Description
John Varvatos is launching new fragrance for men named Artisan Acqua. This is the fifth fragrance of their artisan collection, described by Varvatos as follows: “From the start, we’ve always tried to go back to making fragrances the way they used to be made — all by hand, with the best ingredients in the world, artisanal fragrances with smaller batches.”
Artisan Acqua is a lighter fragrance than its antecedent, the summer version inspired by beaches and seaside charm. Inspired by the Mediterranean, and long walks along the coast. The fragrance opens with notes of mandarin, tangelo (hybrid of tangerine and pomelo) and paradisamide molecule (leaving the impression of tropical fruit notes of guava, grapefruit, rhubarb and currant) accompanied by galbanum, lentic and angelica root. In the heart lie clary sage, lavender, coriander, toscanol, basil, geranium, palmarosa and jasmine sambac on a base of musk, patchouli and fir resin.
Perfume John Varvatos Artisan Acqua is signed by perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux of Givaudan. The offer includes two versions of a flacon: 75ml EDT and 125ml EDT. Each of them is cover by hand knit rope. Varvatos points out that each flacon is somewhat different, considering they were all handmade. Artisan Acqua was launched in 2013.
Stepanfb – :
Do you want to smell like air? Then grab this.. it’s literally gone 20 minutes after you spray. I sprayed it like 10 times on myself and clothes to see if I could get more out of it. Maybe it’s meant a for a lite non noticeable type of cologne, but then again, a lot of us wear nice scents to stand out from the rest of the crowd. If only it could last longer thisnscent would be amazing, the opening is all you’ll get. Such a shame…
makcimyc – :
I’m surprised to see people waxing poetic about this because I didn’t like it, felt it was all light citrus and watery notes, not special, natural or luxe. I went to work smelling like a synthetic tangelo.
ventel123 – :
Very intriguing. One would expect something fresh, tropical, and aquatic after looking at the bottle and ads. Artisan Aqua, however, is a clean, slightly soapy gem of a fragrance. It has a barber shop / shave cream vibe that is straight up addicting. Even though citrus may not be the main player here, I believe JV and the perfumer who created this gave a tip of the hat to classics such as Eau Sauvage. No, performance is not its strong point. But I’m willing to forgive it this one time. This is one of those out of the shower/ post-shave type of fragrances that I don’t need lasting past lunch time anyway. Excellent value.
Grade: B+
kopri-60 – :
Artisan Aqua smells good right off the bat. However, it smells like watered down old man in the mid and base notes. I don’t recommend it.
fils – :
This is not your everyday run of the mill aquatic.. It is soapy, energetic and smells outstanding.. I have recommended this one to friends, family heck even dad likes it.. It’s got a more mature vibe to it but I think men under 25 can pull this off no problem..
Ranking: 10/10 in my opionion
alex.k1 – :
I’ve only had Artisan Blu and Acqua for a week as I know warmer weather is approaching and wanted something new for my warm weather rotation and I really enjoyed Artisan Blu and it was close to being a love for me but unfortunately didn’t quite make the cut. Acqua however I did end up clicking the LOVE button for !
This opens up with a bright but bitter citrus mixed with some green herbal notes that just like the Blu had a very uplifting vibe that will get you ready for the day. Once Acqua dries down however it goes into more of that fresh,citrusy barbershop type of vibe reminiscent of some old school frags but with a modern fresh twist ! This gets richer,more smooth and aromatic the longer it dries down. Also a nice edition to my collection as it’s diffeirent for a summer freshie.
This to my nose has similarities to JV Vintage as it has a familiar richness that vintage has but without being syrupy. This could have been a Vintage Sport ! Also it’s kind of similar to the CO bigelow frags from Bath n Body works but much better blended.
Performance is sadly below average but this does project nicely for an hour but only lasts 3-6 hours. I love this scent enough though that I don’t mind reapplying and now it’s very affordable.
Overall rating —- 8.25 out of 10 ! Very unique scent that’s great for office wear,casual use and this could also be used for going out as well.
