By Thomas
I’ve been putting this one off for way too long. I didn’t like this at first or second sample, and back then I thought one or two tries was sufficient for knowing a scent. ORRR, perhaps my tastes changed; always a possibility. Fast-forward a few years, and here we are with a bottle of Habit Rouge, once again.
Need we proceed with the back-story of Habit Rouge? Jean-Paul Guerlain created this, apparently recycling Shalimar so that gents didn’t have to keep nicking their wives’ bottles (if you believe the old ad). Considered the first masculine oriental, groundbreaking, masterpiece, blah, blah, blah. Yes, yes, I get it, I’m wearing History, the Mona Lisa of ‘masculine’ perfumery.
So, how does it hold up today?
Not bad…not bad at all. It’s got an old-school club-type armchair feel to it – heavy but not oppressive. The opening is a strong call to arms – orange blossoms and pimientos combined with lemon and a powdery patchouli sweetness. It’s strangely calm and substantial. How this happens is a mystery to me: substance from wispy orange blossoms and the innards of green olives? Warning: Alchemy at work.
The sweetness continues throughout the drydown, and the contradictions gradually converge. The blossom and pimiento recede to reveal patchouli, sandalwood, and various florals, which hang around for a while until we’re left with a well-balanced tangy lemony-leathery-mossy-vanilla. This is a scent that won’t wear out its welcome, as far as I’m concerned.
Now that Habit Rouge has been around for a generation, is it safe for the current climate? Well, yes, in the same vein as Chanel Pour Monsieur and Eau Sauvage. There’s a lot going on here but it remains well-behaved…HOWEVER…there is a caveat.
A while back I was chatting with Sarah (a perfumista with a ferocious deconstructive streak) and she told me about wearing 24, Faubourg while in Paris (I will paraphrase loosely). 24, Faubourg is made by Hermes (a French company), and is a classical French perfume. But, while in Paris, no one she encountered wore anything even remotely similar to 24, Faubourg. They all wore variations on Par Amour or L’Instant, scents simpler than the horse-and-gilded-carriage baroque production of 24, Faubourg. In other words, it’s out of fashion. I think that the same can be said about Habit Rouge, and the reason we’re seeing flankers that purport to simplify or modernize the scent (Legere, Sport).
Over the last weekend I neglected to shave (two whole days!) and when I examined the stubble around my chin, I was surprised to see how white it had become. If you’ve got a bit of grey in your beard/sideburns but still have a spring in your step (and a mild contrarian streak), give this a try. No, wait – give it a few tries before making your judgment.
Year: 1965
Perfumer: Jean-Paul Guerlain
Notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Rosewood, Basil, Pimento, Sandal, Carnation, Patchouli, Cedar, Rose, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Amber, Moss, Leather, Benzoin, Labdanum, Olibanum
Post a Comment
I love it and wear it from time to time. But I'm just a fool for the classical "French perfume" scents (and must admit that I don't much care what they're wearing in Paris!) They are the best scents to sleep in, IMHO.
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
For me it was the other way around - I liked the scent at first try and bought a bottle, but now that I own it I rarely wear it. It tends to get on my nerves with its sharp, insistent, powdery sweetness. It also reminds me quite a lot of the taste of a Swedish candy sort called "Ahlgrens bilar" - little fruit-flavoured marshmallow cars launched in the 50s. Not that I don't like them, but I'm not sure I want to smell like them, and it sort of ruins the associations with elegant, foxhunting, British gentlemen for me!
ReplyDeleteOlfacta: Merci for the kind words! I enjoy the classical scents very much and have a few reviews still percolating, but sleepytime: normally a simple cologne for me. May give HR a shot, though.
ReplyDeleteSolander: understand the bad associations with a scent, that must be a wildly-flavored candy though. Legere is nearly as sweet but not as powdery, but it has a red licorice vibe. Makes me wonder if Willy Wonka has an office at the Guerlain HQ.
What I really want is a bottle of the limited edition Habit Rouge extrait. Now THAT would be something to crow about . . . or eat crow about, something like that.
ReplyDelete