Habanita Molinard for women

This works wonderfully with my skin chemistry.

I find it powdery and smooth. Very wearable and not synthetic. No sharp edges. Well rounded.

I do not find it dark as some people have mentioned.
There could be some kinship with Youth Dew and Shalimar in a general sense.

A beautiful oriental with a dry down that is stunning.

Seriously? Habanita is so overrated. Reminds me of high school girls in the 80’s that used Love’s Baby Soft to cover-up the smell of cigarettes. It’s all smoke and baby powder. Gross!!!

Habanita, translated as little Havana, is bold and strong fragrance radically different from many contemporary perfumes I have in my collection. I love a lot its unique and extravagant character. The scent is beautiful and complex. It has a slight masculine edge with leather, tobacco and woody notes but it also has the powdery softness, which I find romantic and pretty. It is like wearing a tailored leather jacket with a silk dress that look great together.

I find the opening to be sharp, woody and green. The galbanum is quite intense with strong leathery tones. I think you have to appreciate the galbanum and leather to like the opening. I do love these two, so I do enjoy it a lot. The scent develops into deep, dark and decadent floral bouquet with mostly ylang-ylang and orris wrapped in leathery notes. I think at this stage the scent really fits its black, art deco bottle. The next stage becomes more powdery and softer but the leather note is still going strong. I love the fact that there are leather and woody notes to balance the powdery layer. It adds a sophisticated edge. The base notes are very complex with the comforting, slightly powdery benzoin, amber and vanilla wrapped with leathery tobacco. It is unique and beautiful. The sillage and longevity are excellent.

If Shalimar (launched in 1925) captures the mystical oriental trends of 1920s, Habanita (launched in 1924) captures the avant-garde music, art deco and feminist movement of that era. How cool is that we can still experience the scents that were around for almost a century! I was thinking about what type of a woman would wear Habanita back in those days. Perhaps she would be a bit of a rebel, smoke cigars and have radical views on politics and women’s rights. Or perhaps she would be a quiet girl who would secretly buy Habanita to make her feel more confident and worldly. Nevertheless, this wonderful perfume is not only a beautiful leather scent in my collection but also an exciting journey through time.

Overall score 8.5/10. I recommend it if you like leather scents and into bold, strong perfumes. But I also think that Habanita is one of those historical scents that every perfumista should have on the list to try at least once in a lifetime.

Habanita certainly deserves the mass genuflection that it seems to have received – but more for its survival through nine decades than any great production of quality. It has aged poorly, and in its present form and formulation it is very much the musty anachronism I hoped it would not be.

The opening gathers you up and acquires significant momentum, but sadly topples over into an unacceptably harsh beginning. Although the floral element is noteworthy, it is never more than collaboration, a guiding hand through a difficult genesis. The unsullied vanilla note is evident early on, and the bittersweet accords it produces throughout are at best agreeable, but certainly nothing to delight in.

It probably has a slightly more prominent Y chromosome, but at no stage would I classify it as being gender specific. In its favour, it is modestly priced and readily available, but Habanita is certainly no oil painting. A prolonged wearing has certainly stemmed any purple prose that I may have expended onto this page, and instead it leaves me dulled and disappointed.

I find myself in the curious position of having to "eat my words" as it were. The following is my original review:

"Very very harsh!! With that combination of notes it should be incredible, but just isn't ... on skin that is. I've been using it as a room spray ... it's great in the air :o). Sadly, on my skin it has a 'nails on chalkboard' quality ... was really hoping I could pull this off. Oh well ... back to the hunt."

And then today ...:

By happenstance, a box of fragrances that I ordered some time ago and was lost in the mail finally made it to me. Inside, there lay a tester bottle of Habanita. When I thought this shipment was gone for good I had reordered Habanita from a different source and taken it along with me on a trip to the Seychelles. There, in the rank humidity, it didn't work. Today I thought "Oh what the hell!!" and whacked about six sprays to my left forearm ... and fell in LOVE LOVE LOVE!! How strange ... the summer heat where I live is very dry ... and Habanita thrives in it!!! Leathery powder with a cigar bar vanilla symphony!! Make no mistake ... She's a bitch, this one ... slightly ragged around the edges but in such a confident way. I'm so glad I tried this again ... SIMPLY WONDERFUL in the right atmospheric conditions!! If the EDT is this awesome I'm going to have to find the EDP and Parfum ... I smell a hunt coming on :o).