Sidenote—- I don’t know why but this just smells like what you would expect a very dapper young professional would smell like if they were on vacation.lol
vasiska4ka – :
ncis545454 nailed it.
I’ll admit, I really enjoyed this on paper at first but didn’t know why. Yeah, artisan has that orange up top, but it’s nowhere to be found in this one. Palmarosa? Toscanol? WTH?
Guys, it’s GREEN overload; but what really surprised me was how this did on my skin. Bloody awful. Two minutes in and I was practically gagging. What happened to the awesomeness? There’s something in this that just makes one or two notes turn sour and gross. Mind, the grossness isn’t in the sillage, so that’s a plus.
I tried washing it off, but that just turned it up a notch. That’s when it hit me. Watered down, this smells EXACTLY like a soap from my past – a very herbal one at that. Like I mean EXACT. And the kicker is, just like with Vintage, this juice activates with moisture – humidity, sweat, water, what have you.
I remember Dan (MyMickers) mentioning this with Vintage and it’s true. Humidity turns this stuff on. So I can totally see this being a warm weather frag if you’re into smelling like green soap. Just don’t smell it up close for the first hour. And TRY IT ON before you buy! We’re talkin’ DANGERzone. Holy geez, man…
Scent – 6/10 – points for brashness?
Longevity – 7/10 – humidity keeps her goin’
Projection – 6/10 – ditto on the push
Overall – 6/10 – Tarzan’s bar soap.
Chernokrylay – :
First thing I smell is soap. Right off its unmistakably the smell of soap. Dish soap bubbles. Caught me off guard bc I thought I was getting artisan which I think is much better. Overall it is okay not great but not bad either. A good everyday light scent that wont offend people. For the price it is worth it although sits close to skin. I stick with one spray.
Smeameknimi – :
What a mind blowing perfume! Clean and fresh fragrance. I love it
demons85 – :
I like Artisan Blu better but Acqua is still good. It has the same soapiness of Blu but this one has more of a retro, woodsy smell. I don’t know what it is about it specifically but it smells like some 70s era scents. Maybe the geranium, lavender, fir combination?
I don’t understand the Acqua name, it doesn’t seem aquatic at all.
Just like Blu, Acqua has an amazing, creative bottle. Niche-quality presentation.
janitor2008 – :
This is a beautiful fragrance. I blind bought it finding it at a good price and so far this season (Spring/Summer) I believe it is in my top 3 designer finds. Projection of course could be better but hey…it’s a warm weather offering. I really wasnt expecting any bombastic off my skin. Very refreshing and sparkling. Instantly puts me in a good mood. Definitely try if you’re still purchasing warm weather scents. I’m kinda movin off to the Big Dawgs for the fall. :0)
Вован63ru – :
This fragrance smells really good and fresh but just doesn’t perform well. It doesn’t last long on my skin and is essentially a skin scent. What a shame because it could have been a winner.
Vinai – :
first off this is one hell of a scent but I do understand where all the hate comes from. this cologne was not marketed for the younger mass population of sauvage bleu de chanel generic crowd pleaser lovers and for that reason I love this fragrance. This is a modernized gentleman’s scent.This one is absolutely perfect for the clean cut mature gentleman fresh from the barber with a few Grays in his beard who still works out and he’s in great shape always neatly dressed who also drives a sports car[camero or corvette]or nice sedan which is also clean. khaki shorts white v-neck tee and boat shoes and a good pair of sun glasses. I got a sample in sephora favorites box and purchased the same day I wore the sample..only wish it performed a little better but it a varvatos sooooo..ps I am 42
ВИКТУАР – :
Simple and perfect for a day to day spring scent. complimented almost immediately. as for longevity I will need to give this a few more attempts as this is fairly new to my collection
Missing_Link – :
I wasnt familiar with the Varvatos line personally until this weekend. I had the opportunity to try all of the mens scents. I am considering selling everything i own as far as fragrances for Varvatos. Absolutely loved every scent. Masculine, traditional, definitely for anyone over 30 as some had said.
