Habit Rouge Guerlain (1965)Eau de Toilette

Habit Rouge (Eau de Toilette) by Guerlain

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Habit Rouge (Eau de Toilette) (Guerlain)

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8.1 / 10 748 Ratings

Habit Rouge (Eau de Toilette) is a popular perfume by Guerlain for men and was released in 1965. The scent is spicy-citrusy. The longevity is above-average. It is being marketed by LVMH.

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Perfumer

Jean-Paul Guerlain

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes	Green lemon, Bitter orange
Heart Notes	Patchouli
Base Notes	Leather, Benzoin, Vanilla

Ratings

Scent

8.1 (748 Ratings)

Longevity

8.3 (531 Ratings)

Sillage

7.5 (499 Ratings)

Bottle

7.3 (490 Ratings)

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Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 26.02.2020.

Interesting Facts

The scent was re-formulated and modernized in 2003.

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Reviews

01/30/2020

8.0 9.0 9.0 9.0/10

Volker1964
0 Reviews

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Volker1964

An exceptional fragrance at a low price

This wonderful and very pleasant fragrance from the house of Guerlain, I have treated myself to Christmas 19.
He may be special, not like some other fragrances, but also mMn very good.
Top note
Quite fresh and strong lemon, a little bit of orange, lemon towering above. Something different for me Heart note
Lemon becomes more reserved. It becomes spicier and heavier and a leather note appears. Now he's getting interesting.
Base note
Lemon's as good as gone. Leather notes become quite present and vanilla is added. The fragrance becomes more masculine overall, pleasantly spicy with beautiful notes of leather and vanilla. It is very balanced, quite complex, elegant and very pleasant. Also well/very well present without exaggeration. In short, a gentleman among fragrances for the gentleman with life experience. More like a winter scent I ordered 200ml EdT for less than 50 Euro on the Internet. This is this fragrance mMn also, without ifs and buts, worth.

3 Replies

01/23/2020

8.0 8.0 8.0 1.5/10

50something
6 Reviews

50something

How long does it take?

It seems I have the worst skin chemistry when it comes to really well liked, popular colognes. When I wear this I’m almost afraid—embarrassed actually to leave the house. It smells very feminine, yet with a semi barber shop touch to it but it’s mostly just funky. My wife does not like it at all, she gets irritated by the scent. I have scrubbed this off half the time after spraying it.

When I feel brave, I wear 1 to 2 sprays and it takes some time to settle in and it becomes somewhat bearable. I have tried it better than 30+ times, hoping one day I will love it.

TDH edt is about the same way for me, I just can’t get into it but keep trying.

2 Replies

12/12/2019

8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0/10

Tom27
0 Reviews

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Tom27

Greatly helpful Review 12

Animal-leathery dustiness in vanilla bed

Habit Rouge opens with a violent rush of citric, tangy notes of lemon and bergamot with a hint of bitter orange. Equally next to it are spicy and rosy-floral scents, embedded in a woody frame of rose and sandalwood. A few minutes later, the fragrance changes into an aromatic, powerful cloud filled with floral patchouli and sprinkled with a fine dose of spicy cinnamon. In this phase Habit Rouge works best for me. The four main actors of the fragrance fight for supremacy. A still striking citric freshness, a warm spicy cinnamon note, noble woods, as well as an almost animal note of leather, vanilla and labdanum. The more Habit Rouge dries, the softer it becomes, and a characteristic powdery accord of vanilla, amber and moss with a hint of incense prevails.
In total the fragrance lasts 8 hours with a powerful projection on my skin.
If you are looking for a timeless, aromatic, dry Fougere classic, this is the place to be.
Habit Rouge is worth a test in any case !

6 Replies

10/19/2019

9.0 8.0 9.0 8.0/10

Schlesi
0 Reviews

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Schlesi

Greatly helpful Review 9

Can that go away or is that art?

Always tried a test strip again and again and thrown away again. Because after 2 minutes it smells like old velvet pillows with mothballs washed with curd soap.

And because of his prominence in the fan community and the described scent pyramid (which should be exactly my case) I "soaped" a test strip in the Douglas opposite of my office and took it with me. After 1 hour you can put it back in the trash. Because of the velvet, the curd soap and the mothballs. And... yes, 3 hours later neither fished out of the trash. Because you have to smell something like that over and over again (who has to hold out and smell every bottle, every glass and every tube of his tine and will be laughed at by his partner...?).

