Dark Rebel

Dark Rebel is a bold, strong, and dark fragrance. Its opening brings rum, sage, black leather, pepper, dark woods, and tobacco. The sugar cane described as an opening note is unnoticeable during the opening. Almost immediately the mid notes join the blend. The black leather found in the mid notes is very deep, dark, potent but not animalic or musky and it blends perfectly with the Castoreum found in the base which enhances the leather tone found in Dark Rebel. The tobacco note is also dark, similar to the scent of Cuban cigars. The initial projection is excellent, as the fragrance dries-down the performance drops quickly to good and then poor. As the fragrance reaches its dry-down, a faint sweet note develops, possibly the mix of the sugar cane and the vanilla that, once the main notes settle a bit, they have a chance to peek out. Same as almost all John Varvatos, the projection and longevity is very poor. From the opening to the dry-down, Dark Rebel’s projection drops very quickly. At its full dry-down, John Varvatos Dark Rebel can be summarized as very close to the skin dark wood, tobacco, and leather fragrance with some spicy touches and a hint of sweetness. As a dark fragrance, the blend is outstanding and it will please those looking for these types of tones. Unfortunately, the performance is disappointing. Batch reviewed: 2020 Wow Rating: 10/10. The opening of Dark Rebel will impress anyone. Dislike Rating: 7/10. Its dark notes are likely to offend some people. Uniqueness: 8/10. Relatively unique, dark fragrances are not that common in the designer domain, they are more commonly found in the niche domain. Mass Appeal: 2/10. Liking Dark Rebel Rider requires an appreciation for dark, tobacco, leathery and boozy notes, this is not a mass appeal fragrance. Projection: 1/10. Very low, once the fragrance has reached its dry-down, its performance is disappointing. Sillage: 0/10. Almost none. Application: Six atomizations, spray your clothes as well. Longevity: 3/10. About three hours. Longevity and projection are disappointing. Seasons: Fall, winter, and colder nights. Occasions: Outdoor gatherings and clubbing. Versatility: 2/10. Very limited. Gender: Masculine. Ages: 30 and above. Recommendation: If the performance would be at least moderate, Dark Rebel would be a gem. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Do not buy it. Blind-Buy: No, sample it first. Similar: There are lots of options to consider. Here are some examples. Valentino Uomo Intense EDP by Valentino, is good leather fragrance, but its longevity isn’t the best; Amouage Memoir Men EDP by Amouage is a great leather, spices, and incense fragrance with great performance; Amouage Epic Man – EDP by Amouage includes leather, spices, and green notes; Amouage Interlude Man EDP is the darkest of the house; Bvlgari Man In Black Men EDP by Bvlgari is one of the best designer’s leather fragrances, but lacks longevity; Carolina Herrera CH Prive EDT includes leather and whiskey but it is sweet; Giorgio Armani - Armani Code Profumo EDP, is a potent leather, and slightly fruity fragrance with strong sweet notes; Guerlain L'homme Ideal EDP by Guerlain features leather, bergamot, and vanilla; Montale Aoud Leather by Montale EDP is one of the best cost/value leather and oud fragrances but not completely dark; Mercedes-Benz Club Black Men EDT By Mercedes-Benz is an office-friendly incense, and leather fragrance. Summary: A fantastic dark leather, tobacco, boozy and woody fragrance. Its performance is disappointing.

