John Varvatos Platinum Edition

Such a badass frag and turning into one of my favorites... Reminds me a lot of Tauer’s L’Air du Desert Marocain mixed with the dry vanilla, incense and sandalwood of This Is Him. In other words, the scent has a solid ambery woodsy backbone surrounded by strong herbs and spices. The opening is dry, sweet and somewhat zesty, with a prominent sage blends so incredibly well with the incense... there’s a creamy “bitter” orange that literally smells like a creamsicle or orange sorbet... but you have to look for it. A hefty dash of coriander and cinnamon to add some seasonal warmth that blends perfectly with the vetiver... also, the myrtle here is exceptionally well done, providing a nice herbal tinged earthiness, like that of fresh picked parsley from the garden and brilliantly blending the top notes into the heart and pairs perfectly with the bitter orange and zesty, tart, fresh squeezed bergamot (which really helps to liven it up). This all smells quite natural to me and is blended very well... I’m super impressed. All in all, the composition is slightly sweet and creamy, yet dark, resinous, and leathery, with a church-like incense and slightly piney woods, which also hints at Dark Rebel and Bottega Veneta Pour Homme Extreme... It’s super enjoyable and very alluring. I suppose performance could be better, it doesn’t appear to have a high percentage of oils, but it works just fine for me when I want to smell this killer fragrance for a while but maybe not the whole day... Perfect if I’m just kickin’ it around the house or meeting up with some friends for a while... I’m wearing it right now and have had no issue smelling it the past couple hours. In fact it’s performing quite well. This could also be a great date night frag, depending on the style of the person you’re hanging out with this could be very sexy to them. Would I buy it again? Yes, absolutely. I love this style scent and they work very well with my body chemistry and my style. This was a blind buy but after reading the notes and seeing it’s comparisons and knowing I’m a fan of the perfumer and considering what he’s done with other John Varvatos fragrances I knew this would be something right in my wheelhouse and you know what... I wasn’t wrong... this is damn near perfect for me. If you like scents like those I’ve mentioned, along with others such as the Avignon, Casbah, Dark Rebel, LDDM, This Is Him, Prada Amber Pour Homme Intense, Givenchy Gentleman EDP, even Bleu de Chanel, this is one to look into. Very, very cool release and one I’m happy to own.

In a word: YUM. Now THIS was intriguing, complex, and made me purr after I spritzed it on my sweetheart. At first, there was that sharp opening that made me take an instant step back to preserve my sense of smell (I tend to not take the first 2 minutes in to let the alcohols evaporate) so I left his side and came back 20 min later to see how the fragrance developed. Lo and behold, I was very sensually surprised and it became an instant like. It gave to mind as if old Gucci Nobile discovered a fountain of youth amid a humid forest (mmmf) and rejuvenated it as well as smoothed his edges. The level of sophistication in creating this was obvious to me. Oh happy day to this woman that has grown so weary of the overhyped "fashionable" scents of today and yearned for something much like this. *sighs* This oozes masculinity in a way that gave me a vision of a man in his prime. I've found this fragrance to be something that can be worn by those who can be dominant and tender in ways that can leave a woman reaching for her lace fan as she hides her giggly grin while trying her best not to squirm in her seat. I must say that yes, I write this with a noticeable rush of color in my cheeks and neck just remembering it. This fragrance has the sorely missed complexity and oomph of perfumes of the 80's (I'm looking at YOU Drakkar Noir) and 90's but without being overbearing. There is quite a list of notes in this that one imagines could pack a pretty harsh punch but let me just ease your mind with this. The woodsy notes are in harmony with leather and everything else in way that is just sumptuous and sexy imo. The sillage is buildable, 1 spritz for arm's length...layer twice for 4+ ft. The longevity depends on body chemistry but on my sweetheart it went on for a good 4 hours plus (lawd have merceh). It is quite picky though, so I wouldn't recommend it as a blind buy. Overall, a wonderful scent for a chosen few.

I really like this one, but I was baffled by the scent itself. When I read the notes I thought I was in for one experience, but when I sprayed it I got one distinct, altogether different one: patchouli and cacao, almost like a cousin to Kokorico. I'm guessing that the "patchouli" was actually the accord created by the incense working with some of the woods and aromatics, and the "cacao" was the amber being accented with the sage and some of the richer, darker wood notes? I have to be on the alert for patch since my wife can't stand it when it's a dominant note in any of my scents, and I was 100% certain I was going to come back here and see it in the pyramid (had I missed it before?) - I was amazed it was not there :) In either case I agree with Pianopolice, this is best saved for cool/cold weather where it really shines, and then I will likely use it in the evenings. I am really liking the entire Varvatos line so far (outside of the Artisans, since I tend to steer clear of anything remotely aquatic).

