Last year, a fragrance icon turned 100! Congratulations Habanita and sincere thanks to Molinard! And even though the Federal President held back on wishes for the 100th anniversary of a perfume, this is the right place for a little belated birthday greeting!
Throughout the century of fragrance, Habanita has changed from time to time. The perfume has received different bottles, which were predominantly based on a design of bathing Naiads or Nymphs, inspired by the design of René Lalique. One of the most beautiful bottles of this kind dates back to 2012 and features a continuous, raised frieze of naked women bathing on a pure black bottle. With this new, dreamy, and provocative bottle came a very successful revision of the perfume scent. In 2013, Habanita L'esprit was released in white, and in 2016 Habanita La Cologne in a clear, transparent glass bottle, as well as in 2021 for the centenary birthday, the red Habanita Anniversary Edition. Habanita is "a hit" in every variant and not a "girl's perfume." Surely, it lost its virginity the day it was released in 1921 as a cigarette scent, but definitely by 1924 when it was allowed to be called perfume. This is mainly due to the outstanding and seductive smell of the perfume, which is often said to have an aphrodisiac effect, as well as the magnificent, erotically designed bottles, visible, tangible, palpable, exciting!
Seeing Habanita La Cologne as a Cologne, as the name suggests, goes a bit in the wrong direction, because its strength and endurance are on par with a perfume and expansive. Only in direct comparison with the EdP does this designation make a well-meaning sense. Both scents are clearly sisters in character and are very similar in their smell. The inner values give the older one in the black dress a characteristically aromatic scent, which for me is wonderfully spicy-floral, sinful-vanilla, dark-lustful, liqueur-like-smoky, sweet-balsamic, and woody-leathery, simply irresistibly attractive. The younger La Cologne does not skimp on this either in its transparent and provocative appearance. However, it seduces much more subtly, with significantly more finesse, and starts its conquests a bit fresher and brighter. I perceive La Cologne more as an irresistible offer than a storming in the style of the Eau de Parfum, which can score so powerfully.
Alongside the initially mild freshness, Habanita La Cologne surprises with a tolerable but pronounced oriental note and does not display the often perceived "go for it temperament" of the perfume. It is perhaps noteworthy that vanilla is absent from the fragrance note spectrum of the Cologne. It is not really missing, because after the zesty and bold first hours, the vetiver-oakmoss-cedar-amber base perfectly rounds off the scent with a silky-warm powderiness. Nevertheless, the Cologne in top, heart, and base notes essentially always reminds of the black original, but comes across as somewhat lighter, finer, and more agile without losing intensity and aromaticity.
Perhaps another similar example. This comparison applies analogously and with the same result to the juxtaposition of the perfume Shalimar against Shalimar Cologne, of course with a slightly different scent character. And in both cases, I personally prefer the Cologne just a little bit more, but the differences in ratings around 9.5 are rather small!
The bottles of all variants of Habanita are a feast for the eyes. It is simply a joy to look at these little bottles, to see, feel, and experience the grandeur of the frieze on all four sides, how the elevated curves caress the fingertips. The bottles encourage the viewer to take them in hand, to examine them closely, to try them, and to enjoy them. They are a focal point in any collection, and while the colored bottles additionally advertise with their provocative color, the transparent glass bottle of Habanita La Cologne, despite and because of its transparency, exudes a rather mysterious aura and represents for me the charming playfulness of this 100-year love affair best!
As a Habanita fan, it was an honor for me to congratulate and to present another variant of these masterpieces here. You deserve heartfelt thanks for your diligent reading!
Top Notes 
Nutmeg
Lemon
Heart Notes 
Ylang-ylang
Rose
Base Notes 
Cedarwood
Vetiver
Oakmoss
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