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.

Remember when you were a kid and crayons came in packs of 8, or maybe 16? Now there are boxes with 152 crayons with colors like Purple Pizazz and Mango Tango. Included is a color that would best describe Artisan Blu...and that isn't Blue, nor is it Green, but rather the combination of them, Blue Green. The opening is decidedly much more green than blue, with an almost Irish Spring-like quality. As it settles down, there is a salty/citrusy blue-like calmness to this fragrance that overcomes the initial sharp herbal opening. It's hard to describe in terms of specific notes. There's lavender, but it's some of the most subtle I've encountered, and the Orange Blossom helps connect it to Artisan. The sad news is like every John Varvatos fragrance, projection and longevity is lacking. If you can get 6 hours out of it, consider yourself lucky, as most of the scent is gone in four. Get the biggest bottle you can as cheap as you can and just keep spraying. 7/10

Picked this up a while back for a good discount at a rack store, and I love it. The "blu" in the name may lead you to think it's meant to in the vein of modern "blue fragrances", but that's really not what this is about. It's fresh, aquatic, and green. To me it really evokes the feeling of a cool light sea breeze. And it's just supremely likable. I have both this and the more popular sister fragrance "Artisan Pure", but honestly I think I like Blu better. I've gotten compliments from my fiancée and other people from wearing it. Performance is ok, don't expect it to last all day. But if you're generous with the sprayer you can get good projection and sillage with it. Given its eau de cologne nature, you really don't have to worry about overdoing it. For me this is perfect for a casual evening out on a hot day, or going out doing things on a hot Saturday. Definitely a refreshing scent for hot weather either way.

Lavender, Basil!? & Water Bomb : This Does that Overproduced water fragrance the best (Green and blu fragrance) The fresh basil shines through incredible (mostly naturalistic) ingredients. Nice amount of Greenery especially if u blind eye the Lavender bomb 💣 & iris Let’s face it B***** Love Basil Pasta it’ll likely remind her of that and hopefully her triggered hunger will be paired with you. Suffers poor longevity especially the Realistic notes unfortunately... but if you know anything about JV you accepted the poor longevity before purchasing. It’s cheap enough to carry around the bottle / decant and re-apply ALL throughout the day.. This fragrance turns dim and boring fast unfortunately, however still worth re-Buying if you ask me (I’m Biased For JV) Keep a Decant and Re-Spray every few hours. I just barely mostly prefer the artisan XX teal (depending on occasion Of course)

Initial Impressions: Fresh, blue, hint of citrus and sweet, smooth...even creamy? Not sharp. A summer vibe. Nice. Drydown: Really like it, maybe love it. Wearing it side by side with Dylan Blue and this definitely doesn't last as long. But I prefer this scent. I see the comparison to ADP Colonia with the hint of green and mint, which I have and enjoy. Longevity isn't great, but it's ok and I get weak whiffs of the skin scent 5 hours into it. Scent: 8.5, Longevity: 7, Overall: 8.5 Update: Freshly sprayed it against ADP Colonia and I much much prefer Artisan Blu. This actually reminds me more of the ADP blue line than Colonia. I love it. It's not a powerhouse, but it's very pleasant, bordering on ethereal, and reminds me of looking out over the blue mediteranean sea. In short, I used up my entire sample and ordered a full bottle. Big thumbs up.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: John Varvatos is the best designer house in the market! I could go on and on - but I’ll spare you with my bromance. As with most Varvatos creations, this too is ahead of its time. Artisan blue is such a pleasing smell. To me, it’s all about the contrast between citrus and pine. They play well together - the citrus takes the tinge away from the pine and creates a smooth, uplifting smell. I see so many people concerned about longevity - and who am I to judge - but to me, longevity isn’t important. I’ve never once sprayed something and actually calculated how long the smell lasted (not a knock on those who do) - if I can’t smell it, I’ll just spray more! I’m tellin ya... this is just simply the perfect warm weather scent. It’s perfect. And it’s $30. Golf clap to you, mr Varvatos. 7/10

In my opinion this frag offers something different in today's market. The bitter freshness which derives from bergamot and chayote is quite interesting and prototype. But despite it's bitterness, it is not overpowering, a feature that defines it from other bitter fragrances. I agree that artisan blu has similiarities with Burberry indigo. Although i think that artisan blu is more versatile since it's middle notes are not so heavy as violet and mint in indigo. Also people who like the scent direction of Polo blue but find it too ozonic should try it. Moreover basil and pine gives to the frag a green and at the same time classy quality which makes it good choice also for those who like older frags like eau sauvage and tsar. Ending artisan blu is a great alternative option to ambroxan based frags which prevail nowadays.