But somehow... there's powdery vanilla after the great citrus kick-off. And the bitter lemon remains forever and becomes more and more fruity. And slightly spicy resin. He's definitely interesting. But not everything that's interesting is good. I have whiskeys, too, because they're so interesting. Really not good. But interesting. Others are good. But I still don't want to miss her. You know what I mean? So get back in the Douglas and test it on your skin. Bäm! Ge(n)i(a)l! I love that fresh, spicy citrus squash! But, dear... after 5 minutes so oldschool...

Something's happened since then: The fragrance needs getting used to. I think it's really delicious today. And more complex than many others from my collection (except Terre d'Hermes among others). The fragrance process is described often enough, so I'll make it short: It has everything I like: bitter fresh lemon, vanilla and a subtle smokiness (that's probably how I feel the leather note).

For me a very versatile fragrance, which you have to test on your skin and "smell" something. No, he doesn't smell like grandma's mothballs - or just a little bit...

Silesia

4 Replies

09/21/2019

9.0 8.0 9.0 9.5/10

Knucklehead
0 Reviews

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Knucklehead

Very helpful Review 6

It's rock 'n' roll!

I've been the owner of a bottle of Habit Rouge for a good three months now. Due to the good rating and the fragrances I like, I became aware of him. I don't regret for one moment that I bought it.
Well, I'm not a guy who always has to keep up with the times. I listen to Rockabilly, but I'm not a teddy bear, I come across a great one, and I live the wild style of R`n`R.
When I sit down on a day off in my 1960 Chevy Impala and cruise with it through the area, then exactly the effect of Habit Rouge is coolest for me. It just all fits together.
I prefer to wear it on weekends. That gives me time to really enjoy it.
I'm gonna need a few more sprayers. At least in the evening in the disco or at the festival. The good ladies whether young or old, ask me again and again what I sprayed myself there. He really fits into my world. Into the wild time of Rock'n'Roll!
I'd never give up that smell again.
Because 0815 has never been my style

4 Replies

08/22/2019

6.0 8.0 8.0 9.0/10

Franzuschek
0 Reviews

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Franzuschek

The backbone

So many trained and fine noses there are here. So many detailed and subtle descriptions of scents. It gives me real pleasure! My nose is neither trained nor subtle. I should be the owner of an insensitive olfactory bulb. That's why I'm attracted to these brutal scents. Kouros, Knize, the 2003 Helmut Lang and similar... Perhaps or other readers similarly olfactorically less well-off or knows the statement of his loved ones: "What have you sprayed on there again for a bomber?"
To those this comment is addressed!
The last time I tested everything through session in the perfumery Habit Rouge left a really lasting impression. The olfactory bulb was shaking.
Then I ordered the big container from the online store.
Right on top of the body and not too little! Don't spill it, just pad it!
First a disappointment. After a few minutes, the buying intensity decreases. Oh, no! Oh, no! A tame Hansel! It's like not hearing Queen at full volume. It's like going out with your friends and drinking a beer. Then already in the car to work and taste... Bad buy, weak, test strip athlete.
Dear Kaputtnasen, Kourosianer and Spraykopfabschrauber, Alphas, Rocker and Punker, Frühaufher and Kaltduscher, Kneipenschläger and talk therapy refusenikers:
Habit Rouge helps you and your environment!
The fragrance is warm for yourself for a long time.
The surrounding humans also perceive it.
And that compensating! Warm! Supporting! Balancing!
Reliable classic with backbone!
Of course it is just as reliable to have him in your collection!
Whatever the time, occasion, season. It fits and gives a good, clean feeling without being boring or trying to look nice. For the leather jacket as well as for the Einserpanier with suit and shirt!
For me this fragrance is simply classic!
Not at all old and dusty!
In times when everything is arbitrary and an opinion is equated with an assault is absolutely also necessary.
Improving this world requires opinions and clear positions.
To represent and defend these without being penetrating or missionary is probably a promising way.
How Habit Rouge is still pleasant to look like is then the great art!
Simple with backbone!

