Best Dark Rebel by John Varvatos Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

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An intense, smoky herbal blend that, like all of Anna's creations, will transport you to an imaginary landscape.

It's inspired by Cossacks, the soldier-farmers who live in the steppes in the south of Russia, accomplished horsemen guarding the borders since the days of Catherine the Great.

You are welcome to devise your own story, but here at Bloom, we imagine a young Cossack resting among haystacks and wild herbs, smoking his clay pipe while contemplating the starry sky. His friends are sitting by the open fire nearby. Smoke is wafting through wild thyme and wormwood.

Starring

(these fragrant materials reanacted the Young Cossack story):

galbanum CO2 extract
artemisia annia essential oil
artemisia absinthium essential oil
immortel absolute
Seville lavender abs
thyme essential oil
tarragon essential oil
davana essential oil
guayak wood essential oil.
rose de May absolute
Morrocan rose  absolute
cumin CO2 extract
frankincense absolute
petitgrain essential oil
geranium leaves absolute
myrth essential oil
costus absolute
oakmoss absolute
patchouli essential oil
labdanum absolute
tabacco absolute
tonka bean absolute
agarwood essential oil
vetiver essential oil
castoreum tinctura

Important notice:

Anna Zworykina’s blends are olfactive smellscapes (but neither aromatherapy, nor ‘spray-and-go’ perfumes). Her blends are sensory experiences, closer to works of art created in the scented plane (rather than, say, visual or audio).

Certain essential oils and absolutes that are used in her 100% natural perfumes may potentially cause allergies in some people. Please spray Anna Zworykina’s blends on fabric (on sleeves, scarves, etc.). This said, Anna Zworykina has acquired a huge fan base over many years and people interacted with her blends for quite a while now. We are not aware of any reports of any skin reactions so far.

However, Anna advises that those who are prone to allergic reactions, pregnant and nursing women, as well as people with chronic illnesses to be extra careful. Before trying natural blends, study the list of ingredients and consult with a doctor if you are not sure or a had a history of allergies. If you do decide to put these blends on your skin (unable to resist the temptation) always test the blend on the inside part of your elbow first and wait.

Do not spray these blends liberally as a cloud in the way you would spray a conventional perfume. Anna’s smellscapes need to be… carefully applied and experienced. Be mindful that some oils can also make your skin hyper-sensitive to UV.

An ornate tobacco leather with a hint of intoxicating tobacco bloom, as well as fresh leaves.

Montabaco is part of the Four Corners of the Earth collection and represents Latin America, the land where tobacco originated.

The perfumer conjures the original jungle encounters between natives and the sailor-explorers (who were totally oblivious to the magic of tobacco at that point). This is a novel interpretation of a tobacco-themed perfume, invoking lush green shadows full of parrot cries, mysterious blooms, and adventure.

The elixir is also exceptionally concentrated, at 42%. Hence the 'intensivo' in the title.

Ourte’s signature vanilla, inspired by toasted waffles and caramel popcorn. Coffee with nuts, coconut on top, soaked in the finest rum. With one dirty ingredient – castoreum – that sets your senses on fire. Live crispy, play naughty.

Here we consider the relationship between the sea and the art it has inspired.

Crabtree uses his grandfather's pen drawings of luxury yachts, his father's library of nautical fiction and his own tattoos as references. Accord of black ink dominate here; west Indian spiced rum; papers lost and found; the familiar dry accords of leather bound books balanced with warm enigmatic notes of vanilla pipe tobacco. All finely based around a dark heart of birch tar and labdanum.

As featured in Elle Magazine: Masculine Notes: A New Fragrance Trend

In Fauno ancient fires reflect off the bronze statures of Roman deities depicting Bacchus feasting in company of fauns, satyrs and nymphs.

The perfume is a smoky echo of the Pompei mysteries lit with torches, perfumed with spicy incense and fragrant herbs.

Perfumer: Cyrill Rolland

An interpretation of the winter solstice brightening into spring, the whisper of growth beneath the melting snow. The cold twang of grapefruit sparks against the heat of Szechuan pepper, while geranium’s complex rosy-minty profile deepens the rawness of hemp, vetiver and leather. 

The lone wolf roams the forest at twilight. Strong and resilient in the face of cold, crisp and hostile woods. Vetiver and pine evoke the dark green atmosphere, whilst plums and davana allude to the spicy energetic power of the wolf. Cedarwood and pepper are beautifully balanced with leather, with tonka beans adding a herbaceous bitter richness to the fragrance. This original EdP version offers a leaner, more frankincense-forward iteration to the bass-heavy extrait treatment.

An immersive fougere that storms your senses with a muscular version of the great outdoors. Hallucinogenic wormwood takes the reins of a wild gallop through fir, cedarwood and tobacco. The fierce greenness is cushioned by a plush and saturated musk.

Perfumer: Amelie Bourgeois

Peaceful and comforting or rich and feral - you can be both. A sinful blend of caramel, leather and oud brings tempting tones. While sweet woods of almond, oakmoss, vanilla and ylang ylang deliver smooth, sensuous power. Sandalwood envelops patchouli for blond, earthy brightness as the smoke and rum dance for more sophisticated depth. 

This extrait is named for the archipelagic country in the South Pacific Ocean, source of the sandalwood in the base. Vanuatu is a lively, confident blend of spices (black pepper, cardamom, cumin) dappled across characterful woody materials (sandalwood, patchouli, cedar and papyrus). Putting meat on the bones is fig milk, with violet leaves adding sharp sparkle. A fragrance for unexpected adventures.