DARK, DIRTY, SMOKY AND BOOZY A BADASS WITH A LEATHER JACKET This is a case of loving or hating a scent at the first sniff. Dark, dirty, smoky, boozy, wet tobacco, black leather, burnt rubber.......very manly. This scent promises to be the Katrina hurricane of scents, but the wind never blows very strong. You only get an early peak of the storm. It's a shame because I LOVE this scent for dark rebels. It is a must for smoky scent lovers. The opening rum note and the dark black leather heart are out of this world. The leather note is a little stubborn and blends very well with the bottom tobacco accord aide by a few drops of Castoreum. Unfortunately, somehow performance sucks. After two and a half hours you get little more than a skin scent with 2~4 inches of sillage. It doesn't get much better if you apply it on clothes. Somedays ago, I saw the "Run Away Bride" movie for the 10th time. My performance disappointment with the Dark Rebel performance was similar to what Ike / Richard Gere experienced at his wedding with Maggie / Julia Roberts. It also took me only 3 minutes to fall in love with this EDT. Let's see the math accounting for John Varvatos Dark Rebel: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ - Opening: 10.0 (the scent is just GREAT - overly manly with heavy notes of rum and leather) - Dry Down: 9.0 (less exquisite than the opening - the scent is still very good + very manly) - Longevity: 6.0 (under average for the existing notes - less than 6 hours with 3 sprays) - Sillage: 6.0 (4 feet at its peak with 3 sprays; projects for less than 1.5 hours) - Uniqueness: 9.5 (pretty unique, considering the existing smoky fragrances that I am aware of) - Wearability: 8.0 (all year round day or night, except in hot temperatures) - Versatility: 7.5 (yes to clubbing, socializing, events, restaurants, bars, dates, romancing, sex, office, picnics, weddings, movies, birthday gift to your best friend, work out.... as long as you stay less than 2 hours in any of those situations; Otherwise you will become scentless if you don't respray. Avoid hot weather activities) - Compliments: 8.5 (men like it! Ladies?... well many of them do!) - Quality: 8.5 (my judgement; It should be a 10.0 with decent performance) - Presentation: 10.0 (simple but very beautiful and effective) - Price: 9.0 (100 ml tester for 27 Euros + VAT + shipping; It was on sale at FragranceX) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Overall rating: 8.36/10.00 between 7 and 8 =above average; between 8 and 9 = recommended; bigger than 9 = don't miss it; My opinion: Will I buy it again?... yes - because the scent is out of this world.... (it's dark, dirty, smoky, boozy!!!!) Recommended? Yes because I just love this fragrance very much. Blind buy worthy? Almost... Try it first. Turnarounds: 1st trick - This fragrance is the child that resulted from the marriage between A*Men Pure Malt and Encre Noir. I tried to layer it with Carven's Vetiver and it turned a little darker and doubled the performance. :-) 2nd trick - Apply a bit of almond oil on your skin and then apply 3~4 sprays. No scent change and you almost double the performance. Music: West Side Story - "Jet Song"

Update: Got a lovely compliment from a woman around my age and she really liked it. Unsolicited and put a solid determination this scent is just the right kind of sexy. I have to immediately say to anyone curious about this one. Definitely smell it. Then come back to it another day. I'll explain. So I bought this by accident from a blind buy at Marshall's. I was buying a toilette tree bag for my personals and this happened to be a clearance dark rebel kit in the bag. So I was like why not! So first impressions I'm like hmmm...not sure. I don't hate it but don't love it. But was very happy with the bag quality. So I go back to it and I'm like whoa this really is amazing. So I decided to wear it and that's where it's just amazing. Best advice someone on here said I remember reading. Definitely a give it a chance and come back to it scent. You might fall in love. Just badass is written all over this scent. Leathers, tabacco, vanilla, and warm spicy all over. This is a fall, winter scent for sure but I love it so much I wear it in the spring summer with no cares. It's definitely one of my signature scents. I love this one so much now I bought a back up bottle. It's definitely a scent for a mature range from 25-55ish. What it feels like. Should be a good night scent but this shines in the heat and I just can't stop smelling it. Girlfriend really likes this one too. Always compliments it and that's a major plus. So it'll work great with the ladies, you'll smell badass and feel as good as you smell. Highly recommended. Oh and the bottle is really awesome as well! Rack stores "may" have this. Have only seen it twice and bought it both times. One time was around $20 the other was $40. Big 4.2oz bottles.

First, allow me to preface this by saying that regardless of my review I absolutely love this fragrance. I really wish the House of John Varvatos would've raised the budget for the production of Dark Rebel. Had they done that Dark Rebel could have stood next to Tom Ford's Plum Japonais as its equally Dark & Mysterious, Smoky, Leathery brother. But alas, I have to be honest. For my personal taste Dark Rebel is painfully synthetic. So much so that I wouldn't call this a Leather. Its a Smoky "Pleather" fragrance with a dark fruit accord that smells more like Plum than it does Rum. I cant ignore the combination of the Rum, Leather, & Cardamom in Dark Rebel giving me a slight reminder of Tom Ford's Plum Japonais, with its use of Plum, Saffron, & Cinnamon. The Leather note in Dark Rebel comes off Plastic-like. Like the Neoprene Rubber that Extension Cords are made of. The Castoreum used also smells synthetic, & works to add depth to the Leather note, as well as a Smoky nuance to the overall composition. All combined, & when sniffed up close, it smells like a collection of GI-Joe Action Figures that just barely survived a House Fire. But in the air it smells badass. Like something you'd wear dressed in all black. That aside I do see Dark Rebels potential, & I really do believe it could've been a better fragrance had it been made with Naturals. I can also see Dark Rebel being quite the challenge for novice noses. Dark Rebel was discontinued. But hopefully the House of Varvatos will bring it back as a Niche offering made with quality ingredients. My review is of Batch 5jh1

