Landshark321

Sampling Guerlain Habit Rouge Parfum, my first proper try of the Habit Rouge line, so I do not really have much perspective on the line. It’s a 2024 release, that follows 2023’s Prive and is followed by 2025’s Spirit, but seems to be more highly-regarded than these, or most other entries in the line, which is why, along with its description, that I wanted to seek it out first.

The fragrance itself is a dense, powdery, rich, semi-sweet blend, with listed key notes of vanilla, rum, patchouli, and bergamot. It’s powdery in a great way, a bit of combination of elements that I enjoy from Guerlain’s own Cuir Beluga (a powdery vanilla/suede) and Dior Homme Parfum (a powdery leather), comparably elegant to the former, a pretty remarkable achievement to be in its vicinity, really, and I can see why others seem to love this one so much, a sort of modern take on a high-end men’s scent, the pricing of which is very reasonable at retail, frankly, at $175 for 100ml, fittingly in parfum concentration and with very high performance. I’m really impressed; it’s outstanding—striking, frankly.

9 out of 10

Azaadi 2024 is a limited-edition Dua original from last year celebrating Pakistan’s Independence Day. The fragrance is super sophisticated, in which citruses meet a dry musky oakmoss ginger mint blend that reminds me of iris in a good way without being something too sharp. Overall, it’s really impressive, taking some of the parts of that I like of Leedy and AI Citric Summer and putting them together in a super classy, celebratory blend.

Originally priced at $60 as part of the main collection, it performs well and is a Dua bottle I’d happily wear more of if I had another.

8 out of 10

First wearing of Caswell-Massey Number Six (stylized with the roman numeral VI), a 2018 release that’s inspired by a much earlier creation purported to be crafted for none other than George Washington. This more modern creation features notes of bergamot, rosemary, neroli, lavender, musk, clove, and a resinous woody base. It has fresh, green, herbal, floral, citric elements that all blend together in a way that is reminiscent of other classic men’s fragrances while not being specifically a fougere, chypre, or amber.

It’s less dark and spicy than Oaire but a bit more interesting than 2571, in my opinion, fitting somewhere in between, perhaps making it the most useful of the three, with strong versatility, a good blend of gravitas and accessibility. Overall, it leans classic and is very nice, inoffensive but still interesting, not too dense or spicy, but still intriguing with each sniff. I think it’s a pretty great fragrance, and I’m left wondering I’ll want a bottle of this or Oaire after I finish the decants.

It’s EDP concentration and priced at $200 for 100ml, similar to other fragrances’ pricing, on the house website and a few other retailers’, and is available as part of the Legacy Discovery Set that I purchased, at $90 for 3 x 7.5ml.

8 out of 10

First wearing of Caswell-Massey Heritage 2571, or simply 2571, part of a trio of fragrances, the Legacy Discovery Set, that I recently acquired as my first tries of this house that has quite a legacy in the US. This fragrance is a 2023 release and is fresh, herbal, green, and a little spicy, with notes of bergamot, cardamom, cypress, orris, and vetiver. It’s pleasant, not as dark as the spicier fougere Oaire, but a little more broadly appealing in its lighter, fresher character. Still, it’s an interesting mix with a green, borderline eucalyptus-like character, sort of an everyday freshie that’s business-friendly but perhaps not something I’d wear for an evening occasion.

2571 is EDP concentration and priced at $200 for 100ml, sold mainly via the house site, available in some discovery sets, the Legacy of which is $90 for 3 x 7.5ml. The value on Oaire is better, given that it’s a bit bolder, with better performance, but it’s not bad for 2571.

7 out of 10

First try of one of Caswell-Massey’s most recent releases, Oaire, from 2024. While I’ve been familiar with the house of Caswell-Massey for some years, I’ve never actually smelled anything from them until relatively recently, having ordered the Legacy Discovery Set trio of fragrances. Oaire is a spicy, fairly dark blend with some fresh touches, described as an aromatic fougere, and it definitely smells like a classic fougere, for the most part. Geranium, osmanthus, patchouli, pepper, cedar, and suede dominate this risk. It has a bright, lively, sharp, peppery, floral side to it, but more so an underbelly of dark, spicy, resinous/leathery side, which, to me, gives it more distinction.

It performs outstandingly, and I think I would find it challenging to wear in the summer but otherwise works for most seasons, and leans a bit more formal than casual. While I do not regard it as super innovative, or an especially notable example of “classic meets modern” (it feels mostly classic to me), I think it’s great execution of the concept, a masculine-leaning blend that can serve one very well throughout the year and is likely to turn heads in a positive way.

Oaire is EDP concentration, priced at $200 for 100ml, and available in discovery sets, also, via the house website and seemingly a few retailers, though I bought my set via the house website. I think the main bottle pricing is very reasonable in the current market and the discovery set, if on sale, isn’t bad either, with three-7.5ml spray bottles priced at $90 retail, though it can be less expensive with a coupon.

8 out of 10