Habit Rouge Eau de Parfum

Habit Rouge. Smells like rusted metal to me.

I have worn Habit Rouge for more years than I can remember. I therefore claim it as my “signature scent” because over time I have undoubtedly used it more than any other. Temporal revisions have taken their toll somewhat but overall is has maintained its dandyish bouquet, wherin citrus and floral notes (carnation and rose leading the way), float ethereally on a soft resinous/woody foundation of sandalwood, cedar and labdanum , giving, summarily, a distinctively genteel “powdery” quality. I love it despite its modest longevity and projection and cannot imagine being without it. NB Guerlain : The square bottle, however, (feebly unifying the ‘men’s’ range of fragrances) is an abomination!

Strong and very pleasant opening - fresh and quite boozy. The addictive Guerlinade base is noticeable immediately. The dry down is quite quick for me though, losing most strength after an hour or so. A faint smell remains for another eight hours. I don't pick up the floral notes that are listed. The overall vibe is flexible - something you can wear for a summer day or an autumn evening. I don't disagree that it is mature but not in the way that you would instantly associate it with older men - I am 24 and enjoy it. 7/10, one of my main spring/summer fragrances.

First impression: feels like a kitchen sink type fragrance, reminding me of a better RL safari. The rose/leather is great but feels like alot is going on. The rose is really so nice in this. 7.9/10 overall for now. I really want to love this. Will revisit soon.

Yeah wrongly written. Not that its not for younger crowd but its not youthful vibe parfume.

Blind bought and it’s a masterpiece. Sophisticated, vintage and I’d say in today’s market unique, I don’t have anything in my collection so far that’s similar. Everyone is saying on here that it’s mature but as a 23 year old I’m loving it

Second revision. Really good blend. Masterpiece. But still think its not for younger crowd. Just to much rose forward with accompanying leather.

I've bought most of my colognes without trying them. Personally, blind buy is not that a huge risk as some say, thus it made me discover lots of different brands and colognes which I never thought I would be fan of. Guerlain habit rouge was one of my best blind buys so far. While I was searching around for a guerlain fragrance, I came across this new formulation of Habit Rouge, there are several other flankers of this line but this version has the least amount of hype and reviews among the others. For the smell, Its not your typical vintage fragrance. This is a different kind of vibe. It begins with fresh/citrusy notes then evolves into something different. At some point I asked myself if I'm wearing a women's fragrance instead. I do not know if it's just me but the rose note quite strong in this fragrance. Its a pleasant scent, will probably my signature scent for the spring. 8.5/10

