Hello again,
I’m back to share another fragrance review, this time of John Varvatos’ Dark Rebel Rider!
I picked up a 50ml bottle at TJ Maxx last week for ~$25 and couldn’t be happier to have found it! Released in 2016, Dark Rebel Rider is a powerful leather fragrance that provides pleasant notes of tobacco, citrus, and a generous helping of aldehydes.
Firstly, the zip-up leather case on the glass bottle is an excellent touch as it is both aesthetically pleasing and the perfect introduction to what one is about to experience! On its first spray, DRR reveals itself to be a complex, leather-forward, masculine fragrance that bursts with orris root, saffron, and marjoram.
On my skin, the rich base notes of cedar, vanilla, and tobacco shine above all else whilst my clothes project the sweeter accords of orange, rose, and cacao. These notes change, over time, as the drydown reveals a bouquet of brighter floral notes that finish with a reprise of leather and pipe aromatic pipe tobacco. And while I wish it lasted slightly longer, Dark Rebel Rider’s is incredible.
Ultimately, I could not be more pleased with this purchase as it was affordable, smells great, and has tremendous quality, in its overall presentation. This may not be the fragrance for those with sensitive palettes or the hottest of summer days, but it packs a very pleasant punch!
- Concentration: Eau de Toilette
- Primary: Leather, Saffron, and Cedar
- Secondary: Tobacco, Marjoram, and Rock Rose
- Tertiary: Aldehydes, Cacao, and Patchouli
- Sillage: This is a projection powerhouse – from its opening notes of leather, Dark Rebel Rider’s drydown is just as powerful until its final moments of detection. Moreover, its primary through tertiary accords shine brightly throughout, at varying intervals.
- Longevity: Unfortunately, for such a strong performer, DRR doesn’t last as long as I had hoped – it gives me roughly 4 good hours on skin and slightly less on my clothing, but it’s not the end of the world.
- Versatility: While not necessarily my first choice for a hot summer’s day, I think that Dark Rebel Rider has both the complexity and personality to be worn by anyone trying to bring out the more masculine scents in their skin year-round.
- Originality: From bottle to juice, this is a fantastically unique leather fragrance that I would recommend to anyone looking for a complex scent that won’t crush your senses.
- Packaging: Wow! The quality of John Varvatos’ fragrance bottle-presentation is nonpareil – Dark Rebel Rider comes in a textured box with a dual-zip-up leather sleeve encasing the bottle and a very durable, decorative cap protecting the atomizer. An A+!
- Price: At full retail, Dark Rebel Rider’s longevity would make me question whether or not I should stick to Oud, but from a discount retailer it’s a no-brainer! I get so much enjoyment out of each spray that I think its MSRP is justified.
- Overall: At this point, I think DRR is in a dead-heat with Oud as my favorite John Varvatos fragrance! From the packaging to the presentation to the fragrance profile, DRR and the rest of the JV lineup is unique, refreshing, and fun!
- Score: 9/10
Thanks so much for reading!
