JV x NJ

Yet ANOTHER scent that takes inspiration from PR Invictus! Why are there so many?! I can literally think of a dozen just off the top of my head... HOWEVER - this also shares some similarities with Versace Dylan Blue which is a very good thing. Out of all the Invictus copy cats out there, this one is probably my favorite. It's EXTREMELY strong, nowhere near as sweet as Invictus, and overall, it's more balanced than any other Invictus clone I've tried. It sparkles, (not the bottle) the scent itself has a very sparkly texture provided by lavender, pink pepper, and a fine dose of ambroxan, I'm sure. The fruity notes are tamed and balanced with the sparkly texture. The projection strength is perfect, which is rare for John Varvatos. Haters abound, but as far as Invictus clones go, this is one of the best. I'd even venture so far as to say this is much better than Invictus itself and if I were in the market for this type of scent, this is the one I'd choose. Given so many dislike it, I'll probably plan to get a bottle on the cheap later on. :D

12/6/22 update: it's one of the better "blue" fragrances you can find at a rack store ... it smells clean and fresh, kinda like you were thrown in the laundry and you smell like snuggle... i know this cologne gets shitted on because of lack of performance but i overspray and it'll last on me for a while ... another thing people say about this cologne is that it smells like a generic "blue" fragrance, well to me that's not a bad thing ... I've cooled down on the fragrance but it is in my rotation and for the price, really good deal... and just like most blue scents, you can wear it all year round and smell like you just took a shower and your clothes just got out of the laundry basket, you will smell f'kn clean ... still getting compliments from this scent

Love this fragrance! Not artistic, not really original, but pleasant as can be. Don’t trust all the reviews folks, I can tell you for fact one person below is the type to file *negative feedback* for a cheaper than dirt sample (which was refunded so we could ge done dealing with the thief) because “the bottle fell apart” and now they’re stating how much they love it? Either his claim was dishonest or the review is...either way, read multiple reviews to be sure and look for the ones that don’t *talk like they are a sophisticated perfumer*. Chances are most people don’t have half the collection they state and are counting 1ML samples as owning the fragrance...kinda like owning your parents house because you live in the the basement.

I agree to disagree with anyone who dislikes this cologne, but I personally really enjoy this fragrance. If I am going out and I cannot decide what to wear this one is my go to. Because it is not overpowering and gives me that fresh out the shower feeling. It smells of citrus at first then you get that aromatic, sage scent right after. Once it settles on your skin you get the sandalwood. I'll admit the middle sage and aromatic notes do not last very long, but I sometimes prefer to wear a fragrance that isn't in your face all day like Versace Eros or Mont blanc Legend. I highly recommend checking out this scent the next time you are at the store so you can smell it and judge for yourself. 8 / 10, smells great and versatile.

Well, this is it. This is finally the fragrance to confirm to me the vast, vast difference between the “real” world and the “basenotes/fragrantica” world. Not only does this have my highest compliment per wearing ratio, but the quality of the compliments are unmatched. Women really melt for this stuff. In addition to that, I don’t think it’s a copy cat of any other fragrances. Apparently anything that doesn’t smell like feces and oud with a hint of vetiver is “generic” nowadays, but whatever. It also has tremendous performance. Great projection and I can still smell it where I sprayed my hand the NEXT DAY. This is the new compliment king.

Generic. Boring. Done 1,000 times. Sad marketing. Everyone hates it....doesn’t matter to me at all! I love this scent off of my skin, definitely sitting on my guilty pleasure shelf with Boss The Scent. There’s just something about this one that makes me wanna keep smelling myself. I definitely don’t think it deserves so much hate, but I’m not a Niche Level Master of all that is Perfumery either...I just like things that smell good to my nose...

This stuff is very underrated sure it’s synthetic however this is an underrated summer blue fragrance. This has a soapy citrus smell with sandalwood to tone it down and nothing wrong with that. This is different from what John Varvatos's line produces but again this is very mass appealing and alluring. JVxNJ is my gym scent it almost gives me a slight resemblance of nautica voyage and In The Navy by Jean Paul Gaultier Essence.

I assume the slammers don’t like Nick, this is a little different for a JV, but the smell inspired scent I’m sure was imputed by Nick. To me this is a cross between Eros and Invictus. Not so bubble gummy, but on the sweeter side, the pink pepper gives it a little spice and as for the mint it is there for me. The other herbs help mature it up some. I like this and it is easy to wear, for me I will use this anytime anywhere.

