Reviews of Habit Rouge by Guerlain

Pimento please in my PaellaPowdered in my PaprikashesWith Piccoline, in Puttanesca.In Gucci, Habit Rouge, EscadaIt's scent is sharp and stale and clashes

I certainly admire this, but I cannot quite imagine how I would wear it. No opening application has ever drawn a "wow " from me, but this succeeded. It is astonishingly floral and almost unbearable, but it goes from zero to hero very quickly. In an hour it had settled into a fragrance still bordering on the feminine, but just staying this side of acceptable. I don't really have the personality to pull this one off, but perhaps this is one I will have to come back to when my taste evolves. This is unusual, but has great longevity.

*Eau de Parfum*I must admit that I have never been a great fan of this classic. I`ve had some troubles with EdC, EdT and that Legere version too. I don`t hate them, at least not anymore, but they are just not my kind of juices. They are a bit too “classical” and conservative for my tastes, and in times they have been even off putting to my nose. The complex combination of bright citruses, powder, over-ripe vanilla and that certain animalic undertone has always seemed very bizarre to me, in a bad way. My interest towards Habit Rouge Eau de Parfum has always been high though, just because I`m a real sucker for agar wood notes in perfumes.I finally got my bottle of this just this Christmas, and it was a blind gift to me : I hadn`t smelled it in anytime before the Eve.Luckily I was to find out that it is a marvellous scent, just my kind of Habit Rouge. Yes, by far my favourite concentration.To me Habit Rouge EdP smells more like sweet dust, term that was launched my Luca Turin, more than any other version. And I like it; I like this smell of sweet dust!Although HR EdP is very very notably genuine Habit Rouge creation, the small differences make decisive difference to me.This is very powdery too yes, or should I say even dusty, but it has way much more subdued citrus notes, it isn`s particularly animalic at all, and the vanilla note is to me much more pleasant here. In fact to my great surprise, in HR EdP I found one of the best vanilla notes I have ever discovered. Its breathtaking. Its detectable after many hours of application though, the one must be patient with that one. Subtle, ethereal, milky, fresh and surreal.And then there is that agar wood. This precious wood note is not very prominent note in this fragrance at all, its almost invisible at times, but I really do love that woody tinge and the whole structure it gives to this scent. It isn`t smoky or medicinal oud, but very smooth, polished and well balanced.Habit Rouge EdP lasts a long time with very gentle sillage. It wears very close to skin. I can wear it easily anywhere, anytime – its very versatile scent to me.One more funny thing. Habit Rouge Eau de Parfum is the first scent ever which has hooked me up by the smell of the bottle itself! The bottle is wrapped in a red leather coat. I`m not sure if its genuine leather or imitation, but it smells amazingly compelling and I have been sniffing it a lot in a few past days. The smell reminds me very much bookshop that also sells handcraft materials.Habit Rouge *Eau de Parfum* is a fascinating entirety.

First used HR in 1988. Then in 1999. Then i have another one now. That for me counts for something!HR? Tangy vanilla, a hint of cinnamon and very powdery here in the tropics. Its that powdery heart thats keeps attracting.Definitely one of my Top 10 Lifetime frags.

It took me a while to appreciate Habit Rouge, because I think it takes a certain kind of maturity to pull it off. Not necessarily an age thing, it's more about one's demeanor and personal style. A few years ago, I would have been fighting with Habit Rouge, but now a couple of sprays of the EDC under a dress shirt seems to be the crowning touch.I agree with Asha's description of the notes and feel of Habit Rouge. It does have a bit of an animalic undercurrent that melds into a sweet vanilla base-- much the way L'Artisan's Dzing does. I feel like it does smell "red" for some reason, and red is not everyone's color. Though it doesn't smell of cherries, it evokes the word "cherry" as in the way someone would describe a classic car in mint condition. Habit Rouge is very cherry.I enjoy what others have called a "crispness" about the EDC. Though Habit Rouge is classified as an oriental, the EDC version is not your usual thick heavy oriental. It's very fresh and citric, with that sweet dusty base which reminds me a little of corn syrup. As it's an EDC, it wears closer to the skin, but I prefer that. I don't like orientals that scream. The EDT was more powdery than I would have liked, but it's been a while since I tested that and a retest is in order. I'd love to snag a bottle of the EDP, but it's hard to find. I actually find some strange parallels between the EDP and Habit Rouge Legere (which I think is also fantastic). I hear that there is a parfum extrait version out there now as well. Wow.They don't get any better than this Guerlain classic.

Who is this dandy in the red jacket who greets us with sweet, rich laughter and embraces us with a warmth that is almost obscene? Where is this room that he leads us towards, the walls lined with the softest leather, the ceiling composed of pink and of gold? Who are these impossibly elegant people gathering there, who conduct only the most sophisticated conversations amid the tinkle of glasses and music and palms? Ah, messieurs, I think we are either dreaming or in the land of Habit Rouge. (de Charlus).

