Gucci

8 Best Smelling Gucci Colognes

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Beyond the other fashion products Gucci creates, it has a very popular line of fragrances for men and women. Its colognes offer a blend of unique scents that remain masculine and versatile to fit a consumer’s lifestyle.

While there are plenty of options for a man to choose from among the Gucci line of colognes, I wanted to focus on what I feel are the best perfumes pour homme from this Italian design house.

As of now, I have narrowed things down to eight scents for him, which are Gucci’s current greatest.

This list is not in order, as it is of course personal preference which scent smells the best, however, this is what I consider to be the cream of the crop. I have updated this list in 2024, to add to the original post from 2013, and change up the picks slightly.

Favorite Fragrances for Men by Gucci

Best Guilty Fragrance (Tie) and Top Summer Pick

1. Gucci Guilty Black Pour Homme Fragrance Collection 3.0-oz. Eau de Toilette– One of the many flanker fragrances to stem from the Guilty namesake, Guilty Black is possibly my favorite (it’s a toss of with this and Intense).

Note: They’ve renamed this one, Guilty Essence.

Back in 2014-2015, I would wear this one all of the time, as I found it to be quite captivating and refreshing on my skin.

Guilty Black Pour Homme doesn’t have the same distinct citrus opening, as the main versions of Guilty, but it shares a sensibility. It is very well blended with the familiar scent of coriander and lavender being rather distinct.

It does have floral heart and a woody base. Orange blossom and neroli, are very present after the initial opening. I get a ton of orange blossom on my skin, some nice lavender, and greenish ingredients.

Guilty Black always had great staying power on me and also a very good ability to project without being overpowering at all. Still a very attractive scent and one that exceeded the others using this name. Guilty Black Review

Best Daily Wear Gucci Fragrance

2. Gucci Guilty Intense Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3 Ounce– Guilty Intense is a fresh and clean scent, which delivers a unique scent for guys who demand a signature fragrance. Mandarin, pink pepper, lilac, amber, and other ingredients in the notes blend well to produce a memorable experience.

Note: This has now been discontinued.

This one is better than the original Guilty, in my opinion. It doesn’t have as much of the lemon note from the start, but instead goes heavier on the lavender and amber. Again, I go back and forth between this and Black, but Intense gives me a nice amber finish to its citrus start.

It’s warm and bright with just hints of spice from light coriander and patchouli poking through the aroma. It is quite a linear scent, the dry down essentially adds some floral notes to the mix (orange blossom and neroli) that helps to further develop that citrus feel.

The sillage is on the upper end of moderate and I can get 7-8 hours of solid wear out of Guilty Intense. One of its strengths, is that, this fragrance can pretty much be worn year round and can go from office to date night without issue. It’s an all around solid scent. Guilty Intense Review

Best Winter Perfume for Men

3. Gucci for Men Eau de Toilette Spray, 3 Ounce– This namesake fragrance delivers a woodsy aroma, which is both highly masculine and sensual. Bergamot, Cyprus and violet notes open the scent followed by tobacco leaves and jasmine before the final note which includes amber settles in.

A gorgeous fragrance that would be a welcome addition to any man’s cologne collection. The tobacco is the main draw here, not a heavy scent, but light and exudes confidence.

Gucci for Men is very dry and green, cypress and violet, flanker the tobacco note and you have several other outdoorsy ingredients supporting the structure.

From what I understand, this one might have been reformulated, so I cannot speak to its current performance. The older bottles were never beasts in terms of sillage (more light to moderate), but always had good longevity.

Top Versatile Pick

4. Gucci Pour Homme Ii By Gucci For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Oz.– This Gucci fragrance is clean and never overpowering. There is a bit of spice to it but people will be wondering what exactly it is you’re wearing.

Pour Homme II opens up with that familiar citrus note, bergamot, but one quickly realizes that you are going to get a unique experience with notes of cinnamon, violet leaf, black tea, and pimento.

At times, it is smooth, others spicy, quite floral, and then feels green and herbal. Gucci II is a very subtle wear, not weak, but it’s never one that is going to choke out the room. You will catch it wafting up to your nose throughout the day and get that feeling of, “Damn, I smell good.”

You’ll probably have to find this Gucci scent online, as I haven’t seen it in a physical store, in quite some time. Still plenty of bottles, though, and it’s a damn good fragrance.

Best Unique Cologne and Longest Lasting Gucci

5. Gucci Guilty Absolute Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 3 Ounce– The flankers to Guilty that have been coming out as of late, have been quite different from the original scents.

