Guilty Absolute for Men by Gucci

I have another scent from the Gucci Guilty line, that I am going to post a review of in the very near future, but I wanted to get this one out first. I have been sampling, Guilty Absolute, and wanted to share my thoughts while they were still fresh in my mind. How does this flanker compare to the rest? What does it smell like? Does it perform well? Is it worth a try?

What Does Gucci Guilty Absolute Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, vetiver, patchouli, cypress, woods

Click here to try: Gucci Guilty Absolute Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Guilty Absolute is a pretty distinct departure from the other fragrances, which bear the Guilty name. The opening hits hard, with an immediate leather, and a dry/dirty patchouli. It’s warm, somewhat spicy, but quite intense and surrounded by fresh woods.

I knew nothing about this formulation, going into the wear, and really wasn’t expecting something like this to come out of a Gucci Guilty fragrance. But, I like it.

This one also has a smoky aroma lurking around, as well. The cypress and golden wood notes, help bring about that. Up top, some people compare this to Dior Fahrenheit.

Is it? Meh, the dirty leather and patchouli, don’t have the same level of gasoline smell, to my nose. Plus, the violet leaf is noticeably missing. So, not really.

As it dries down, Absolute, becomes smoother and fresher. It’s less of a patchouli/leather scent and more of a leather/vetiver with dry woods. Not as in your face, but rich, warm, and dark. It’s a very masculine scent with an interesting depth to it.

The smoke is still around, but even it feels more tame and smoothed out.

Finally, it moves into being a leather and cypress scent, almost exclusively. The vetiver, doesn’t stick around the whole way, at least on my skin.

Sillage and Longevity

Guilty Absolute packs a punch. The sillage is pretty darn intense and extends a ways out there. I wouldn’t over spray this, though, it settles nicely.

Seriously, this is one of the stronger mainstream designer colognes, on my skin. Guilty Absolute completely radiates and surrounds me in a cloud. If you like leathery bombs, this is for sure one to check out.

Performance wise, this one gives you exactly what you want. It lets itself be known and will last for double digit hours. No complaints at all. I’m not sure the exact length of time, but I’ve noticed it hanging around 12 hours in.

Elite performance from a Guilty cologne is kind of funny, but Absolute pulls it off.

Versatility

Is this a super easy to wear mass appealing scent? Not really. It’s not going to appeal to every guy’s taste, but it is attractive, and will pull complements from a certain number of people.

It works best in the cooler temperatures, but within that it can be worn in a variety of occasions. Autumn and winter are a haven for this fragrance. Within those confines, you should still be able to get good use from it.

More casual or something you might want to wear more in the evenings. It could be used as a daily wear, provided you go light, and don’t expect something super formal.

Guilty Absolute will appeal to a more mature audience, but there will be plenty of younger men who dig this, because it does have a dynamic energy to it. Again, this isn’t an Invictus type of cologne with a lot of sweetness and the like.

Overall Scent

Do I like Gucci Guilty Absolute, overall? I do. It’s one that I would only be in the mood for, on occasion, but would completely love it during that time. It’s super leathery, earthy, dirty, dry, and woody.

It goes through stages and has fantastic performance. It isn’t one that will be in everyone’s wheel house, though, can totally be a signature fragrance for the right guy. It does everything well, it just comes down to whether or not this sort of cologne smells nice in your opinion.

It does take the Guilty line in a different direction from the original or even other limited edition flankers like the Love series. It’s kind of shocking to have a fragrance from this line have such massive sillage and longevity, but Absolute doesn’t skimp on the power.

The start is a bit harsh, not my favorite part, but I really enjoy the middle and latter stages. That initial leather, dirtiness of patchouli, and smoke just doesn’t much appeal to me. But, others might like it just fine.

The leather with the vetiver or when the cypress comes in for the final dry down, is great. Dark, smooth, with freshness, and warmth.

This is one, that if it sounds appealing to your personal style, you should give it a try.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.