5 Replies

05/28/2019

8.0 7.0 7.0 8.0/10

Norleans
0 Reviews

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Norleans

Helpful Review 8

Oh Grandpa Max

In the last few days I have started to comment on fragrances that I don't want to wear myself because they are "unwearable" for me in one way or another. There may be several reasons for this: Too warm, too cosy, too dry, too gentle etc. pp. Nevertheless, these can be very good scents in my nose, but they do not suit me.

I feel the same way about this Habit Rouge. But I still think it's great! I have to think about my late grandpa when I think of this smell. And that's really nice. I don't even know if he wore that scent. I'm actually sure he wasn't wearing it. But it resonates a nuance in this warm, soapy, powdery scent that activates my memories of Grandpa Max.
This is a mixture of adventurous spirit, gentle daring, security and uncanny warmth.

A fragrance for moments when you need to be very classic and dignified, for the gentleman who is already showing a certain age-related serenity and can't be disturbed so quickly. I can also imagine the scent on a certain type of woman, who is no longer quite young.

1 Replies

03/08/2019

10.0 9.0 9.0 9.0/10

Chevalier
0 Reviews

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Chevalier

Greatly helpful Review 31

Most inhibitions are bred to us through upbringing. Kühn-Görg, Monika

We are currently living in a bubble where people are outraged by everything and everything. When the AKK talks about a man's joke at a carnival, everyone is horrified. When the stelter on stage makes a joke about double names, a person comes to him on stage and complains about his way of making jokes. With the fragrances we are also almost ready, most of them are ironed smooth and committed to the mainstream. No more heavy or very own scents, which express their opinion in the Sillage. Only products that correspond to the political correctnes. But to have no soul anymore and to work completely arbitrary and exchangeable.
This Habit Rouge is the absolute opposite of the PC, here it is not paid attention whether it seems too strong or too heavy. This red muscleman comes quite unconcerned and shows what he can do. Nice words or style goes anyway.
This cross-country skier from the sixties still has the old strength and Sillage as it is extinct in this species. He looks massive, strong and dominant. One recognizes him against the wind, if the crowd was attached in Spendierlaune. No fragrance has such a clear recognition value.
One has the impression, a few years before it was formulated somewhat weaker and now again into the old spicy form with the lemon and the patchouli trimmed upward.
One likes him and finds it successful or a splash is enough and one takes distance.

This is probably where the male guerlinade originated.
The mix of fruit with leather and the obligatory vanilla really found its formula here.
Guerlain mostly maintained this by excluding the lighter products.
Apply a few splashes in the morning and you can see the freshness with the leathery spice all day long.
The successors like a Drakkar noir, Azzaro or Jule are more recent and went in a different direction.

This product in one of the most beautiful design containers can be worn in winter but also in summer. The dose makes the poison, as Paracelsus already knew.
What applies to Political Correctness also applies to this classic.
One should always think about why we are so quickly outraged and why we do not simply let the other live, even if it does not correspond to the mainstream, which will be forgotten the day after tomorrow anyway.

10 Replies

12/12/2018

6.0 8.0 8.0 9.0/10

Rosalie
0 Reviews

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Rosalie

Greatly helpful Review 20

Intoxication of the senses

For a long time I did not dare, for a long time this sample lay hidden in my "scent - carton". But today, in this dreary grey weather, I take my time for little sentimentalities. Today I take the liberty of remembering you. It's been a long time since I wanted to remember. But now I hold this sample in my hands, and send my spirit on the journey.

Sometime, quite a while before your party I fell this smell at you on . "Oh, does that smell good, new?"...
"Yes, that's HABIT ROUGE, changing with body heat..." you said with a salacious grin. Many fragrances change with body heat, but what you were suggesting with the sentence was more than clear...
Later, your breath close to my ear, this fragrance surrounds me, beguiling me with its soft, unobtrusive and sensual intensity. "Habit Rouge"....... "Red Robe" or "Red Coat" that fits, red like passion...
The scent is a master of seduction. He is immediately present, is strong, but without being "loud", without pushing me. He looks masculine, but what fascinates me is this soft powderiness, an unusual scent for a man, I like that very much.

So today I'm gonna have a little splash. It starts off citrically fresh on my skin, and I'm a little irritated and disappointed, there's another, slightly stabbing note. Is the scent tipped over? I spray it with courage, and there it develops, this wonderfully powdery, soft cloud. No, not tilted! Patchouli is easily perceptible, the vanilla is unobtrusive, and the leather does not whip your senses, but is only very vaguely perceptible. Everything seems very harmonious, and very skilfully "composed" for me. Not old-fashioned, not sticky, but timeless. A scent I can imagine on a woman, but not on me....because of the memories.