"Mmmm, I smell baby powder..." says my husband.

Works for me!

HABANITA,my big love!

Dark, powdery leather with a touch of sweet vanilla is the way I would summarize this incredible fragrance.

It opens with a slight rubbery note and a blast of face/baby powder. The floral notes are fleeting in this perfume.

The powder never goes, but the leather and vanilla come to the forefront as it dries down.

Habanita is my favorite scent that has a prominent leather note. The leather is so buttery, that combined with the sweetness of the vanilla, it seems to melt into the skin. While at the same time, being surrounded by a cloud of sweet powder.

This perfume conjures up images of the dressing rooms of starlets during Hollywood's Golden Age. I would have loved to have experienced those times. And Habanita represents that glamorous, chic elegance.

Yes, it's true that Habanita is now an octogenarian, but she is as relevant and wearable now as she was in the past.

This is a classy fragrance, but one that packs a punch. Habanita is neither shy nor retiring. Kinda like wearing combat boots with an evening gown.

Amazing sillage and longevity are also part and parcel of what Habanita has to offer. This fragrance is VERY powdery though, so it needs to be tested first.

I love this perfume. When I wear it, I truly feel like one of those Hollywood starlets that I mentioned.

Very very harsh!! With that combination of notes it should be incredible, but just isn't ... on skin that is. I've been using it as a room spray ... it's great in the air :o). Sadly, on my skin it has a 'nails on chalkboard' quality ... was really hoping I could pull this off. Oh well ... back to the hunt.

I have a 100ml bottle available for swap if anyone is interested. Please PM me.

What a glorious moment it was when I first met you Habanita. Thanks to mr. Turin I got curious..and you're so affordable, I just had to have you after reading so many nice reviews and when the moment finally arrived..wow..you're a gorgeous, sexy lady.
At first I totally get that it was used to perfume cigarettes, even though I loathe smoking, this is very nice. After a while Habanita gets so powdery, smokey, really strong and at the same time soft like a feather. I'm in love!

Can't believe that such a beautiful feminine perfume got such a butch bad girl image!? OK it may have a very smoky edge, but it's delightful, like softly aromatic wood smoke. This is a gentle caressing scent that is utterly enchanting. The vanilla and benzoin blend in so smoothly and sweetly to the smoky leather. If only the vanilla didn't take over at the finish and turn the whole thing into Shalimar, I would adore it. A remarkable artistic blend nevertheless.

For EDT: I spray the new bottle on my hand and smell, like body powder I use during the early 80s. I wait for it to dry down. The beginning smell fruity, very similar to Estee Lauder Young Dew, just less sweet.

I think Young Dew got the idea from Habanita.

After the top notes, smell like body powder or bath soap in the 80s. Smell like 4 or 5 stars hotel bathing products. After hours when it totally dry, you have the incense, leather, vanilla smell like Shalimar EDP.

This perfume makes me think of the rich or powerful women during the 80s. Rich women working/live in New York City, Wallstreet or 5th Avenue.

This is a bold, seductive scent for the extremely confident woman - the quintessential femme fatale who sees herself as 100% a man's equal and then so much more. I would love everything about it if it didn't have that rough, tobacco-leathery note that evokes too much of a "Clark Gable" image rather than ...say a "Rita Hayworth" one. Might just be best left to men - altogether. Want seduction, confidence AND loads of femininity? Just get Samsara and be done with it.

very chep smelling fragrance and to much tobak for my test ,very heavy and old fashion!not for me

On me it's just lovely powder, lovely is not for me thou. Still a masterpiece and mystery. Will try again some time special.

It took me a long time to understand and finally love this masterpiece. I smelled it for the first time about two years ago in Grasse, France, and I found it too heavy, too overpowering, to complicated.

This summer I gave it another try, and boom, the new experience was totally different. The same perfume, but different effect on me. It is so multifaceted, so multidimensional, layers after layers of leather, tobacco, vanilla, amber and powdery iris. I smell no fruits. It has a long life on skin, with a beautiful dry-down.

A perfume with a hunter instinct in it`s hurt, so if you aren`t sure you could face it, better not take the risk. If she feels your fear she will live your skin smelling like burned rubber and smoke, but if you accept her challenge she will develop beautiful on you. So, my advice is not to runaway after the first impression, but try it again after awhile. It`s so good and unique!

