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Oh, Gucci, you never do stop with the Guilty flankers do you? For 2019, the subject of today’s review was released, Guilty Cologne. Not a very original name, nor does it have any real connection to the rest of the Guilty line of fragrances. But, how does it smell? Does this scent have good performance? Is it worth a buy?

What does Guilty Cologne by Gucci Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, juniper berries, rosemary, violet, cypress, cedar, patchouli, heliotrope, musk

Click here to try: Gucci Guilty Cologne by Gucci, 1.6 oz EDT Spray for Men

My Full Review

I first tried out Guilty Cologne back in August, while I was out shopping. My first overall thought upon smelling it was, why do they keep using the Guilty name for fragrances, that don’t smell at all like the original Guilty?

Secondly, I was actually kind of taken aback, as to what I was smelling. It felt unique and different, while having familiar elements. I wasn’t sure if I enjoyed this fragrance or not.

As such, I’ve put off doing any sort of review for months, until I could spend much more time with it.

Guilty Cologne opens up with a fresh and rather sharp burst. Bergamot comes out really strong, to my nose, along with a fresh juniper. The juniper brings to mind Luna Rossa Sport, without the layer of lavender on top. 

The second layer in the opening, I get a lot of rosemary, but it seems to be wed to the cypress note. The tree note, will definitely come more into play later on. However, the rosemary and bergamot dominate the opening 20-30 minutes for me.

After that, they relinquish much of their initial power. A lightly powdery heliotrope comes in, the herbal spice/citrus sharpness gets toned down, and the woody freshness is amped up. Cedar, juniper berries, and cypress will do that. It becomes quite a green and clean aroma.

Finally, I get a very woodsy fragrance in the dry down. On my skin, the cypress comes through as the strongest note, with violet working in conjunction. Juniper, rosemary, and heliotrope follow. It’s dry, somewhat herbal and powdery, with a light sweetness around the edges. 

Not a super complex fragrance, but it is an interesting one.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatilty

I find that Guilty Cologne starts off strong and the sillage, can cover a large area around you. This is the case for the first hour. Second hour, is still moderately strong. After that, it’s pretty average. You’ll notice it, but it isn’t going to be a cloud of fragrance.

That opening act will definitely leave a solid scent trail in your wake. 7+ foot radius at its peak, before settling more into that 3 foot range later.

Longevity, sits in the 6-8 hour range. It’s good, but not amazing. A lot of the other Guilty scents, don’t seem to have a long life either, but this is such a distinct scent from those. It’s sort of in the middle of the pack, out of the Guilty lineup.

Seasonally, I wouldn’t be opposed to wearing this year round. However, on mild to slightly warm days, this Gucci cologne seems to be in top form. I like the idea of this in spring and early autumn, the air isn’t too thick with humidity and it will be the right temperature for Cologne to do its thing.

I like it as a casual to semi-formal fragrance. If you don’t spray too much, it would be fine for office wear. Has a fresh and masculine disposition, but not really a club beast, nor romantic wear. It could work in a variety of situations, but not really built specifically for such a purpose.

Overall Impression of Guilty Cologne

Do I like this scent? The more time with it, the more I lean toward it being enjoyable. Yeah, that sounds weird, but this is a unique smell and not the usual style that I personally go for. 

The opening act is pretty sharp and if you don’t like rosemary, this one will almost certainly be a pass. I have grown fond of the cypress, I enjoy juniper, and the violet doesn’t bother me in this composition.

The performance is above average, also. The whole thing comes across as interesting, just not excellent. Guilty Cologne will for sure have its dedicated fans.

It’s overall a good fragrance. Not the best, but certainly one, which can be a solid wear for the right guy. I would check for this one, when it’s getting discounted way down and price. Then, I’d say it’s a buy, but probably not for full retail.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides.

bestmenscolognes.com/

Gucci, like other luxury brands in this space, has their regular popular fragrance line and a higher end niche options. For Gucci, The Alchemist’s Garden, is where they stash their most unique offerings. I recently received a sample of A Midnight Stroll, from this line, in order to test it out and see what this perfume is all about. How did it do? Is it worth a buy?

What does A Midnight Stroll Smell Like?

Notes include: incense, cade wood, cypress

Click here to try: A Midnight Stroll by Gucci

My Full Review

Here’s how Gucci describes it: An Incense-scented fragrance celebrating the allure of the night.

A Midnight Stroll opens up with a really unique aroma. The key here, I think, is the cade oil. Essentially, juniper and its resin distilled into an oil form. What does this smell like? Mostly, it’s a tar-like aroma with hints of leather and even some rubber.

Weird. Not bad, though.

The incense note itself, is actually toned down early on. To me, the smokiness doesn’t really come through all that much in the opening act. That will change, later.

The other aspect of this is the fresh woodiness of the cypress note. It definitely sits behind the cade oil, but there is a good amount of cypress kicking things off. Sort of smells like a cypress tree that’s been covered in this tar substance. Very resinous and balsamic.

As it dries down, the cypress is the note that fades the most on my skin. The overwhelming dominance of the tar and rubber aroma will also lose its grip. At this point, it becomes more of a straightforward incense and cade oil blend.

The only really difference in the dry down, is the continuing shift towards the incense note, in terms of strength.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

A Midnight Stroll is not a powerhouse. Even early on, it’s pretty moderate with its projection and any scent trail that it’s going to leave behind. Now, I’m sure with a full bottle, you can spray enough to boost its profile.

However, it’s still pretty middle of the road for much of the wear. In the back half, it’s actually a pretty light fragrance.

The longevity was right about six hours. At that point, I pretty much had to press my nose up against my skin in order to smell it. But, it was still there. Pretty standard issue and not going to go above and beyond.

Seasonally, I’d only want to wear this in autumn or winter. A Midnight Stroll is best left for the cold. It is July here, currently. I stepped outside with this on, in the summer’s heat and it was just kind of strange and out of place. This Gucci didn’t adapt well.

While this is listed as unisex, it is a perfume that leans very much into the masculine end of the spectrum.

I guess you could wear this in the evening, as the name suggests. Not very formal, but not a complete party scent either. I’m not sure where or when to try it, exactly.

Overall Impressions of A Midnight Stroll

Overall, do I like A Midnight Stroll? It’s decent. This is very much a niche scent and is going to have a limited audience who will actually appreciate it. Still, even among incense-based fragrances, this isn’t all that amazing.

I’d much rather wear something like Encens Satin. Though, this one does come across as being much more unique with its tarry leather aroma. For me, that’s not enough to want a full bottle of this Alchemist’s Garden release. Especially, at the near $400 price point.

That opening act is interesting. It’s such a weird blend of leather, wood, amber, tar, rubber, and smoke. There’s nothing that I can think of that smells just like A Midnight Stroll. Even so, the aroma itself, isn’t anything that’s a must have for probably 99% of people.

If you’re really interested in this one, I’d track down a sample first. Then decide if it’s worth spending all of that money for it. You might be in that niche group who will be in love with A Midnight Stroll or be like me and just think that it’s okay.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides.

bestmenscolognes.com/

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 the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides.

bestmenscolognes.com/