XX
John Varvatos (2020)

John Varvatos XX (2020) was almost written off at first sniff because yet again we have a fragrance that parrots the opening of Paco Rabanne Invictus (2013), but transplants a "modern oriental" base like Emporio Armani Stronger With You (2017). I like Invictus, and I like Stronger With You, as I enjoy the trash culture interpretation of fine French (or Italian) perfumery they bring because they both are novel in their own ways of combining consumer product fragrance notes like the bubblegum showergel accords of Invictus superimposed over salty or woody ambreine bases. But then of course, something happened which made me start rolling my eyes endlessly: everyone else in the mainstream designer segment decided they needed to do this too. With so many copies of copies of copies out there each with their own little twist to the myth, it gets to be a proper slog to even test most mass-market designer men's releases these days unless you stick to genre-specific fragrances like aquatics or fougères, the latter which is on life support anymore if found under niche price points. After smelling something around two dozen or more fragrances just like Varvatos XX that does exactly what it tries to do with nearly the same ingredients in the same ratios, with a few wild card notes plugged here or there, and I start just hitting the gong to send them off stage with a thumbs down and onto the next. Varavatos XX on the other hand, pulls the rare "there but for the grace of God go I" and does something... wait for it... actually different with this structure. Off the top, this isn't the kind of innovation that will win people tired of this style over and it doesn't win me over either, but I don't utterly hate it for smelling like a Parfums de Coeur clone, in an expensive bottle like most of its ilk.

The opening of XX is where you get slammed almost immediately with frambinone, ethyl maltol, fruity apple accords, and orange blossom, This is where the big link to Invictus comes in, with the exceedingly cheap sweetness and fruitiness that will attract every Tinder-scrolling Chad within 100 miles of a Subaru dealer or Planet Fitness to get "muh complehmunts bruh". Eventually a huge slug of cardamom shows up, which recalls the aforementioned Stronger With You, and we shift from tank tops and Supreme logos to pinstripe silk button-ups and slicked-back hair, trap beats being replaced by chillwave and free drinks if you give out your phone number (don't do it ladies, he's a player). The huge medallion adorning the bottle of this stuff really hits home what XX is all about, and it makes no attempt to hide it, but what comes next is actually a bit more entertaining than I was expecting. Violet ionones and geranium mix with the cardamom heart to start changing the fragrance away from the signature of Fentanyl Roofie Frank into something mildly more artistic. Not quite a semi-oriental fougère accord (shy a lavender note for that), XX nonetheless moves into a nice sandalwood base that at least in part smells a bit like the real stuff (maybe New Caledonian if it contains any oil), but is boosted with a host of things like santalol and javanol to deliver a bit more creaminess than the usual dry "pickles" Red or Australian sandalwoods you see used in some niche perfumes at triple the price (although a hint of that exists here too for "authenticity" I suppose). A coffee note recycled from JV x NJ [Crimson] (2018) finishes things off, and the whole thing rests on an obvious bed of ambrox and akigalawood. XX will last 10+ hours and will project well for most of it, feeling best for colder weather or clubbing due to the underlying sweetness in the formula giving the otherwise nice base a thick glaze of smarmy jock attitude.

Rodrigo Flores-Roux is woefully absent as unofficial house perfumer for Varvatos, and you can tell by the immediate nosedive in creativity after the JV x NJ (2018) fragrance and its sequels that followed his absence. XX does a little better, but as I outlined above, it really just uses an olfactive Xerox machine to copy the accords that "Fragrance Skynet" has determined bring in maxmium short term profit gains then mixed them up with some clever woodiness and gourmand tones. Since XX is also presumably a limited release due to its celebratory nature of Varvatos' 20th anniversary, I imagine it's intentionally designed to sell out as quickly as possible then be discontinued, so we have a pending unicorn for scalpers to scoop up when YouTubers cry it's a lost masterpiece in 6 months. The jabronis that yammer on about projection and wearing perfumes that make them feel sexy will also like Varvatos XX, but for hobbyists that have moved past fragrance as a weapon to wage war against personal insecurity, they will find little here to hold their attention beyond the sandalwood coffee base. Honestly, other fragrances have done this better and for more money, you can have something like Perris Monte Carlo Santal du Pacifique (2016) that has a much more vivid interpretation of the sandalwood notes used here and doesn't come bearing the "bro cologne" baggage or oddly-placed coffee note. In conclusion, Varvatos XX is a baby step in the right direction for life after bankruptcy (and after Rodrigo), but with the fan-favorite Artisan (2009) line and eponymous fragrances still available, XX feels like a Trojan horse of commercial schlock hiding a few noteworthy bits, and that's just not good enough. If this is what Elizabeth Arden feels they need to do in order to bring return on investment with the ailing Varvatos brand, maybe it's time to say goodbye. Neutral

I'm not sure if this is considered to be a flanker of the original Varvatos or its own fragrance, and it's not exceptionally unique, but it is very a powerful fruity oriental-leaning-gourmand which I rather enjoy.

It starts off with a blast of violets and bubblegum, but within minutes the basenote sandalwood sets in and takes over. Nonetheless, I find it balanced enough and pleasing, and just sweet enough not to be cloying. Sillage and longevity are both excellent for me. Only a couple of sprays are necessary and after 10 hours the fragrance is still quite apparent. Not sure I would wear this on a hot or humid day, however.

There is much in this reminiscent to me of Balenciaga Cristobal PH. I would even say it's 50% Cristobal, 30% original Varvatos, and 20% something of its own.

Quite a beast, and probably a compliment-getter.

This is a clone of YSL's Kouros Silver for the most part.
Same thick, foggy synthetic apple and violet combo.
I prefer this because it is easier to wear - there is a note in Kouros Silver that I can't quite place but it bothers me.
Great modern office wear, and it could pass as a YSL L'Homme flanker quite easily.