This is a case of loving or hating a scent at the first sniff. Dark, dirty, smoky, boozy, wet tobacco, black leather, burnt rubber.......very manly... a real badass. This scent promises to be the Katrina hurricane of scents, but the wind never blows very strong. You only get an early peak of the storm. It's a shame because I REALLY LOVE this scent for dark rebels. The opening rum note and the dark black leather heart are out of this world. The leather note is a little stubborn and blends very well with the bottom tobacco accord with a few drops of Castoreum. Performance somehow sucks. After two and a half hours you get little more than a skin scent with 2~4 inches of sillage. It doesn't get much better when applied to clothing on clothes. Yesterday I saw the movie "Run Away Bride"for the 10th time and my disappointment with the Dark Rebel performance has been similar to what Ike / Richard Gere felt like in his weeding. IT also took me only 3 minutes to fall in love with this EDT. ____________________________________________________ My rating for this rebel without a cause: 8.36/10.00 Will I buy it again?... yes - because the scent is out of this world.... (it's dark, dirty, smoky, boozy!!!!) Recommended? Yes because I just love this fragrance very much. Blind buy worthy? Almost... Try it first. ____________________________________________________

Crazy how so many scents are there for $30 for years, and nobody really talks about them, and their ratings are low, and the second the price starts to get out of control everyone is there to sing the praises. This thing rocks, but the ratings have gone up with the price increase, and it just isn't warranted to pay $100+ for this. With that having been said, this is really good. If you can find it for $50, scoop it up, it's great at that price. It's not the same, but it fills a similar niche to Versace Oud Noir. Both are very nice, dark, woody, smokey fragrances that will excite the mature palate. All of the jabronis out there wearing Sauvage and Y, this will differentiate you from that crowd. Not as versatile, don't wear this in the summer, wear this is in the fall when it's cooler out. Wear this with like a black and white flannel or something like that, and people will know it's you, because this smells like something somebody with a black and white flannel, a black bomber jacket, or even a black sweater would wear. Doesn't need to be dressed up, but definitely doesn't smell like a guy wearing bright colors and shorts. You could wear this to the office, but I think 3 sprays is the max I'd go with for this. Performance is good on my skin, I get 6-8 hours longevity.

Wanted to buy something that felt like me. I am the kind of person that likes to sit on one side, enjoy the surrounding with a cool winter breeze on a sunny day. I enjoy nature, i enjoy a smoke, i love animals (except for a few) and always on the lookout for peace and quiet. I wanted something that i could spray on and if someone passes by, they recognize me as such. I went to the localy perfume shop, saw this bottle and immediately I saw this bottle in the corner of the shop sitting all by itself in the shelf, felt just like me. I request the shopkeeper for a test and he happily agrees. Two spray on my wrist and i left it there for a few minutes before smelling it. The scent took me to my favorite setting. My soul teleported and i felt at peace. The pepper, wood and tobacco is what you get mainly once the top notes settle and they are fantastic. Nothing in your face but definitely something that you would love to keep smelling, it transitions smoothly to its base note and just sits there comfortably with you while you enjoy your time. Super masculine scent, but not in your face. Absolutely fantastic and I would probably buy 2 or 3 bottle just so that i always have them in stock. 100% recommended.

I’m sure I left a review for this a long time ago. But this is more of a PSA anyway. We had thunderstorms tonight. Although it’s almost summer, it’s a bit cool. So I thought “let’s find something dark to wear.” Being a bit of a collector, things get lost in the shuffle. Like a drug addict, you’re looking for your next high. I remember buying this when it first came out - thinking it was great - and then never really wearing it because I was waiting on my next scent to arrive, then the next, and the next - over 10 years, it sat. Tonight it was chosen. In my opinion - and out of the thousands of fragrances I’ve owned, smelled, bought and sold - this stands on its own. Simply one of the most unique, dark and stunning scents available. It’s not made to be mass appealing (although checking the ratings, it seems to be) - it doesnt follow the typical bullshit BR540 or Aventus recipe. It really is just its own thing. I feel like an idiot. Always trying to find “the next stunner” - when it’s been sitting - barely ever used - for 10 freakin years. A designer scent no less. What a fantastic scent. By the way - what a perfect name. Captures the vibe perfectly.