With a quiet sigh I put the sample at the bottom of the box, more than one third is still in it....who knows, maybe I want to remember again.......When another such dreary grey day is like today, and I take the liberty of it......

I am still surrounded by this scent, in my head sounds "Midnight Man" from Flash and the Pan. But every memory fades at some point, and with a look at the clock I realize that I still have to cook.......HELLO Mr. Everyday life.........

10 Replies

11/30/2018

7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0/10

Xanthon
14 Reviews

Xanthon

Timeless masterpiece for sophisticated men

HR (Habit Rouge): Let's get ready, man! It's a bright day, you need an uplift. I have the perfect formula to do it.
VJ (Vineet Jain): I am sure you do. That's why you are a timeless rock-star. But, what's it? Tell me!
HR: First, will give you blast of green lime that will brighten your mood with citrusy freshness.
VJ: It is wonderful indeed. Wish more people knew how great lime is as a top note. You know, I keep hearing that you are a sophisticated scent with lot of layers.
HR: Yes, Jean has designed me to unravel over the day! That's how you stay in game for 50+ years. Lime is just the beginning.
VJ: I do feel fresh. Oh, I smell something else. What is it?
HR: Well, after about 5 minutes of spray, I give undertone of Patchouli. This note lasts for a while to give you everlasting spice, freshness and greenness.
VJ: Reminds me of minty lemonade. You do have bold character. You are kind of scent which is quite sure how it wants to project.
HR: To stand out, you have to keep swagger. Even after generations have past, I have stayed timeless and unique.
VJ: Wait, I sniff stronger greenness than before. I adore your layering, quite mysterious. You know it might be early to say, but I think you are magical.
HR: I know I am magical! Let me show you some rose and some vanilla. Got to be something for your sensual side.
VJ: I agree. Rose note is quite pleasant and takes me to more sensual side. And, especially rose with lime is so balanced which makes it playfully romantic. You might become favorite of those who choose to be playful!
HR: Well, I agree. Bit of playfulness makes a gentleman bit charming and charm goes long way.
VJ: Smitten by your elegance. Now, what is it? Is this the undertone of leather I smell in base now?
HR: What else it could be? Leather is one of the best notes ever. It brings out sophistication. Well, I was inspired by horse riding gentlemen.
VJ: I agree, leather is indeed a beautiful note. You know what’s the best part about you, you are versatile! I can wear you in any occasion. And, you have the best ingredients - Lime for freshness, patchouli for earthiness/greenness, vanilla for sweetness, rose for sensuality, leather for sophistication, rosewood for depth and sandalwood for smoothness.
HR: Well, Jean Paul Guerlain is a sharp and practical man. He wouldnt have created anything less.
VJ: Undoubtedly! I mean this is the best combination on paper. And, my God, blending is next class which brings you to life. Such beauty indeed.
HR: Well, Guerlain has 200 years+ heritage and their masterful execution is second to none.
VJ: Ah, I agree they are true masters in world of perfumery. I like most of Guerlain's collection. But, I adore you far more than any other.
HR: I am pleased that you adore me so much. Well it’s time to rock. isn’t it?
VJ: Yes it is! One last thing, Would you stay stay throughout the day?
HR: Well, I know topping up in middle of a day is inconvenient. So, yes, I stay throughout the day.
VJ: And, how do you project?
HR: Well, I project with subtlety. If someone is in your bubble, they will stay but, I won't pull anybody in. So, upto you. ;-)
VJ: I knew I can rely on you!
HR: Always!
For me, this is my signature scent. I can't appreciate it enough. In my opinion, everybody shall keep atleast a 10 ml decant with them at all times. I mean everybody. Life is too short to miss this masterpiece.
Please refer to review by my friends Carlitos01 and Masterli. Very beautifully written!