Guilty Absolute is definitely a new experience for the brand, but what I think is the best of the newer flankers.

Now, this is really powerful, masculine, and intense. So, it isn’t a cologne which will work for everybody. It opens with a nice leather and very earthy patchouli note, packing a punch right from the start.

However, as it dries down it really does actually get drier with notes of cypress and golden wood, taking over much of the composition.

The finale is a blend of the leather and cypress note, with a strong sillage, and double digit hour wear time. Guilty Absolute, isn’t going to be one that appeals to everybody.

In fact, some guys will find it overwhelming at times. Nonetheless, it offers something different and niche, that some men will swear by it. Read my Guilty Absolute Review

Interesting Guilty Flanker

6. Gucci Guilty Love Edition by Gucci Eau De Toilette Spray 3 oz Men– So, I tried this and the newer EDP version of Guilty, and I actually prefer this one. I do really like the opening act of EDP, but it pretty much just dries down to a flatter version of the original with rose on top.

Meanwhile, Love Edtion opens up with a delicious mix of kumquat and orange, making this a nice zesty option for the spring and summer months.

It actually reminds me of having a similar style to Chanel Allure Blanc, with its pink pepper, vetiver, and other dry elements. The difference being, the Chanel has a vanilla finish and lemon, while Guilty Love Edition is soapier and floral.

I really dig the combination of ginger and pink pepper. The lavender is nice and, this does have some overlap with Guilty Black, yet retains its own style. The performance isn’t amazing, but I really enjoyed this one. Guilty Love Edition review

Replacement for Guilty Intense

7. Guilty Pour Homme Parfum by Gucci (Macy’s)– This is a new release for 2022, has a lot in common with Guilty Intense, but is a more refined and better version. I bought a full bottle upon release and have been really enjoying this Gucci perfume.

To me, it is already one of the best Guilty colognes from the series. It opens up with, a lemon peel-like zest, nutmeg, and juniper notes. It is less of a pure citrus play versus others in the series, but has a delightful aromatic quality to it.

Guilty Pour Homme Parfum is a balance of all the signature Guilty aromas; from floral to citrus to fresh, but with more woodsy influence. 7-8 hours of performance, but pretty darn solid all around. Read my full review (or video below).

Eighth Elixir

Guilty Elixir– Personally, I think Elixir Pour Homme is overrated. That being said, it’s mostly a fine cologne, that other people like way more than me.

Pimento and nutmeg lead things off with a spiciness, but the vanilla and iris notes are really going to shine in this one. It’s got a bit of a kick, but the fuzziness of the benzoin note prevents it from going too far into that direction.

Floral, powdery, a bit sweet, warm with an amber. That’s about what you get from Gucci Guilty Elixir.

I really like the opening act, but it’s somewhat bland to me after that. I will say that the performance here is good. So, even though this is an expensive one, it does a solid job at sticking around.

It’s different from the rest of the series and kind of unisex. Enjoyable enough, but not something I’m crazy for. Guilty Elixir review

Other Discontinued Gucci Colognes that were great:

Gucci Rush

Gucci Envy

There you have it the short list of the best men’s colognes by Gucci. This design house has had many winners over the years, Rush, Envy, and Pour Homme, are all wonderful choices if you can still find a bottle of them.

However, the ones that are still in production should add some luxury to any man’s toilette and keep him smelling great.

Guilty Eau Pour Homme by Gucci

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Guilty Eau is one of the older scents from the Guilty line, being released in 2015. Since then, the fragrances under this banner, have taken things in a different direction from the original. Guilty Eau Pour Homme, is one that definitely takes its cues from the older compositions.

I picked up a travel sprayer full of this cologne, since I’d never actually tested it for the site. How does it smell? Is it long lasting? Is Eau worth a try?

What does Guilty Eau Pour Homme Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, lemon, orris, snowberry, musk, orange blossom, patchouli

Click here to try: Gucci Guilty Eau Pour Homme 1.6 oz Eau de Toilette Spray

My Full Review

Guilty Eau opens up like a less spicy mix of Intense and the original Guilty EDT. Early on in the wear, I get a greater impression of Intense, which then moves more towards the original.

It the top two citrus notes, toned down with a blend of the signature orange blossom note and the slight powdery quality of orris root. It’s fresh, bright, and cold.

The interesting note here is snowberry, which is apparently in the honeysuckle family. The aroma is somewhat of a cool and minty variety. It and the orris root are what really separate it from its predecessors.

It’s bright and cold early on, but it will settle into a more powdery version of the original. A sweet white floral with touches of musk and patchouli. The lemon note will still be there with the orange blossom, orris, and the base notes.

