Into the Green With John Varvatos: Meet Artisan Forest

If you’ve ever wished the Artisan series would leave the marina and actually hike a trail, John Varvatos just handed you a canteen. The new Artisan Forest steps into the lineup as a flanker to the 2009 original Artisan, and the name alone sets expectations high. Forest is a big word. If this leans conifer, cypress, juniper and sap over the usual breezy citrus, we might finally get the green-hearted counterpart the range has been missing.

The Artisan line has always been about touch and light: that tactile woven flask, the clean-calm aura of sunlit citrus and soft woods. Some entries nailed it. Artisan Pure gave bitter citrus and airy woods that felt like linen on a bright day. Artisan Blu was a cool, saline wink. Others veered into polite-aftershave territory. Forest suggests a pivot to something drier, deeper, a little shadow between the leaves. If they keep the luminous top but thread in pine needle, mossy vetiver or resin, the contrast could be addictive.

Confession from a woman who wears the range unapologetically: I want bark, not just leaves. A hint of terpene bite, a breath of damp earth. If Artisan Forest goes shampoo-fresh, I’m out. If it stays crisp yet brings texture and sap, we’re talking an everyday green that actually feels like outdoors, not a locker room.

Performance will be the tell. The Artisan DNA can sit light on skin. A greener, resin-tinged base could finally give the line some cling for cool weather. I’ll be testing it on skin and scarf, and yes, outside, where a forest-style accord either blooms or falls flat. I’ll also side-by-side it with Artisan Pure to clock the shift from white-linen citrus to woodland clean.

Bottle-wise, expect the signature wicker in a deeper green suit that telegraphs the theme without shouting. It’s familiar, tactile, giftable. The question is whether the juice has enough backbone to match the promise.

Verdict for now: cautious optimism. If John Varvatos lets the forest be a little wild, Artisan Forest could be the most interesting wear in the series since Artisan Pure. If not, well, trees still look better outside.