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severyanin7 – :
I’m not surprised this has hardly any dislikes. Just smelled it out of curiosity and it’s very pleasant, not cloying, not cheap smelling. Fresh, citrus slightly sweet. Perfect for warmer days. I’ll definitely buy this for my boyfriend! $16. Id k about the longevity but for that price who cares
vandam2011 – :
Yowzer!!! Got this the other day for under $10.00 USD and received my first rave comment from the opposite sex.
Let’s begin:
The spray: Almost, and I do emphasize almost, like someone rubbed two steel poles together and you can smell the friction…Citrus in some capacity mitigates the metallic scent.
Dry down: Whoa!!! Somewhat powdery, and somewhat floral… Nice!!!
Base: Scent is there, and then again it is not…
Overall: Starts with a Bang and phases out… Not too overpowering, although it does seem to last bankers hours (spray on at 9am, no trace by 5pm).
Overall: Get it when you can!
pryg2010 – :
This juice literally got me through high school. I got so many compliments wearing this.
MaestRo_22 – :
Jovan Ginseng NRG.. is A Legend in it’s own time…Its the Fragrance that in 15- 20 years people will look back with fond memories and say if only I had bought A few more bottle or they will say if only it was the same formula today as it was back then…..The Great thing is Now you know about this small bottle with the Big scent!
It’s Fresh & masculine at the same time…Best of the drugstore cheapies.. although at $10 for A 1oz bottle it’s not exactly in the cheepies category.. just A good value.. I really like it…. just love the Musky dry down…It’s the Scent that kids will grow up and remember how good their Father smelled..It’s A must try…
Masculinity 8/10
Wearability 8/10
Value 10/10
Projection 7/10
Fragrance Quality 7/10
Bottle Worthy / Yes
qwerty17001 – :
This is probably one of the best drugstore fragrances around. It really comes off much more sophisticated than the price would imply. Just a nice somewhat spicey masculine scent. The longevity and projection won’t break any records, but they’re not terrible either.
All said, it’s a leader at this price point (around $11 at rite-aid).
What I’d really like to see would be for Jovan to bring back their original ginseng from the 70’s. But that’s another story…
leonid0773 – :
Impossibly neutral spicy notes, yet somehow pierces the air with a confident aura. All of it wrapped up in comfortable, sweet and simple powdery-ness that never offends, and always puts you into a lighter mood.
6546361 – :
Great frag to wake you up in the morning! Discontinued?
If not– try it!
Not good on longevity though.
More of a “pick-me-up” frag.
besfamilnyi – :
Not bad, but not awesome. Smells like Tommy Bahama Set Sail Martinique with less seaweed. It’s linear and gets old quickly. A one ounce bottle is plenty sufficient to get the full experience.
макс36 – :
This was a smell I had to smell it provokes confidence I thought 🙂 reminds me of Lucky for him if your familiar with that smell.but its really Good fragrance to buy.
motilda2007 – :
This still smells the way it did fifteen years ago. I’ve been sampling this thing for about that long, every time I pass it in a drug store or Walmart. The older version is pictured on this page – the new 1 oz bottles come in an all gray box, and the bottle’s label matches. The only difference between the new stuff and the “rainbow” version of yesteryear is the citrus is toned down now, replaced by a unique herbal green tea and white musk accord. Earlier versions were a bit citrus heavy in the first minute or two, but not anymore. There’s just a hint of citrus and ginger root, along with a cool “metallic” sort of note, possibly from the way dihydromyrcenol is used (it gets notably bitter as it dries down).
Ginseng NRG feels more like a modern nineties “fresh” scent, related to Creed’s Green Valley and Silver Mountain Water, but separated by a few degrees of musk overload. The drydown, diffuse and rather warm after the crisp gingery/herbal start, is a big white musk and soapy amber note, and that’s all I get for the two hours or so that this frag is noticeable. It’s definitely unique, and yeah, there’s a vague analog of ginseng tucked behind the synthetic musks, but all things considered, this isn’t anything to write home about. Think of it as a decent sport scent in the dead of summertime. The one thing it has going for it is that it doesn’t resemble any of the myriad of Cool Water-inspired “freshies” of the last twenty five years, offering instead a sleek take on the metallic citrus theme Olivier Creed & Co. made so popular.
mila0883 – :
First, the superficial: Jōvan’s packaging is terrible. Not the bottle – the bottle is fine (if a bit boring). The branding, however, is something I would expect to see on a generic ‘our impression of…’ drugstore cologne box. But don’t let that stop you. What’s inside is good.
While sold for men, this is definitely a cologne with mostly unisex notes. It has a very sweet note to it that keeps it androgynous.
