Artisan Black John Varvatos for men

Very interesting smell. Similar to Artisan yet more spice. This smells like something a distinguished gentlemen would wear.

If this smells similar to Leau D´Issey pour homme Noir Absolu then I wanna have it lol.

SOTD for me - I am a big John Varvatos fan and this bottle doesn't disappoint! The notes make it seem very fruity and floral with some darker base notes. I have the regular Artisan bottling and while there are some similarities - this is a true "Black" version of a very bright and beautiful Orange Blossom/Mandarin/Clementine that the original is. The original stays there while this really transcends into darker territory of rich, suede leather, warm patchouli and exotic shades of "night". The original Artisan bottling is a day-time scent, and perhaps evening on a patio in summer (warm weather necessary). This black bottle evokes great top and middle notes, like all the Varvatos bottles I have and the blend is very rich and harmonious. My only complaint is that while the scent is wonderful, sensual and provocative (8.8/10 for me on scent alone) - the longevity is a little lacking. Initially, it is sharp and the ingredients are deep and penetrating while being very natural. This is not a synthetic fragrance. It turns into a skin scent with moderate (4 hours) longevity and slightly above average silage. The first couple of hours - this is an attention-getter but it becomes an intimate skin scent after that, which might be what you want for a night-time scent any way...after all, you don't want your lover to suffocate and get nostril burn while you are in the heat of passion. ;-)

Keep this bottle for cooler weather and summer evenings (and be ready for compliments). I find this to be a scent that people always are attracted to...it does leave an aura about you. Kudos to John Varvatos! I would rather have a shorter longevity, natural, high-quality ingredients and a awesome scent than 12 hours of synthetic crap that you can't wait to scrub off. This is very fine indeed - final score 8.5/10!

Ummm...can I love this and wear this? I am all woman! This is a divine scent! Dare I?

First I heard of the original Artisan. The bottle is a beauty. Its what first got my attention. The burst of the orange scent was very refreshing. Had to buy it. Was the cleanest pleasant scent on a man fragrance i have ever smelled. even more then lemon. possibly because lemon scents are to recognizable. i purchased the fragrance and i wore it the first night. was happy but than i didnt smell it on me. im used to constant compliments by ppl with all my fragrances. i wondered if ppl didnt care for this or if it had no longevity. second time i wore it, i was right, has absolutely no longevity :( i had to keep spraying it on me then it quickly disappeared. Then i learned something in the world of fragrances. Citrus notes have no longevity and any fragrances that contain it is a possibility that it wont last much due to citrus being fresh and toning down other scents. Im still in love with it for some reason but i NEVER choose it to wear anymore :( i used to drench myself with it in stores before i owned it. Now I dont even go to it. BUT NOW... ALAS...They released an intense version of it. Varvatos must have heard me calling. Artisan BLACK!!! you must get it folks. forget the orignal one. Even though this bottle is attractive, Artisan black is the same in a black rattan bottle and the notes are the same with added woods, lavender and leather. but most importantly, it receives compliments, its stronger, and lasts all day and night! :) Im happy again.

I blind bought this at the airport, expecting a woodsier, stronger version of Artisan. When I first sniffed this, I was terribly disappointed. To me, it just seemed exactly like the original Artisan, with just a hint of woods. I've been wearing it for over two weeks now, and I'm definitely beginning to appreciate it. It's not too overbearing, and it definitely isn't your typical citrus fragrance. It's not as "fresh" as some others, which gives it an interesting character. Silage and longevity isn't great on this though for me.

I dropped by the perfume shop on the way home last night. I found a so sexy bottle there. The outer appearance is so unique that I can't just pass by without testing the perfume. What a sexy and classic perfume it is!!

I also totally agree with other opinions that this black one is better than the antecedent, original artisan.

It started with Bah! Citrus much? Next!

