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Dark Rebel Rider John Varvatos 2016

7.8 / 10 160 Ratings

A popular perfume by John Varvatos for men, released in 2016. The scent is leathery-spicy. It was last marketed by Elizabeth Arden.
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Main accords

Leathery

Spicy

Smoky

Resinous

Sweet

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Aldehydes

Bitter orange Citron

Citron

Marjoram

Hyssop

Saffron

Heart Notes

Black violet

Labdanum

Somalian frankincense

Tolu balm

Osmanthus absolute

Sumatran benzoin

Florentine iris

Base Notes

Russian leather

Cocoa absolute

Atlas cedar

Patchouli

Vanilla

Woody notes

Perfumers

Rodrigo Flores-Roux, Givaudan

Videos

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Ratings

Scent

7.8160 Ratings

Longevity

6.7147 Ratings

Sillage

6.6148 Ratings

Bottle

8.4171 Ratings

Value for money

7.862 Ratings

Submitted by OPomone, last update on 04/08/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Dark Rebel

Extreme Eau de Toilette

Leather

L'Homme Idéal Intense

Epic Man

Bentley for Men Intense

Reviews

9 in-depth fragrance descriptions

01/16/2020

8
Bottle 7
Sillage 7
Longevity 9.5
Scent

Meetjoeblack
11 Reviews

Meetjoeblack

3

Smell Like a Motorcycle Club Member

If you own a motorcycle or have been involved in motorcycle clubs, are a fan of the TV shows Sons of Anarchy or Mayans, lift weights regularly, and wear a beard, there is a high likelihood that you will like this fragrance. It's NOT for everyone, especially anyone who wears tight pants, shaves their chest, listens to top 40 pop music, or has a naturally high pitched voice.

For a masculine man made in the modern conception of someone who sometimes colors outside of the lines, it will ring true. You may not get compliments on it the way a typical, mass-appealing scent would get compliments, because women who are drawn to it will not like like it in the general androgynous sense, but in a spirit of attraction, and they may be shy to tell you so. If you scan YouTube and the web for reviews and comments by women, you will see that a certain kind of woman finds this fragrance and its connotations very appealing. I would say that this fragrance is a bit like the sword Excalibur, in that for most people it will not be correct, but in the right hands it can help you unleash your potential.

06/14/2018

8
Bottle 8
Sillage 7
Longevity 4
Scent

Vmaster
35 Reviews

Vmaster

Not Recommended

Really enjoyable when I first sprayed it on.

Sadly, the dry down is headache inducing and gave me a bad taste in my mouth. It's too bad because it was really promising at the get go.

I returned this to the store.

Not recommended
4/10

09/23/2017

Olfactory60
6 Reviews

Olfactory60

A Better Leather Scent

This is one of the longer lasting scent among John Varvatos' offerings. If you like Tom Ford for Men extreme, but are unwilling to shell out the big bucks, then this is the budget friendly alternative. Lasts 4 to 5 hours on skin, longer lasting if sprayed on clothes. ( 7 to 8 hours)

03/17/2020

10
Bottle 7
Sillage 7
Longevity 8
Scent

Volker1964
63 Reviews

Translated Show original

Volker1964

Top Review 3

Great flacon, good solid fragrance, shelf life too short

Some people like leather scents. Some Tom Ford Tuscan Leather. Some Rasasi Yugawam. Both highly recommended. How about Dark Rebel Rider by John Varvatos ?
Flacon:
The flacon is very elaborate and beautiful. Glass flacon in leather-look cover, right and left zipper. Lid partly metal with application (iris ?) on the lid. The sprayer distributes the fragrance very finely.
Such a flacon and such a great sprayer I would not have expected in this price range.
Top note:
Piquant spice and very subtle, fruity notes. Spice clearly dominates here.
Heart note:
Floral, partly strong / dark, notes clearly dominate here. Nice incense note skilfully supports the heart note. Some wood already suggests itself.
Base:
Russian leather complemented with vanilla chocolate and woody notes.
Russian leather in a more discreet version. Cocoa not too strong, no chocolate bomb. Wood skilfully completes the base and makes the fragrance more versatile.
Conclusion:
The flacon is really successful. A highlight in my collection. In the field of leather scents this scent makes a good and pleasant impression. But it doesn't quite come close to TF Tuscan Leather or Rasasi Yugawam. Why ? It is a bit too discreet and the durability could be better. With me it is over after 4 hours. Clearly too little for me. Rather for the evening/leisure time on cooler days. PLV good to very good. In the Internet ordered, 125ml EdT for nearly 40 euros. No highlight, good and solid for a smaller price.

