JV x NJ
John Varvatos (2018)

Edit 6/26/22: I still think this one gets a bum rap. Been drawn to it over other blues lately. If your over sensitive to “screechy” woods, this one might trigger that. But I’m not and I don’t understand the scorn.
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Someone needs to thumb this up.

Reviews have equated this to a mash up of Bleu de Chanel, Invictus and Eros. With a little Givenchy sprinkled in. To which I say “OK!”.

As I begin my fragrance journey, I appreciate being able to sample and access fresh, modern smells at an approachable price point. JV/NJ can be had for $25 at the rack stores. Or, you can drop $250 to get the other ones. I guess it all depends on your sensibilities and frag maturity and sophistication. I'm quite fine with this, although I do, indeed, aspire to BdC at some point. Just not yet. JV/NJ gets me what I want out of this for the moment. And yes, there are other “clone” types presenting similar, but this one works better than others I've come across.

Methinks that if Nick Jonas wasn't affiliated with this juice it would be better regarded. Frankly don't care. Stuff smells good and lasts a good few hours on my skin.

An aquatic in the same genre as Sauvage, Invictus and Eros.

It's like Sauvage without the obnoxious, high dose of sichuan pepper. Invictus without the fruity open and the (not so nice) calone/grapefruit drydown. An Eros that's less Axe/Lynx like. That's what JV x NJ is. BUT...

I had to change my first impression on this one: it's actually not all good. The hedione in this makes it become very cloying.

You don't really get this at first (in the opening) or if you apply just 1 spray to test. But if you apply 2 or more sprays and get to the drydown it's suddenly a hedione bomb to me.

I don't like that ingredient in any perfume I've tried so far. If you have no objection to hedione or even like it, this might be a neutral or positive even to you.

Awarding a neutral because to me it smells identical to Lacoste white/blanc. It's a youthful floral sporty warm weather scent. Was a blind buy for me, 4.2oz bottle on the $40 mark. Wasn't too pleased won't replace when it's gone. I'd pass on this one unless you really love Lacoste white

The top notes are a nice fruity citrusy mix, enjoy it, it soon nosedives into calone dreg.
Hard no for this mosshead

Here we have an interesting premise and a semi-clever way to attempt dodging the decline of celebrity-branded scents in the mainstream market, Nick Jonas (yes, THAT Nick Jonas from the former Disney starlets The Jonas Brothers) decided to team up with designer John Varvatos for a signature scent under the John Varvatos brand, rather than pursuing an eponymous fragrance label like so many other celebrities have done. This hearkens back to Avon or Coty teaming with celebrities or athletes, but it's safe to say John Varvatos is on a whole different level from Avon in terms of respect from the fragrance buying public, so a move such as this may be seen as somewhat shocking. Of course, many people out of the gate are going to yell "eww Nick Jonas", as seeing his name on a bottle of fragrance is about equal to seeing Selena Gomez or One Direction get a partnership with a designer, and I can understand. All derision for former teen pop stars aside, what we actually get in this collaboration is the John Varvatos take on the 2010's "ambroxobomb" trope that's steamrolled all the variety out of the designer segment for male-marketed perfume. John Varvatos has been adept at mostly avoiding the bandwagon, with only Artisan (2009) and the line which came after being anywhere close to a mainstream clean/sweet generalist staple from the brand. With JV x NJ (2018), Varvatos benefits in the reputation department from blaming the obvious cash-in on being Nick Jonas' idea, while Mr. Jonas himself gets a bespoke fragrance from a reputable designer that's sold to whatever fans he has left in the world. The scent of JV x NJ is pretty unsurprising, and like how Jay-Z went after Paco Rabanne 1 Million (2008) for his Jay-Z Gold (2013), Nick Jonas clearly has gone after Bleu de Chanel (2010), which means there is a modicum of class here.

The alternative to copying Bleu de Chanel could have always been trying to copy Dior Sauvage (2015), but too many other designers have already done that, so I give props to both John and Nick for dodging that bullet. JV x NJ on paper looks like a Bleu de Chanel clone, but in execution is a mix of styles from the genre that blossomed in Bleu de Chanel's wake, with bits of Paco Rabanne Invictus (2013) and YSL Y Eau de Toilette (2017) in there all swirled around. The opening draws the biggest comparison to the Chanel, with pink pepper, bergamot and mandarin, but adds a bit more zest with Kaffir lime leaves (just lime to my nose) and cascalone, a drier modified version of calone, the old melony staple from the 90's. There is mint here too like in the Chanel, but it is moved down to the heart so all you get is citrus and pepper at first, but once the element emerges, JV x NJ cools down and adds lavender to the mix, making it a bit rounder like Bleu de Chanel Parfum (2018) but without the strength or woodsy aura. Hedione, rosemary, and sage add a bit of clean herbal/soapy barbershop masculinity like the throwback elements in Y Eau de Toilette, but the base here is clearly pulled from the syrupy sweet glow of Invictus, so none of the itch normally associated with Y Eau de Toilette shows up. Ambrox super mixed with vetiver, "Clearwood" (norlimbanol), Iso E Super, and some fuzzy fake sandalwood compound that feels more like cashmeran to me. I like most of the development in JV x NJ until we reach this lazy base, which makes this love letter to 2010's designer trends feel more like a cover band trying to play songs from The Jonas Brothers than just another band in the same happy-go-lucky teen pop rock genre wanting to be its own take on the style. In other words, this one wears its inspirations on its sleeves and you're really better off just getting Bleu de Chanel, or even Invictus, as both are the better-executed originals.

Wear time for JV x NJ is decent, and sillage is also decent, but do we really need another fragrance that is just "decent" in this style? Just as in the 80's where every other masculine wanted to be Kouros (1981) or Drakkar Noir (1982), the 2010's has been all about take after take on Bleu de Chanel or Sauvage, and I've really grown to like what can be done with ambroxan as an ambergris alternative, but here it just ain't happenin' McGhee. Rodrigo Flores-Roux makes all the fragrances for John Varvatos, and most of them are solid even if not spectacular, so I know he is a more-than-competent perfumer. However, with JV x NJ he either took the day off or quit because this smells like the usually-good Harry Freemont just phoned in the scent based on word-for-word instructions from Mr. Jonas, and if we know anything about a fragrance made to-order, it's that the outcome is usually limited to the knowledge and taste of the commissioner. Therefore, I give this a neutral rating for being a harmless, boring, "good-enough" entry into the crowded ambroxan blue juice genre that honestly didn't need another example that plays off of established styles. I wouldn't fault anyone for owning this, because someone looking for a dumb-reach modern daily driver could be talked into this by a sales associate just as easily as any of the above things I named, just knowing what's really out there even within the limitations of this style makes JV x NJ little more than a cleverly-orchestrated vanity plate for the celebrity involved. Oh well, I'm sure this will one day prove collectable when John Varvatos eventually runs his course with whatever licensing deal he has and discontinues the fragrance. Likeable enough, but also passable, just like Nick Jonas' former band. Neutral

Not bad at all! I would actually purchase a bottle if the price went down some. Reminds me of the vintage but with an aquatic vibe. Not an aquatic fragrance, but the lime and mint notes gives off that impression. 7.5/10