8 Best John Varvatos Colognes for Men
Updated January 2023
How We Found the Best John Varvatos Colognes
5 Experts Interviewed
8 Fragrances Tested
Top 8 Picks
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Liam Carson
Are you a fan of everything fashion? Chances are you’ve heard about John Varvatos, a famous menswear designer. With an intrinsic edge and great creativity as some of his greatest trademark, he is a perfectionist in his industry. In fact, it can be argued he settles for nothing less than perfect!
Another fascinating thing about is he always finds a way to turn mundane and regular designs into original and lively creations, making sure his brand has unique and brilliant. So, you can only imagine how unique and set apart from the crowd a JV perfume would make you.
Sit back and enjoy going through this list of John Varvatos fragrance reviews, we’re sure you’ll find the perfect cologne.
Summary List
John Varvatos Colognes Ranked by Cologne Critic
Why we chose it
For our classy, sexy, and sophisticated men, here is a cologne for you. Birthed with a mix of class, perfection, style, and glamour, this cologne is a showstopper! It is a unique and delicious blend of mysterious spices and exotic fruits to help satiate your nose buds and give off a mesmerizing effect.
It opens with the delicious and citrusy fig notes, which transcends into the sweet and spicy notes of cinnamon and black pepper to give you that sensual touch. It then settles into a woody base to add the masculine and sexy effects that will keep you in the spotlight all day long! Looking for that companion that is office material? Look no further! This cologne will serve you well.
It is also perfect for date nights, movie nights, romantic getaways, exotic vacations, and a plethora of events! For whatever occasion and during any time of day, this cologne is ready to serve you till its last spritz.
Main Accords
- Amber
- Leather
- Smoky
Our Take
Are you a fan of exploring exotic forests filled with magnificent cedars and amazing views? Then, John Varvatos Vintage is your cologne. It is a woody chypre fragrance suited for you and your manly needs! It just does not stop at smelling magnificent, it is also the definition of class.
Vintage is often associated with class, which explains why this cologne is drop-dead sophisticated. Now for its exotic smell, it opens with the spicy and fresh top notes of pepper, wormwood, fennel, basil, quince, and rhubarb. These blend into a foresty and fresh aroma composed of green leaves, juniper berries, orris root, lavender, jasmine, and cinnamon notes.
For the finishing touch, it dries down to the warm and inviting fragrance of a blend of woody, tonka bean, balsam fir, tobacco, oakmoss, suede, and patchouli.
It has impressive longevity and an intimidating projection that tops off a significant fraction of colognes out there. Although Vintage may not be appropriate for office use, it is perfect for that dinner date you have been planning for! And for that movie night? Now you have a plus one to go with!
Main Accords
- Woody
- Aromatic
- Fresh Spicy
Our Take
Don’t you just love the smell of spring in the fresh morning breeze? Would you like to carry that scent everywhere you go? Then, get yourself a John Varvatos Artisan. This JV perfume is a citrusy-herbal fragrance that will teleport you to the warm and fresh season of spring!
Upon the first spritz, it releases a fresh and citrusy blend of Greek lavender, Sicilian clementine, Spanish marjoram, tangelo fruit, aromatic thyme, and Mexican tangerine. As it dries down, it transforms into a more citrusy and spicy mix of purple, Nigerian, and Chinese ginger, North African orange blossom, and Indian plant Murraya.
To seal in that spring effect, it further dries down to a woody and musky base of musky Serenolide, Kephalis wood, Belleambre, and Geaorgewood. Although it may not have impressive longevity, it sits very close to your skin so, it is perfect to use at the office.
If you need to wow your date with a fresh, clean smell, wear this next time and watch the magic unfold!
Main Accords
- Citrus
- Sweet
- White Floral
Our Take
John Varvatos Artisan Pure is a citrusy, sharp, and woody scent. It was inspired by the glamorous hills, citrus groves, and vast coffee plantations of Xalapa, Mexico. It is a step-up from the regular JV Artisan. If you sometimes struggle for attention, grab this pure confidence booster! It opens with the citrusy notes of marjoram, lemon, thyme, bergamot, clementine, and orange mandarin.
It then transcends to the spicy heart notes of ginger and petitgrain, which transform into the sexy, warm, and windy base notes of musk, woods, amber, and orris root. This cologne is perfect for your office, the club, gym, bar, and virtually everywhere.
How long have you been craving a vacation? Now more than ever, you have a pure reason to go!
Main Accords
- Citrus
- Aromatic
- Fresh Spicy
Our Take
Artisan Blu is for the daring, bold, and adventurous risk-taker who has no problem with grabbing attention. This is a masculine and marine fragrance that screams: classy, glamorous, and sophisticated! It is an aromatic-citrusy blend that is sure to impress.