Nick Jonas is my fiance's celebrity crush and always has been. One day we were in Macy's and I cracked a joke: "Well if you can't be with him then at least you can have a man that smells like him!". I decided to try it out and immediately loved it! She ended up gifting it to me on my birthday. My only complaint is that the longevity is lacking. The sillage is great but it only lasts between 2-4 hours before dying down.

Crimson was my favorite and only JVxNJ I had until I got this one. This one has this thick melon type smell that’s to die for and my girlfriend was a HUGE fan of this. Like all other John Varvatos fragrances, I have zero problem with performances. Sprayed one spray on the back of my hand 18.5 hours ago and I still smell it it is nit faint! Did 4 sprays last night to dinner and it projected like a mofo.

One of the best scents in my collection. It reminds me of a big favorite of mine, Bvlgari Aqva Atlantiqve, but this Varvatos is more refined. I’m in a tough spot with both because they’re so hard to find; both were limited editions. If I want something seductive, fresh, and edgy for the summer that feels clean and high-quality, I’ll definitely reach for this one! 5 stars to Varvatos!

Dare i say it, and I also did not expect this. But I did 8 sprays of this and I got tons of compliments from seemingly the most attractive girls in my school. I wore it in winter and it cut through. Strong, aquatic, fresh and overall an extremely pleasurable scent. My friends smelt this aswell and complimented again. I reccomend this largely for school in spring and summer!!

Not quite sure why there's such a low rating on this. I'm not fan of Nick Jonas, but I couldn't care less what a bottle says on it, if it smells good, I'll wear it. I really like this scent, it projects fairly well and lasts a good amount of time too. It's simple yet different, I'm a fan!

SUMMARY: 7/10 Slightly sweet, slightly herbal fragrance. Well made and quite pleasant fragrance, but nothing overly special. Solid but subtle performance. RAMBLING THOUGHTS: The more John Varvatos fragrances I try, the more the label is growing on me. Their fragrances are amazing for the price point. JVxNJ is neither the "best" nor the "worst" of the fragrances I have tried from John Varvatos, and I think that sums the fragrance up well. It is very middle of the road. Quite pleasant, well made, but not really special or unique. This holds true for the performance as well. It has solid performance, in terms of staying power, but it is a very subtle fragrance that projects in a way that I am sure some people will miss it (though it definitely does project). The fragrance is more herbal than anything else, particularly in the beginning, but everything is blended so well that even the herbal notes are relatively subtle, offset by a subtle sweetness from the citrus and mint (which don't add much beyond this sweetness). The base is woody, but again in a very subtle and almost creamy way, which combined with the citrus and mint gives it the illusion of and vanilla sweetness, but in a way that is more fresh than cloying. I have also seen in compared to Invictus, which I totally get. It isn't an Invictus clone in any real sense, but the well blended and subtle sweetness comes across very similar (I have also seen this compared to Dylan Blue, which I do not personally get at all). This is a fragrance that works far better on skin than on fabric, because on fabric the herbal notes will stay prominent for far longer... and this fragrance really excels in the dry down, as everything starts to blend and even out to create a sweet and clean fragrance. Don't judge this by the opening, as it is the dry down where this fragrance excels (and the opening can be inconsistent, sometimes very herbal, sometimes very aquatic). Great safe reach, every day type fragrance.

John Varvatos JV x NJ is an underrated scent. Yes it is like a number of fragrances, most noticeably Le Male In The Navy. Is it more synthetic, yes. Is it lesser, yes. That said it is a great office version of In the Navy. JV x NJ opens with a blast of cascalone. It is a synthetic smell but it does settle in. You get some citrus and pink pepper as well. In the mid, you do get lavender, with some mint and a little hedonine (synthetic jasmine.) Unlike In The Navy, the mint it isn't over-powering mint. The base is Clearwood and Sandalwood. JV x NJ as I said, is an office version of Le Male In The Navy. Performance is slighter with less sillage and it doesn't project for as long as In The Navy. It lasts only about 5 hours which isn't bad and typical for what most people say John Varvatos fragrances do. As I said use this for the office and perhaps dates, In the Navy for clubs and longer days. It is a spring to fall scent for days. In Arizona, this may also extend into winter days (providing you aren't spraying it when it is still cold in the morning.) Had it have better performance, I would say nighttime works too. John Varvatos JV x NJ I want to rate higher, but it is similar to Le Male In The Navy and came out around the same time. In the Navy has JV x NJ beat minus work and possibly date settings so for this I give JV x NJ a 7.4 out 10. Another fragrance that this bares similarities to and is Acqua di Gio Profondo. That said, Profondo is far more unique with the mineral note addition, so it stands out while JV x NJ does not. Not that standing out, is always needed.