One noticeable difference that I should mention, is the lack of lavender here. Usually, I would welcome that, all things considered. But, I enjoy the lavender in the EDT version. Here is wasn’t replaced well enough, even if I like the snowberry.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

In terms of how it projects, I get 3-5 feet from skin, at its peak. It’s a fairly moderate sillage, right in line with Guilty EDT. So, a few hours of moderate wear, before it is an airy and pretty much skin scent type of cologne.

On my skin, Guilty Eau will hang around for 5-6 hours before disappearing entirely. That might not be too bad, if you can get it at a discount. At full price, I would want a bit more from a Gucci scent than what this gives.

Seasonally, it can go year round like EDT, but the greatest use will be a wear for spring or early summer. The colder quality of the fragrance, really sits well in the warmer air and adds a crisp freshness that is distinct from the other Guilty’s.

Guilty Pour Homme is kind of an all-purpose fragrance, as it can be worn casually, is safe enough for work, and attractive enough for a date.

Honestly, if a guy just wants something simple and one that can pull complements, Gucci Guilty can do the job. Performance is ehhh, but the versatility is darn good.

Overall Impressions of Guilty Eau

Do I like this fragrance? I like it, but it isn’t something that I really want to wear. While it has elements of the Guilty EDT and Intense, I prefer both of those to this one. The distinctions in the scent, don’t really give me anything that I find all that intriguing.

Plus, you get about the same level of performance as the EDT. I don’t personally want a bottle of that one, nor this one. I like Black, Intense, Love 2020, Absolute, and even EDP more so from this Gucci line.

The snowberry is an interesting note, I would like it to be featured in some other colognes. I would’ve utilized that and the orris more, to really give this a distinct cold and powdery aroma to separate it from the others.

As it stands, it’s too similar to the EDT and not any better. It is one that if you happen to really enjoy the smell of, that you can pretty much wear it anytime. The versatility is great. If you’re a big fan of Guilty Pour Homme, give this a shot.

If not, I’d go with one of the others in the Guilty series.

Update: Coming back to this post in 2024, it seems the Guilty Eau has been discontinued. I’m not currently seeing too many bottles left for sale online. So, if you want it you should probably grab a bottle now. Again, I don’t think it’s probably worth paying up for, but if it’s pretty cheap, go for it.

Guilty Elixir de Parfum Pour Homme by Gucci

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Guilty Elixir Pour Homme was released by the brand in 2023. I picked up samples of it late last year to test it out and see if it lived up to its early hype. It sort of took the line in a new direction versus what you get with others in the series.

How does Elixir smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Guilty Elixir Pour Homme Smell Like?

Notes include: vanilla, orange blossom, nutmeg, ambrofix, pimento seeds, orris butter, benzoin, patchouli, osmanthus

Click here to try: Guilty Elixir

My Full Review

The opening of this Guilty fragrance is spicy, warm, balsamic, with the iris and vanilla notes already making themselves known. Interestingly, on my skin at least, the benzoin note really comes up from the base at this stage.

I’m actually reminded a bit of Body Kouros by YSL in the undertones of Elixir, at this early stage.

The spices here are nutmeg, and for me, the more prominent pimento. Same sort of spice found in K by D&G and Xeryus Rouge.

After this initial burst, it does become more floral. I was expecting to get more of the orange blossom note before the iris came fully into play.

Actually, the osmanthus comes through more for me. It’s much less of the fruity smelling type, actually it gives a suede/leather scent to Guilty Elixir.

The spice tones down, this Gucci cologne is fully in its floral, powdery, vanilla phase. Less warm, smooth, fresh, with a touch of fuzziness. Here’s where I do pick up some more of the orange blossom, since the nutmeg and pimento have toned down.

Guilty Elixir isn’t fully a ‘baby powder’ type of fragrance. Orris butter, vanilla, and orange blossom do lend a creaminess here and this cologne does have more of a sweetness to it for a good portion of the wear.

The dry down is pretty simple. Orris, vanilla, the ‘Ambrofix’ amber note, some leftover benzoin and patchouli. Mainly, it’s the vanilla and ambrofix.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This isn’t a heavy fragrance, it’s substantial, while having a definite light feeling to it. Guilty Elixir, does however, project quite far and creates a great scent bubble around you.

Not a massive reach, but well above average with just how far it will jump off of the skin. With a normal amount of spraying, I don’t think this Gucci disappoints.

Elixir performs well in terms of its longevity. I get somewhere in the 8-9.5 hour range, each time that I’ve sprayed in on.