(Comparison of a 1988 EdT, a new EdP formulation, and a new Parfum formulation) This is silly. Why am I doing this. I’ve toyed with this for years. I’ve toyed with my “final” review(s) of the EdC/EdT through ad infinitum drafts that never seem to be done. Do I write separate reviews of these various concentrations and let them stand separately on their own? Do I put my thoughts on them together to appropriately showcase their marked differences, and let them stand on their own that way? Wouldn’t it make more sense to compare a new EdT formulation to the newer EdP and Parfum concentrations instead of an original EdT?… A significant reason for my wayward indecisiveness, which should be stated for full transparency, is that the EdC and EdT are going to be difficult for me to approach with any semblance of objectivity or rationality: the EdT is the first perfume I truly fell in love with. The first time I smelled it, many years back in my formative days, was an epiphany. I couldn’t get enough of it. After what was then a short number of years of only having explored a relatively small number perfumes that were highly commercial designer scents, finally getting to Habit Rouge EdT opened a door into a utopian world. “This is what perfumes can be like?!” To call it revelatory would be an understatement. For the purposes of this review, and for the sake of time and focus, I will leave the original EdC alone for a different time and focus here on the EdT; in a simple bullet point, the biggest difference is the higher strength and diffusiveness of the EdT, otherwise they are virtually the same. The EdT was the first HR I tried and has been a staple of mine ever since, I've gone through bottle after bottle, maintaining a rather obsessive collection of HR across various batches and formulations and concentrations for posterity, and marking HR as the only perfume that could get close enough for me to say it is my signature or my all time favorite. And, when really put to the task to assign a signature or favorite, it is the only one I’ve answered with. So, I’m going to give this a whirl, and accept that no matter what I write about one of the best perfumes ever made I am not going to be happy with what I write. Just take a swing, Nathan. It is what it is. Screw it. Let’s start with the Parfum. It opens with a bang of fruity rum notes. Something akin to the good ol’ effervescent bergamot of the original is trying to make its voice heard amongst the baritone roars but it just can’t, coming across instead as more of a slightly bitter, oily, boozy heat. What proceeds next is a browned caramel, boozy, leathery, vanillic, cured tobacco melange, and there it stays for the most part. The final skin scent leans a bit more dark woody, leathery, more bitter tonka than it is vanilla, and really calling to mind charred oak rum barrels. Habit Rouge has never been referred to as linear, until now with the Parfum. This has no frame of reference to the DNA that is Habit Rouge. Zero. This could (should) actually have been called something other than Habit Rouge. That said, if you can suspend annoyance, bias and preconceptions for a moment, it is very good. Though thick and rich - a big, suet caramel and boozy pudding of a perfume - it is easily wearable, maintains levity and breathability and never goes lumpen, it’s just on the right side of sweet, and very highly addictive. I wore this once during a frigid, snowy Christmas get together, where the smells of a wood fire in the hearth, roasting courses of a meal that took hours to consume, and baking desserts filled the air, family and friends hung on me all throughout the evening to get one more whiff. Habit Rouge though, it is not. The EdP tries for the effervescent bergamot opening and nearly achieves it except for an odd, oily, chemical finish that goes down the back of my throat. Once that calms down, the bergamot does come through as very convincingly HR with a bit more saturation and durability, as you’d expect from an EdP, and lasts for a surprisingly long time. Very slowly the floral heart starts to peak out that is balanced more towards rose than the EdT’s rose-carnation balance. This eventually cedes to a center-stage rose leather accord that is really quite beautiful. The rose is powdery, a touch creamy, and the leather is well-worn and suede-like in its presentation that really calls back to the original if but a bit stronger. The bergamot still carries on, albeit very quietly, and starts to link to the green facet of the patchouli in the base as the rose leather fully takes the stage. There is a regality and luxury to this heart layer of the EdP, compared to the more stately and austere layer of the EdT. The EdP then is a good option for the Habit Rouge lover that wants a bit more of a three piece suit feel, rather than dowdy equestrianism. It is plenty enough like Habit Rouge for me to say “yes, Habit Rouge” but it has its own character. The green facet of the patchouli rising upwards to link with the bergamot is a bit of a worry at first for those intimately familiar with HR, as I am. You question if this is going to descend into a dank green patchouli bomb as does so many masculines of the current day, but it doesn’t. That green quality stays very well behaved, lending a slightly bitter freshness and energy to the base and skin scent as the rest of the patchouli comes forward very faithfully to the original. The suede and vanilla remain as ethereal compliments before having more presence in the skin scent, which is true to the original with the leather, earth, woods, vanilla, and resins. The EdP is intended to be more luxurious and heavier than the EdC/EdT, but this careful and intentional balance of the green note with the earthy patchouli, suede, and vanilla makes sure that it does not get too heavy. There is a vibrancy to this regality and luxury. Lovely. Now for the EdT…. Ok, deep breath, Nathan; steel yourself, you can do this…. Sniffff…. Oh, dear god…. The sparkling, yellow-green and effervescent bergamot can cut through the darkest of moments. The conjunction of dusty aldehydes creates a hazy but determined sunlight that radiates from your person, not upon you. It is confidence and energy. There is a tango that starts with this bergamot and the fresh green herbs and slightly anisic woody notes coming up from the heart layer. The tension of this dancing pair is palpable, but instantly magnetic. The seamless lock-step movements with each other are stunning. Chills. It truly gives me chills. As the tango nears the end, a slightly creamy and heady carnation accented by woody spices comes in to resolve the tension. There is a bit of rose for breadth, and a touch of dry earth for depth, with the rose gaining intensity as time goes on. The rose stays on the side of gently powdery and pink, the accented tips of the petals of the carnation. The vanilla and leather at the base are in the background, quietly waiting their turn. They are clear on their instructions: let the rose, carnation, and spices have their turn; wait. The experience is all the better for it. As the base begins to take over, Habit Rouge still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve with this chypre plus amber combination. This blend is impossible. How does Habit Rouge have everything, a kitchen sink approach, yet presents as a fine broth made by a legendary chef rather than a soupy canned concoction a wannabe throws into a pot? Gently animalic leathers, a touch-sweet vanilla, creamy sandalwood, dry beige-brown and loamy patchouli, wisps of damp and green oakmoss, and resins of benzoin and labdanum that are just barely sticky like a very deep and slightly dried earthy honey; the rose and carnation gently caress the base before they depart. Just how. I can barely describe the dry down from the heart to the base without almost getting misty-eyed. It remains one of the most beautiful - and certainly probably my favorite - dry downs I have ever smelled. Not

Just too much going on for todays times IMHO. Not bad but just dated for most I guess. And for older public I think. Few in their 20s will pull this off. Edit: Tottaly changed my mind. Super unique, smooth and gentlemanly. Props to the cheff

This is the masculine counterpart to Shalimar. Less punch and substance than the Parfum but still retains the DNA. It’s a good modern recreation of the original, about 40% there.

