Guess 1981 Los Angeles Men Guess (2019)

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8.6 / 10 10 Ratings

Guess 1981 Los Angeles Men is a new perfume by Guess for men and was released in 2019. The scent is fruity-woody. It is being marketed by Inter Parfums.

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Perfumers

Christine Hassan, Drom

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes	Bergamot, Black pepper, Plum
Heart Notes	Red ginger, Geranium, Spearmint
Base Notes	Vetiver, Amber, Sandalwood, Tobacco

Ratings

Scent

8.6 (10 Ratings)

Longevity

7.9 (10 Ratings)

Sillage

7.3 (10 Ratings)

Bottle

7.6 (13 Ratings)

Submitted by Franfan20, last update on 15.11.2019

Reviews

10/27/2019

7.0 7.0 9.0 8.5/10

Flo92
0 Reviews

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Flo92

Eros? No better!

This scent has been on my radar for some time! Already more than 3 months ago I saw a review of 1981 Los Angeles from the Youtuber "AGentlemansJourney" and was fixed directly. Unfortunately it took some time until the fragrance was finally available here in Germany. When I could finally find him the days online, was not hesitated any longer and the purchase was decided thing ... And the long waiting time was worth it :D

The scent is exactly what I had hoped it would give me! In my opinion, a comparison with Versace Eros is quite appropriate here, especially because of the concise Minz note in both fragrances. Basically, I've always liked Eros pretty much. Somehow he was a bit too loud and prolific for me (not for nothing he is considered the "King of Clubbing" ^^). From 1981 Los Angeles I hoped for a more balanced and adult "Eros" and that's exactly what I got.

Now let's get to the fragrance:
From the beginning to the heart note, the mint note here is clearly pronounced but not quite as intrusive as with Eros. That's probably why it comes across so well with me, because it's with the black pepper (just in the top note) and the plum (that's probably the fruity note I perceive in the fragrance). But I don't know if I would have tipped on "plum" on my own if it hadn't been in the scent pyramid^^) two opponents who "slow down" the mint a bit.
In addition there is a pleasantly warm sweetness through the amber. I also like this much better compared to the somewhat sticky vanilla sweetness of Eros. Finally, sandalwood skilfully rounds off the fragrance and gives it a beautiful woody undertone in the drydown.
In addition, there is the beautiful bottle including wooden cap (only the lettering looks a bit cheap), the very good durability (8-10 hours) and a good sillage (although you have to make some compromises here compared to Eros), which make this fragrance for me an absolute price/performance-price racket!

4 Replies

10/25/2019

8.0 6.0 7.0 7.5/10

MrHonest
61 Reviews

MrHonest

Zara does Eros

There is something to be said about having a certain number of fragrances in your collection that just rub youthful noses the right way – somethin’ fo da laydies, somethin’ fo da cluhhh, blah blah blah, bling bling bling blah. 1981 Los Angeles is a clone of Versace Eros. That concludes our intensive 4-week course on contemporary logic.

Seriously though, LA was a total blind buy after eyeing the notes and thinking – hmmm, this looks like a more interesting D&G The One. After watching a couple of reviews online, my thoughts changed to – well ok, it might START OFF like Eros, but surely it evolves into its own thing? But no. Ok, sort of.

The opening is unmistakably reminiscent of a cross between Boss Bottled and something from Zara. Superbly generic and synthetic aromatic fruitiness that doesn’t quite smell like plum or apple to me, nor does it quite reach the depths of well-blended vanilla sweetness from Boss Bottled. Noticeable ‘cleaner’ vibes in the opening too the first couple of times I wore it. I can’t deny that I wasn’t initially disappointed.

However, within 2 minutes, there’s a clear warm ginger note that comes in and plays with a VERY modest mint that also doesn’t quite match the mint in Eros. But within those first few minutes, the sweetness from the amber finally surfaces and increases steadily over time, allowing LA to take on the unmistakeable garb of Versace’s creation, albeit without the same overwhelming brashness, robust vanilla or projection.

Don’t get me wrong – the projection isn’t terrible, but certainly nowhere near the strength of Eros. Think of a more “library appropriate” version. And that’s basically how it remains for the next 2.5 hours – a slightly warmer/woodier, watered down and muted version of Eros, until it morphs into a simple and generic (almost powdery?) amber-ginger combo by hour 3. Total longevity is about 7-8 hours and projection is surprisingly decent for the first 2.

All in all, I have to admit that I’m not totally disappointed with the scent – in fact, I always disliked Eros for its annoying persistence. It was just too juvenile, too pervasive, superficial and sweet – like the energizer bunny that follows you around all day, banging that goddamn drum. LA seems to fix those problems by replacing the vanilla with a muffled amber and the apple with “plum.” It's very pleasant to the average nose (compliments = yes), but a little too uninspired for my taste. In fact, to a niche head, this might be the stuff nightmares are made of. Absolutely nothing natural about the ingredients.

So to sum up, I would imagine that Guess 1981 Los Angeles is what an Eros clone by Zara would smell like – quieter, more humble, somewhat neutered, slightly more generic (plasticy almost?) yet still incredibly likeable. It could easily be mistaken for a modern flanker too – Eros Amber or something - and undeniably better than that dreadful ‘Flame’ nonsense. Longevity is decent, although the projection is more suitable for an intimate evening affair. Humid clubbing environments would just eat this stuff up.

Overall, it’s not a bad scent, but it’s certainly not a good one IMO – merely average, and probably a great gift idea for a horny teenager (aren’t they all horny though?) There are far better scents at this price point; but if you’re in the market for a modest and inexpensive Eros clone, Guess LA is suitable option. That is….until Zara actually comes out with their own version??? Here's not hoping.

09/06/2019

7.0 8.0 8.0 8.5/10

KimJong
21 Reviews

KimJong

Perhaps Guess's Best Cologne

The idea of balancing sweetness with mint, is very similar to Versace Eros. Indeed, 1981 LA has an impressive atmosphere reminiscent of Eros. But it's not just copying. Anyone can easily spot the difference. It's well blended with fresh peppers that tap into the rich plum flavor from the opening. Not too sticky, not too sweet. After the Eros-like heart note, tempting red flower hints blend in amber and sandalwood that feels like vanilla ice cream. It seems to last 8 hours for spray 3, but I still don't know if it will do so in cold weather. The sure thing is: This is a very sexy, very harmonious cocktail.