Cheers!
As always, keep smelling beautiful

2 Replies

10/31/2018

8.0 8.0 10.0 10.0/10

Stinki
0 Reviews

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Stinki

Less helpful Review 7

it works

snobby, supercilious and somehow uncomfortable. I think it's this strangely candied lemon with the vanilla. If you had only driven this thing a little further, with violets or something, I could have imagined it on a man with pantyhose and powdered wig. Im lacks m.M.n. understatement, although I know and notice that he is well and value made. He is only there for certain boys, and I don't think they are usually the youngest anymore. But I still like to let the saying that tastes are different apply here

4 Replies

10/24/2018

Nickdstd
0 Reviews

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Nickdstd

Greatly helpful Review 28

I'm 19!

I have read about this fragrance for a long time, it has been condemned as a 50+ fragrance, so for a long time I did not dare to get close to it. But today was the day and Wow, he inspired me! A really perfectly balanced fragrance, starting with a great clean lemon that you want to smell every 2 minutes and then becoming pleasantly spicy with a lemon note that is still fragrant. All in all, you can wear him as a young man, it stands and falls here probably possible with the dress code. However, I would like to recommend the fragrance to anyone interested in complex fragrances that should be considered a work of art.

14 Replies

08/30/2018

8.0 8.0 9.0 9.0/10

Konsalik
0 Reviews

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Konsalik

Greatly helpful Review 32

The tome from the top shelf, please. Thank you. Thank you

It can end so differently: The chronically controversial Catch22 gave Habit Rouge - ready for the iconoclasm, as always - its obtrusively boring stuffness because of annoyed, mouth lazy 3 points. His friendly counterpart Yatagan, tenderly but never pompously biographical, pulled out the orthodox 10. GoodSmeller, who I had never noticed before, appreciated the recognition factor and the high-quality design, but then found it so unsuitable for everyday use that he was forced to award no more than five points. However, he also gave me the valuable key that should end my silent brooding over this fragrance:

I had no idea until now where this slight nostalgic touch came from, which touched me again and again over long stretches of the fragrance. But more about that now. My first contact with HR took place just a few months ago and was as fast as it was violent: it was only half a year ago that I switched from a latent interest in perfumes to a blossoming hobby. And what do you do there? At every opportunity you run through the offices of the usual suspects, return with a stack of white strips of paper (blank, forget the pen again...) and hold them under your nose and that of your loved one. "Mhm", "Aha", "Jaja"... Then a "Hoiiii!", almost a "Boah!" afterwards; the lady almost had to sit down. I grinned: I remembered that, because my reaction in the branch was similar. No, you can't confuse Habit Rouge. At least not easy (I know almost nothing, friends, be gracious with corrections!). An unpredictable swing in front of the gentleman - and I didn't even know if it was a men's perfume at all! I couldn't answer it that clearly. Fulminant, but... can you wear something like that?

A few months foreward, the souped-up TZ in my hands, I now sit on the chaise longue and don't know why I get so wistful. One hand wanders again and again towards the nose, the other scrolls slightly confused through the scent comments until GoodSmeller's association brought me the "Heureka! moment": end of the 90s, the author of these lines is 13, 14 years old and reads the last sentences of the old translation (Margaret Carroux) of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings". The films still not much more than a rumor, the first "long" book still immaculately absorbed by cinema pictures - and with it the smell of the old edition from the local library, which accompanied me in the weeks before so inexorably. Indeed: If I wanted to give you an idea of how HR smells over long stretches of the fragrance - in the "heart" - I would hold an open, at least 50 year old band under your nose. For me, the dusty, sweetish-burning smell of old paper is the defining olfactory impression. And I think he's wonderful. Framed by a bright, almost garish prelude with all sorts of citric and a warm, vanilla patchouli-like finish (is this part of this famous "Guerlinade", ladies and gentlemen?) this fragrance is for me a completely different interpretation of the theme "Gentleman fragrance": Somewhere between a well-read bon vivant with preferences for the old and the forgotten and a librarian, as he meets one in Spitzweg's paintings. Kind of cranky scent, then. Portable? Oh, please! Wear it! Give the world back its eccentricity. Listen to Youtube Max Goldt's "Praise of the Grotesque Lady", a sprayer of Habit Rouge on the back of your hand; it'll be a nice fifteen minutes.