First impression after only a few minutes of wear (from decant) indoors: green, not blue scent, zesty not muted soapy vibes, fresh, somewhat spicy, reminds me a little bit of Irish spring soap. Unique to my collection of 50+ fragrances. Full bottle worthy. Year round wear, soapy scents suit all seasons imo. After a full 2 day's wear in 80ish degree farenheit (some inside work setting /some outdoors) my conclusion as far as smell are the same. Great, soapy scent. Longevity and projection on skin is not that great, maybe 3 to 4 hours longevity 1 to 2 hours of modest projection. Performs better if you spritz your clothes 2 or 3 times in addition to at least a total of 6 sprays on body, neck etc. Much better longevity and projection on clothes, 7 to 9 hrs. Overall better effect from spraying on body and clothes.

I love this one from JV and I'd put it in running behind Prada Amber as my favorite soapy scent. Like others have said, it grew on me. Ultra cool presentation, quite unique. Feels sturdy and well made. The scent is soapy and blue but I can't say I would describe it as aquatic.. It's strange. It possesses some qualities of that genre but ultimately is a freshie. Fairly linear as well but that's not bad. It's a nice safe scent perfect for daily wear in the office, school, wherever. Not date like, formal or sexy though. Longevity is... underwhelming. The good news is you can bathe in it and nobody will be offended. I'm gonna say 5 hours tops with moderate sillage. For the price you can get this bottle, not bad.

This is an amazing classic Mediterranean fragrance! I am a huge fan of most JV offerings and this one does not disappoint. Clean, fresh, and bright, it just punches well outside the price point (through discounters of course). I highly recommend, I don’t find any performance issues, perhaps my body chemistry is just lucky with Varvatos because I have never had the issues that are the constant nagging factor, and thank god I tried some of the line before reading reviews otherwise I might have missed out on some truly fantastic blends. Very versatile scent, might lean towards mature, but it’s fresh enough that anyone could run with it. Wish I found this one out sooner, really well crafted. Cheers all.

I get the cleaner vibe some people talk about in the opening, but I like it. This is a great counterpart to Irish Spring body wash. Beautiful bottle, and inexpensive. Once it dries down, I get a slight mintyness and it briefly reminds me of ADP Colonia Club in the green bottle which also smells like Irish Spring in the air. Worth a blind buy at discounters if you like soapy. Feel free to overspray this. Nobody will complain. Update: I get the comparison to Lomani (shaving crem vibe) but this is definitely fresher and more youthful. Might try layering the two. Also reminds me of Mont Blanc Presence Cool which smells like Gillete shaving gel.

This was gifted to me as it was not on my radar, but I love it. Plus it was gifted by my wife and she loves it. The bottle is the best in my limited collection; quite impressive presentation. Kind of makes me want to reach for it and hold the bottle. The smell is fresh and soapy like others mentioned and has an herbal touch that is reminiscent in fresh aquatics. I also get some white floral (not listed) which I love. The cedar dry down is a ok, I'm not a huge fan of cedar as it seems so redundant these days. Overall, I enjoy this a lot. I think this house makes really good smelling fragrances and is underrated in my opinion.

This is nice and opening is slightly similar to the JV Artisan original. This is very enjoyable and I feel its better than the overhyped "Artisan Pure" which i found too citrusy/bit synthetic/chemical. Projection and longevity are the usual 3~5 hrs. Stays longer on clothes as expected. Yes, there is this slight soapy/detergent tinge going with it but its very pleasant. And most of all the design - the blue bottle, metal antique cap, the weaving etc are nice. EDIT (Mar-2023): After using for almost a year, I feel it resembles Polo Blue at lot more than any other Artisan flanker in fact.

I love John Varvatos fragrances, especially the ones created by Rodrigo Flores-Roux and that is why I had no problem blind buying this one from a discounter for $32. I don't know if Rodrigo Flores-Roux is the perfumer for this one or not but I figured I would give it a try anyway. After wearing it for a few hours I can confirm that it is a very beautiful scent, but it has almost no projection after the first hour and is a skin scent for the next few hours. This would really be an amazing spring/summer fragrance if they could get the projection and longevity bumped up.

Box presentation 10. Bottle presentation 10. Scent 9. Sillage and longevity TBD (I just got it). Please do not stop making this stuff. Update: Sillage and longevity seem about normal. I haven't received any comments yet but I get whiffs of it and absolutely love it. It is now my favorite and signature scent. It smells blue and green, if colors had smells. I also get a soapy shower gel vibe. Update 2: The soapiness started becoming too much so this is no longer my signature or one of my top favorites. I still enjoy it but can not wear this too often.

Score 8/10: Recommend a blind buy I discovered this fragrance in 2018. As a testament to what I think of it, I must've gone through about 4 bottles by now & it has found its place in my set of fragrances that I permanently use. I tend to use it more during hot weather & in the summer. Although, I do use it occasionally when I feel like I need a fragrance that is refreshing. I certainly feel that it's worth more than it costs. I have been complimented for it on several occasions. That too thankfully by the opposite sex. It lasts about 4 - 5 hours.