Artisan Blu

I bought this way back when it came out almost, when i had just started collecting. I liked it but for whatever reason i just forgot about it. Nowadays in the high heat id typically wear things like amouage beach hut man, xerjoff fiero, creed erolfa or my vintage bottles of either kenzo pour homme/eau sauvage/new west ect. So i pulled this out today, having not worn it for years. The decorative webbing around the bottle is dusty as hell after being forgotten so long. This fragrance is amazing! Holy crap lol i cant believe this didnt impress me when i first bought it. This is one of the most awesome summer masculines ive ever smelled. So to get it out of the way, yes its a john varvatos with all that goes along with that. Including the not real great performance, although in heat this will give reasonable projection albeit not last forever. This does not smell cheap at all, and when i looked up new bottles it appears its the same ~$25 usd i paid 5 years ago at discounters or ebay. The sharp herbal grassy citrus opening with the bitter orange and bergamot is quite natural smelling and even has a touch of old school to it. It dries down more woody when the citruses fade and you do get the pine and some polite patchouli as well as even a light sense of the pistachio note listed, which makes this even more interesting. The dry down is *sort of* reminiscent of well done ambergris accords from the past, but with a twist or two, giving a quasi-marine air vibe. really suggest people try this if they're looking for a summer masculine high heat fragrance, this exists at a perfect intersection of quality, old school class, mass appeal and the craziest aspect... The price is dirt cheap.

All I heard was how weak this fragrance is, but this sample I have from nostrum is like an EDP or something. I sprayed molecule 01 on my arm and then this .. Not sure if its the molecule 01 but the scent has been going strong off my arm now for hours.. Its a really great scent I have no idea why there isn't more love for this. Its fresh, yes.. But its done so well. Its ultra fresh, soapy clean but has a back bone to it that gives it some kind of depth within the fresh genre. Its super soapy clean but in the best way possible. I am scared that if I buy a bottle of this it won't be as potent as this sample. This smells like a bar of irish spring soap on steroids..with some added citrus and this cool tart vibe. It also comes off masculine. Soapy fresh is super generic, but for some reason this fragrance does it in a way that is better. You know every JV fragrance I have tried I really enjoyed. I keep looking past this house simply because everyone says the performance is pure shit..... yet when I try them like dark rebel i find quite the opposite. Does this house spike up their samples ? Will the performance be horrible if I buy a bottle? scent 5/5 - For a fresh soapy clean.. this is probably one of my very favorites

I find this fragrance to be really calming, fresh, and pleasant. It reminds me of the seaside next to forest of trees. The herbal notes such as the basil and clary sage mix very nicely with the fresh citrus notes. It does note have an aquatic feel or note I believe, but the feeling is more-so "By the water" instead of "In the water". From my understanding, I don't really get a soapy vibe from it, rather a clean fresh scent that works really well in the warmer days. I personally find myself grabbing for it when I'm chilling around at home, about to go to bed, or going to the gym. I love the scent, but generally do not wear it out that much because it does not have the best longevity or projection. 3-4 hours at the most and it becomes a skin scent before the first hour. Really do wish the projection could be better, but I cannot complain as it is a bargain deal if you are able to find a 4.2oz bottle for $25-30. But, I do like that I can spray like, 5-6 sprays and not feel overwhelmed, its a relaxing scent for me. Longevity: 6/10 (3-4 Hours) Projection: 5/10 (Soft, Below-Average) Scent: 9/10 (Love) Would deem it a safe blind-buy! I do slightly prefer Artisan Blu over Artisan Pure, but both are great!

I’ve been wearing a lot of aquatic fragrances recently, it’s summer here in Australia and summer is a nightmare where I live, so anything that can make me feel cooler is appreciated. Artisan Blu is easily my favourite of the lot. I was actually gifted a miniature box of 5 John Varvatos frags, and this was the one that I liked the most, so I upgraded to a full size bottle and haven’t looked back since. It has the same DNA as a few of the others by JV, but Artisan Blu has this gorgeous powdery element to it, and a touch of sweetness, but never overbearingly sweet. I think the powder and the sweetness really balance each other out really nicely, very well blended if you ask me. For the price that you pay for this, I think it’s great value. It isn’t going to last all day, you will have to reapply, however, because it smells so delicious and makes you feel nice when wearing I don’t reckon you’ll mind spritzing yourself again throughout the day. 8/10. In the flooded world of aquatic fragrances, this is unique. I like it a lot.

Firstly let's get the obvious performance issue out of the way, poor. A couple of hours max then a couple of hours skin scent. Just spray more but wait for the dry down before being in the presence of others. Now the scent, Jesus, unreal! The first thought I had was that this was a barbershop scent and this has yet to change. It's definitely a green scent, herbaceous and a little spicy but SOO much orange! I disagree with anyone that says this is not aquatic in any way, it certainly has nuances of an aquatic scent lingering there somewhere. Easily suited better to summer holidays on the med next to the pool than a walk through woods if you know what I mean. One of the most enjoyable smells o have had in a long time, I am addicted to smelling my arm when I wear it. So cheap that I don't mind reapplying. Not one for when you're out of the house all day but one for when you have the option to reapply (on holiday). Smell is so good that it makes up for the performance, 8/10.