Habit Rouge Guerlain 1965 Eau de Toilette

Habit Rouge is to me, what either Shalimar or Chanel No: 5 would smell like if they were in masculine form.

As with all Guerlain perfumes... This was not one I liked upon first spray (just for reference, when I first tried Shalimar and Jicky they initially smelt of urine and Vetiver reminded me of ageing old men), however upon repeated wearings I have come to love ALL of these fragrances and now consider them absolute masterpieces in perfumery. Habit rouge was no exception to this rule. when I first applied it to myself it screamed "Old Lady", that was the first thing that I thought of. I was disappointed. It actually opened up with a citrus-lemon blast which was quite sharp (a lot like Shalimar), and then the leather and vanilla got me thinking about Talcum Powder. Another thing which came to my mind was "oh, this smells like lemon cake!", and I still kinda get that vibe, although now I can pick out and recognise the notes a lot better.

Needless to say, upon repeated wearings, my appreciation for this masterpiece has grown and grown. To me this strikes an impression as being very aristocratic, and I can totally get the elite, upper-class equestrian vibe. I think it fits it very well. At the same time, it really does dry down to something wonderful. The leather, citrus and vanilla become wonderfully balanced as the fragrance progresses. Typically for Guerlain, the drydown is never like the opening, and it's an almost completely different fragrance by the end.

Is it modern? Well, the word "modern" is subjective... but what I would say, is that it's "timeless". This has an appeal and quality that you won't find on many fragrances today. It's very refined, and you need to appreciate it's quality to wear this. That being said, I think anyone can wear this, male, female, old and young. As a reference, it certainly has "Rockstar Quality" to it (for example both Keith Richards and Madonna wear this) so take from that what you will.

In regards to this being "feminine" for a man to wear? Keith Richards said that women went crazy for him once he started wearing this, and now that I think about it, the sharp citrus and smooth leather definitely makes quite an entrance, it's not floral enough to be mistaken for a typical feminine. Another word this is described as is "powdery", and yes, I did get that (I think Luca Turin summed it up nicely by referring to Habit Rouge as "sweet dust"). But the more you wear it, the more you feel more comfortable wearing it, and that gives you power, because not everyone will smell like this, and you'll feel confidant in making that statement. That being said, this would definitely make an impression at very formal occasions (this was released in 1965, think "Mad Men" and you get the picture), but in my opinion it could certainly be worn casually enough in any other setting.

Overall, a real classic. At first, it can take real balls to wear this one, even though it's marketed towards men. But when you really get used to it, you find that it is so elegant, so refined and so very beautiful that it really becomes a part of you. It has definitely grown on me! These old Guerlains really wear me out in the beginning, but once they get going on your skin throughout the whole life of each fragrance... My God, my God, sheer class, the elegance they possess! I actually want everyone to try this one out. Habit Rouge, they don't make anything like this any more, but what a transformation! Truly an eye opening experience... and highly recommended, if at least once in your life.