This bottle caught my attention though. Looking at it immediately made me think of laying in a hammock underneath palm trees. the notes in this acqua are something a bit different. if you are not familiar with any of these scents in an aquatic, i suggest you immediately give this a sniff. it’s something like how tabasco can make something even better. the angelica, the fir in the base with the patchouli, the blend of fruits, this is something special.
First smell it hits something like that of playing in the ocean with your girl during a long walk on the beach in the evening during the sunset while drinking your favorite beverage. it’s masculine, majestic, yet playful and confident. this is a scent that makes you confident.
I wore it for the first time yesterday. I got some decent longevity out of it. i waffed my clothing later in the night and i would say it does have some pretty good sillage as well. I think it could pass as an amazing office scent as well in the summer.
in a line of gems, this one is right up there with varvatos, varvatos vintage, and double rebel.
kuzvit – :
Smelled this for the first time today at the ulta store. it was an immediate throwback to one of my favorites i used a signature. the Coach for men cologne (not leatherware 1-3) from 2009 that they discontinued smells just like this. I was doing my best to make my coach bottle stretch happy to have found a perfect substitution at a better price. this is a nice mature fresh incense type scent, one I would wear for an evening night out but one you really could wear for any occasion. I recommend for 30+ crowd.
des111111 – :
Smells great. Along the lines of a more traditional scent. A bit mature for someone in his 40s. I can’t comment on performance though but one should definitely gives this one a try
HeigneeAminge – :
really do not understand the negative comments about this one.. lady kept trying to make me sample it, didn’t want to give it a try but i was really impressed with this scent, light clean, powerful, smell to it. masculine, butsoft scent. good longevity. wealthy gentleman smells.
9/10 from me.
alyonna – :
Although im not a big fan of the john varvatos line, one thing they do do well is they make very masculine smelling fragrances. Fragrances that are good “vibe” fragrances imo if you can pull them off. Mature but still having just enough sweetness that makes them very wearable and potentially appealing to a wider audience. Of course its just that performance tends to generally be the issue.
Unfortunately Artisan Acqua crosses over being a “vibe” and is straight up “old” smelling, to the point of being almost novelty. With this you run the risk of going from “daddy” mode to “grandpa” mode. Im sure it appeals to some. Its very old school smelling to me. Maybe for some again this will appeal in a nostalgic or novelty sorta way. Remembering going to your grandparents house and smelling the bathroom of your grandpa or something.
Basically to me this smells like shaving cream, aftershave, or one of those old spray can deoderants that your grandpa would use. Hes to old and tired to actually move his arm and put on deodorant so he just buys the spray can so he doesnt have to move as much…
Strangely enough, all things considered. The performance for this is pretty decent, which for a john varvatos fragrance means its actually is good.
Anyway not for me as I said it crosses the line of being a vibe, and just smelling old to me. But im sure it appeals to some.
koolpoot12 – :
Really wanted to like this….a sample from a local mall…opened pleasant enough then reverted into a cheap aquatic reminiscent of Azzaro Chrome which nauseates me (apologies to Chrome lovers….). Fortunately, lasted about 15 minutes then turned to Eau Sauvage EDT for my fragrance for the day….I will pass on this one.
bla470speagoessenda – :
In brief, soft and gentle.
vasyan05 – :
I havent heard anyone mention this but it smell sort of like lhomme libre to my nose. Especially when it dries down
MadDog2507 – :
Varvatos Artisan Acqua isn´t as aquatic, as the name would let you think of it.
For me it´s a mix of sour fruits (citruses) with green grass.
It has an outstanding quality.
Would fit a wealthy gentleman.