It might be capable of more than that for some people, but it’s not elite status. Still better than others in the series, though.

Seasonally, I’d say this one can go autumn to pretty deep into springtime (depending on where you live). It’s not a scent for the hot weather, but Elixir can hold up on a reasonably warm day. Though, I’d mostly wear it when it’s chilly to moderate outside.

It’s very versatile outside of that. Not really a nightclub beast or necessarily one for romantic wear and not completely formal. But, as a daily wear and just about any other situation Guilty Elixir Pour Homme can fit in.

Overall Impressions of Guilty Elixir

Overall, do I like it? Sure, it’s different from the rest of the Guilty Pour Homme series, but it also doesn’t strike me as incredible. Likeable, for me. Other people might love this, especially if you are a fan of scents like Reflection.

I came back to this one after having the sample for a few months and forgetting about it. I’m a bit more positive on it than the first time, but I still don’t think it’s incredible. The opening act is my favorite part and the rest of it isn’t too exciting to my nose.

There’s no inherent weaknesses with Elixir. Performance is good across the board, its pleasant, and one that you can get plenty of use out of.

Since this is a higher price point than others in the Guilty series, I would try to test it out, to see if this one actually appeals to you.

The softer floral, powdery, vanilla scent isn’t going to be for everyone. This one is actually pretty unisex and if you want something more masculine, look elsewhere.

Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Intense

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For this review, I am going to be taking a closer look at another fragrance from the Gucci Guilty lineup, this time: Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Intense. This cologne was released back in 2011 after Guilty’s initial success. How does the flanker stack up to the original? Is it strong? What does it smell like? Is it actually worth a purchase?

What does Gucci Guilty Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, lavender, coriander, amber, orange blossom, neroli, cedar, patchouli

Click here to try: Gucci Guilty Intense Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Intense, reminds me greatly of the original Gucci Guilty. However, the lemon is less prominent, and the lavender and amber take on a greater role.

It’s like a shuffling of the composition, but man, do I enjoy the scent. It’s very warm and bright and there is just a hint of spice from coriander and patchouli, at the start.

As it moves forward some, the floral notes start to fully develop. Yes, the lavender is the top dog here, but orange blossom and neroli are also present. It’s all very pleasant and I found myself sniffing my wrist, time and time again.

That orange blossom is stronger in the front half, before I get a lot of lavender in the back.

All of the floral notes work in conjunction with one another and all seem to be soaked in a sea of amber, with just a bit of cedar wood at the base of the scent.

It’s honestly a pretty linear cologne, through the rest of the wear. Ultimately, it’s a warm amber soaked lavender with the lemon and floral notes. There is some patchouli but it isn’t very heavy, pretty subdued.

I like how it’s sweeter than the original Guilty, but still somewhat close to what that smells like. Gucci really found a simple formula and stick with it well.

Sillage and How Long does it Last?

Projection wise, it doesn’t have massive sillage, but it is solid in that regard. You’ll know that it’s there and people around you will be able to detect it just fine. I’d say that it’s moderate to strong, but not a complete beast.

Longevity is good, somewhere in the 7-8 hour range, possibly a bit longer with a double spray. I get less with the original Guilty Homme and more hours with Black. In most scenarios, 7-8 hours will be plenty.

When to Wear

Guilty Intense, feels more geared to college aged through early 30s wearers, but it isn’t a teenagers scent by any means. It’s fresh and youthful, but it does smell great and have sex appeal. I wouldn’t say that older men couldn’t wear it, but it doesn’t necessarily have a more mature vibe.

The versatility is one of the best aspects about this cologne, as it can be worn year round, and in a variety of situations. It is safe enough for office wear, not too serious to wear casually, and attractive enough for the nightlife.

It’s a good option for guys who want to have a bottle for any circumstance. It does have a certain level of sexiness and can absolutely draw complements.

Overall Impressions of Guilty Pour Homme Intense

Overall, do I like Gucci Guilty Intense Pour Homme? Absolutely. This might be my favorite from the Guilty line up, I like it better than the original, and I think that I prefer this to Guilty Black. Black, has better longevity in my experience, and they are 1A and 1B in how I rank them.

It’s pretty simple, but the execution is really good. It’s not my favorite fragrance or anything, but I love wearing it. Amber, lavender, floral notes, and lemon…it just works.

I don’t think Intense has ever gotten the recognition that it deserves, when the original is the best seller. However, I say that it is the superior fragrance easily.

It’s also seemingly getting harder to come by a bottle for a good price, so if it’s one you want to try, you should probably grab one before it gets outrageous.

