Habit Rouge L'Eau
Guerlain (2011)

Scrubbed up Habit Rouge
wearing a pale nut cream.
That was the fashion at the time, a passing fad...

I love Guerlain fragrances and their Frenchness...this one however suffers from a blending issue. On the positive side, the heart and base enjoy the classic soft Guerlainess but the Orange top is at complete odds with the rest of the notes. It's sharp, too sharp and does not blend seamlessly with the formulation. I still enjoy it but wish that they had paid more attention to the blending...

I have smelled so many fragrances, including a few from Guerlain, and I consider Habit Rouge L'eau to be a masterpiece of exceptional quality. I was incredibly pleased with it as a "blind buy." It's as though Thierry Wasser kept and even built on what was pleasant about the original Habit Rouge, and fixed what smelled weird and discordant about it. It smells like a floral orange cream soda, but somehow still leans on the masculine side. It is elegant and refreshing, and while I guess I could see why some people wouldn't love it like I do, I don't know why anyone would dislike it (other than that they loved the original Habit Rouge and were stuck on it). I gave this five stars and a Thumbs Up with no reservation!

I had been curious about Habit Rouge L'eau for a few years, because of a few reasons. I love Habit Rouge, and L'eau is rated highly by many who love the original. Secondly, I love jasmine in perfumes, and L'eau purportedly contains a prominent dose. Lastly, I'm always on the lookout for a quality fresh fragrance (there aren't many), and what's not to like about a fresh twist on Habit Rouge?

Well, it turns out that L'eau is rather underwhelming. L'eau leaves out the wonderful lemon of Habit Rouge and uses orange - somewhat synthetic, and at odds with the rest of the structure. There is the jasmine, but its combination with the orange results in an accord that is jarring. I feel that it smells quite different from Habit Rouge, and the motif (or at least the key features of the Habit Rouge motif) is largely absent. There's no leather here. Instead, what I smell is a musky vanilla, semi-sweet, that combines with the jasmine and the orange to create a sickly, synthetic accord. I detect a similar accord in the dry down of Cologne du 68, with the major difference being the iris in 68 is replaced by the jasmine in L'eau. While sillage is low-key, L'eau drones on for hours and becomes increasingly grating.

L'eau emerges as yet another example of the difference between the Guerlain of then and the Guerlain of now, Jean Paul Guerlain and Thierry Wasser, and perfumery artistry vs. corporatocracy driven mediocrity. Sure, it's better than all the L'Homme Ideal nonsense, but that is not saying much.

Stick to Habit Rouge, or Le 3me Homme de Caron for your jasmine fix in a similar context, or L'eau Boisee if you crave freshness.


2/5

Guerlain has created a beautiful off spring from the original classic! The opening is a beautiful citrus opening with a delicious hazel nut accord that is creamy & blends nicely with the orange.

Soon it is joined by the jasmine which brings a little bit of a fem vibe but rest assured, the composition remains fairly unisex/Manly for those that are concerned. It all ends with some nice woods & vanilla which creates a nice elegant touch!

This is best worn in spring & fall, daytime wear as it is not heavy enough for evening wear for my taste. One would be pressed to find a similar fragrance that does what this does & for the price & quality? It probably won't be matched.

A MUST have for your collection! `

What if I told you
That Shalimar Light Pour Homme
Was Habit Rouge L'Eau?

Sorry, I do not like the original and this isn't that far of a departure from it, so I can only give a "neutral" rating. However, I do feel like it successfully does what it sets out to do; modernize a classic while retaining the original DNA. I can respect and admire that.

Nice citrus update freshens up the original scent, but cannot compensate for the dominant Habit Rogue smell that persists throughout, which prompted my wife to tell me I smelled "like an old lady."

Projection is very good for the first couple hours. Longevity is good as well.