The smell of Dark Rebel is incredible. A true sample of pure masculinity and rawness. I personally identify this more with rock n roll rather than "the idea of the ultimate man", and I'd even think it'd be very sexy on a very specific kind of woman. The smell of tobacco and leather are dominant and stay all throughout its longevity, which is right about moderate (I get 3-5 hours of decent performance). I'd say this would be a 10/10 scent if this last feature was stronger. To get the most of it, spray some on clothes so you can catch some whiffs from time to time. To me this was a familiar smell somehow. It can be elegant, but it doesn't make the wearer particularly classy or anything, just adds a little bit of rebelness to the mix. Now, personally speaking, this thing really reminds me of the musician Mark Lanegan. The smell really suits this guy's albums. A really grungy rock n roll, with a stoner, desert, lonely rider vibe. Try wearing this while listening to his albums "Bubblegum" or "The Winding Sheet". Fantastic experiences for the soul. 9/10.

This is terrific for the price. It doesn't last long for what it is though unfortunately, which is strange because these type of notes are usually some of the ones that produce beast mode fragrances. It projects very stronger right off the bad, but it dies of very rapidly over the 3-4 hours that it lasts. Still, worth every penny if you can snag a 75ml for about $20 or so which is what I paid from TJ Maxx last year. This is a dark, sexy, and even somewhat challenging fragrance that kind of comes off as something of a modern day Chanel Antaeus - speaking of which I totally feel like Chanel is missing the boat by not coming up with flankers of Antaeus that could maybe go in a boozier, more modern direction like this... Just saying. Either way, if you like fragrances in that style - dark, sexy, spicy, somewhat animalic - then you should definitely seek out a bottle of this. I wouldn't pay $70 for a 75ml bottle, but if you can get it between $20 and $50 then I say it's probably worth it. You'll need to bring a decant though.

Dark. Brooding. Smoky, boozy leather. This fragrance ignited a passion in me; launching me into my recent fragrance journey. Thank you John Varvatos Dark Rebel. R.I.P my bank account from here on out. Ha! Initially, the unique bottle drew me in. First sniff... I hadn't smelled anything like this before. WOW! WTF?!? So, so different from the fresh, blue, or soapy fragrances I'd been use to smelling on everyone before. My nose was locked to my arm for the night. Amazing!! I have since bought two bottles. The power of fragrances to take you places. I am neither dark, nor a rebel. I work a 9-5 marketing job. However, when I wear this I'm transposed into someone bold. Daring even. I'm Arnold in Terminator 2. Tyler Durden in Fight Club. Negan in The Walking Dead. This is more than a fragrance "love" for me. I guess you can say it's getting pretty serious! If you're looking for something different; more audacious from a designer fragrance, I absolutely recommend JV Dark Rebel without reservation. Rating: 10/10

Dark, smokey, sweet, slightly creamy, and boozy. Perfect for nighttime wear. I would not consider Dark Rebel to be rebellious at all. It may be rebellious or mysterious for some, but I have many daring scents in my collection. Dark Rebel is not one of them that I'd label "rebel", "different", "non-conforming", "insurgent", or "fractious". It's not rebellious in any sense (at least not to me, lol), but it's still a beautiful, dark fragrance. It's a shame that it's discontinued bc it smells fantastic. I love it. I recommend it, but don't take my word for it. For any fragrance, read reviews before buying it, but take them with a grain of salt. Everyone has their own opinion regarding smells. Some people love a specific fragrance. Some people hate it. My advice is for you to get a sample of ANY fragrance before you ever buy it. That way, you can assess it yourself and have your own thoughts rather than strictly going off someone else's thoughts and opinions. So, do not let my opinion influence you.

This is good. Manly. Well blended. Is Varvatos seriously out of business? I suppose that's why I can't find any in stock anywhere. Anyway, this is not so much like Dark Rebel Rider. Rider has a strong synthetic (kinda gross) leather note. That note isn't prominent in DR. This is the perfect unapologetic manly scent. Awesome, tough. It's not rough per se or dirty but just refined enough to be respectable but no-nonsense at the same time. A great every day scent for the no-nonsense manly man (John Wayne?). Look at the notes: rum/sugar balanced by clary sage and artemisia. Warm spicy cardamom in between. What a perfect opening! No hint of flowery fruity sweetness anywhere. Leather and pepper stinging your nose while balanced by fir and styrax (in lieu of sandalwood/rose/amber femininity). Wood and juniper smoothened with tobacco and vanilla. Add a bit of the body odor of an animal in heat and presto! Muscular, confident, hairy, MANLY MAN!

Found this at TJMaxx for $25, had to bite on that price as I've been interested in this in a while. This has been my favorite blind buy since Burberry London. This is actually a very simple fragrance to break down. What Dark Rebel does, it does incredibly well. The sugary spiced rum is very strong in the opening, it doesn't stay strong for long though. A few minutes in, and the leather and tobacco start to come out. Every smell in this smells incredibly authentic, immediately recognizable notes even to untrained noses. It's a damn shame JV is going out of business, I hope they can keep these fragrances alive somehow because I'd hate for this to disappear. Buy it if you can find it, especially for $25. Obligatory: Lasts for 6 hours on my skin and has a really good projection for like, 3 hours. Wear it in cold weather during the day or night. Would not recommend this for warm weather at all.