7 Replies

03/11/2018

8.0 7.0 8.0 9.5/10

Carlitos01
270 Reviews

Carlitos01

Greatly helpful Review 12

An old faithful partner

Main features of Guerlain's Habit Rouge:
- Different from any other fragrance
- Superb notes composition
- Delicious scent
- Amazing versatility (any place, any season, day or night)
- Presents an above average projection, sillage and longevity for this type of notes compositon.
It opens with a strong lemon note that I specificaly identify as persian lime (citrus limettioides), Probably due to other minor notes like tangerine, green lime, orange and basil, it smells like strong plesant lemon tea. It's a powerfull good quality lemon for sure. This stage is quite long which is a bit unusual. Again we may conclude that this is a high quality fragrance.
- With the hearth notes, the scent became powdery with rose-carnation-cinnamon-sandal flavours but without loosing the heavy lemon tea initial accord. The transition is subtle and extreamly well blended.
- The bottom notes reveal a smoth yet persistant leather-vanilla scent. The transition flows like a wide river. You get the new notes at avery slow pace while the primary notes are gently left behind, What a fantastic harmony! The dry down is sweet and extreamly pleasant as well. The sweet powdry leather-vanilla gives you a long moment of peace and joy.
Comments: I applied 3 sprays (Habit Rouge EDT) in the back of my hand that vanished after 10~12 hours. The fragrance has a very unique evolution during the various stages and is undoubtedly very enjoyable. It projects heavily for a couple of hours and you get a sillage of up to 5 feet. I judge the overall performance to be well above average mainly because the bold fresh scents do stay available for a long time. To scent this fragrance is a unique and happy experience.
Due to its well tamed sweetness, I imagine that this fragrance may be considered as unisex as well. I can picture this magificent powdry sweet Vanilla-Leather dry down on a woman's skin.

If you never tried it, you don't know what you are missing. My Habit Rouge family (EDP, EDT, EDC, + other flankers) is in my top 10 of all times.
Here are my rates for Habit Rouge EDT from Guerlain:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scent opening:............9.5 (strong persian lime/lemon with bitter orange)
Scent Drydown...........9.5 (unique and alluring leather/vanilla blending)
Longevity:....................8.5 (above average)
Sillage:.........................7.0 (average)
Versatility:...................9.5 (almost an all weather scent)
Usability:.....................9.0 (close to any place, anywhere)
Uniqueness:..............10.0 (at least for me)
Compliments..............8.5 (Very good but not in the major league)
Quality:......................10.0 (outstanding)
Presentation:..............8.5 (very conservative, but extremely elegant and classy)
Price:........................... 8.5 (100ml tester for €25 at FragranceX + taxes in 2017)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Average:.................8.95 / 10,00
between 7 and 8 =above average;
between 8 and 9 = recommended;
bigger than 9 = don't miss it;
Opinion: One of the best existing "all around" scents and that I like it very much. The citrus are great and long living. The leather vanilla accord is unique.
Recommended? Yes, please.
Blind buy worthy? Yes!

Music: Simon & Garfunkel - "America"

1 Replies

01/12/2016

8.0 8.0 9.0 10.0/10

Hajuvana
13 Reviews

Hajuvana

Very helpful Review 5

Spicy-woody-oriental par excellence

I don't see (smell) Habit Rouge as a 'love at first sniff' type of fragrance at all. On the contrary, you might actually hate it at first and then one day, all of a sudden, you find yourself in love with it.

Habit Rouge opens with lemon note, which is paradoxically both juicy and dry. Things turn quickly into a very pleasant bouquet of spices, which I find utterly comforting - especially in the wintertime. The mix of spices is not too far away from gingerbread or (If you're familiar with) 'glögg', the Swedish-style heavily spiced mulled wine. Parts of that spiciness last throughout the dry-down, while the overall impression gently morphs into a woody-oriental base. The vanilla is gentle - there's less of it than in, say Héritage. The leather note is also very delicate. Neither do I find HR's dry-down too sweet or resinous. Things are just ...right - seamlessly from top to down. I feel the key players that neatly tie the whole package together (and smooth the transitions to the point of being unnoticeable) are rose and incense. Both are present from start to finish, but not for a minute they dominate.

I haven't bothered chasing the vintage formulations, because the current one is just perfect and doesn't cost a fortune. I feel it has hidden unisex-potential, too.

If I had to wear only one fragrance for the rest of my life, Habit Rouge would be on my very short list of candidates.