Kiblyillexy – :
Nice fragrance. It smells similar to Artisan, which I love. But spicier. 9/10
jua968Bessinepome – :
First off ignore the hate on this cologne, the reason people here don’t like it is because they all love the Artisan and Artisan Black. Acqua is certainly different but if you’re under 40 try this out. If you ask me Artisan and Artisan Black are for the 50+ crowd just not a young person smelling cologne at all. Acqua on the other hand is, definitely a nice summer wear and a definite try if youre under 40.
max8103 – :
Like the original John Varvatos, I got a handful of these samples to try. Unlike the original John Varvatos, I don’t like this scent.
Is it a bad fragrance? No. There’s nothing that’s “wrong” about it, but all I could think of when I smell it is aftershave. I try to pick out the notes and appreciate it, but it’s hard for me to break that association. To echo the other reviewers, the longevity and projection aren’t great. I got about 4ish hours on my skin and about 1 hour of projection. They’re not the worse stats ever, but I could use a couple hours more on the longevity side.
If there is one thing about this fragrance that shines, is that you can pretty much wear it any time. It doesn’t seem like the downside to wearing this cologne in the winter is as severe as wearing something like One Million during hot, humid days. While it’s really a spring and summer scent, you can wear it for the colder weather if you want to. However, given the performance issues it may not be worth it.
I’ll probably end up giving away my samples to friends and family. While it’s not a horrible fragrance, I really can’t break the association with aftershave. Artisan Acqua isn’t a horrible scent, but personally I’d prefer not to smell like aftershave.
bloodronny – :
I got a small decant of this and was very excited to try this fragrance. I love John Varvatos Vintage and was excited to try another Varvatos fragrance. In fact, Vintage is one of my top 10 favorite scents. Artisan Acqua however is like a shooting star. Here and gone before you can blink an eye. And honestly before it goes it isn’t all that special. As you can see from the ratings above, this fragrance isn’t getting much love. I’d stick with Vintage. That juice is a head turner.
Idiowereerurl – :
The initial blast of this stuff is awesome. It stops there. I wouldn’t even call this a soft skin scent as it is completely gone after 5-10 minutes. On my skin anyway. I do not mind soft projection fragrances or skin scent, this just doesn’t fall into that category.
Worst 80$CDN I have ever spent on cologne.
balatskaya77 – :
Smells amazing. On me it lasts a long time. Very underrated scent as this is one of the best summer scents around.
кузбас – :
Smells great, but it just doesn’t last. I get maybe 2hrs with this one and its completely gone. I sold my full bottle.
tomas2011 – :
As nicely as the Toscanol molecule looks, what you’ll experience from it will be something soap like.
Artisan Acqua definately makes you smell molto pulito.
This divests the normally so boring aquatic scents and sets a new standard of what is possible within this genre.
The only downside is that it dries down with a little bit of Norlimbanol.
Its not like a mansion in Tuscany but rather a walk in its sourroundings.
Bon voyage.
lisiyi – :
Fresh, summery notes evoke white-washed Mediterranean houses by the sea. A modern aquatic/spice blend which make it classic yet contemporary. Thank you John Varvatos!
амина – :
This is nice! It’s a light, bright spicy aromatic citus/floral/green. It’s very, very airy… sort of like a light, refreshing aftershave but with quality natural ingredients. Just gives off that “clean” feeling. Sort of classic and old-school, yet bright and fresh at the same time.
This is very much a skin scent. The type that us women will have to get verrrryyyy close to inhale and appreciate (aka intimate). The type of fragrance I’d give to my significant other, than perhaps, steal every so often for myself.
alexey4ik – :
Edward Thatch’s weapon of choice.I have found myself a bottle in a sand near the Caribbean.