But changed it's tune a few moments later. Tangerine stays, ginger arises, a whole heap of notes I've not heard of, that's why tiny parts if this scent smell new to me, but on a whole, not a new scent. Classic, crisp, maybe good for romantic but very good for office and interviews. Definite Autumn scent.
Bottle is slightly interesting, but definitely not too black a scent

Artisan Black by John Varvatos

The good: A very pleasant citrus/musk with some ginger and a bit of sweetness. Inoffensive and long-lasting with a nice drydown.

The bad: Not very original or particularly unique. There's nothing in this fragrance that would make me want to choose it over any of the fresh scents I already own.

The ugly: While the concept isn't bad, the bottle isn't the most appealing. One of the stupidest-looking bottles I've ever seen. Also, there's nothing "black" about this fragrance.

Bottom line: try it, but don't expect to be "WOW"ed.

Again, this is a very nice scent for men by Varvatos. So far I liked the complete range (considering men wear it, not me) :)

I've been using this for the last month so I will try to give an idea of the feeling.

First: I have never tried the original one so I can't compare.

For me, this has been a strange experience, full of great moments and some weird ones. I thought it was a bit weak and unnoticeable at first, very nice though, full of citrus but not in the sporty lemonish way. Different, fruitier and definitely not in the fresh way one could have expected from the notes.

It is very well done in terms of quality, you can say you have splashed the brand new mandarine oranges of your garden on you and people would believe it. The vetiver, patchouli and leather are subtle but give it a masculin side. It's sweet but not too much, just the right amount.

However, sometimes this nice perfume can become a bit hard to take when the sweet new tangerines become the too ripe and even rotten ones you were late to pick up from the tree. That happened to me once I applied a bit more of it for a night out. Bad joke, I ended up smelling dirty and bitter-sour, and I hadn't even danced yet! All the magic had vanished and I felt betrayed.

The next days I applied it for casual wear and the result was again great... and even superb. The weakness of the beginning suddenly becomes a sensual aura around you that stays for long time. That ethereal vibe Ryldyl mentions, perhaps. It becomes indeed noticeable, so don't worry for sillage and longevity. I wouldn't use this in hot summer. I fear the monster may appear again lol.

I still like it a lot but think there are some other perfumes close in notes (Fleur du Male, even if it's soapy and creamy, which this isn't at all) that don't have a b side... safer if you want. You should try it yourself and I hope you won't mention the rotten part too.

PS: reading my review again makes me think I gave some sort of negative idea about it... well well... I like it a lot but can't say it ain't risky... like picking up any mandarin... you never know how it'll taste until you peel it and bite.

I wasn't a fan at first, but after testing the other scents from this line and coming back it was clearly better to nose at least. REquested a sample and tried it again at which point the scent smelled much better and had an ethereal quality. It's faintly reminiscent of the original Artisan, but has a more woody aromatic character and is much less cloying. Lasted pretty long, about 6-8 hours, as I could still smell it the next morning. Got to get it but don't want to get sold a knock-off.

The first notes are a clean manly citrus and spicy ginger, then it develops into an irresistible combination of leather and wood. This scent is something a young Robert Redford would have worn. I love this on a man.

I was at Ogilvy today and the lady said this is no longer discontinued and that she had ordered some bottles.

I may have to buy it. The original Artisan, despite its tiny silage and longevity, is one of my favorite fragrances.

On my skin, this is almost imperceptible, which is hardly what Im after in a fragrance.

Disappointing, as I am a fan of the Original and Vintage frags. Perhaps I need to give this one another go, but at the moment, I'd have to call this sub-par.

Artisan was good, but this is 10x better.

classic Varvatos, awesome.

all I can say is Leather and lemons- what a great combination. This smells much better than the original

Better than the original artisan. It is more woodier and subdued toward the beginning of the top notes, then turns into the original artisan during the middle and drydown. Overall a solid Spring/Summer fragrance.

No idea what this smells like but its available to buy on the John Varvatos website around a week before its officially released.