03/11/2015

10.0 7.5 10.0 10.0/10

Insense
25 Reviews

Insense

Helpful Review 7

What type of man do you want to be? (Guerlain Habit Rouge vs. Vetiver)

Today I will digress in two male mythical Guerlain: Habit Rouge and Vetiver, opposing each other.

Guerlain Vetiver:
The classic masculine, where the vetiver note has become a benchmark for men. For use with suit and tie, at any meeting. Classy, but also a lot of sobriety.
For me, however, it is a bit dated (yes, I'm the counter current of those who consider this more modern than Habit Rouge, being this one outdated upon many reviewers): I prefer more modern vetivers, when that note, one of my favorites, is blended with a touch of profanity as in L`Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu, example of exoticism; or wherein the distinction is even more marked as in Chanel Sycomore, the unsurpassed distinction. Or is it the sandalwood that matches the vetiver so smoothly?
But my reference is Frederic Malle Vetiver Extraordinaire, vetiver at its higher level, linking to my taste on oriental and inspiring my next short review on Habit Rouge below.
I am so sorry, Guerlain, you inspired many, and will have to watch now the beauty of youth from distance.

Unless…

Guerlain Habit Rouge Eau de Toilette:
This is the opposite of the previous one: said to be the first male oriental in 1965! Or, as I think, was it the first androgynous? It does not matter, because it has it all for those who always feel good in their skin, whether at work or at play, such as a father or as a romantic lover (ok, he may be all at the same time, ok?). And both based on the cutaway aristocrat as the rocker playing his electric guitar jumping on stage ... If you are more for well-defined identities, it will not be for you.
The touch of vanilla in the drydown is wonderful, someone considered the male Shalimar. I do not agree completely: it is less powdery and is drier (a more pronounced and animalic leather accord?). It is a unique scent and I do not know any other as complex, contradictory and inexhaustible. Guerlain wanted men the opportunity to wear Guerlinade, and they succeeded auspiciously.

A modern replacement?
I'll think a bit more about it. You see, I prefer this against Vetiver; I changed. A few years ago I thought otherwise.

My dear Guerlain, you need not anymore to feel envious. You became a forever young vamp. But you'll have to walk alone.

(Also published for Guerlain Vetiver)

03/08/2015

10.0/10

Exciter76
33 Reviews

Exciter76

Very helpful Review 8

What's so dated about a timeless classic?

I know some women feel uncomfortable wearing fragrances designated for men. There are some scents that feel too masculine, either by past associations or by standard men’s fragrance conventions (the use of ‘fresh’ ingredients, aromatics, et cetera). Then there are some fragrances for men that beg to be snagged by the girls, much like a classic crisp white button-down shirt (and wearing nothing else, because this is flat out sexy).

To me, Habit Rouge is the most timeless of fashion pieces. It’s at once fresh and powdery, dated and of-the-moment. HR begins with a strong lemony freshness and a touch of suede. It is quite lovely, but it only gets better with the passing hours. HR’s drydown is one of the most sublime, with a base that rivals Shalimar’s iconic vanillic base. It is absolutely decadent and delicious! In typical Guerlain fashion, this phase seemingly lasts forever, and how glad I am for that.

Any woman who turns her nose up at this wonderful scent is sincerely missing out on a masterpiece—it would be equivalent to snubbing a chance to wear a classic Rolex watch simply because it is designated a men’s timepiece. I would love to smell this on a man but I’d never want to share a bottle with him.

06/19/2014

10.0 7.5 10.0 10.0/10

MasterLi
372 Reviews

MasterLi

Very helpful Review 7

Incredible stuff...

Habit Rouge is to me, what either Shalimar or Chanel No: 5 would smell like if they were in masculine form.

As with all Guerlain perfumes... This was not one I liked upon first spray (just for reference, when I first tried Shalimar and Jicky they initially smelt of urine and Vetiver reminded me of ageing old men), however upon repeated wearings I have come to love ALL of these fragrances and now consider them absolute masterpieces in perfumery. Habit rouge was no exception to this rule. when I first applied it to myself it screamed "Old Lady", that was the first thing that I thought of. I was disappointed. It actually opened up with a citrus-lemon blast which was quite sharp (a lot like Shalimar), and then the leather and vanilla got me thinking about Talcum Powder. Another thing which came to my mind was "oh, this smells like lemon cake!", and I still kinda get that vibe, although now I can pick out and recognise the notes a lot better.