04/02/2021

10
Pricing 10
Bottle 7
Sillage 7
Longevity 9
Scent

N471v3
104 Reviews

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N471v3

Helpful Review 5

That's why I'm Back in Black...

Since my taste, but also my fragrance perception has changed, I now write a comment on my current impression of this perfume.
You can read the old version below, as I find it interesting to observe how a taste can change over time. :)

When I wrote the old Kommi, I was not yet very Oud-geeicht, it was then still a new scent for me.
Meanwhile, after I know oud well, and love, and have found my favorites with it (Versace Oud Noir, Oud Wood, M7, etc..) I can also differentiate it better.
And I must admit, Oud I smell out here now not at all.

Instead, I'd say "Rider" is actually a cleverly reworked version of Dark Rebel, relying more on leather and smoky accents. What struck me as oud at the time is probably the combination of saffron, leather, cocoa, the smoky notes (oud is partly smoky, after all) and all the spicy aspects like tolu balsam, etc.
Where Dark Rebel just already most revolves around the rum, here is now black, smooth leather in the center, - just like the jacket around the bottle! :D Theme thus perfectly met, thank you John Varvatos!
Really pleasant and great to smell, especially if you like DR but don't necessarily need the boozy note all the time.... (who wants to always smell like booze throttle...)

I find Rider now really succeeded, I "feel" the fragrance really. Unfortunately, the durability and silage is not as good as the normal Dark Rebel, but noticeably worse. Too bad, because just the leathery heart note has me so taken... fits as I said perfectly to the eingelederten flacon, and is just right strong dosed and embedded in the rest.

Despite the rather weak performance, I'll wear Rider more often now that I own a flakönchen of it, and spray on generously! B)

I can highly recommend the fragrance, even if the performance is rather poor. You can spray on yes more, and on hair / clothes etc., so you get safely through the day.

Keep it rockin' guys!
(Soundtrack: Back in Black, AC/DC)
~~~{ Original comment: "To dark to rebel" }~~

Preface
At the outset, I must note that I am a huge fan of the original "Dark Rebel". (See also my commentary on it if needed :) )

So now when voices were raised that this flanker might knock him off his throne, I naturally got suspicious. Since in Dark Rebel Rider no rum is listed, as it contains its big brother yes, I had of course the hope he still forms in addition a similar fragrance with yet other ingredients, thereby DR would be more portable for me (because you do not like to smell every day after rum ;P )

Now when I was in the Lila Duftbazar, I happened to catch sight of the little brother dressed in leather jacket. The bottle looks crazy cool, and also feels great, with the cute little leather jacket. I had to test him of course immediately on the skin - a leap of faith that not all fragrances get with me. :)

Two familiar things rose to my nose immediately after opening:

1. Dark Rebel
2. Oud.

Not having the fragrance pyramid in my head at the time, I said to the saleswoman keeping me company and co-testing, smells very much like oud; and she immediately agreed with me. The professionals among you can tell me right now if my nose just doesn't know what oud smells like yet, (I'm not offended), or if the ingredients in the pyramid are actually supposed to 'emulate' oud. (Real is supposedly quite rare)

Anyway, whether it's oud,- or yet just a mixture of smoke and leather accents that I don't like,- for me the composition represents nothing new and rebellious, but just a mustier version of the Dark Rebel I like, which I personally don't enjoy that much. For the notes breakdown, I therefore also refer to various reviews of "Dark Rebel".

I do not quite dare John Varvatos to insinuate that he would just ride on the oud-hypetrain, because for my finding his fragrances have such an independent line that they open up a whole niche of their own anyway.... However, I can't rule it out completely either.

Be that as it may, objectively speaking, I recommend everyone who has made it to here to test the fragrance in any case, because I think it's not badly done; if you like it very musty and wicked has at least... (The bats fly here really already very low.... (: )

However, rather no Blindbuy... you may dare to the normal Dark Rebel, which still stands like a monument in the surf.

The durability came to me well, a little weaker than the original, sillage as well.

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