just recently acquired this beauty, after a long search – I love this fragrance, it’s very mature. This is a masterpiece, in the opening the bitter orange turning quite fast woody, leathery and a little incense, amber damn this smells good. the longevity for a JV is decent, for me this is a niche style fragrance – the ideal fragrance to wear in the winter. John Varvatos is a great fragrance house, they produce one of the best designer fragrances around and they are not mainstream, the bottles are very high quality – they are not that long in the game +/-15 years and they have had a lot of wins and just a few bad ones – this is a very masculine house – just a few fragrances could be unisex – platinum is definitely masculine, I think this will gain a lot of interest in the next couple of years because the scent is very unique and there isn’t any fragrance that smells exactly like this, maybe I should have bought a couple bottles, just as an investment, maybe I will if I can get hold of one

I have to agree with knox.. It def shares a similarity to bentley intense. Not sure what note it is but its a similar vibe but the bentley is a little stronger with it. This one is nice, its masculine, smooth, woody, resinous with a little smoke or incense vibe. It has sweetness but to the extent of bentley intense. A vanillic woody amber with some incense. Macusline and smells like a niche quality. I am not sure yet as this is a first impression, but the performance would be my concern simply because it is a JJ... Hopefully this performs at least average.. John varvatos makes some great scents... but the performance sometimes is sub par. I still like the original and dark rebel the best but this one is up there with them.

Even though many call this woody, to me it's a very different and fresher edition to the more woodier releases of the Varvatos range. I'd call it earthy over woodyand definitely greener. This is a full, fizzy sherbet number (that'll be the bitter orange). Sage is there to bring just enough earth to it leaving a slight but not-unpleasant dusty feel. After a half hour it starts to resemble a gentler, light Varvatos Oud. Sadly with me, I don't know if it's my skin type or what, but I've yet to find a scent that last longer than a hour or two tops all-in. The nearest I have to a long-laster is Geoffrey Beane's Grey Flannel which after all these years I'm still madly in love with - just as well, eh.

Looking for niche smell on designer budget? Bingo. Not just this scent - but many of John varvatos' scents are ridiculously amazing. This smells so similar (but better) to Fresh Cannabis Santal - one of my very favorites. Vanilla, Mary Jane, amber, woods. In all honesty - this smells better than nearly every niche fragrance I own. Varvatos' dna is very appealing - dark, amber, licorice, patchouli - they all carry a similar feel. "Modern bad boy" smells in my opinion. Regardless - if you like Tom ford noir extreme, fresh cannabis santal or any other deep, dark, semi sweet- woodsy scents, here's the one you NEED in your collection. eBay. $29.99. Done. 7/10

Amazing! I really dig this fragrance. It ends up sweetening up a bit in the drydown which I really liked. The top notes don't stick around too long but that is fine with me because your left with sweet, dirty tobacco, leather, incense and sandalwood. This fragrance is all man. Confident, suave man. You could rock this in a two piece suit, sport coat or jeans... I would not suggest this for hot summer days or teenagers. I would be surprised if many teens would want to wear this anyway lol. Longevity: 10 hours Projection: 4 feet Sillage: 4 hours. Not a huge trail but nice

First Impressions: I tried this at Nordstroms today and I was shocked and how good this fragrance is. This is dark and earthy. I'm surprised that patchouli isn't listed because it smells like there's a lot of it in here. This fragrance reminded me of other dark fragrances that I've smelled in the past but can't put my finger on which ones. I love it. I can't comment on projection or longevity but I'll update as I test further. I really hope this works out for me because I'm really taken by it. Try it out for yourself :)

Platinum Edition is a Middle Eastern themed Incense fragrance done in a very designer fashion. What it actually smells like is one of those Natural Patchouli Soaps you'll find in Whole Foods, or a Head Shop. ... & while I usually dont agree with Fragrantica's "Smells Like" section, there is a note combination here that gives a slight nod to Tom Ford's "Noir". But if you blink you'll miss it. Its nothing for me to write an in depth review on, buts its a love.

Wearing this one today. This is really deep and rich. Definitely something special. Sprayed generously I am loving Rodrigo Flores-Roux. I am so glad I have discovered him. Looking forward to finally trying his new A & H one. I just can't wait to see where he will end up! To bad this one does not have good longevity. I found it for $35 though, so I'm good. I just like the smell. It's as simple as that.

