You walk past great, expensive, rare perfumes, some of which have been on your testing list for a long time... and in the end, you test the new John Varvatos Oud? Yes, exactly, that can happen. And the fact that I leave Bois d'Argent, Al-Khatt, or Blue Hope for the new scent of the T-shirt master says it all. I consider the brand to be underrated, highly recommended especially for those under 25, there is even a consistently recognizable company/fragrance DNA & I was very pleased when it beautifully stood on the table at Beauty Affairs in Düsseldorf. €115 for the chunky golden 125 ml king bottle.
What a gigantic fragrance pyramid... probably the most extensive one here on the site. But don't worry, the scent is a very gentle, unremarkable Oud fragrance. In a way, it is the original John Varvatos with a typical, Arabic Oud-saffron touch. The rest of the lengthy list seems to consume each other. Perhaps one could say in the final stages of the fragrance that it has a resinous finish. Before that, there is Oud, saffron & John Varvatos chic. It reminds me a lot of the Kurkdjian Oud, also slightly of M7 or Calligraphy by Aramis. Anyone who is not yet familiar with the often-mentioned John Varvatos DNA should quickly read my comments on Vintage or the original JV - in short, it is a fresh-aromatic youthfulness that always works & never annoys, with a bit of leather & a touch of vanilla.
Bottle: unfortunately not as beautiful in hand as in pictures or from a distance... that was definitely not metal, the beautiful golden chainmail.
Sillage: very subtle. One of the gentlest & most modern Oud fragrances.
Longevity: 5-7 hours is above the JV average, but little for Oud.
A pleasant Oud-saffron all-rounder. A good John Varvatos. A good entry-level Oud. Unfortunately, not much more & a bit too expensive.
Tested it today, not bad, but not a must-have. I also think the bottle looks better in pictures; it doesn't come across as nicely when you hold it in your hand.
I just applied it on my skin and I find it very similar to Potion Royal Black. However, Varvatos smells more intense / musky... I'll report back with more details later.
Best,