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7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Give it more time? Apr 29, 2010
By Robert L. Squires
"...like a red-headed step-child"
I'm not an overly experienced scent wearer. I wore different stuff in the 80s (Drakkar, Givenchy, the original Fahrenheit, even Poisson (it was a new wave thing...don't ask why...)), but during the 90s and new millenium I just couldn't be bothered, so I'm waaay out of the loop here. Sandalwood essential oils and shaving soap, Pinaud Clubman aftershave, that aging (beautifully, by the way) bottle of classic Polo, these were the extent of how I might smell on any given day, if I could be bothered. I grabbed a bottle of this on the recommendation of a few sites. I wanted a classic yet modern scent that might be talked about in a GQ forum, but not a scent raved about on some pop site, dedicated to kids getting laid (sorry). I can't bring myself to wear anything with a rapper's name on it, or the stuff they push at Macy's (ie. Play..."Oh, Justin Timberlake is on the advert"...Well, I run screaming from that image, regardless of the whiff the stuff gives off.)
So I tested the Artisan, and immediately loved it. I was wandering the Barnes and Noble's wondering: should I go back to buy this? No one ever commented on it. Sometimes I smelled it, sometimes I didn't (and this is still true). I felt haunted like I was waiting for an evening rain storm to pass, here in the Northwest, and she hadn't gotten here yet, and the Spring blossoms are falling, filling the air with the ingredients for a nostalgia moment for some future recall. So this stuff caught my attention. I'm glad I didn't wait longer before going back to buy it. It does, as has been noted, seem to fade to gone in an hour or two. Had I realized that, I might have decided against it.
To whit: it doesn't last long, yet it does. I noticed it smelling better, lasting longer and feeling more present after several days of wearing it, because, I think, but don't know or understand how, the cologne in the straw at packaging was used up, and fresher stuff going out of the pump seemed to stay with me more. Is this a cologne phenom I am unaware of? I guess I'd say to the people who don't like it cuz it fades too fast to use it till they've replenished the straw inside. Maybe you'll like it better. My son texted me from his school to say a girl thought he had a nice "vanilla" scent hours after spritzing the Artisan (there's no vanilla in this, so I don't know which note he was getting, but it's cool like that). The next day, I felt my spritzes started to last better.
Maybe, also, this cologne is designed to be an answer to the cloying Axe sprays and Dude colognes, the ones that reeeek!!! of sweat. It's like having your still hunky grandfather telling you to ditch the (insert kid cologne here) and use Artisan. I think Brad Pitt would wear this if he were making"Benjamin Buttons II: Old Again" and he was riding his retro Indian into the sunrise. I think it's a softer take on classic man-scents. In a category like Acqua di Parma in that it's manly, yet reveals a complex, feminine side. I feel like I need to soap-shave and grab my ooolllddd Woolworth sweater that smells like the closet in order to be ready for the subtlety and maturity of this cologne. It's supposed to fade to nostalgia quick. It's for you in brief bits (no matter how much you spray, sorry 4 spritzes still faded, so leave it at two, I think, and maybe carry a girly atomizer to refresh if she calls you up, but you may not need it. It's still there, you can barely tell); it's for that special someone who gets close enough to whisper in your ear. They'll like it, I think, so who cares if your bros didn't notice!
This is good for second dates, Manly men who want to cast themselves in a softer light, gay men who want a masculine smell, women who want to confuse people a little. In short, I think it's great, possibly unisex, and I can't wait to see how the bottle smells in five years. I bet that's an important secret to this cologne, but I don't know enough.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Beautifully Crafted, Albeit Short-Lived Mar 01, 2011
By A.L.
Cologne's different on everyone, so please take my experience with a grain of salt.
To me, Artisan starts off with a kick of citrus to your face; it feels like someone ripping open a box of mandarin oranges and freshly-crushed thyme right underneath your nose upon first application. It's juicy, and strong.
After a few minutes, Artisan evens out with a pleasing floral note (orange blossoms, as I'm told), and you catch hints of aromatic wood and sweet musk. Sadly, this fades away within an hour or two, and the cologne no longer projects. If you move in close, you'll detect a feint whiff of what it once was (it smells as if someone lightly dabbed orange peel and vanilla on your skin).
At $78 retail for the 4.2 oz bottle (I purchased Artisan from a department store), this kills Artisan as a likable product for me. As other users have alluded, you're paying to get teased. To find the silver lining, I'd recommend Artisan for short term use, in occasions such as walks on the beach, coffee dates, a trip to the store, etc. To note, I've also had better longevity with Artisan in warmer climates.
All in all, if the makers manage to extend the longevity and projection of Artisan, I'd be a lifetime customer. As is, however, I'm sticking with another cologne as my primary, and will toss my bottle of Artisan out, along with any attachment to it, as soon as occasion allows for it to run out.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Great cologne Dec 30, 2009
By Erin Blasco
"JOHN B."
Before this i had Burberry (original) but was never really in love with it. I did some homework on what to look (or smell) for in colognes and went shopping for something new. The few I picked out were Dolce & Gabbana The One, Armani Emporio and John Varvatos Artisan. The Artisan is citrusy yet musky and has a much more 'relaxed' scent than any other I tried which is good for those of us who have office jobs and dont want the 'overkill' smell. If your looking for a strong scent that has a 'nightlife' kind of feel, then maybe you should try something else. However if you want a simple, masculine scent for daily wear, try this, it awesome!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 love the smell but weak May 20, 2011
By Matthew Kramer
like many of the reviews below, i love the smell but it only last for about 2 hours even if sprayed on heavily. I think its the formula nothing to do with self life.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Not overpowering like most colognes Jan 19, 2010
By John
I'm not one of those guys that likes to wake up in the morning smelling like yesterday's cologne. I've been an Acqua Di Gio and Hugo kind of guy but I wanted something different. This one's strong enough to last the day without being overpowering, and my wife loves the fragrance. It has a strong citrus smell at first, but it settles down and the underlying complexity comes through.
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