Best Artisan by John Varvatos Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

Its name gives the clue. Orange tree in Spanish Arabic. There you are, standing on a Moroccan roof. An exquisite coolness wafts up, chasing the clinging heat of the day. The curtains move lazily in the breeze. Shadows of orange trees stretch in the setting sun.

Matilde Bonaparte, niece of Napoleon I, was known for her breasts (“le plus beau décolleté”) and her talent as a painter. She also hosted a celebrated 19th-century Parisian salon attended by the greatest artists and writers of her time. This namesake perfume is an olfactory salon of provocative white florals (ylang-ylang, narcissus, jasmine) given tropical succulence with passion fruit and papaya. Mathilde’s heady brightness is softened by iris and sandalwood.

In Japan, yuzu is used like lemons, adding freshness and acidity to dishes. This zippy citrus fragrance expresses everything about yuzu, from the astringency of its peel to the sweet and sour taste of the pulp. An accord of bergamot and orange bolsters the yuzu, while thyme adds herbal intrigue.

Heaven on earth: Alamut.

If we were to believe Marco Polo’s story - Alamut was the fortress and headquarters of the order of assassins. In Alamut among other things, according to Marco, the new recruits could experience the demo version of heaven. An assassin to be would be inebriates by some potion (even though Marco never mention which drug it was, highly likely it was hashish). Then the recruit would be taken to a pleasure garden with drinks, food and beautiful maiden. Afterwards the head of the order would explain that absolute loyalty and fearless determination would guarantee an afterlife of this kind.

Lorenzo Villorezi’s Alamut is an intense sensual rose resting on a cloud of ambergris.

Bo-Bo is named after a Spanish folk dance.

This perfume is a beautiful harmony of fresh which is carefully put together from the citrus bliss of mandarin, shy bitter-green of lily-of-the-valey, soft orange blossom and dry vetiver.

A floral abundance of radiant orange blossom and lily-of-the-valley, given extra oomph by sultry jasmine sambac. An incredibly holographic progression from dewy green to heady roawr, aided and abetted by musk and guiacwood.

Bergamundi (a Latin-esque name meaning “bergamot of the world”), starts bright and fizzy with bergamot, tangerine and lime. This eau de parfum is fleshed out by smiling magnolia and orange blossom, and anchored by airy musk and cedarwood.

Spiritually, number one represents beginnings, focus and determination. Kajal l, with its fresh, engaging warmth, has been crafted to underscore one’s innate dignity and charisma. Cassis, grapefruit and mandarin provide the big “hello!”. Guaiac wood, cardamom, orange blossom and cashmeran draw people in, while a soft vanillic cloud of sandalwood and oud extend the allure.

Perfumer: Christian Carbonnel

A green citrus perfume in which the delicious juicy aroma of ripe mandarins is mixed with the dry greenness of petitgrain, soft musky geranium, and crisp cedarwood.

As always, Perris go for the best materials they can source from around the world. Mandarins in this perfume come from southern Italy, with nuances supplied by green and yellow mandarins harvested in different seasons.

The green fruit extract has a delicate fleeting aroma, which rolls into a more confident sweet blend of ripe mandarins. The amber note in the base merges the two into a happy zesty perfume.