Needless to say, upon repeated wearings, my appreciation for this masterpiece has grown and grown. To me this strikes an impression as being very aristocratic, and I can totally get the elite, upper-class equestrian vibe. I think it fits it very well. At the same time, it really does dry down to something wonderful. The leather, citrus and vanilla become wonderfully balanced as the fragrance progresses. Typically for Guerlain, the drydown is never like the opening, and it's an almost completely different fragrance by the end.

Is it modern? Well, the word "modern" is subjective... but what I would say, is that it's "timeless". This has an appeal and quality that you won't find on many fragrances today. It's very refined, and you need to appreciate it's quality to wear this. That being said, I think anyone can wear this, male, female, old and young. As a reference, it certainly has "Rockstar Quality" to it (for example both Keith Richards and Madonna wear this) so take from that what you will.

In regards to this being "feminine" for a man to wear? Keith Richards said that women went crazy for him once he started wearing this, and now that I think about it, the sharp citrus and smooth leather definitely makes quite an entrance, it's not floral enough to be mistaken for a typical feminine. Another word this is described as is "powdery", and yes, I did get that (I think Luca Turin summed it up nicely by referring to Habit Rouge as "sweet dust"). But the more you wear it, the more you feel more comfortable wearing it, and that gives you power, because not everyone will smell like this, and you'll feel confidant in making that statement. That being said, this would definitely make an impression at very formal occasions (this was released in 1965, think "Mad Men" and you get the picture), but in my opinion it could certainly be worn casually enough in any other setting.

Overall, a real classic. At first, it can take real balls to wear this one, even though it's marketed towards men. But when you really get used to it, you find that it is so elegant, so refined and so very beautiful that it really becomes a part of you. It has definitely grown on me! These old Guerlains really wear me out in the beginning, but once they get going on your skin throughout the whole life of each fragrance... My God, my God, sheer class, the elegance they possess! I actually want everyone to try this one out. Habit Rouge, they don't make anything like this any more, but what a transformation! Truly an eye opening experience... and highly recommended, if at least once in your life.

2 Replies

05/12/2014

Prosperonlin
16 Reviews

Prosperonlin

Helpful Review 7

Shalimar for Men?

I have just received my bottle of Habit Rouge EDT, batch 3Q01 from March 2013, and if the previews versions were better than this one, then it was just made for Heaven and not for human noses whatsoever. Habit Rouge, as a trait of a real Guerlain, opens strongly like Shalimar EDP. Vanilla gets more intense and the added citrus notes make a shift to Eau de Shalimar. All that in a blink of an eye. Then carnation and citrus remind me a lot of a much better version of my actual bottle of Eau Sauvage, and also Boucheron Homme EDP. Most of the notes are the same, and they also follow the same path but in different bays. Eau Sauvage is the most citric of them all. Boucheron is the more aromatic with carnation and rose leaning towards feminine just a bit. However, Habit Rouge has it all, it's a Guerlain and their DNA is the ultimate factor. Habit Rouge is indeed a Shalimar for Men. For those men who are not at ease by wearing a woman's scent just because the label says so. In HR they can feel at home. Well, sort of. That's if you like florals, and are not afraid of them. Rose, carnation and jasmin form one of the forces that hold HR together. The others are the citrus accord, the woody notes, the spices, the sweet vanillas and the leather tone. All these groups are together, side by side, creating their own circles and emanating their waves to the others making HR something like a quadrophonic symphony marring the best piece of music with the best performers with the best technicque and the best acoustics ever assembled together. And that's the present reformulated EDT. I just seem to be unable to separete what's top, middle and base notes, perhaps because I am really breathless. At the end of the show you don't go home on your own. Right after everything has faded, there's still this beautiful lady in your arms. You are going to wake up by her side next morning. Her name is Shalimar.

03/16/2013

5.0 5.0 7.5 7.0/10

Miaw2
339 Reviews

Miaw2

Very helpful Review 3

This is about Habit Rouge EDT

This is about Habit Rouge EDT.

I can't write much about this classic. Actually a masterpiece.

Classic citrus opening joined by vanilla that turns into a wonderful sweet leather based scent.

Unfortunately sometimes it smells like urine in my skin... maybe the amber note mixed with leather? I dont know.

Sillage, lasting power and projection are medium-high.

Updated January 2014

1 Replies

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