It opens with the fresh and citrusy notes of chayote, bergamot, bitter orange, lavender, and basil. As it dries down, it features the warm heart notes of clary sage, corporate geranium, orange blossom absolute, palmarosa, and iris. It finally settles into a woody and manly base of tamarisk wood, cedar, resin from pistachio, patchouli, and pine notes.
The woody notes may be too intense for your colleagues at the office but, this cologne is the right fit for your date nights, movie nights, evening get-togethers, and those long days at the gym. Grab those Blu bottles now you still can!
Main Accords
- Woody
- Aromatic
- Fresh Spicy
Our Take
When beauty perfectionist meets music perfectionist, there is only one thing to expect: A potent mix of irresistible melody, perfect harmonies, and exquisite scents! This cologne is for that overachieving man who thinks ordinary perfection is not enough. If you have been wondering which John Varvatos cologne smells the best, this collaboration is your answer.
Upon the first spritz, you experience the citrusy and fresh top notes of cascalone, orange mandarin, pink pepper, and the leaf of Kaffir lime. In the heart, the spice is the main note as a warm mix of hedione, lavender, mint, and rosemary transcend to a woody and manly base of Ambroz super, sandalwood, and cedarwood notes.
Like all other JV perfumes, it has impressive longevity and is sure to serve you for hours on end! You can take this collab with you to the gym, bar, club, on an evening out with friends, you name it! We don’t recommend taking John Varvatos and Nick Jonas with you to your office (after all, it may cause a bit of a distraction), so stick to the other locations and events and expect nothing less of class, attention, and sophistication.
Main Accords
- Citrus
- Aromatic
- Fresh Spicy
Our Take
For men who love gambling with the dark side, there is a cologne for you! Dark Rebel is an oriental woody, smoky composition with a twist of sensual, resinous woods and sweet tobacco. This cologne is for that mysterious, alluring, and enticing man who has no fear! It is for the man who laughs in the face of danger and loves to smell good while he’s at it.
This dark perfume features the sweet and warm top notes of clary sage, Jamaican rum, cardamom, Cuban sugar cane, and davana. It then transcends into the spicy heart notes of styrax, black leather, pepper, fir resin, and nutmeg. To seal in the dark and dangerous aromatic fragrance, it then features the sexy, woody, and manly juniper, Akigala wood, balmy wood, tobacco leaf, castoreum, and Mexican black vanilla base notes.
Its longevity beats all other colognes and then some! So, for hours on end, you get to keep your alluring bad boy persona. Although you can’t take this with you to the office, you can take it anywhere else! Just make sure that before you get on your motorcycle, all clad in black and leather, spray on some Dark Rebel and watch jaws drop.
Main Accords
- Sweet
- Woody
- Leather
Our Take
Thinking manly and exotic with a twist of woody? Go for the Oud. It will definitely put you under the spotlight, making heads turn and jaws drop in your wake, and giving your confidence a massive boost!
It opens with a spicy and robust blast of cypress, tobacco, sage, juniper berry, and nutmeg notes. As it dries down, it transcends into a warm and sweet aroma filled with osmanthus, saffron, Egyptian jasmine, cinnamon, Turkish rose, cloves, pepper, and cardamom. Finally, it turns manly, inviting, and sexy towards the base with a blend of amber, agarwood (oud), leather, cedar, myrrh, labdanum, incense, and opoponax notes.
This exotic and manly scent has impressive longevity and sits very close to your skin so, it encloses you and anyone close in an aromatic bubble. It is a perfect companion for the gym, work, weekend getaways, and evening get-togethers. It is also a great third wheel for that romantic date you’ve been planning!
Main Accords
- Aromatic
- Balsamic
- Warm Spicy
Our Take
Looking for the perfect cologne gift for your husband or boyfriend? John Varvatos has got you covered, and your concerns cornered! This gift set contains 15ml each of John Varvatos Artisan Blu, John Varvatos Vintage, and John Varvatos Artisan. Yes, you read that correctly: All these fantastic colognes in one perfect package!
You can gift this set to any man you care about and respect on his birthday, wedding anniversary, work anniversary, or just because he exists! There doesn’t have to be a reason to give gifts, anyway. Grab this set, wrap it up, and be prepared to make someone’s day smell a whole lot better!
Expert Tips
Before Varvatos launched his company, he was the head of menswear design at the prestigious Calvin Klein and Polo Ralph Lauren. Creator of the Polo jeans company, John Varvatos was, and still is, a force to reckon with in the fashion industry.
To date, he has won numerous awards for his time and dedication to perfection and excellence in his designs. When he launched his own company under his name, it did not take long for him to gain recognition. Wanting to bring perfection into the beauty industry, he created a best-selling fragrance line that focused on quality and class. We think he succeeded!
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Researched by a team of fragrance experts.