This is a very complex oriental fragrance that is ever changing and moves through several distinct chapters as it tells its story. From its Lemon, Bergamot, Orange opening through it's "Heart" of Carnation, Patchouli, Sandlewood, and on through it's Smokey Leather, Amber, Moss and Precious Woods drydown, it's all held together by an ever present smokey vanilla, with a touch of cinnamon. Not a sweet vanilla, but a deep powdery dry vanilla, that helps to provide the warm, rich texture and hazy dream-like quality of the over-all delivery. Everything is so well put together that its hard to isolate any single note. This masterpiece was created by Jean Paul Guerlain and has been a favorite since its release in 1965. Many celebrities including Sean Connery, Robert Redford and just about all of the great perfume makers and writers have sung the praises of Habit Rouge both in interviews and in print. In 2003 Habit Rouge was reformulated by Jean Paul himself. The very popular perfume writer Luca Turin has noted that the 2003 Habit Rouge is a beautiful perfume. He suggests the perfume may have been improved by its modern cleanup. “This emphasises HR’s most attractive aspect, the surprising but in retrospect self-evidence character that is the hallmark of a work of genius.” Due to its complex nature it can trigger the most pleasant olfactory responses. Sometimes it reminds me of sitting in the cockpit of a mid '60's Jaguar E-Type, smelling of Leather and Aged Wood, while the powdery Vanilla adds a haze of warmth and richness...other times it takes me to imaginary, or remembered places, and best of times...But it always feels and smells fantastic... The EDC is the original configuration and formula. It is the smoothest, and most powdery of the different concentrations, and the limon note lasts much longer. The EDT which is probably my favorite, it has all the moves of the original but is a little less powdery, a little louder, and spends more time in the basenotes. It also has the greatest longevity. The EDP has Agarwood added, and a very short opening, going straight to the Basenotes. This stays very close to the skin and lasts a little shorter than the EDT suprisingly. I haven't seen the Extrait, but I hear its a stronger version of the EDP. No one fragrance is for everyone, but this is such a beautiful example of the perfumer's art, that I believe you owe it to yourself to experiance Habit Rouge, at least once...
I have to disagree with my friend Lloyd on this, because this scent is just not for me. It's also quite costly here.