Update: This one has been discontinued for years now. I bought a smaller travel bottle of it a year or so ago, that I finished. It’s a notch below what I originally thought of it, but I still like Guilty Intense.

It’s an easy one with some unique qualities, a good mix of floral notes with an aromatic quality. But, given the prices now, I wouldn’t track down a full bottle of the stuff. It’s best to go with another in the series.

Gucci Guilty EDT Pour Homme

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Today, we have an entry from Gucci, the original of the Guilty line up: Guilty Pour Homme EDT. This has been a very popular men’s fragrance, over this past decade, but how does it actually stack up? In this post, I’m going to break down my experience with it, let you know how it smells, how it performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a try or not.

What does Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, orange blossom, lavender, patchouli, cedar, pink pepper, neroli

Click here to try: Guilty By Gucci EDT spray for Men, 3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Gucci Guilty eau de toilette hits with a nice clean citrus note of lemon, warm slightly spicy pink pepper, and a calming lavender. Actually, the lemon/pink pepper combo, remind me a bit of Guess Seductive Homme which has the pink pepper paired with orange.

Different colognes for sure, but it’s just what comes to mind.

Nonetheless, that cologne has a bit more spice, than does Guilty Pour Homme. What’s interesting, is that this opening, is a high percentage of what you’re going to get from this cologne. Just one of the scent, that you’ll know fairly quickly, whether or not you enjoy it.

The fragrance is light and warm with a smooth cedar base note and patchouli giving the composition more substantial aroma, than it otherwise would have. Still, Guilty is a pretty minimalist fragrance, in a lot of ways.

The orange blossom/neroli pairing of course bring a floral touch, but their citrus fragrances, tend to blend in with the lemon note. Plus, the lavender is the dominant floral, and it doesn’t give up much room to the others.

I remember I used to wear Gucci Guilty Black, years ago, and that is a close approximation of what I smell here; just without the lemon/pink pepper. So, it’s a less spicy version of Black, with those two notes added to the top. Also, the notes in this one are more distinct, as they could be difficult to distinguish between in Black.

There is a sweetness within Guilty, that may be vanilla, or just the floral notes interacting with the pink pepper and lemon. Either way, there is an undercurrent of that kind of vibe, that becomes more noticeable after an hour or so of wear.

Gucci Guilty Pour Homme is actually a pretty linear fragrance, there isn’t a lot of depth here, and what you get from the start is very close to how it dries down. Yet, it does have some substance at times, which I appreciate.

Finally, we get to the last bit of this cologne, where you do get a cedar aroma underneath the lavender and citrus combination. Ultimately, it is a lavender and citrus combination, with some light spice, floral notes, and a cedar base.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s moderate for a couple of hours, and then it is quite light and airy. The sillage isn’t much beyond the immediate area around you, so, don’t expect some beast that will hit someone’s nose from across the room.

Longevity, is about 5-6 hours, on my skin. That’s not too great, but passable in a lot of situations. I do wish that it could go longer, especially at this price point. To me, that’s the biggest weakness of this fragrance.

Over the years, I’ve tested Guilty Pour Homme out again and again, with the same results.

Guilty Black and Intense, both stepped it up from here, giving you more time to spend with those colognes. Giving the two a further edge over the original.

Seasonally, it can go year round, but it mostly strikes me as a wear for spring or early summer. It’s not the usual aquatic colognes of that time frame, but it has an upbeat energy, and is light enough not to be cloying.

Guilty Pour Homme is kind of an all-purpose fragrance, as it can be worn casually, is safe enough for work, and attractive enough for a date.

Honestly, if a guy just wants something simple and one that can pull complements, Gucci Guilty can do the job. Performance is ehhh, but the versatility is darn good.

For a younger guy, this can be an easy starter cologne. It can cover most of your bases, as far as use goes, and is already wildly popular.

Overall Impressions of Guilty Pour Homme

Overall, do I like Gucci Guilty EDT? It’s nice, but nothing all that spectacular, to me. It has a very pleasant and clean smell, it has good potential for those who just want something easy to wear and low key.

This version doesn’t have the greatest performance, but it isn’t completely useless.

This has been a best seller for Gucci and has spawned so many flankers, many of which, have nothing in common with the original. I’m not sure why this one gets as much love as it does, but I like it fairly well.

Lemon, lavender, and pink pepper are the main stars here…so, that’s what you should expect from most of the wear. It’s cool, just not outstanding. I personally prefer the Intense version or Black, but the former is discontinued, so you will have to find bottles online.