This is pretty similar to Bentley intense but I actually enjoy this quite a bit more. To me this is slightly more airy and spicy than BI and a lot more wearable IMHO. I don't understand how this doesn't get more attention than it does. To be a designer fragrance, this is doing a fantastic job of posing as a niche. Highly recommended. 9.5/10

John Varvatos Platinum Edition is truly one of the most outstanding scents I've ever had the joy of experiencing. It's a smoky, spicy, incense masterpiece. Just beautifully composed and in perfect balance. My first John Varvatos scent and it certainly won't be my last.

This is a fantastic cologne!! I blind bought this for 20 dollars at a Burlington... The big bottle.. they had two.. I wish I had bought them both!! It lasts and its projection is pretty decent. Very very earthy and natural. Just awesome!

I love the woodsy, orange/citrus opening of this fragrance. I can also smell the vetyver and patchouli, which I love. Silage and longevity are a plus. It lasts a good 8-9 hours on me. Great fragrance by John Varvatos.

I realized something tonight. I am not saying they are exactly the same, but there is something soft and similar in my bottle of this, that is also in Grande Soir, F.K.!

Reapply every four hours and be generous. That contrast between sweet-ish citrus, incense and woodsy notes is gobsmacking. It's like nothing else I've known. Amazing.

I gladly own 4 bottles and this is the best from this house for me. This stuff is straight up addicting. I can not stop smelling my arm when I spray it.

This one always picks me up when I'm feeling down. I find this scent intoxicating. A pleasure to wear.

Beautiful Varvatos, I think better all around than Dark Rebel, very similar to Cerruti Bella Notte!

I wish I didn’t hold off so long on getting this one. This one surprised me, this smells great!

I completely agree with the "making great smelling scents that don't last" comment

I dig this stuff! For me, this may be far and away the best creation of the (admittedly mediocre) Varvatos line. I say mediocre line not because of the scents, but for their almost unanimously terrible performance. Much has been said for the notes and accords in Platinum, so let me just cut to my own impression of what it's like and what it reminds me of. Imagine Kilian's Incense Oud and Straight to Heaven decide to invite Halston Amber for an incestuous menage a trois -- rolling in satin sheets still wafting the vapor of Spice Bomb from the previous night's escapade. The air is thick with sweetly spiced wood and a slightly mineralic amber, with just a touch of sensuously incensed oud. It's a watercolor image of all the best parts of both Heaven and Hell, a garden of earthly delights. That little tryst burns hot and bright... but only for what seems a fleeting moment, leaving everyone breathlessly lamenting what could've been while at the same time hungering for more. Such is the life cycle of John Varvatos Platinum Edition to my nose. (Yeah, I know, my nose needs to get out more -- blame it on Covid!) For me, this is an evening out scent, not for the office or for casual daytime wear. I give Varvatos high marks for the scent and for somehow capturing all its references in a $60-ish bottle. Same for its subtle evolution, and so-so marks for overall longevity and projection -- though still a bit substandard considering the style. All in all, it's not unreasonable for the $50-60 you'll end up spending for it. I like it, and will happily wear it at times in place of its much more expensive references. Good stuff!

Another subtle scent from John Varvatos. Let me start out by saying im a HUGE fan of Varvatos fragrances and Rodrigo Flores-Roux knows how to make scents better than anyone. I just wish Varvatos scents had more projection and longevity. many fall prey to the stigma i mention but Platinum has a bit more lasting power than i thought. Sillage is perfect for office environments, movies, etc. you wont blow people away with this scent but if they are close enough, they will be inquisitive. Longevity id middle moderate. I get about 4.5 hours out of it. which is fine, as some varvatos i couldnt smell on me after 2 hours. Scent and the blend of notes is top notch. as masculine as it gets. taking a little bit of every manly note you can think of outside of gasoline and burnt rubber and blending it into a scent made for any true male. all in all, not my favorite from the varvatos collection but it is one i will keep around for a while. 8/10

Platinum is not in my list of top favorites from Varvatos but I still like it. I get dirty patchouli, sandalwood, orange and vanilla. It's interesting, the perfumer says there's patchouli and vanilla in this but they're not listed in the pyramid. I don't really care for the orange in this but it doesn't stay too long. Sometimes when I wear JV Platinum the orange note comes off like fruity kids cereal, most times it smells like the chalky, medicinal orange from Guerlain Habit Rouge. As usual for a JV scent it requires a few extra sprays and projection is on the lighter side. For me it projects about 4-6 hours and then dies down. I can still smell it after that but it's almost a skin scent. No complaints about performance from me, I don't always need monster projection.