Now, a little more serious: scent is absolutely fantastic, if you are looking for a safe, aquatic-green fragrance. It also smells natural, not harsh or synthetic at all. Rich scent indeed. Bottle is a master piece.
abzalbee – :
I picked up a copy of the December,1966 issue of Palm Beach Life at a junk store for $3.00. It was an anniversary edition with a retrospective containing hundreds of rare photographs of long dead American aristocrats. One particular photo showed two gentlemen dressed all in white seated in the front of a rickshaw pushed along by a black footman straight from Harriet Beecher Stowe. They wore porkpie hats, key hole glasses, pristine suit coats and vests, crisp shirts with starched collars and striped ties, knickers with stockings and what looked to be golf or saddle shoes. They were dressed in the resort wear of the Edwardian age, maybe 1916 or so, and behind them down a path lined with lazy, swaying palm trees was the wooden enormity of the Breakers Hotel. Somewhere in that hotel, in the rooms of such as these two gentlemen, on a shelf lined with bay rum, lavender water and rarified ivory implements used for personal care I could also envision a bottle of John Varvatos Artisan Acqua, if such a thing had existed then.
JVAA completely embodies the vintage look and feel of “old” Palm Beach to me from the hand-tied netting on the flask to the use of pomelo, an ancient and venerated citrus fruit. The use of olfactory notes like Toscanol and fir resin does give JVAA a substantial “aftershave” presence, but there are times when aftershave is appropriate and when supplemented with a plethora of fruit, herbs and flowers such as lavender, Sicilian orange, clary sage, patchouli and geranium this would be made complete, but JVAA elevates the concept of aftershave further with exotic accords like palmarosa (lemon grass), mastic (Arabic gum), angelica (a medicinal herb), galbanum (a resin found most notably in Must by Cartier) and jasminum sambac (originally native to the Himalayas and Bhutan). In fact, JVAA should achieve broad appeal, but at the same time its complex bouquet seems to have been designed more specifically for the aristocratic man, or at least the idea of such a man. Like those two sartorially refined gentleman in the old photo, he is extinct but for such oddities as JVAA which enters the room an instant classic.
This limited edition eau de toilette will certainly add dash, say, to a white suit or even just a pair of white shorts (navy polo and espadrilles optional). Any resort or summer wardrobe aesthetic would be properly graced by the application of JVAA with its East Coast sophisticated ease reminiscent of an epoch long past.
urd067Bessinepome – :
This smells identical to Brut Attitude aftershave.
bai_ – :
Amazing scent I tried it yesterday at Macy’s very different smell but In a good way now I want it
shnaider.t. – :
Ceci a une faible performance. Et vous pouvez obtenir le même odeur avec un $ 0,69 barre de savon. Ce ne dispose pas de mystère ou sautes d’humeur des autres parfums John Varvatos. Très décevant.
Rubenpc87 – :
I love the john varvatos line – but this is probably their WORST fragrance to date.
It smells cheap (like old man deodorant), badly mixed and with VERY poor longevity and projection. after 30 minutes it becomes a barely detectable skin scent with no projection or sillage.
Really, stay away from this on.
Rodrigo Flores-Rou is an excellent nose. he has done TOM FORD NEROLI PORTOFINO and the other john varvatos fragrances which I like, but this one is BIG NO NO
A-del – :
It’s fresh with a bitter citrus and fir combination. It does in fact smell like an aftershave…but in a refreshing way. I got some samples from sephora and I use them after a shower on days when I don’t leave the house. The lasting power is not that impressive but the scent while it lasts is refreshing. I would not buy a bottle.
vx07 – :
i want to like it but I can not seem to! there is a certain smell I like about it on a hot summer day, like today. I sprayed some on and it smells good but it also reminds me of my grandfathers after shave. so it smells a little dated.
Patanatom – :
Very unique, the top will bring back memories of Azzaro Pour Homme from the 1970s before this evolves into a rather calming and well blended pomelo citrus meets aromatic herbs and spices. Purely for spring and summer and one that takes a few wears to really grasp, will keep testing and give a proper detailed review and report. The pyramid is a fascinating attempt at originality that should be commended and celebrated. Not as citrusy as you would think.
AndrevD – :
Dear Reader’s,
What can I say about the Aquatic Artisan?,
I was given a generous sample of this fragrance by a loved one and I have to say about this fragrance is..
Wow..Mmmm and WoW.
Yes, this definitely a treasure from the sea ,washed offshore and came to your hands and excite your senses.
