Guess 1981 Indigo for Women

Short version: I love this, but had to give it time. Long version: I hated this perfume when I first tried it. I blind bought the 100 mL with very high hopes given the great reviews. When I first sprayed it on me, the sea notes came across as overpoweringly briny and metallic. Smelling it on myself made me feel like my mouth was full of blood- that's how intense the scent was. After about 30 minutes it settled into a really pleasant grape-forward wine scent. The opening put me off so much that I almost didn't revisit this perfume. Even smelling the nozzle of the bottle made my mouth feel like it was bloody. I stuck it out and tried it a second time: same opening. Again, after 30 minutes it opened up into a beautiful wine fig scent. It was only on my third wear (thankfully I gave it a chance!) that I fell in love with this. The opening had turned into a beautiful aquatic scent, the brininess reminiscent of a chlorinated pool (not in exact scent but more in the pleasantness) instead of blood. The fig blends much more seamlessly with the aquatic notes and turns this into a clean scent without being too sweet, which is hard to find. While the longevity is only about 2-3 hours, I was able to smell this on my clothes after my 8 hour shift. My coworker commented that I smelled "fresh and aquatic," which is about everything I hoped for from this perfume. For the price point, you can really douse yourself in this without it being too intense or feeling too wasteful. I highly recommend this, and recommend that you give this a chance to open up before writing it off.

Oh how I adore this perfume. It will always be a favorite and will always be in my collection. It’s certainly not for everyone and does not last long at all. But it’s beautiful while it lasts. I imagine a very put together woman in a silky white suit drinking a glass of red wine in a cafe by the ocean. As the sun sets, dark storm clouds roll in and rain begins to fall. The sea turns weary as the storm roars. The sky is dark and filled with racing storm clouds releasing lightning into the sea below. Read ‘The Other Wife’ by Colette, the imagery pairs well with this perfume. It’s a true stunner, and as other reviewers have stated- it’s a bit ghostly. You’ll pick up on the scent every once in a while after applying it. Which I think only adds to the magic of this. This perfume is a story, and if that’s what you’re looking for definitely get it. It’s well priced for something that evokes so much. To me, scent wise only. It’s simply red wine by the sea. Have looked for some time for anything similar that lasts longer but to no avail. The closest would be “On a Date” by Replica. But that one lacks the dark stormy quality.

This one is surprisingly dope. The rest of the 1981s are kinda meh to me. You never know with Guess; the fragrances can either be bargain basement blahs or total bangers. I find this to be the latter. I was impressed by how unique this was — the fig and lilac openers create a sexy, velvety, mysterious cool yet earthy vibe that kind of reminds me of Tom Ford Violet Blonde. Imagine if you crossed David Lynch’s Blue Velvet with Silk Stalkings. It has an aquatic, marine vibe (Silk Stalkings, Palm Beach circa 1990) but is met with an earthier, woodier, muskier accord (Blue Velvet’s North Carolina, circa 1986) and the two sides of this perfume dance, nay, fuck with each other so nicely. Very unexpected and cool. Projection and longevity are nothing to write home about but I got this bottle for $12.99 at Marshalls so wasn’t expecting across-the-room silage. As a skin scent it’s totally baller, so I would spray this on my neck on a third date, if you get my vibe.

I blind bought this because ... well, because. It's not pricey and the notes seemed nice. At first - no fruit, no wine, it's like a lightly spiced wood rubbed all over with iris (but not a suffocating iris) then misted with ocean water. A bit later - hello lilac, but so subtle, a bit more sweetness but no clear fruitiness. That said, the sweetness is not gourmand from a confection or candy, it's a natural sweet that could only come from fruit. Later still - I get the feeling of fruit without actual fruit. It's like fruit in the air. Spiced wood + flower + ocean mist still, with more flower, and less mist. And that's how it stays, for a few hours. Really nice. Wearable, peaceful, fresh but not like air freshener, clean but not soapy, soft but not babyish. Not a lusty or seductive fragrance. Someone might love your scent and get romantic with you, of course, but this scent is centered on you, your peace, your space, your dreams.

Just bought it. I tried it, I was always curious about Indigo especially as it has notes iris, fig and cedar that don't suit me in other perfumes. But it's aquatic in its nature and lilac has always been a favourite so, I risked it. I'm pleased I did. Again with my nose I can't pick out notes as such but I know what smells awful on me. So I'm trying it on a 23 degree day (73 in Fahrenheit), during the day I get the wine note fleetingly, the sweetness of the lilac, no powder and no fusty smell,it smells lightly aquatic but didn't last. However I sprayed again after showering wore it in bed, and then the scent preformed much better, slightly musky, maybe it was the right body temperature, I don't know. Thing is i think it's more of a daytime scent, but it worked better at night. But I like it. Slightly unusual and quite pretty. Edit. I liked it so much I bought a back up bottle it makes me happy.