What I love about most JV fragrances is that they don't tend to smell like what the other designers are doing. They are all unique with exception to the aqua artisan which I think smells cheap like a barber shop aftershave. This one is wonderful. Completely masculine. I get suede, Amber, cinnamon, and sandalwood. This for me is not a work scent. This is so unique that I wouldn't say that it is sexy fragrance. I think sometimes I just want to smell different and masculine and not trying to impress anyone except my own nose and this is that for me. I'd wear it out to a bar for nothing other than to smell good to myself. A beautiful scent by with weak projection thus you won't get complimnets if that is what you are going for.

Beautiful citrus and leather to open, with wonderful woody middle notes along the way -and drying down to a perfect amber/sandalwood skin scent after about 3 hours. Platinum has all the hallmarks of a wonderful woody oriental but is neither a longevity nor sillage monster, having decidedly EDT strength, but is a really beautiful fragrance nonetheless. NOTE: I tested this on bare skin in the middle of the Australian Summer, where fragrances get eaten up by the heat. It would progress slower in a more temperate climate and would certainly last longer worn under clothes.

This fragrance is a lot different than anything I've ever smelt from this house. The longevity is a lot better than the other offerings from this house too. This is a cold weather frag. Night time paints a picture. This is a lone rider scent, the bad boy that lives by his own rules. It's mature but has an edgy side to it. 30+ masculine all the way. The only thing with this fragrance is that I'm not sure how much I like the first waft. I enjoy smelling the notes individually more. Scent 7/10 Longevity 8/10 Projection 7/10 Quality 8/10 Overall 7.5/10

Tobacco, cedar, leather are all very pleasant. But there is a moderate sweetness in the dry down that is less pleasant. Overall a complex and interesting scent with very good performance (longevity and sillage). But would not buy full bottle as the sweetness is a little cloying. Fragrance message: "I'm a man. I love tobacco, wood and leather. But I'm a little girly and I cry a lot."

It seems to be more or less the same orange and amber scent that forms the base notes for the tenth anniversary edition, except without that nasty opening blast. I do not detect much leather or cinnamon here, mostly amber. My wife likes it more than I do. I think it's okay, if a tiny bit cloying. It lasts! Good longevity. I've gotten 12+ hours on my tee shirt.

I agree with rob2b. This could have been great if performance was better. I think that is the JV trademark. Making great smelling scents that only lasts a couple hours. This reminds me of a less gourmand but more woodier and spicier LIDG. If you like subtle masculine scents, this would be a great choice for spring/fall wear.

Very good one from varvatos tho as a collector i have smelled many similar fragrances. It smells very dirty with a earthy feeling to it, its a fresh smooth fragrance, the drydown reminds me a bit of the new Salvatore ferragamos uomo, a caramel candy like smell, very plesant.

Smells a lot like L'Instant Extreme (I'm surprised cocoa isn't listed in the notes), although it isn't as rich/deep or sweet. Despite that, I find Platinum to be more wearable and I might grab a bottle later on (this is much cheaper and easier to find than LIDGE)

I don't think I wrote something about this one, but long story short, for me is pretty versatile and either hot or cold, it works perfectly, the down side it does not last very long, but you can over spray with confidence, it won't get obnoxious.

This is my second from J. Varvatos, the other one is Varvatos Oud, they have some of the same woodsy notes, this Platinum it just reminded me of the Oud version.

Clearing out. I have a full 125ml tester in box for anyone who's interested. US only. PM with offer.

As I leave this review I realize I could just as well leave it for JV 10th Anniversary Special Edition release. Both came out at about the same time and contain almost the exact same note breakdown. Only a nose much more refined than mine could distinguish between the two. It, or they, is really a beautiful warm, creamy, and somehow fresh fragrance that would go well on that special romantic evening or in a formal entertaining setting. I can't see someone spritzing this on for a trip to the store or sport outing. Special occasions = yes, signature scent = no. The bottle, aside from being a fingerprint magnet, is quite attractive. Much less bling, bling than its 10th Anniversary counterpart.

Sigh, another Varvatos that smells great, but disappears in an hour. It starts out with a wonderfully dark vibe, like the cypress and vetiver of Encre Noir layered with an amber and incense Oriental. But then an hour later, you're left with only a ghostly remnant of that scent. It's like Mr. Tall Dark and Mysterious walks into the room, then quickly transforms into a meek little guy that lurks in the corner with nobody even noticing him. I love that opening, but the longevity is so terrible that it's not worth bothering with.

Someone interested in buying this one from me...? I still got one 80ml left.