Dark Rebel is a spicy, leathery and woody fragrance. Its opening is sweet, spicy and slightly liqueur. A few minutes later it shows a darker, smoky, leathery facet that gives it more masculinity. Once in the drying phase the aroma remains leathery adding a note of tobacco, woods and a little vanilla. Dark Rebel is a fragrance oriented to autumn or winter use due to its spicy nature, it can be day or night. In terms of versatility, I like it to use to go to concerts, go out with friends, and although it is not the perfect fragrance to use in the office, I think it can also be used on the office. This fragrance smells very good, I love its aroma, although I would like better performance, even so I get about 7 hours, with a good sillage the first hour, but then it stays near to the skin. Even so, for its smell, for me it is worth it.

This is lovable and sweet fragrance with sweet rum, tobacco and leather jamming around me. It's not signature scent worthy, despite the John Varvatos Vintage scent accord used in the heart notes but great for date night or partying. I wouldn't call this bikers' or pirate's frag coz it's too damn sweet. Dark Rebel is for those who wants to showcase their confidence. Dark Rebel is also perfect for tie & suit meetings, attracting others with confidence. Dark Rebel also shines in night out, projecting sweet bold statement of the person wearing it. With it's unique scent evolution, it has niche quality in the scent design. It's a worthy collection. Additional note: - Don't buy or wear JV Dark Rebel if you are easily nervous. Only wear it with strong confident. - Wear this in a controlled temperature onfined space for better longevity.

Dark Rebel is one of those fragrances I need to spray on clothing in order to get any longevity whatsoever. Not a big issue because I prefer clothing anyway. I wear fragrances daily, sometimes 3 or more, so I really don't want to put on those chemicals on my skin every day. So I spray clothes primarily unless my wife specifically asks to spray my chest before bed. She loves to sleep with her head on my chest. So I don't mind spraying the chest (skin) sometimes for her. As others have said, Rebel is very masculine. Almost over the top for some. It really does give off that biker, kinda dirty, rugged vibe. But yet appealing somehow. It's a more casual scent than a gentlemen's scent. Something you wear with a leather/denim jacket, t-shirt, jeans and work/biker boots. Of course you can wear what you want. That's just the vibe I get.

Im a "vintage snob" and own over 250 bottles of all categories of fragrances. This is almost definetely one of the best smoky fragrances ever made. Problem is it changes like old school stuff...but it turns into 3 different things within an hour. Im serious though, if this is still cheap i highly implore people on the verge of moving beyond the top sellers to try this as an introduction to more artistic perfumery. Only strike against it is that it quickly morphs to its final form and then performance doesnt last super long. I also think this could be a "sexy" fragrance to wear as a dude, i think this is kind of salvador dali pour homme turned sexy. Im the kinda guy to wear a leather jacket with a metal band tshirt and jeans, rest of time wear a lacoste shirt with chinos. If im dressed as the former, this is pretty damn perfect.

I love this stuff. This is what Wade Garret wears from the movie Road House. A true modern day man's man fragrance. Signature scent worthy. Not for young bucks. Performance is good enough despite all the knocks on John Varvatos performance. Update: can't get enough of this. Nothing smells exactly like it. Reminds me of something my father wore growing up, however this definitely has a modern feel. I have two 125ml and one 75ml back up bottles since I heard it's discontinued and I enjoy it so much. Like I mentioned performance is not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. I also picked up Dark Rebel Rider. It's also nice, but I prefer Dark Rebel more. It's a bit sweeter with more booze and projects better. Dark Rebel is my signature scent and I live in South FL. Wear what you want, when you want.

im writing this review to tell everyone I have this cologne. I only wore it twice. its very very good. its discontinued. soon ill be the only one with it on earth. no I will not let you smell it. no I will not let you wear it. yes this makes me better than you. yes you can buy it for $17,000 if you feel so inclined. I will likely just remove the juice and put in bvlgari man in black and famoose you. thank you. youre welcome. sweet clean sugar, spiced rum, sweet cardamom, light inoffensive spicy pepper, sweet clove tobacco. yes it does smell like captain jack sparrow. yes its amazing. no it doesnt last long unfortunately. yes its a dark mysterious scent. you smell like an attractive yet rugged, clean yet filthy, fun yet dangerous, alcoholic. literally jack sparrow.