For me, I just couldn't get with this one, even if I do understand the appeal. It's of course, classic, has that patchouli/musk/oakmoss thing going on which reminds me of several old fragrances even if they don't smell exactly the same (old Brute, if Brute were brighter, Jovan Musk, Grey Flannel??, you get the idea). I don't think this one will grow on me. I'm 50, and this feels dated event to me, ha! I think I'll look into the parfum.

The main photo is pretty outdated. Guerlain switched this over to their new square bottle design a while back.

In my opinion this is unisex perfume. Gifted it to my husband a few years ago ( square bottle) and later saved it from bathroom cupboard for safe keeping after he stopped reaching for it. It starts with great blast of citruses which are usually not my favourite notes but they don't feel screechy or like a cleaning product. Later it develops nicely with a good amount of leather, rezins, vanilla and rose. It's very complex, changes so much over time and becomes beautiful powdery guerlinade. I can compare to Shapimar as a distant cousin. To my nose this is less leathery and resinos. Shalimar s sharpness comes mostly from resins and leather and HRs from citruses and rose. Guerlinade in Shalimar is more balsamic while in HR I find it more powdery so arguably I would think of this as Shalimar s male counterpart. It lingers on my skin for a long time at least 8 hours, but becomes personal scent after an hour or two. I find it beautiful, solid like on my skin, love on my husband's.

Sampling Guerlain Habit Rouge EDP, the 2003 flanker (the first, I believe) to the original 1965 EDT version, and a fittingly denser alternative to the EDT. Described as entailing a bled of leather, oud, vanilla, and patchouli, I find that it has most of the sort of citric/sharp/fresh/iris-like powder mixed with vanilla that, for me, so defines what I’ve smelled of the Habit Rouge line, along with some spices and the suggestion of leather and rose, something seemingly present in the EDT and Rouge Prive versions, also, but less so the Parfum and Spirit Parfum. It’s not a huge surprise that in total, the EDP is denser, heavier, sweeter, and the EDT is lighter, fresher, more citric, and therefore a bit easier to wear as an everyday fragrance, whereas the EDP leans more toward both Parfum versions in density while still being somewhere in between in terms of character and performance, lacking some of the boozy, oaky qualities of the Parfum versions. Certainly the contrast between the EDT and the Parfums is more palpable than between the EDP and Parfums. The EDP is a nice compromise among the five or so versions that I’ve tried, a way to enjoy some of the vanillic gravitas of the Parfums while still feeling fairly closely connected to the original EDT. Overall, it’s outstanding. The EDP seems to be one of two versions, the other being Spirit Parfum, sold via the house website in the US, priced at $150 for100ml, though it is also available via various grey market websites. 8 out of 10

Fantastic masculine fragrance Starts with fresh and sour citruses, after 10 minutes comes over creamy and leathery The base that will appear at likely 1 hour is woody with touch of sweetness. Absolutely underrated

Super good. This is what french perfumery stands for.

I finally bought the EDP version after receiving a free tester, 50 ml for 50 euros on sale. At first I was very disappointed with the lemon scent of the toilet air freshener. I sprayed a 10 into the air and put it aside, hoping it would be better later. After a few hours, as the air conditioner in the car stirred the air, it turned into an incredible rum, vanilla, cinnamon, pleasant sweet scent, I can't wait to test it again, in a little cooler weather.

Another masterpiece by Monsieur Jean-Paul Guerlain (the last direct lineage perfume sommelier of the House of Guerlain). The moment you smell this perfume, there's nothing to compare with this creation whatsoever. Because it is like a newly and freshly cut citrusy fragrance enveloped by firm yet soft leathery notes that are so comforting to our nose and feeling. After some time, the vanilla introduces itself like telling us to enjoy every second and forgiving our past mistakes when we are not paying attention to what kind of smell we put on ourselves. A few hours have passed, and then the flowery notes pass by while giving a nod to show understanding of the complexity of lives that, no matter how difficult it is, we are still alive, and that is enough for us to adore.