Not for every day, just for special occasions that will become precious memories.

Wow, I have to say this is a masterpiece. After wanting to smell it for a long time, I finally received my precious sample and I am wearing it now. What a pity this is so hard to get a hold of, as it could surely be a major hit if re-released today. There is smoke here, but it's "cool evenings around a campfire", not cigarettes. Balanced with gorgeous vanilla that is creamy & not too sweet. A hint of spiciness that blends perfectly. If it was a wine I would call it "well balanced", and it would be a dry red in the European style - maybe an old Chateauneuf-du-Pape, or even a Barolo - no sweet fruitiness here, just big leather/tobacco/spice/sweaty horses (all considered good things in wine!). Not at all floral (I think it can be the overwrought flowers in a heavy perfume that make it smell so "old lady"-ish). There's a whiff of fresh air here too (perhaps the slightest herbal touch?) that freshens it. A little goes a long way, but I could see making this my signature.

Update: after 2 hours this has dried down and is very close to the skin. I don't think it is a sillage monster at all. I can smell the powdery elements but for me it's more vintage face powder & not baby powder. There's an interesting rootbeer note too, freshening up the spice & leather. I can't wear Shalimar, Opium, Poison and other famous "sexy" perfumes, but this one sits very well on me. No headache. Truly a charmer.

Just love Habanita, the black Lalique bottle and the scent! Very comforting, and close to the skin. An everyday perfume if used sparingly, vanilla, vetiver, a little patchouli. Great in winter and in summer. I bought the perfume as well but do prefer the EDT.

This is a perfume that behaves as she sees fit. When she arrived in the mail last week, I could barely contain my excitement opening the box. She didn't let me down the first time I wore her, but she did change her signature as the day went on. Since then however, she's left an unidentifiable but undeniably gnarly smell on my skin. I've tried layering her with shea butter and vanilla lotions, but she still turns me rancid. I can't figure out what I did to offend her or how to regain her favor. I'm so sad about us not working out. The Molinards are so very affordable yet unique. Are there others out there similar to Habanita that would give me that one-of-a-kind scent without making me smell like I've rolled around in wet cigarettes and dirty underwear (and then compensated for the displeasing odor with baby powder I found in the back of my grandma's linen closet)?

I can't really read Habanita. The synergy that others describe doesn't happen for me. I actually search for a bit of dissonance in a perfume. It lends character, a bit of mystery. Maybe just gives it a laugh. Even outright antagonism can be effective (see the floral leather genre.)

Habanita has neither synergy, as in the fougere's coumarin and lavender accord, nor the stagey acrimony of Angel, for instance. It straddles an uncomfortable, tangled territory between leaden and powdery.

From a distance, everything about this perfume told me I would love it, from the tabacco inclusion to the beautiful bottle to the history of it. Once worn, it is a huge disappointment. All I get is POWDER combined with a stale cigarette smell. I was once in a bingo hall in the 80's and this is what comes to mind. Maybe it is a chemistry thing??

Wonderful, wonderful fragrance! Classy, mysterious, super sensual and still much more modern and charismatic than J'adore or Coco Mademoiselle... as far as I'm concerned ;)

Carmen opera"habanera" in a bottle..they even sound and smell the same...Habanita where have you been all my life

Hi.

A salute to the glamorous lifestyle of the roaring 1920s.HABANITA is for the woman who gets into a lot of trouble(and likes it!).one of my undeniable favorite scent for evening on a seductive woman. Absolutely marvelous is exactly how you feel when using this fragrance.Powerful,Glamorous,Alluring, Spicy,Classic,Naughty,Deep,Intriguing and Utterly Seductive.

It possessing a blend of leather with mossy-floral notes such as ylang-ylang,heliotrope and patchouli. rose and jasmine pack an exciting punch.In fact an passionate and flamboyant scent with a seductive smoky trail left by tobacco and vanilla that makes a trail of mystery in the evening air as so many people ask you what are you wearing?It is a magnetic fragrance that can drive men absolutely crazy.

The dry down is the most captivating and sensual female dry downs that i have experienced.A great evening fragrance when you want to feel super sexy. not recommend for the shy.It is definitely for a night on the prowl.Perfect for COLD weather.it reminds me a smoker woman with interminable sexuality.HABANITA is seduction in a bottle.

