Most of the time, I can totally get on board with the way fragrance brands (and Elnino) describe their perfumes. The storytelling paints a clear picture—you see the person, the scene, the mood. It usually works like a charm, and as you’re reading, you’re nodding along like, “Yep, that’s exactly it.” But with Guess 1981 Indigo, something strange happened. The official narrative missed me by a mile. Like your friend gave you an address, you plugged it into the GPS, and ended up not 2 kilometers away—but a full lightyear off.
According to Guess, this scent is the embodiment of chill vibes in a white tee and ripped jeans. A warm summer day, carefree and effortlessly cool. They say it’s perfect for rebels with sky-high confidence, youthful energy, and a mischievous soul. Or the other way around. Whatever. The brand captures this vibe using a mix of wild Californian surf, lilac, and fig in the top notes, followed by blue lotus, iris, and narcissus in the heart, and grounded with Pinot Noir grapes, Atlas cedar, and Haitian vetiver in the base. That’s how Guess envisions 1981 Indigo.
Contents
Fragrance composition of Guess 1981 Indigo
Top notes: lilac, fig, marine notes
Heart: iris, narcissus, blue lotus
Base: Haitian vetiver, Atlas cedar, red wine, Pinot Noir grapes
And yet… I just don’t feel it. Are we all even sniffing the same bottle?
What I actually smell (and it’s not a rebel in torn jeans)
I have a problem with the whole “rebel in ripped jeans and a tee” fantasy. It gives me flashbacks to the tackiest parts of the ‘90s. It doesn’t suit the fragrance at all and honestly kind of cheapens it. 1981 Indigo deserves better!
Yes, I see a young woman too—but not a teenage troublemaker. My ideal wearer is somewhere between 25 and 40. Her go-to off-duty outfit? Impeccably tailored trousers and a crisp white shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to the elbows. To the trained eye, that shirt probably cost half a city rent. No visible logos, no wild prints, no shouty colors. Her palette sticks to leather brown, navy blue, white, black, and khaki. And maybe a bold red manicure or lipstick. That’s it.
What’s fascinating is that she doesn’t look boring or plain. Quite the opposite. She looks like she was born to wear this outfit—it’s her second skin. When she walks past you on the street, you turn your head. Not because she’s flashy, but because you just have to. Something about her draws you in. Her confident stride? The way she adjusts her sunglasses and flips her hair behind her ear? That smirk she gives as she checks her phone, silences it, and slips it back into her bag? You don’t know what it is, but it lingers in your mind.
A carefree olfactory joyride
Then it hits you: this is exactly how you would walk if you just hit the jackpot. You’d be floating through the day, untouchable. Head in the clouds, blending in, yet feeling like you could conquer the world. Your biggest dilemma? Whether to return that missed call and say yes to drinks with friends in Nice tonight, at one of those cozy Côte d’Azur bars. No rush deciding—it’s only early afternoon in Prague. You’re just now thinking about lunch. Besides… private jets wait for no one—except you 😉
Guess 1981 Indigo is, above all, the scent of freedom. Like you’ve just climbed the tallest mountain, arms outstretched, eyes closed, and you’re testing the limits of your vocal cords. It’s the scent of the open sea with no land in sight. That moment of freefall when you dive from the high board. A deep, full breath of fresh, crisp air.
Notes & Longevity
I won’t pretend I’m great at picking out individual notes. But if I let the official description influence me a bit, I’d totally agree with the iris and lilac. And I’d shout from the rooftops that the base has a strong spiced wine vibe. Oh—and when I first tested it, I actually went digging through the notes to see if it had a touch of licorice. Something in there totally gives me licorice vibes. And I say—quite smugly—that I could recognize 1981 Indigo blindfolded in a lineup of a hundred perfumes thanks to that distinct, spicy whiff.
Now for longevity—yes, it’s an eau de toilette, but if I apply it in the morning, it clings to my clothes until I physically wash them. The next day, I can still tell exactly which shirt I was wearing. And that’s even though I apply it to my skin, not my clothes. What also stands out: I can smell it on myself for at least half the day. That’s rare for me. Most perfumes vanish within the hour (even if people around me say I still smell great), but this one stays with me. Is it the mysterious licorice note? Who knows.
Indigo is a bold, fascinating fragrance that just fits me so well. It’s the kind of scent you could totally blind buy. Unique, unusual, yet undeniably pretty and likeable. That’s 1981 Indigo.
*This gem was sent to me for review – but the love (or eye-rolls) are all mine. 🌞
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