I have to say , bravo , this perfume has a very well orchestrated elemental notes of water and earth that created a very seductive aromatic male fragrance that has the aura of sea god or merman, this is definitely a must have if you want be someone’s catch of the day in complements and beating heart.
Since I grow herbs and I live near the sea, this fragrance complements very well in this atmosphere and the aromatic plants used in this fragrance are very seductive and a elegant ” je sais quoi” spirit .
The perfume by itself and on me, smell the same, but the drydown on my body chemistry is pure sensually aromatic and still very male, love it.
Bravo John Varvatos and his crew, keep up the fabulous work , you got a new customer !.
uljanova84nata – :
I’ve had farts with better projection and longevity than this. Such a shame! Absolutely beautiful bottle though
Malimen – :
@rprovenz I think if a woman came up to me and said I smelled synthetic, I would have to offer her a spritz of it to cleanse her potty mouth! 🙂
Mesbk482JeomiWogkig – :
I wasn’t as impressed by this than I was by Platinum. The presentation itself is VERY fetching though. But, unfortunately, it isn’t so fetching as to make me want to buy it.
The scent itself lacks potency. I felt as if it were aiming too much to be similar to the moist breeze one tends to experience when living seaside but there was something in it that was sorely lacking imo.
The longevity on my beloved wasn’t impressive (about 1 hour tops), and the drydown left me with more fizzle than sizzle. Such a shame, the bottle is beautiful!
aigyl7384 – :
This is total diluted version of the artisan wt no projection and stay closed only to your own skin. Nice bottle but it is really nothing more worth mention here. 2/10 from me.
Dev 123 – :
I tried this at Macy’s and was very surprised by the scent compared to the name; that is not a good thing. I expected a nice spring/summer scent but this your run of the mill generic old green type scent.
AWSMIXA – :
The bottle reminds me of Bo Derek’s cornrows in Ten. LOVE THAT. The scent itself.. not so much.
Toscanol is a green, herbaceous liqueur-like accord. It’s very present here in Artisan Acqua. Next to the pomelo I’d say it’s the strongest note. The pomelo is nice as it lacks the “bite” that grapefruit can have. It’s sweeter and a bit watery.
Aside from that I smell a good amount of cypress in here. Overall I’d say Artisan Acqua smells more vegetal than aquatic. It’d make a nice green for those who sometimes find greens too herbal or a nice citrus for those who often find citruses too sharp.
Artisan Acqua strikes a nice balance but in the end isn’t enough of anything to really interest me.
chernjxsh – :
Frankly speaking I’m not delighted with the new Acqua version. At first, it has no relation to the regular Artisan. At second, it smells quite dated like a typical green cologne from 80’s dilluted by modern molecules. In the dry down Acqua smells soapy reminding any other shave gel or deodorant.
Inok – :
This is by far my favorite fragarance I bought it the day it came out im satisfied great longevity its very calming and relaxing
camomile – :
Reminiscent of the Northwest coastline here in the U.S. — coniferous forests (green pines etc.) hugging craggy cliffs, all being coated in fresh sea spray. I’m no scent expert, but you can see the unusual notes used above and they definitely meld into something special.
Start with a solid yet gritty aquatic and add just a touch of classic green Polo, that’s what this gem is about. Gotta love that bottle too!
Maximusrus68 – :
Leave it to Rodrigo Flores-Roux to make Acqua something new and exciting!
Love the bottle and the nautical maritime feel it has before you even smell the juice.
Lentisc (mastic gum), palmarosa, angelica *sighs and swoons*, galbanum (!!!) and toscanol IN AN AQUATIC?? I may faint…be still my twitching nostrils!!
It always seems that JUST as I complete my collection from one House (I got Artisan Black and a large decant of JV Platinum a couple weeks ago) THEY come out with another one….that sounds like just what the doctor ordered-a “blue aquatic” scent with some “cojones” 🙂
dip8 – :
LOVE the bottle, Hope they come out with a women’s version!