I love this.When Jean Paul Gaultier launched the La Cologne version of Fleur du Male, I really love the soapy clean contrasted against the manure like scent. This is the same combo with habit Rouge, except imagine La Cologne FdM to be a Mercedes Benz S Class coupe (graceful, elgant, better than its sibling etc) and the Habit Rouge being a Bentley Azure convertible. They are similar in concept, but there is no mistaking the two. The citrus/leather/manure combination is astounding. Borderline heavenly. I couldn't stop smelling it, and I instantly wanted to make love... ASHA's review is so on point that there is no need to continue. I see why Guerlain is not an ordinary house. My hats off. Buy this stuff if you care about fragrances at all. It opens your nose to a whole new world. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I tried to like this, I really did, but alas this is not for me, too much towards the floral notes. The powdery after notes are feminine for my tastes, possibly when I'm in my senior years I may ave a change of heart.

This review is for Habit Rouge in EDC concentration.This one starts with citrus and leather--in the citrus, I smell mostly lemon and bergamot, and the leather is the same castoreum-type leather note that I smell in Shalimar and L'Artisan Dzing!, i.e., leather, skin, bandaid, antiseptic, and manure. There is a hint of spice and vanilla, and the citrus has a sort of woody/grassy smell also, sort of like rosewood or citronella. Overall, it smells very clean (in spite of the manure!).As the citrus burns off, the spice becomes more prominent. Not totally out front, yet, but I think it is cinnamon. The drying citrus also increases in woodyness, and the lemon smells really juicy, like fresh lemon fruit. At this stage, the leather also comes out more, and compliments the spice very well. As time passes, the juicy, fruity part of the citrus fades, but the citrusy-woody note (rosewood) stays (it has a bit of a furniture polish vibe), and the spices increase in strength. The leather has settled into a comfortable place--less like manure, more like newly tanned hide.More time has passed...the rosewood is still present, the spices and leather are fading. I am relieved that the cinnamon did not turn into the dreaded cinnamon candle wax note that really turns me off. Sweet resins are starting to come out more--vanilla with (probably) benzoin and maybe some sweet myrrh. I suppose the lemony part could also be from frankincense resin. It is definitely getting an "unburned incense" smell which I associate with beads of resin. HR is quite amazing--I am not sure I get the "Shalimar for Men" association I have read elsewhere, but it surely has a family resemblance. I just wish it hadn't gone by so quickly! At any rate, there have been very few scents that I found full bottle worthy after only one wearing. Usually I go through a small sample, at least 1-2 ml before I decide. But, Habit Rouge is love at first sniff, and it is not an expensive fragrance in the EDC concentration. (PS I bought a full bottle two days later).

Sort of L'Heure Bleue for men. Lots of lemon to start, with an opoponax-powder that strengthens on dry down. Lovers of clear and crisp scents may find this too powdery. Still a very gentle and lovely scent, with touches of leather and floral just under the surface.

Simply one of the best and classy parfumes on the market!

I was in the bank the other day and I was waiting in line. At once, I thought indifferently “A person in front of me is wearing Habit Rouge”. A few seconds later I thought “Hey, wait a minute!!! The person in front of me?! How weird…” Namely, ahead of me was an old woman. She looked pretty normally: She was wearing a very expensive leather jacket and she had a lot of rings on her fingers. I decided to smell her better. I approached to her as close as I could. My nose almost touched her hair. Suddenly, she turned towards me, with an extremely unfriendly mien, and asked me:” What do you want from me, young man?!” This question was the start of the following dialogue.Me: “Excuse me, missis, are you… possibly… wearing Habit Rouge?”She: “Am I wearing – what?”Me: “Habit Rouge, a famous Guerlain's scent.”She: “No, I am not, I hate the scents and I never wear them.”Me: “I see… Thank you.”A few minutes later…Me: “Excuse me, missis…”She: “What do you want now?”Me: “Can I ask you one more thing?”She: “If you must…”Me: “Do you use any kind of preparations… or maybe some body oil… something like that?”She: “Yes, I use my salve for rheumatism, and before you ask me that – yes, it has a quite strong, funny smell. Would you please now stop with these silly questions?”Me: “Yes, certainly… Thank you.”“That is interesting” I thought, “a smell of her salve “in cooperation with” a smell of her leather jacket gave me a smell of Habit Rouge”. So what is the point of this story? Well, it is not necessary for every story to have a point.And now a more conventional part of this review: Habit Rouge is a classic, woody-oriental scent with a very good strength and a decent longevity. If you give me only two words to describe Habit Rouge, these two words would be “powdery” and “leathery”. If you give me one more word, as a bonus, my choice would be “sweet”. I did not like it at first. Namely, I had very wrong picture of this scent in my head and a nose that was used to Acqua di Gio and Cool Water. Oh, please, don't get me wrong: I really have noting against these two scents. They are just very authentic representatives of their (our) era: superficial and commercial. And Habit Rouge… Well, Habit Rouge is something totally different...It had only my respect at first, now it has my love as well.