Ok guys let me first start by saying that I love this fragrance. Easily one of my top five. Its very different from most stuff out today. The only thing that is remotely similar is Prada amber pour homme intense. Think prada amber intense without the soap note. When you first spay it you get this really nice bergamot and citric note for about 5 minutes then it get really soft for about another 10 minutes. After that all the other notes join the party and the projection ramps up for another 3 to 4 hours. Not to sure about how far it projects but it does well during that time period. After about the 5 hour mark its about a 7 to 8 inch bubble. The fragrance lasts for at least 8 to 10 hours on me and can be detected as skin sent well into the following day. And this one does very well in the complement area. This is a must try for fragrance enthusiasts. Please don't sleep on this one. This is definitely my favorite from the house.

I agree with most of the reviewers, JV Platinum is a very weak performer. Maybe the reason I got a 125 ml for 16 Euro’s. The fragrance itself has an interesting leather incense vibe. Sweet and fruity in the beginning and it’s actually very nice. That fruitiness disappears in 10 minutes leaving a warm comfy smell that doesn’t project at all. It lasts 3,4 hours at the most if you spray 10 times. If the performance was much better this could be a very good one. I like to wear this with my leather jacket, a well suited combination. And the heavy bottle is great almost niche worthy. The amber woody incense drydown with a hint of cinnamon is very nice. A shame it performs so bad. Amp it up signor Rodrigo Flores-Roux and I’ll buy another one.

Sweet, dirty, earthy, smoky. Settles to a smoky vanilla. Something about this reminds me of Tom ford noir, but i prefer this more so. You can easily find a big bottle for 40 or less and its worth every penny. Longevity is an issue, so just reapply. A fall or winter scent that is different than most other designer fragrances. In general if you want a really high quality designer house to invest in look no further than John Varvatos. Tom Ford has vaulted to the top to me, with Chanel nearly equal or perhaps a step below, but John Varvatos is right there with these 2. Worth a blind buy if the price is right. Enjoy.

Finally, a good designer fragance. Very well made and this don't smell sinthetic to me. It's in the same way that the original but more sweet. The more prominent notes to my nose are amber, spices and leather. The amber sweetens the leather and smell so good. Maybe too sweet to my taste but great smell anyway. Longevity is good (more than 5-6 hours) and sillage is moderate-low (this is not a bad thing sometimes). scent: 7/10 longevity: 7/10 sillage: 6/10 UPDATE: There is nothing like L'Instant and I can't smell nothing of cocoa in this...

One of the worse performing fragrances in my entire collection and it's too hard to find at a great price now to be wasting but it's an awesome designer amber! Warm and sweet also very comforting. Platinum has a slightly spicy vibe to it I don't necessarily get Cinnamon but there's some peppery edge to it that I love! Too bad it's a 30 minute experience at best and what's left is a faint whisper of the opening beauty. This can't be more than a 8-10% concentration it's way too fleeting. JV Platinum makes 4711 look like interlude man 👨

I've said it before and I'll say it again. John Varvatos house releases some of the most masculine, unique and mature fragrances for men. Platinum is not my favorite, but it's my kind of fragrance with its manly sandalwood, woods and amber with a touch of citrus to balance everything out... such as rugged composition. Not for boys. Men only. Preferable gentlemen. However, younger guys with a mature personality can pull this off. One last note: This Platinum Edition is a MILF magnet. Thus, I'm only "allowed" to wear it with the wife.

John Varvatos Platinum Edition is a dark, calm and soothing fragrance that is completely out of the modern sweet fragrances out there. It screams maturity and confidence and can easily be mistaken for one of the niche fragrances. The longevity is quite impressive about 6-8 hours on me and sillage is a little above average. It is a well balanced fragrance that i enjoy a lot. An elegant fragrance that's been given a well deserved place in my collection. Well done John.

I smell the bitter orange and the cinnamon faintly carried on heavier notes of incense, sandalwood and amber. I am left with the same lingering scent of Annick Goutal Sables. Somehow it reminds me of the Immortelle/Playdough notes in Sables. mild to moderate projection and mild to moderate longevity. If you want an incense cheapie this is decent incense quality. Try first. I won't buy it, but I am very picky and prefer not to have a collection of more than 12.

Manly man fragrance. This Platinum is very woody and dry. High in bitter oud-like accord and smokey patchouli. Cinnamon and sandalwood are noticeable but not much of anything else. Not something I'd wear all the time since I haven't had hair on my chest yet.

An absolutely perfect non painfully aromatic amber, with subpar performance, which is unfortunate, considering how nice it smells, regardless, its really pleasant, 3 hours until its barely a skin scent, hey, not every fragrance needs to last forever!

John Varvatos Platinum - on my nose it is spicy-woody-sandalwood; it actually smells nice, interesting for a designer house release; honestly this is similar to MFK Amyris - very close to the drydown; and to me it increases its value because of this