Sillage?Ok.

Longevity?Great on my skin.

8/10

I think, Habanita is the only perfume in my collection just because the drydown is stunning.:)

The first knock out is the opening, it's very weird on me, pepper with smokey leather and tobacco, orris and chocolate!!:D I really have to hold back my breath ..:) After the awakening from this shock the hiding beauty comes slowly: slightly sweet vanilla aroma and amber give deepness and darkness..old-school,smokey, earthy, dirty and misterous..for dignified womens.:)

this is a cozy soft cuddly sweater you wear on a cold winter night for me, i don't get a lot of sex appeal from it, like i do from shalimar, for instance. They are similar in a smokey vanilla way, but citrus and incense in shalimar makes it edgier and more interesting for me. this is softer, more rounded, but still a dark perfume. i get from it rose, amber, benzoin, orris root..do not smell leather.

Another one of those that are put together so roughly that they can't with any measure of safety be applied any higher than your ankles. This stuff is toxic up close, but very good at more than an arm's length. The price reflects the work that went into this scent. Good value nevertheless.

After reading some reviews i have picked some words, which in my opinion define Habanita best. Also, i agree most with "Cleo Cupcake" and "LILLYBEE´s" review.
Here it goes:
Gothic;
Strong;
Deep;
Reach;
Yummy;
Long Lasting;
Classy;
Please contact me if you want to exchange it for something else. I will make my offer :)

What the hell is this? A rancid bottle of Love's Baby Soft meets Old Spice? Where is the smoke, the bad girl, the sexiness?
So glad I only tested a sample of this. NEVER again! It stunk up the whole house and it took me forever to scrub the ungodly stench off my poor wrist.

Shalimar's less annoying but just as desperate fraternal twin.

je viens d’essayer Habanita : Il m’a fallu pour cela me dire que non non, en dépit du packaging ça peut aussi marcher pour les hommes, et vaincre les premiers instants de la pulvérisation, très "vieille cocotte" (Ou vieux machin, pas de jaloux)... Quelques temps plus tard, la magie opère : l’aspect très chargé (trop) s’estompe, l’ombre de ma grande tante disparait et la douceur (pas si douce que ça en fait) de la vanille s’impose. Donc : j’aime beaucoup, mais pour ma part j’aurais la main très très légère, et je laisserais passer un certain délai avant de partager Habanita avec mon entourage, pour que s’installe cette rondeur très baroque...
Pour homme et pour femme, définitivement!
10 / 10

This fragrance is new to me....where has this been all my life? I love orientals and this is up there with the best of them. Very much old school its sultry, smokey, exotic and warm. Don't judge on first application, this is a builder. The dry down is beautiful and lasting, sprayed onto clothing you can smell it for days. You can smell the history in this EDT and has already become one of my favourites. I would love to smell this vintage pure perfume I bet its spectacular.

It does evoke an atmosphere of paris in the 20s, black beaded dresses, heavy makeup, bobs, smoky cafes--but in an innocuous kind of way. ultimately, the main impression is POWDERY. i get an image of open powderboxes on a dresser, puffs and all.
Like my friend debbie's mom used to say "It's a look, debbie" -but its not mine.

Ps: very powdery for a number of hours, but a nice drydown, more vanilla than musk, but great quality.

Just got my US perfume purchases...and had to try them.

Nearly died when I spritzed the Habanita. Nearly died with intoxication of the most wonderful kind!!

You hit the nail on the head, Sissi...smoky, liquor laden, and oh, so, so dark woman alluring. It smells to me like my best friends and wonderful, wonderful parties, during which it is ok to be outrageous, and strong and really let loose.

Again, I breathed...this is the one...the one that really captures my essence. Good times, smoky clubs, and the devil may care.

I've (again) already ordered another bottle as this makes me feel invincible, liberated and oh so delectable.

This fragrance come to me like an 2 ml sample. It smelled BEFORE opening the bottle!

Indeed, the EDT is very intensiv, no spray it, it blows you away, only dab it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you wear leather, you have to try it, it fits good with leather, but it´s also fresh.
I really wanted to like this absolutely unique signature scent and lovely flacon, but after 1 hour after spraying it, I noticed a migraine coming on. It must be the very strong vanilla and this one will sadly fade into perfume history. It´s so sad. Very high quality of a fragrance.