The first time I smelled Habit Rouge I was in shock. How could Guerlain come up with such a bright, loud and sickly-sweet fragrance? Pour Homme? Maybe for Willy Wonka. It is an one-dimensional fragrance in desperate need of revision. Perhaps some darker notes to tone down the cheap smelling rose, pimento and carnation. I cannot imagine a man wearing this in public, unless he's going to a taping of the Barney the Dinosaur Show.

I find the opening too much of a "nose twister" to my liking. There is a nice spicy blend behind that opening blast, but then it dries down to a rather boring leathery scent, and it doesn't last all that long. I found myself reaching for other fragrances, such as Lalique for men (lion), instead of HR, so I decided to swap off my bottle. In contrast to my "newbie" review, I don't find this animalic now, just too strange and yes, unpleasant, in the opening, with not enough in the drydown to make me want to endure those top notes. This one you need to try several times before you buy a bottle, and that's only if the notes and descriptions of HR seem to be what you're seeking. My old "newbie" review:I have tried the EDC version only. The first sampling did not go well. The animalic floral qualities were overwhelming and I washed it off within the hour. However, I was fortunate to get a nearly full bottle in a swap, so I took advantage of the offer, knowing that I could then re-swap it off again. Instead of wearing it again, I opened the top and smelled it every few days, before sampling it again. Doing this must have desensitized my dislike for the animalic florals, because when I sampled it again, over a month after the first sampling, I could handle the first several minutes. After that, it seemed to settle into a great spicy fragrance, with great "balance" amongst the different notes. I don't get strong vanilla at any point. Sillage is good but longevity could be better, though since it's an EDC I probably shouldn't complain about it. I enjoy spicy fragrances and this is not like the others, so I think it's got a permanent role in my rotation.

There are several fragrance masterpieces which I can appreciate, but don't enjoy wearing (Kouros being one of them). Yet Habit Rouge is masterpiece which is highly wearable in all it's phases of development. This is one of my all-time favorite scents. I'd want it packed in my bags if I were on the proverbial desert island. This should be required sniffing for every young man to teach him what a balanced fragrance smells like. From its citrus blast opening through its floral woody heart all the way down to the sensual vanilla, resinous and slightly animalic base, Habit Rouge is seamless. It is a testament to divine artistry in perfume, and best of all, it smells divine! And yes, I do smell lavender in the opening and heart notes of this composition. It's very discrete, but definitely in there, I don't care what any of the pyramids say.

Designed for a rebels & mavericks. Very red, especially during the mid-notes. Also goes well with a red convertible on the streets of L.A. The drydown gets a bit greener, but remains smooth and pleasant. A macho scent, for sure.

I'm afraid I can't understand the support for this one.While I can see how it can be interpreted as a "classic" and "gentlemanly" fragrance, I almost vomited when applying it.It has a stomach-turning spicy opening, settling into an overpowering mixture of spice and vanilla.Perhaps it is a personal aversion to spice, or just an old bottle which is "on the turn" I honestly do not know.

The opening is very classical with bergamot and lemon; just a bit spicy. Then comes cloves (not fresh cut carnations but edible kitchen type cloves) and cinnamon very strong. These two have a smell that you cannot play little. The citrus leaves their place to a nice woody note but it is not imposible to enjoy woods as clovers cinamon buddies go loud and shrill. Also the vanilla moss base is spoiled with clamorous spices. Yes i hate these clovers. But i cannot imagine a person standing in the kitchen smelling the deep wet aroma of boiling dried cloves and thinks "yes, that's the way i should smell..." Cloves and cinanamon is ever a bad idea.

This is a difficult one for me to warm up to. Sometimes I think it has a refined, old world, gentlemanly charm, and at other times I think it smells like a ghastly baby powder on steroids. Perhaps that undecidability is a sign of aesthetic greatness, but for me, personally, it's difficult to imagine a setting or situation where I would eagerly want to be wearing this. Maybe that will change when I turn eighty and ask my young nurse to spray it on me as she changes my diaper.EDT also has poor longevity.

Oh yeah! A "classic scent" that I love. Classic here I refer to the powdery feel and the vanilla. Citrus and vanilla together here though, it's great. Strong at first but settles down nicely and can be a monster of a scent. Has a myriad of personality and projects itself differently on different people. I feel like an intellect wearing it but that's just my own psychosis.

I have a lot of admiration for Habit Rouge. I think the thing that impresses me most is how the vanilla is presented. It is sweet, but just below the edge of too sweet. There is a citrus tinge to it that gives it a sherbet like character that another reviewer has noted. This coupled with leather and a powdery character define the fragrance. Great duration. A classy fragrance.

Fantástic one of the best EDT for men used all season

I agree that it is very vanilla, extremely sweet and powdery. I don't smell much leather though. I agree that it reminds of old people....rich old people. I don't find it to be a bad perfume and I am planning to use mine at the office.