I think that John Varvatos makes some pretty good and masculines colognes overall. Two of these scents, I have reviewed here on the site thus far (Artisan and Artisan Aqua), and while both were very pleasant fragrances for men…they both had some longevity issue which made it hard to enjoy.
For this post, I want to select seven other scents from the Varvatos collection, which I consider to be the best overall (in terms of smell and longevity).
What are the Best Smelling Varvatos Colognes?
Best Overall Varvatos Cologne
Vintage– Warm, fresh, and incredibly smooth. Vintage is a masculine scent that grabs attention in an understated way. Notes include: tobacco, suede, tonka bean, jasmine, rhubarb, absinthe, and others.
The opening act is pretty powerful and ‘in your face’. Fir and a blend of spices announces that Vintage has arrived. Much like the other scents, on this list, it will settle down into something that is more palatable and great.
I love tonka bean, as a note, which gets flanked by that suede note and rich cured tobacco. As it dries down, I feel that it gets sweeter and the light citrus and rhubarb touches become a great deal more noticeable. Up top, those notes get lost in the fray, on my skin.
Performance is decent, but not anything that special. Nonetheless, this is probably the best smelling of the Varvatos colognes, or at least top 2-3.
Best Artisan Cologne
Artisan Pure– Pure is in my mind, the second best fragrance from the Artisan line. However, Black doesn’t seem to be around much anymore, so I’m putting this one on the list (Artisan Black is still below).
Pure has the usual Artisan citrus flare, but pairs it with some nice herbal notes like thyme and petitgrain, to give it a slightly different touch. Pure is a very fresh citrus scent, full of rich green undertones, and a bit of a floral finish.
I like the smell of many of the other Artisan scents. This one, has better performance, and stands out with its unique aroma versus some of the other options.
Hard to Find Artisan
Artisan Black-A citrus blend with supporting notes of ginger and some floral. This is a scent for the warmer months for guys who enjoy a sweet citric fragrance in the summertime.
I think that this one has now been discontinued. I haven’t seen any bottles of Artisan Black for a while. I’m going to leave it on the list, because you can probably hunt one down online, and I think that this was the best scent from the Artisan lineup. I’m also adding Artisan Pure to the list, as a sort of replacement.
Most Popular Varvatos
John Varvatos– A woodsy and leathery affair at first that emerges into a fragrance that has a certain sweetness to it present by the fruit notes. The initial start of the cologne is a mix of the leather and wood notes, like tamarind and fir.
Then, you get the fruity notes, mainly dates. Between the dates and wood, John Varvatos for Men has a unique yet familiar scent. Dates, vanilla, amber, and caramel give this one a sweetness to play off the spice and woody ingredients.
In the later stages, most of the sweeter notes fade away and you’re left with: amber, leather, and woods. The performance is pretty mediocre, so, I’d only pick it up for cheap (some other best cheap colognes for men). However, the smell is really attractive and a joy to wear. John Varvatos Review
Dark and Spicy Cologne
Dark Rebel– Dark Rebel is a masculine and spicy scent, with many similarities to Man in Black by Bvlgari. It starts out with rum, tobacco, and pepper. The pepper note is pretty intense within that first 10 minute window, but settles thereafter.
I like Rebel, once that spice has burned itself off. Vanilla, tobacco, with some underlying rum give it a sweet smoothness; that I find very enjoyable. Still further: leather, herbs, and woods emerge to give the fragrance an interesting finish.
Note: Dark Rebel Rider, probably has the better smelling opening act versus this one. However, the performance of that scent is atrocious. So, it didn’t make the cut.
Now, the performance here, isn’t great. Many John Varvatos scents (particularly the Artisan line), don’t last very long. Though, I wanted to give this one a spot because it does smell good. Another one that could be worth picking up for winter wear, if the price is right. Dark Rebel Full Review
Underrated Varvatos Scent
Star USA– Juniper berries, citron, woods, and ginger are the main stars of this moderate scent. It is woodsy and slightly spicy and kind of linear but not bad overall.
In fact, the aroma was always the highlight, even when the performance lagged. Star USA gives you that amazing citrus clean, pairs it with ginger, and finishes with a blend of woods. Together, it is super fresh and attractive.
Finishes very dry and clean. Wish it would have had more power, overall. Discontinued, but there are cheap bottles floating around in some places.
Newer Varvatos
XX Artisan Teal– I had tried XX Indigo and it wasn’t anything too great. However, the Teal edition of the XX series, is actually quite good. Surprisingly, the performance isn’t bad, unlike some of the other Artisan releases.
This one has a blue-ish marine aroma. Not fully immersed in sea notes, but there is a salty aquatic element to it. A mix of lemon and rosemary spice up top. All together I thought it might have an Acqua di Gio scent. Nope, close in style, though.
The blue/aquatic vibe and the pink pepper remind me somewhat of Living Stromboli from the Light Blue series. But, this is different. Muskier with more depth.
The dry down fully lets you enjoy the saltier aspect of this cologne along with the driftwood base note. Lasts six, maybe 7 hours. Not amazing performance, but worth picking up at the right price.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.
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– A high performing giant in the world of fragrance. Tobacco Vanille is obviously highlighted by those two notes, but it’s excellent blend of sweetness and spiciness is what really sets it apart.
– You can now get a hold of a full bottle of The Dreamer for right at $30, which is a great price, for this Versace fragrance. It was released in the 1990s and so the price has been reduced, but don’t let that fool you, Dreamer is still a fantastic men’s cologne.
– Fan Di Fendi is a line that has gotten overlooked for the past few years. I wore the 
– Supreme Leather from Polo is a really great addition to the list. It starts out with some spiciness of nutmeg and cardamom. Those notes, along with the honey create a warmth and ‘thick’ sort of feeling, along with the underlying sweetness.
–Ombre Leather is a new 2018 release, but one that I’m really enjoying. It is unisex scent but leans more masculine, in my mind. This fragrance is very dry and warm, with leather being the main star.
–Godolphin is a very enjoyable fragrance to my nose. It opens with a blend of herbal notes and a hint of fruit. I mainly get a sense of saffron poking through. However, the main note that comes into play is a smooth and beautiful leather that mixes with a woody base.