Epic Journey Into the Bottled Yonder, 157 ------------------------------------------------------- Purchased July 2019 My first bottle with some oud in it. Don't believe it had it listed here all them years ago, but it blends perfectly deep in the dry down and makes every bit of the mids and lows the headlining act. I came back to say this is one of few scents and colognes that I could wear at the drop of a hat and be happy. That makes it a year-round dumb reach for me, lucky to be living where I am. It's so warm and cozy, gentlemanly and stiff upper lip, leather jacket and donegal, prince of Wales and flannel, denim and cord. What a well done classic. It's almost an acquired taste, yet, everybody loves it - they just won't admit it; women and men. It's a superbly professional bottle that nobody properly understands and if Heritage is half as good as this well then I may just need that one too. It's easily forgotten, yet fondly remembered. All people around me love HR EDP, I can feel it. This cologne has E.S.P. Batch: 8F01 from June 2018. Edit: I have a clone, locally made and sold (glad to support my country's industry), of M7 which smells like my HR EDP but can oversprayed unlike when doing that with Habit Rouge EDP it becomes something like Cinnabar/JHL; and I don't want that from this Guerlain. It must be like M7 apparently is, stupidly missed out on that one when I started on this website but who cares. My clone is the bomb, lasts two days if I spray it to the amount I spray anything from the chemist. What a fabulous scent too, just smells like fragrance. Forget about man or woman, it smells like the essence of fragrant chemistry. It's not generic, though it can beat my Guerlain which I've loved for years and never bothered overspraying. The HR EDT remains citric and doesn't go into M7 territory. Fun owning both, though I'm sure the EDT smells closest the '60s EDC which is what my father grew up around/with.

This being the oud-free newer iteration in the square bottle, I have to say it’s by far the most femme of the Habit Rouge lineup, in much the same way you could say the recent Habit Rouge Parfum is the most masculine of the Shalimar line. Here, you get classic HR with Australian musk stick lollies, but instead of a dusty patchouli incense dry-down, we’re treated with a carnation and allspice-laced English tea rose that teeters on the edge of Turkish Delight, but never quite hits gourmand territory. Then it starts to pick up Hammam Bouquet nuances, without smelling like a nursing home and musty bedding. At this point, I can't bare it anymore, and feel an urge to wash it off and lavish myself in the EdT.

Habit Rouge EDP (New Edition) is another Guerlain masterpiece that won me over elegant, timeless, and surprisingly wearable in summer thanks to its bright citrus and powdery-woody dry-down. It’s a scent I truly love, radiating refined sophistication. That said, the performance is very weak for an EDP—it barely lasts 3-4 hours on my skin, which is disappointing at this price point. While overpriced for its longevity, the artistry of the fragrance still makes it worth experiencing. Would I repurchase? Yes, but only during a sale this one’s for die-hard Guerlain fans who prioritize scent over staying power.

This is basically a “masculine” Shalimar, that is, less vanilla, more leather, but all the same parts. It’s an Oriental with the sweetness turned down until it’s just warm, not truly sweet. But there’s the same busy Guerlainade base, all soft resins and scratchy patchouli and oakmoss. The opening is a very powerful and completely dry citrus, lemon-and-bergamot over something faintly musky. Then the leather takes over — far warmer and smoother than it would be in a really leather-dominant thing like Cabochard, softened by vanilla and amber and lightened up by the citrus. The whole thing blends together into a musky, light-brown note that’s sort of insistent and assertive and self-consciously dignified, like “yes, sir, I did mean to say that.” Spiked by persistent shards of citrus. This is one of those fragrances that’s just too middle-of-the-road to affect me much emotionally. It would definitely work on a man, but doesn’t feel hugely wrong on a woman, just boringly subdued, like it could use more ornamentation. There’s a lot of moving parts, but all of them are beige or brown or black.

This is a little sweeter and more vanillic than the EDT. Therefore, I would choose the EDT over this creation any day.

Every time I spray this, I think to myself, why would I want anything else?

The better version of this fragrance. Brief citrus opening then a long spicy English rose base for several hours. Dry down is a woodier and dustier version of that same rose. Nice amber. I fortunately do not get too much vanilla here. Not a fan. A 4 decent 4 hour projection and 8 hour total length. This is fine, good even, but there are several classics I enjoy more.

Love this Classic scent by Monsieur Guerlain. I think it has a gentlemans touch to it and I get the references to the 60s wearing a suit in the Monaco casino ;) Opens citrussy and not that interesting but develops beautifully into patchuli and Wood. Its like it unfolds as the hours pass. Definitely quality for the mature guy. Picked up a modern 100 ml square bottle at a very nice Price - Wonder if it is being discontinued? 8/10

I blind bought Habit Rouge EDP and Heritage EDT and while the latter is incredible in my opinion, the former is not my cup of tea at all unfortunately. I would not advise blind-buying this fragrance...to me it smells like the mothballs at your grandmothers house that are then marinated in lemon juice. Too bad...

i have the new square bottle, is very nice in cold days for 2 hours and thats it. And this is the strongest one from guerlain! i have almost all guerlain square bottle all EDP and they smell great but the quality is very disappointing, very poor performance and longevity and there's something synthetic in all of them that irritates when you smell it directly. i buy all bottles in one blindly because i heart guerlain was great but they very disappointed me like new client

Not 100%, but I get a little essence of Hanae Mori HM from Habit Rouge EdP. Also, this is certainly a warm-weather fragrance, to some extent. Maybe not that much above 90F (32C), but the playfulness of it really shines in moderate to warm temps (which includes most indoor spaces).