Habit Rouge Sport
Guerlain (2009)

I get tonka and rose just like in Adrenaline (Enrique Iglesias) but it's much more subtle here. That surprises me because neither are listed as a note.

Definitely a red fragrance. Powdery (patchouli) heart. It does have that Guerlain quality to it. But it seems you'll have to spray a lot of this to get it to perform. Mildly woodsy base.

If you like this one and want it cheaper and on steroids, I advise you Adrenaline.

I see now that it's not on sale anymore. Since I have a decant I'll give it a neutral - where I otherwise would give a thumbs down because it doesn't perform.

I'll give it the benefit of the doubt that my decant may have been diluted, you know to stretch out the bottle it came from.

The bitter orange at the beginning is combines with an additional touch of sour bitterness that comes for the bamboo - although this is a somewhat nonspecific note on my skin. Redcurrant and whiffs of cranberry complete the top notes.

The drydown is centred around a jasmine, which is on the darker side and has a whiff of a herbal untertone attached to it. At times brief and transiently a tonka aroma is present, which adds depth to the heart notes.

Heading towards the base, a nonspecific woodsiness develops, which mixes with the tonka and a soft and patchouli that develops a bit later. This is a soft patchouli that lacks and sharp edges. Toward the end a restrained darkish muskiness is present, which is very mainstream and lacks any animalic component.

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

This spring scent is much simpler and less complex than the original Habit Rouge, especially when comparing to the original vintage versions; this is to be expected from a sports flanker. At times is is a bit generic, but is has some originality to it, although the execution of the ingredients does not always follow the concept very convincingly. Overall 2.75/5

Opens with a combination of fruity citrus notes and a simple, clean and ethereal jasmine accord. Somehow it manages to smell masculine, and I'm perfectly comfortable wearing it. The drydown reminds me of Dior Homme as I pick up on a sort of powdery, vanilla-backed iris and musk with a bit of a dandified character. More elegant than suggested by its 'Sport' label but still a nice, breezy wear, well suited for daytime activities and work. Sillage is impressive for this relatively light scent and longevity falls between 6 and 8 hours. Thumbs up.

Winter is finally in effect in my part of the U.S. So, I started my yearly fragrance rotation. And there it was: Habit Rouge Sport, one of my neglected frag children. I purchased it a few years ago at Guerlain in Las Vegas, pretty much on impulse and curiousity because I had never seen it anywhere else. Initially, I liked it mildly, as a novelty almost. It went into my closet and was forgotten. So, tonight I took it out, tried again, and realized this is somewhat of a barbershop-like fragrance in the family of Rive Gauche! I'm into barbershop fragrances at the moment and this was a pleasant surprise. It has the powdery, floral vibe of Grafton, Mr Taylor's and Rive Gauche, but then takes a detour into a Dior-like waxy, lipstick undertone. Unique and pleasant! Part of the joy of having a weird fragrance hobby is re-discovering fragrances. I'm thinking of layering this with Mr Taylor's of Old Bond Street to go full barbershop. My only qualm with HR Sport is that it is a bit one-dimensional in the talc-like dry down.

Well, it is related to the renowned Habit Rouge. Habit Rouge Sport opens with a fresh green (bamboo) / citrus (bitter orange) / berry accord. The accord is light and clean and there's enough of a light powder in the background to remind one of its paternal ancestry. There is also enough powder to challenge its label as a sport fragrance.

The heart note is listed as jasmine, and a clean and clear jasmine it is, as it mixes with the remnants of the opening. I think the fragrance loses a little strength with this floral aspect. Besides the slight loss of sillage, the almost-straight jasmine note again puts into question as to why this was labled as a sport fragrance.

The base is basically a wood accord of patchouli and lighter wood notes, joined with an light musk. Although the base strikes me as adequately masculine, I'm not sure that it works as a sport fragrance.

Habit Rouge Sport is an ok fragrance: It's simple, nicely constructed, performs well, smells nice. Perhaps it's too simple… as if it's missing something. One of the things it's missing is “sportyness,” but it certainly is an ok fragrance.

Habit Rouge Sport is slightly similar to Habit Rouge L'eau to my nose, at least in the first 10 mins or so. It morphs into a nice floral scent but a manly floral for sure. Like others have mentioned it has nice longevity and projection. I would say 2 or 3 sprays will last you 5 to 6 hours with it lingering close to 7 hours. As far as the scent itself I get the citrus at the beginning and the Jasmine soon after. The dry down is woody and musky not sure about the patchouli (at least on me). A solid scent from Guerlain for sure. Enjoy!