Gucci - Guilty Absolute Review

I love Gucci's clothing and leather goods. Their products are typically distinctive, innovative, tastefully audacious at times, and although quite expensive, you do get the quality to match. I'd even go as far as saying that their horsebit loafer, although copied by numerous shoe makers, is my favorite shoe design of all time. When it comes to the fragrances which are most readily available, however, my feelings are quite different. I can't say I've disliked the Gucci fragrances which I've tried at Sephora over the past few years, but I also can't say I felt the need to have anything more than a sample. Even then, I would only finish the sample in order to get a good feel for the fragrance before writing it off. Their more enjoyable scents are, unfortunately, often discontinued or unavailable at brick and mortars.

During a routine visit last year in which I perused the offerings at some local fragrance/cosmetic chains, I saw Guilty Absolute sitting on the shelf. It is an ambery liquid in a bottle which looks sort of like Bulleit, or some kind of nineteenth century medicine. Quite intriguing. So I had to try it out, even if only to see what approach they would take with that sort of presentation. After one spray on my arm, I was left completely speechless and awestruck, which rarely happens at first sniff. "Is this really Gucci?" I wondered. That feeling stayed throughout the duration of the scent, which is even rarer. I spent hours just sniffing my arm and feeling like I was in a state of bliss.

Guilty Absolute is the fragrance for which I've been searching for years. I've always wanted a fragrance which is similar to Islay whiskies. If I was being more specific, I'd say Caol Ila 12, which is my probably favorite whisky. This is about as close to capturing the smell I get when I pour myself a dram. Unlike Laphroaig or Ardbeg, it's not a peat or smoke bomb. It's balanced with more prominent salty and iodine notes, which gives it a buttery, leathery aroma. Guilty Absolute is much like that.

Upon first spray, you get a balanced mix of medicinal iodine and smoke, which overpowers any other notes. Within about a minute, that initial accord becomes more distinctly leathery. The "woody notes" remind me of the smell of a charred oak barrel. Shortly after, some fresher nuances start to appear, courtesy of vetiver and cypress. In that regard, it should appeal to fans of Encre Noire L'Extreme, although it also has that somewhat grapefruity tone from the vetiver of the current formulation of the original Encre Noire. Guilty Absolute basically smells the same way throughout its duration. I do get some patchouli further in the drydown, but it's not really as prominent as "three forms of patchouli oils" would have had me expect. It lends a bit of earthiness, but it's not spicy, chocolaty, or minty, just a bit dirty.

Performance is really good. It projects strongly for an hour, but sits closer to the skin soon after. Then it lasts as a skin scent for 8-10 hours, perhaps somewhat longer. I would have preferred something stronger, but given how much I love this, I can't complain.

I sincerely hope Gucci doesn't discontinue this fragrance. At times, I feel like they are dedicated to mediocrity, but if they keep releasing fragrances as good as Guilty Absolute, I would be proven completely wrong. This is one of the best designer releases I've tried in a long time. It's nothing short of a masterpiece. Great job guys.

Tom Ford - Noir Anthracite Review

 The polarity of the composition is really surprising. One the one hand, it's fresh, with a really strong blast of szichuan pepper and citrus. On the other hand, it is also very dark and smoky. The smokiness is not quite as pronounced as fragrances like Encre Noire L'Extreme or Gucci Guilty Absolute, but it is nonetheless a dominant accord which may be off putting to some. The darker notes minimize the freshness, and the freshness tempers the darkness. I don't really get that dynamic in, say, Aramis, Antaeus, or Jacomo de Jacomo.

I also don't get animalic notes or moss. While there are floral notes, they're not really in the forefront either. What I get, instead, are leather, patchouli, smoke, spicy, and woody notes as the fragrance dries down.
The leather is buttery, smooth, and rich, yet also somewhat rugged. Think of the intoxicating smell of a pair of Gucci horsebit loafers, crossed with a worn out leather jacket which has spent years rested on the back of a chair in dive bars filled with cigarette smoke.
The wood is smells more like natural cedarwood oil (earthy, damp, kind of spicy, and resinous). It is not the clean, dry, and inoffensive pencil shavings of TdH.

Noir Anthracite also has that sharp texture I get from Tuscan Leather. Not an abrasive sharpness you get in some cheap or poorly composed fragrances. Rather, it's like note from TL which people say smells a, uh, really expensive stimulant.

Also, it might be worth noting, this smells NOTHING like Noir or Noir Extreme. Keep that in mind if you're expecting a powdery, chocolaty, creamy, or confectionery fragrance.

Performance is really good. It's not as excessive as some of Ford's other scents, but you'll get 8-10 hours out of it. It'll project for about an hour two before it sits close to the skin. It might not be as great a value as the other fragrances I mentioned; most of which are between 15-40 bucks for 3-4 ounces. However, I'm actually surprised this wasn't part of his private collection since it's quite daring and "nichelike" (I hate this term).