Reviews of Habit Rouge (1965)
by Guerlain

I have the EDC version. Lemon, lemon, who's got the lemon. I don't know if it's me or what, but it opens exactly like Chanel PM Concentree to me. Great lemony/vanilla/vetiver scent.......and that's about it.

No other notes have transpired in the wearing, so I guess I will sell it since I already have the Chanel and the Concentree doesn't seem to be as linear as this is on me.

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.

EDT review:

I received a sample of this and wasn’t too enthusiastic about wearing it at first. After all, my previous experiences were not too pleasant. However, after testing it again, I ended up making a complete u-turn. While it’s still not one of my favourite vanilla fragrances, it certainly deserves some respect for what it is – a powdery citrus-vanilla-spice combo.

For an EDT, the indications of a quality composed scent are quite evident. The opening notes have the tendency to remind me of Beechams Lemon and Honey but, with some patience, this quickly subsides to allow the spices and vanilla to gradually bloom. All the way through its development, the citrus note can still be faintly detected but even less as time passes. If worn on the wrong person (or even on the wrong type of day) this scent would probably be quite unpleasant to wear. However, the drydown is sublime with sillage that gently lingers for many hours. There’s also a resinous (some would say harsh) quality about it that gives Habit Rouge some edge.

When compared to other vanilla scents, from the past 20 years, Habit Rouge can easily be perceived as somewhat dated or old-school. To a certain extent I would agree. However, while it may not possess the contemporary feel that many of its contemporaries have, its real strength lies in both its unique sophistication and gentlemanly appeal.

Habit Rouge may not be for me (although my opinion may change in a few years) but I’m sure there are many out there who love it (and justifiably so).

Fantástic one of the best EDT for men used all season

I like it, and I REALLY wanna love it, but it just has something to it...I dunno...

I can pick out leather, rose, vanilla, and something very sherberty...

And there's something about it that gives me a good-aweful headache...Just can't think what it is though. It also seems to give a lot of other people headaches too.

Hmmm. I truly don't know what to think. Nice, smooth, woody, spicey, sweet, pompous, dandy candy, carnivale, masculine, confusion and headache are words streaming through my head right now...

It's nice, complex, and develops well on the skin, but something to be worn with jurisprudence. Please be careful about how much you wear, and only ever spray it onto your skin, it NEEDS to be developed on the skin...and try not to smoke when you use it, it doesnt pick smoke up very well, but does a great job of letting everyone know that you smoke Alpine Supremes...

Its an ok fragrance, and I would say its damn fantastic if I could bear to wear it more than once a fortnight.

Very dated, now. A weird, astringent, artificial character that lacks any real complexity. I have noticed that this scent seems to be popular with smokers, possibly because it has sufficient oomph to cover up the vile small of stale tobacco.

Though I own a bottle (bought on a friend's suggestion) I cannot say I use it that often. Won't choose it again.

a classic, but dated scent. reminds me of kensington market, an old hippy flea market in london with many stalls which sold incense and bottled patchouli oils. in fact, it's the patchouli note which i find to be the prominent one. i don't get any vanilla at all. i'm not surprised that keith richards favours it. unlike mick jagger, i don't think he has ever got over his 70's rock 'n roll swashbuckling image, which i think that habit rouge has in spades. i can imagine peter wyngarde's fictional television character, jason king, being a fan.

certainly it needs to be used sparingly, and it's not something i would use for everyday use, as i think i would be too self-conscious. on the plus side, i like the way it develops more than the initial spray.

i'm glad that this scent exists, but i'm not sure if it's one i would favour for myself.

Very useful. Makes excellent Rug-spray or..you can use it freshen up the bed linen.