantly smooth woody base under it.
It's alright, but not a winner imo.

I agree with the green dime-store fragrance comment. When I tried my sample, the first thing that came to mind was 4711 cologne with less of the rubbing alcohol smell. I didn't care for it at all.
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post #46 of 70
3/30/09 at 8:24pm
I own the first one and vintage (which I like), but this is a definite no go for me. Very cool bottle indeed. Varvatos went through a lot of trouble to make such a cool bottle. I wish the scent was more interesting to compliment it though.

I first smelt Artisan on a scent strip and was very impressed. I couldn't stop smelling it actually. So, I came back a few hours later and applied it to clean skin and didn't have the same experience. The initial application is very nice. It gave me the impression that it was going to be very nice once it developed, but over time it just smelt like festering oranges that have fallen from the tree. To top that, it's festering oranges that somebody's pissed on.

A real disappointment for me, but don't let this stop you from trying it out yourself. Just be sure to TRY IT FIRST BEFORE BUYING. This means, spray it on your skin and let it marinate for a couple hours to see what it's going to end up being.
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post #47 of 70
3/30/09 at 9:07pm
I checked Sephora yesterday, and they did not have it on the shelves yet. Same with the new Guerlain AA's.
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post #48 of 70
3/30/09 at 11:14pm
I tried this today. I went to Quiznos and asked where I can wash my hands right after. Nice bottle. Pour the sewer water out though.

- Al
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post #49 of 70
3/31/09 at 2:27am
I found this to be quite vile and nasty. The initial orange smell reminded me of some cheap orange drink like Tang or Orangeade. The drydown was not much better. No thanks........

I hate the bottle also.
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post #50 of 70
3/31/09 at 6:30am
I bought a 2.5 oz bottle blind and regret it. I love the original JV, and with all the outstanding reviews of Vintage I figured what the heck. Big mistake. Smells decent for the first minute, then it evolves into a rather nasty scent that, for me, conjured up an image of an old barn full of hay and rusted tools.
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post #51 of 70
3/31/09 at 6:35am
Wow. I have to disagree with the latest commentary. To each his own, but it's a winner for me.

My secretary really liked it the first time I wore it, and she rarely comments on my cologne. My wife digs it a lot as well.

I think it will do even better in warmer weather. I don't regret my purchase at all. I noticed Saturday that our Dillard's now has all sizes.
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post #52 of 70
3/31/09 at 7:37pm
Stopped by Nordstrom's to pick up a few shower gels and talked the SA into tossing a few spray testers of this into my bag. It does start off all orange and sparkly but my leathery hide turned it into Mugler's Cologne, light, in all of about ten minutes. An hour later it was gone and I do mean gone , not even a hint that anything had ever been there. What with longevity like that and the little wicker basket look people may mistake it for a niche!

Side note, looks like Geir Ness has pulled his line from Nordstroms altogether. Or is this a known thing and I just missed it?
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post #53 of 70
4/1/09 at 10:58am
it reminded me of Mugler's cologne, too with an orange twist.. and have to agree it didn't last long. But I couldn't stop thinking about it when I got home and had to have a bottle.
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post #54 of 70
4/1/09 at 11:18am
I only sprayed Artisan onto a card, but it disgusted me. Smelled like an elderly woman rolling around in a field of orange peels.
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post #55 of 70
4/1/09 at 7:54pm
I sampled this and really liked it alot.
Gary
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post #56 of 70
4/1/09 at 8:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by petruccijc View Post

I found this to be quite vile and nasty. The initial orange smell reminded me of some cheap orange drink like Tang or Orangeade. The drydown was not much better. No thanks........

I hate the bottle also.

Ditto
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post #57 of 70
4/2/09 at 10:11pm
i love the bottle,. and i want to try it !!!
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post #58 of 70
4/3/09 at 1:56pm
Wow...this sounds like something I'd either love or hate. I'm intrigued. Looks like I'll be stopping by Nordies after work.

It seems like I can go a whole year w/o buying frags...but it's ALWAYS during the spring that I feel like I need a new bottle. I'm feeling the itch now!
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post #59 of 70
4/4/09 at 12:07am
Wow. I can't beleive there's so many negative comments about this cologne. I sampled it last week and it blew me away. Today i bought the 1.7 oz and I havent been able to stop smelling my wrists since I first sprayed it.

I'll get back here with more comments after a few wears, but i must say that along with Castile by Penhaligons, this frag has one my favorite openings. It's orangey and lush, without being sickeningly sweet.
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post #60 of 70
4/4/09 at 8:54am
Tried it, bought it, love it. I haven't been this jazzed about a new frag in a very long time. Sure, it's like half the scents in my wardrobe but I have a thing for citrusy & clean frags, what can I say? Plus I think this would be awesome for layering. It reminds me a lot of a long discontinued orange blossom scent from Bath & Body Works. I looooved that scent & I'm thrilled to have something similar (and better!) again.
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Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Male Fragrance Discussion › MFD Archive › NEW: John Varvatos Artisan.