I honestly don't understand why this fragrance has such low ratings, as many have said it's a mass appealing fragrance. The performance is decent (around 4-6 hours) and strong coming from the house of John Varvatos. However, it does smell similar to Invictus but, not identical. At the price of around 40-50 dollars for 125 mL it's worth it and is a great starting frag for newbies and even more experienced lovers. The age range is teenage to 30s, however that doesn't mean it's an immature fragrance. It opens with a sweet/fruity note alongside a masculine feel. In my opinion, I don't understand what people mean when they say it's a "shower gel fragrance", I don't smell that. Maybe they mean a "blue fragrance" which is fresh and mass appealing. Presentation on the bottle is clean but I would prefer for it to be see-through so I know when I'm running low. Many fragrance enthusiasts/youtubers aren't the biggest fans of this frag as they say it's similar to Invictus and not a so-called "notable and unique" entry by John Varvatos. However, many many people are not like this and can not notice that a specific frag has "a top note of Mandarin Orange". At the end of the day, you are getting a safe, pleasant, and mass appealing scent that will net you compliments. In my opinion, even if you don't receive compliments at least you know that you smell great. Now's a great time to purchase as John Varvatos has just announced bankruptcy so their products will be discounted. Thanks for reading and enjoy :)

One of few John Varvatos that pop up at the rack stores and at an excellent price of around $20. I think most of the hate comes from the performance but at $20 I just spray a little extra and keep a decant in my car to re-apply at lunch. I've actually gotten quite a few compliments with this one with the extra sprays. The aquatic and mandarin notes in the opening provided a great mass appealing scent but I don't think it's as generic as most people say. The sage and rosemary note it's what sets it apart for all the other blues. My favorite compliment: (From a cute cashier while I was standing in line at a gas station) with a good 10 feet between us, she said "I can smell you from here and you smell delicious" In summary, this is a good cheapie with a very pleasant scent. Just spray a little extra and you'll get noticed and most likely garners some compliments. Perfect for spring and the warm weather. Daytime and casual is the best time for use. Last about 4 to 5 hours (like I said, just spray a little extra or reapply) Can get good projection for the 1st hour with the extra sprays or laying it with some ambroxan or iso-e super. If it where at a higher price I wouldn't recommend this but at a discount I can't be mad. I love this fresh clean scent!

Reminds me of something JPG would make. Maybe it's the cascalone and hedione. It's hard to describe, there's just a slight powdery, swirly, smoothness underneath that reminds me of the Le Male line. I haven't smelled In The Navy. Anyway, it's a nice fragrance. Very aquatic, but a deep aquatic. It's a slightly thick, fruity and ocean-y smell. I mostly get melon and (what I presume is the) cascalone at the top. I didn't pick up on it until I read the notes but the lime and mandarin are also perceptible which helps brighten it up a little. I've usually thought of this more as a day fragrance but seeing it's a bit heavier I can see it working at night, which based on the JV's bio for this fragrance it sounds like that's what they were going for: "dynamic and irresistible, capturing the upbeat energy of the city as dusk settles and nightlife comes alive." In my experience this projects well for the first hour or so, then dies off to a smaller scent bubble. Definitely possible I'm just going noseblind though.

I honestly am not sure where all of the hate is coming from with this scent. I really enjoy it. I do not get the Invictus vibe that everyone keeps talking about. One of my go to scents is Coach for men. I smelled this at the store, and it reminded me of that right off the go. However, after wearing it, I think it is a lot less sweet in the dry down from Coach. Also, on my skin, I get more of the green scent that peaks around some of the peppercorns. Occasionally I'll get a hit of the lavender and sage which makes a nice presence together. I feel that this scent is complex and not as juvenile as some may throw out there. I would say, wear it a few times before giving up on it, and you will be surprised how the scent will morph throughout the day. I think that it has potential for being an all around pleasant scent that you can wear in the office or going out with friends. Especially at the price point that this is selling for with discounters; worth a pickup.

I tested this fragrance out just to see what the hype was all about, and to be honest I like this but I don't love this as much as I would probably like. Probably because of the longevity or the sillage but other than that the notes are very good and I'd really have to compare and contrast this with John Varvatos JV X NJ Crimson and see which one performs better. It's probably better to wear it more in better weather conditions such as spring or summer, you could probably get away with it in fall but definitely not a winter scent. It works with both day and night occasions whether you're going on a day walk with your woman or on a date at night with your lady in the summer. But again this wouldn't be my go to scent for spring or summer if I wanted to wear it for day or night occasions even though I like it, the performance just isn't to my liking.