Habit Rouge Eau de Parfum
Guerlain (2003)

I have a bottle from around the release date (I believe). It came in a nice red leather box with plaid lining, which I've since used a sunglass case.

It smells great, enough like the original EDT, but without some of the bright, powdery qualities. This rendition seems to rely on a beautiful iris note in the heart to portray the dusty/powdery notes.

I don't smell any oud in my bottle. I do recall the tester having a prominent oud note in the bad, which I quite liked. Not sure why it's missing in my bottle.

A marvellous Amber Iris Jasmine Leather Oriental. This one is something very special for me. It's a very well made 'flanker' of the original Habit Rouge EdT from 1965. More contemporary with the Neroli note, so prominent in the original EdT, toned down in favor of smooth amber, leather and spices. Nonetheless the timeless character of the original still stands out.

.breathtaking.

HR Oud

Lemon rose vanilla tinge of synthetic oud. That is the story here. Vs the EDT, this one smells similar, reduce the lemon, add some synthetic oud/ aromachems. It smells more updated to me, less dandy, and a bit more full bodied. Thumbs up. Guerlain has done a really good job with their reforms and updates.

The initial blast is very patchouli-laden on me, a smooth and slightly green patchouli that lacks any sharpness or harshness. It has a powdery character and and time is also has touches of candy and of some waxiness to it. After a while I get the leather impression, which starts out as a smooth suede,,m but at times shows some bite in the form of a touch of a slight sharpness and even the occasional hint of gasoline; but this as remains well tamed and integrated into the whole.

Later on a wood note develops, and this is mainly a nonspecific woodsiness. On the other hand I get brief moments of the oud promised here and there. As an oud it is soft again, a bit faint and unimpressive.

The other main component is a pervasive vanilla that is agreeable and merges seamlessly with the whole mix. It is not a very strong vanilla, never intrusive or cloying, and it is not really that sweet - the whole development avoids any outright sweet dominance.

I get moderate sillage, very good projection and nine hours of longevity on my skin.

This pleasant autumn scent and flanker is not bad, but the ingredients are a bit flat and lack depth and intensity. That said, nothing really goes wrong here, but it is a bit on the predictable side. Compared with the original in its vintage version, which I have used a bit over time, this offshoot is really a class below it. Overall 2.75/5.

It's essentially Shalimar Pour Homme, which is no bad thing, but it does lack that Shalimar "sparkle." Powdery and soft.

For me it' s dishwashing liquid and stable stinks. Vintage it was another parfum , good parfum.