Habanita (for women)

MoietToi

I would really like to try this one it seems so sophisticated and very classy. Oh yeah the name Habanita reminds me of this song from George Bizets Carmen : "Habanera".

litldove7

Habanita. Definitely an acquired taste. Something about it reminds me of Shalimar, but less smokey/gasoline/burnt rubber-like. Ok, that sounds horrible...but I love Shalimar, so naturally, I love this too. I actually find it more wearable than Shalimar (on my skin at least).

I don't get any fruits here. The flowers also seem to be hiding somewhere unknown to me. Instead, I get a dry, tantilizingly earthy, musky, slightly sweet tobacco & orris root aroma. Though this is an older perfume, I just can't call this dated. Calling it so would be an insult to all wonderfully-composed vintage fragrances. I, for one, am pleased with this. Habanita has the "balls" to be unique (as compared to many of these other fragrances). I can picture a woman with an I-don't-give-a-damn look, smoking a sweet-smelling cigar, with leathery sun-drenched skin, dark smoldering eyes, disheveled hair, working hard over a meal she is preparing...but still sexy in her own right. Don't mess with her though. She could drop-kick you with her eyes alone.

Mellyhelly

I've been wanting to try this famous fragrance for long time and when I finally got a sample I was disappointed.
It's not bad smelling. Actually it's very interesting but too weird and - hate to say this - it smells so old. Ithink it smells old because it has been around for many years and it was probably all the hype when I came out.
Maybe it's a matter of chemistry. On my skin it smells so dusty, like an old house. It's all dust and smoked Baby Shampoo Johnson's with hint of hairspray. Too bad. I think it's a masterpiece in its on kind.

lillybee

A nice and well-balanced little sister of Shalimar, the resemblance on my skin is striking though Habanita is softer, sweeter and generally 'well-behaved'. On my skin the most dominant notes are lilac, orris root, jasmine, leather and vanilla. It's a dark, 'old-fashioned', dusty and woody oriental with 'dried flowers kept in old drawer' floral tones and a quite sweet vanilla topping.

nadzieja

Great! Deep, rich, heavy, bitter and very, very sweet. Sometimes a bit inconvenient in the beginning, but after some time ... phew! Lasts for days.
Can be worn all the day, but you have to be in Habanita's type. If not - she won't be comfortable with you.

memechose

I have worn this since 24 yrs old. I think its closer to a chypre(oakmoss base), than a oriental, although Michael Edwards classifies it as a Woody oriental.But structurally it reacts on me like chypres...

If you can afford the pure perfume it is nite and day from edt, like going from black and white to HD. On me its not heavy or dark, like Mitsouko. As Mr.lerouge-bernard said in the interview about Molinard, its for a very specific woman....

allexa27

very nice and wearable classic.Not like some other that can give u a headache and make u dizzy.smells like sweet tobacco,very nice...

hollivomitsyou

habanita is lovely. it feels very self assured and feminine. more than anything it is powdery but has some fruit. if you really dislike tobacco, this would not be a good choice. otherwise, definitely worth a go!

solocha

My encounter with Habanita is marked by a load of respect I built upon sniffing it. It was raining drearily, under clowd like in autumn yesterday and when I tried the sample I didn't know what to think, where to locate myslef. This is truly a dark scent, but to me the first notes were morbid. In other words, it didn't go with me, the what I guessed as indolic notes gave me impression of carcass and instantly brought anxiety to my mind.
Later, the middle notes came out within 3-4 hours, the scent grew into a civilised, intense perfume of an important femme-fatale-like personage. It was a perfume of the first half of the past century, of black and white films when glamour was real because it was rare and uncopied. Habanita is appealing once it develops the middle notes. I could distinguish rich, almost rotting fruits and complex heavy flowers. I will try it again but I doubt this will be my favourite - it's too scary.

eljayebee

If you can stand the sharp (almost bitter) first 5 minutes, you may love this, as I (and my husband) do. The only scent I have found where the "leather" notes don't produce a hot rubber smell on me(i.e. Knize Ten!). Just gets muskier and sexier the longer it stays on my skin. And it DOES last - all night and into the next morning. Erotic and earthy, I don't wear this one to work.

tommy_girl

Habanita is typical oriental,old fashioned fragrance that you can imagine your mum wearing it.but I'm sure it was good enough at the year it came out.
the opening is sharp,full of oriental flowers and a bit bitter.
ylang-ylang is very dominant and the whole smelling is very familiar to my nose.it's a bit like Mahora by geurlain,the original escada fragrance and a bunch of classic perfumes.
to me this is too sweet and sharp to take,though the smelling becomes milder after a while,the sweetness doesn't disappear.
by the way I like the idea of the bottle very much;the woman with long hairs,just a classic feature of a woman,but mysterious at the same time;just the fragrance in it.

Ambraselvaggia

One of the most revolutionary fragrances I ever tried, although it dates back to more than 80 years ago. Yes, it is not for everyone... but if you want to make yourself unbelievable, just try it!

NebraskaLovesScent

I love Molinard de Molinard and had high hopes for Habanita. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

In spite of the complexity of the notes, the overall effect of this fragrance on my skin was that of baby powder. Johnson and Johnson baby powder. That's not a bad smell, but I was expecting a bit more from this legend of the perfume world. I definitely recommend sampling first.

mahanta

Unfortunately this is the only perfume (out of about 100) that I have tested which keeps fighting with my skin chemistry, and the outcome is really unpleasant, reminding of an ancient attic full of dusty chests and old-fashioned clothes:( I regret it so much because I wanted to love it judging by notes and reviews. The only way I can tolerate it is layering with Rose Essentielle. Oh, well, there are still other fish in the sea;=)

woogyjones50

This truly is a dusty oriental-so well put by tessture. It describes this perfume perfectly. I don't think I have ever experienced a perfume, except maybe Mitsouko (Sp?) that has that dusty scent to it. This one is spicy, powdery, dusty, strangly sexy, and incredibly long lasting on the skin. It is surprising to me the level of powder this one gives off. And it is odd because that powdery scent mixed with spice, musk, and leather is indeed an unusual combination. But I enjoy wearing this one-it's perfect for cold weather-and I can catch brief moments when I'm wearing this perfume when I am struck by how sexy it is. Probably not for everyone but if you like heavy and dark perfumes, this one is really worth a try.

tessture

Heavy, dusty oriental that smells dated on my skin. Contrarily, my sister can wear this in the same fashion as En Avion or Vol de Nuit. This is more affordable than those, but must be sampled.