Star USA John Varvatos for men

Star USA John Varvatos smells like cool oceanwave breeze, this is awesome product that remind me of fresh polo sport.

Rodrigo Flores-Roux certainly knows his way around light, naturally organic, airy fragrances, judging from his already solid resume. The mastermind of Zirh´s two great, if not short lived creations and the entire John Varvatos line, Flores-Roux does not venture too far from his comfort zone with Star USA.
Designed to compliment the twenty something fashion line targeted at middle-class youth looking for an alternative, retro DKNY look but seeking a bigger price tag, Star USA packs much of its punch in the marketing and bottle design, conceived as a vintage beer bottle, and leaves little for longevity or staying power.
The opening salvo of ginger, juniper and citrus is organic and pleasing enough, if not a bit formulaic, but never really projects and lacks any substantive personality or bite beyond being resigned to a skin scent. The ginger features nicely early and is certainly inviting and seductive enough over the juniper, but unfortunately doesn´t stick and fades to the background around the thirty minute mark, a harbringer of the overall lack of staying power for Star USA.
The middle notes never really come to the forefront to balance the composition and give Star USA structure or personality. Once the ginger fades to the background, no other element in the middle or base notes steps up to assert itself, leaving a rather hollow balance of accords. It is at about the thirty minute mark, just after the ginger disappears that Star USA digs deep into the skin and becomes evermore untraceable and indistinguishable, ultimately flaming out within two hours of application.
Star USA lacks any strength or force and seems far too light, even for a fragrance conceived as a light fragrance.
Warm, soothing, charming and subtly sexy. Star USA can work very effectively as an intimate skin scent but doesn´t project or breathe long enough to work as an evening or day-wear fragrance. Certainly a great deal of potential here if it was devised to have any stamina whatsoever. But unfortunately the current released version was released without the foresight and attention to detail necessary to justify its MSRP. A reformulation with emphasis on stronger projection and longevity could be a real contender. Unfortunately the initial release is a skin fragrance without much bite, classy enough in its assemblage of organic notes but far too unassuming, linear and generic for its own good. Very transparent in its attempt to appeal to 20 somethings more taken with packaging and perception than quality and substance.
A pleasing, sensual and organic scent that may in fact work better for women, inoffensive if not also untraceable after a couple of hours.

The bottle is more appealing than the fragrance. Elizabeth Arden did this? Ohh, THAT'S what happened. Taylor Swift Wonderstruck was an Arden project too wasn't it? Every Varvatos fragrance was a success to me, until now. So sad. I was looking forward to another Vintage style bottle with something worthy of smelling inside. How about a Rock Vol. 2??

Very light so over spraying is not a problem. I love the scent after it dries down. A great daytime cologne, not sure how far it projects. You definitely don't have to worry about loosing the lid.

I'll give credit where it's due. Flores definitely changes it up even if it is a bit of a retread on the same juniper-ginger theme that's been thrown around lately. He seems reluctant though to do any serious trendsetting. At first it smells like every other 'fresh' cologne out there. The drydown changes that though with a warm, soapy, piney character. It finishes with those notes plus a leathery accord that graces JV colognes. The cardamom is understated and at times hardly existent. It still manages to rock harder than it's posh blood brothers, but unfortunately not hard enough to set itself apart from the pack. I've been told it's more attractive than it's european counterparts so maybe that reluctance isn't such a bad thing. I have to disagree, it definitely wont end up like Davidoff Champion. I've noticed John Varvatos colognes tend to have a very loyal fanbase. Gotta love the flacon though. I'm sure this would be a wonderful gag at a place with lots of security :o

John Varvatos meets Hollister fragrances! All in a tacky bottle!

$70.00, please!

smell's like cool water to me

I am a bit hesitant to be the first reviewer of this, but here goes...

I sprayed this from the sample bottle at Nordstrom's and I applied quite a bit. Two sprays to the chest and one spray each on my forearms. First impression was that of citron and ginger, I honestly did not smell the juniper but got the feeling it was hiding someplace. then it progressed (slightly) to sweeter middle notes of a mix of things flowery. Nothing stood out so I suppose that means it is well blended. In the end it became somewhat more ambery to my nose.

I did not get the feeling that this was a fragrance that projected much or had much silage. I expected that with four healthy sprays I would be leaving a trail, but no, I don't think I did. It seemed rather mild, weak even to me. A somewhat sweet and unoffending scent. Different from other men's scents I would say but pretty mild, a little sweet and very middle of the road.

I guess I would say I like this one, or at least am not put off by it, I am just not impressed enough to put this in my wardrobe. Can something be different and boring at the same time?

This has the most irritating and hard to use cap I have ever seen. These swing-top caps are hard to pour a beer from, As a cap for a fragrance, holding and trying to spray is so cumbersome as to be almost impossible to use.

First impression; I love the bottle but hate the cap. It just gets in the way as it doesn't come off completely. I go ahead and get a bottle anyway. As far as the scent goes, it's all too familiar. Is it Gucci Guilty Hommy? Ed Hardy? Burberry Sport? JV Star USA is a fresh, soapy, clean, and sporty scent. I don't like it at first but the scent get deeper and a bit woodier as it settles. I enjoy it more later on. My friend say it smells like a light Bleu de Chanel! Anyway, I have not wore it long enough to give much detail, but so far I can say that there is no oriental aspect in here. I don't mind it tho, and I plan on keeping it.

can't wait :) i did not have much impression with John Varvatos 10th year anniversary edt. but still look forward to this STAR USA :)

I love this bottle. I don't have high expectations of the scent but I really look forward to trying it

It all sounds good on paper and the bottle design but I really don't see John Varvatos as a rebel with his last men's fragrances.

Let's hope he proves me wrong and doesn't produce any more watered down fragrance but something with character and longevity.

This is the first scent Elizabeth Arden company did for Varvatos... So interesting to look whether this collaboration is successful