This is a neat trick–an old classic has been modernized without losing its heart and soul. Much in the way Eau de Shalimar lightened and brightened classic Shalimar, Habit Rouge L'Eau takes a brighter, more modern approach to its parent but it is immediately recognizable as Habit Rouge. Although lighter, with the citrus amped up and a floral heart and without any of the leather of the original, this still has a density and depth that could only come from Guerlain. I love leather and thought that I would really miss it in this version–I mean, what would a fox hunt be without boots, tack and saddles? In the rarified world of hunting, hunters typically wear hacking jackets and paddock boots with half-chaps for pre-season cubbing but from the day of the opening meet, it is tall boots and hunt jackets all the way–scarlet for those who have received their colors. L'Eau lets us enjoy the laid-back informality of the pre-season; we're still out hunting in the field and having a great time but without the formality of having to conform to a strict dress code (that is a whole other facet to the Habit Rouge story….). A little easier to wear, a bit more light-hearted and certainly less precious and rarified than its parent. For those who have seen it, there is nothing more impressive than seeing a field of hunters turned out in scarlet–there is simply nothing like it, much the same as Habit Rouge has few equals in impressiveness and formality. If you want to fit into the landscape a little more–the way a tweed hacking jacket blends into the scenery–then Habit Rouge L'Eau is the way to go (and the PETA protesters may have a harder time spotting you!).

If you need a manly scent that is soft and citrusy yet retro and timeless, this is for you. A lovely fragrance with a noble restraint that fits any occasion. Habit Rouge L'Eau clearly is a much lighet option for those who are still in love with the classic Habit Rouge. Realy well blended of citrus, vanilla and floral notes. Versatile, oriental, citrusy, charming, elegant, sweet, urban, absoloutely gorgeous.

The opening is a classic enhanced by the freshness of orange followed by intensity floral notes of jasmine. The hazelunt is following in the background and combining with the sweet vanilla and patchouli to give a very cozy and comforting vibe for the man of character who stands out with strength and passion. This can be worn casually and is perfect for work or suit tie events. The scent is as alluring as the man who wears it.

This being my first Habit Rouge flanker of any sort I find this very enjoyable and an exceptional wear. Crisp and clean with citrus and wood through out. I do find it to be similar to VV Man by Robert Verino, the Verino having very dry woods which on occasion can overwhelm. Acceptable for all seasons. Enjoy.

This scent is so wearable, it makes me want to keep sniffing myself all day long. I wish this were easier to buy in the US, but it's out there and it's not that hard to find. Overall, fantastic.

I can see how this is similar to the original Habit Rouge, but Guerlain fragrances are some of the more self-referential ones out there so I think it was an awful move on Thierry Wasser's part to release this as a flanker instead of as its own fragrance. This is so good, it would have leant him some more credibility in the rough transition to the Guerlain family. This is stripped down and simple: orange on top, jasmine in the middle, lightly powdery vanilla and woods on bottom. Sometimes I still get sore hazelnut at the end too. The "hazelnut" plays hide-and-seek with me. Some days it's an obvious facet of the orange and jasmine and when I can detect it it's beautiful and a brilliant touch. Other days I don't smell it at all.

The projection on this is decent but won't wake the neighbors, and it lasts all day, easily 12 hours (scents do tend to last a while on me).

One thing I've noticed is Guerlain tends to make very sensual and warm fragrances and Thierry Wasser doesn't. That feels like a good summary of why he isn't too warmly received as their new perfumer. So expect this to strip some of the sensuality from Habit Rouge and go in a brighter, more transparent and less dense direction. Overall beautiful and slightly feminine, maybe even a bit more feminine than the original thanks to bright, sweet jasmine.

On the opening you get a very soft and smooth cream like orange citrus note. After a while a airy jasmine note appears and seems to dominate the heart of the fragrance.

In the dry-down the unsweet cream like vanilla takes over with hints of patchouli, woods, musk and a watery note. All in all this fragrance lasts five hours with average projection.

This scent is very nice indeed and the notes are woven very subtlety within the soft and smooth olfactory tapestry.

The drydown is especially good as it seems to morph on your skin. One moment when you sniff yourself up close you smell the orange and musk, other times the jasmine and slight woods.

A worthy fragrance which I would classify as a citrus floral oriental making it perfect to wear anytime and anywhere.