Guess Man (2006)
by Guess

A clean green synthetic masculine that would normally get a neutral rating from me. The opening is a little over sweet. However, the dry down became unpleasant to the point that I had to wash it off. So it gets a thumbs down.

When I decided to test this one, it was with the idea that I probably wouldn’t like it because it would be a letdown after the excellence of the first Guess? Man, which I consider an excellent fragrance. The new Guess is nothing like the 1991 Guess Man, and it is as generic as I thought it would be. Version 2006 opens with a lavender / green apple / ozone accord that is fresh, quite spicy, a little green, and very synthetic. I get quite a sour note that is off-putting – it’s a note that seems as if the apple in “green apple” has gone a bit rotten. The list of spices in the heart accord (especially the ginger) sounds as if the spices could get out of control, but they don’t – no chance of anything in this fragrance going uncontrolled except the synthetics. With the base, the synthetics become a little weaker. Its longevity is better than that of most of its competition. This is not a horrendously bad fragrance, but it is a huge, huge letdown from the original Guess Man. (Edit of 14 October 2007 review. Changed from thumbs up.)

I remembered being impressed with this upon its release, long before I started actually devoting mental effort to whether I like "this" frag or "that" frag and how much...Upon revisiting it, I'd have to say that I still like it, and I wouldn't think less of someone who really, really loved it.

Once the top notes burn off (this doesn't take too long), what you're left with is a subtle blend of spices, wood, and musk. I do admit that I felt compelled to frequently smell myself - it just smells good, people! Actually - and this may appeal to no one but me - it reminds me of the smell of a pencil. No, not just the smell of the wood or the loved/hated pencil shavings accord, but the WHOLE pencil (especially the eraser and wooden elements). Someone with more fragrance knowledge or a more nuanced nose than I would have to explain why this is so.

Are there better, more expensive frags out there? You bet, but you're unlikely to offend anyone when wearing this, and it can be had at a more than reasonable price. Longevity is moderate, and sillage is low-to-moderate, but considering its run-of-the-mill department store brethren this is quite an attractive offering from a second (or is it third now?) tier designer.

There are notes in this that are cloying and ruin the character of the essence. An annoying melange.

I can so smell that the perfumer who unleashed Calvin Klein's Escape for men also created this monster. The key word to with Escape was "synthetic" and it is also used here with Guess for men.

The scent opens very sharply on citrus notes that lead to a fresh fourge / marine flavor then the woody / forest / bed of pine needles emerges with a heady dose of sandalwood. From there it is headache city - this seems to be the perfumers calling card for he used this same theme with Escape for men. Unfortunately or should I say happily Guess for men doesn't last as long as his Escape does.

Fruity synthetic musk (what musk isn't now-a-days?). Good for the younger crowd. Very pleasing.