The overall impression of the scent is of a glass of a bubbly ginger ale with a wedge of lemon on the rim. Citrus is present but not the main attraction. There’s just a touch of earthiness in it.
Ginseng NRG is a clean, modern, happy scent good for the gym or general daily wear. Bright and upbeat, it is unlikely to offend, and likely to please.
The sillage is good, but the longevity could be better. Still, it is a cologne, and given that you can get it at the drugstore, I’m more than willing to say that it’s worth it. Give it a try.
Ruwshun – :
I purchased this bottle on a whim for a casual gym scent or after shower but was i surprised. It smells great and lasts all day. I really wasnt looking for something this powerful. It is almost identical to “Dunhill by Dunhill”
Very fresh smell go light on the trigger, one spray is enough
vzd645Bessinepome – :
Very refreshing citrus based cologne, with a nice nod to ginger in the opening.
I would have no hesitation in ‘promoting’ this to any male of my aquaintance. Dare I mention that the bottle is adorable? 😀
The only objection one could possibly have to this likable little cologne is lasting power. Since it’s clearly labeled AS cologne, I take no umbrage.
Four Stars. Good job, Jovan!
Emorsesok – :
This drys down into a fresh and clean scent after your nose is introduced to a unique scent comparable to what you get when you accidentally spill hot tea on a leather chair – I mean this in a good way.
It is strangely refreshing. After an hour it starts to turn into a unique green + leathery mix complimented by the ginseng, aquatic ginger, rosewood and musk.
Projection is decent and it lasts around 4-5 hours on my skin – but it stays with you as a skin scent for around 6-7 hours. To be honest I like it more during the soft last couple hours when my skin smells softly of green tea and leather.
My hat is off to Jovan who seem to be able to create nice scents for prices lower then what some fragrance houses charge for samples.
Beeklymaymnardmc – :
I used to have this stuff in high school and remember getting tons of compliments for it. For years I thought it was discontinued, then I randomly found it in a Fred Meyer one day and I was stoked. I bought two bottles on the spot since it seems to have become a rare find.
The initial smell is very green, and I notice the signature “ginseng” note along with green tea leaves and citrus. The smell eventually morphs into a floral scent, while still keeping the signature ginger/ginseng note, and also a hint of light wood. This cologne does a great job of smelling very floral while still seeming masculine. The scent, however, is a “younger” smell, which I think would be good for high-schoolers to early/mid-30’s. You probably won’t find anybody older than Gen X’ers wearing this.
The longevity is low-to-moderate, which you would expect from a drug store cologne. A reapplication after several hours isn’t a bad idea and won’t become overwhelming. Initially, I thought the projection was weak, but recently, I was complimented on my smell from someone who had to be about 6-8 feet away, so maybe it differs with the weather.
Overall, this is a good cologne, and for it’s price point, it really can’t be beaten.
terliemo1977 – :
Another girl review: I was in love with the 1970s version of this scent…”Jovan’s Ginseng”. I had a mini that I kept for over 20 years just to sniff the bottle. Then it disappeared…
Tonight, I bought Zirh’s “Ikon” at Marshalls, $14.99 for 4.2 ounces. To my astonishment it is very, very similar to the old Jovan Ginseng, especially in the dry down.
I don’t know how similar it is to Ginseng NRG, but if you miss the original version, I would suggest trying Ikon.
ru66 – :
girls review: I bought these for myself soooooooooooo many years ago. Found a little left and gave it to my husband to wear and it smelt fabulous on him. I do think this can be unisex and I am so sad to run out of it, I have not seen it in forever so I don’t know if they still make it but I may try to find another, its a must have.
Laki-89 – :
Some have claimed this was reformulated badly, which I think refers to 1 ounce bottles by Coty. I have a 50 ml by Coty, and I’d say this is mid 2000s or earlier. There is clearly dihydromyrcenol in this, but it’s blended in nicely, and over time you get some amber to soften things up. There is citrus and perhaps ginseng, or something like it. There might be a bit of violet leaf or wood (most likely rosewood, as someone else suggested). It’s not too sweet, it’s not “barbershop,” it’s not “old school musky,” etc., so many of the youngsters might like it, though I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them say it’s too close to Cool Water. I prefer this one to Cool Water, though, and don’t see it as especially similar. For something in the same range but that is more grassy, there’s Bobby Jones Cologne.
pogorelski – :
Fresh fresh and CLEAN. I got this for my husband. I sampled it a long time ago and thought OMG this is perfect! I never heard or saw it again until a couple weeks ago and decided to get it. I think it’s second best to Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce. These are my all time 2 favorites so far, and anything that Nautica does seems to be wonderful also.
Hubby isn’t so crazy over this. He can take it or leave it. I would push for him to wear it more often, but it’s so weak and just doesn’t last. Such a shame. Lovely smell….