Despues de haber leido por largo tiempo las "maravillas" de Habanita comence a obsesionarme
con conseguir una botella, la mas grande que hubiese ya que las notas prometian que seria una de mis fragancias favoritas...Para una persona como yo que no puede comprar en linea(online) a falta de paypal y tarjeta de credito fue realmente dificil de encontrar, HTF!!!, y en los pocos lugares que llegaban a tener la exquisita fragancia la vendian como oro liquido que me hacia preferir comprar un "Guerlain". Pero la suerte me sonrio y pude encontrar por fin el perfume a un precio mas accesible y no dude en comprarlo.
El primer contacto del perfume con mi piel fue magico, amor a primera vista, un delicioso aroma de vainillas, tabaco, maderas, todo como una brisa de aire otonal, mistico y misterioso.
Tiene una longevidad bastante aceptable en la piel de aproximadamente 4hrs, maravilloso considerando mi dificultad en encontrar un perfume longevo en la acidez de mi piel.
Para damas seguras de si mismas con gusto por la elegancia.

Tra i suoi tanti parenti lui davvero ha una nota sfacciatamente distintiva..ha fegato!! Non solo, ma ha un ottimo sillage e se non bastasse non è uno snob come i suoi stretti familiari orientali. Originale, accessibile, unico.
Ok, dopo tutti questi complimenti devo però riconoscere che non è nelle mie corde, potrei indossarlo una volta all'anno per ricordare cosa significhi un buon, vero profumo. Lo stimo ma non ho sentimenti di amore per lui.

I have heard so much about Habinita Molinard that I decided to have a go ordering online. When I sprayed it on I found it very intense. After a few moments, the ylang ylang, musk, vanilla notes came out. It has long staying power and I felt sensual and mysterious. It's deeper and darker than Chanel 5 and defnitely the scent for more sophisticated women. Whenever I wear it I receive many compliments. I am glad to have it.

un très grand parfum,qui ne coûte pas grand'chose ,qui ne fait aucune publicité.c'est l'histoire de mon grand amour ,c'est l'histoire d'une femme qui vit par passion,un note de tète surprenante puis une tenue incomparable......une merveille!

You're so right Habanita! I wore it to bed last night and it was still humming along this morning. A wonderful scent.

I'm a big fan of Habanita as you can guess :)
It's inexpensive, it's great with wonderful lasting power. The scent even goes on the next day.
The beginning might be a bit harsh but soon it fades to the middle and endnotes. I got so many compliments for this scent. To me it's a "full diva" scent and not for shy girls. I hear people saying they smell vanilla and honey in this, but it's not so sweet as e.g. Angel. It's a sophisticated classic scent I would recommend for going out. It's a grown up scent and not for young girls. The scent has a warm and yummy but also very comforting effect.

I have been wearing this all weekend, and I'm in love.

If you want to get an impression of the scent, run down to Walmart and grab a cheap mini of Tabu. I wore Tabu on one arm and Habanita on the other. They are in the same family, for sure, and if you hate Tabu, you will probably hate Habanita too. However, if you sort of like the Tabu, but wish it was nicer and less harsh, you will more than likely dig the Habanita.

Habanita is rich, dark, smooth and powdery. It is a woman in a slinky but tasteful gown who is holding a scotch on the rocks and purring "I like you" into the ear of a handsome man.

wow this is a realy interesting fragrance .
I cant quite deside if i like it or not . only tested it jet .
but this have so much going one . It is very smokey to me . At first i get a little wiff of the flowers and berrys, the middlenotes gets in realy fast on me . the Orris rot are absoultly there and the ylange ylange. It is a bit heavy and Lady like . If i shold put a picture to this stage i would pick a grown up lady , shure off here self , sexy , desired by many , and quite bold .
I feel like this is a perfume that must be worn in the right mood off a lady . it is quite sexy , and like on a hunt perfume . he he ...For a night out maybe?
i do get the resamblens to Shalimar . but infact i like this better ,
I put it on this morning to test . but i had to wash it off because i dident think it fit my slow mood for the day off . this is more off a night fragrance .
I guess i have to try it when im in the Mood for it ..smooky lethery , nice , but is it for me ?? that remains to be seen:)

To me it is very similar to Rive Gauche, which I am not crazy about. I do like this one more after about an hour, but to me that is too long to wait for just ok. I didn't find it too dramatic, just kind of musty as opposed to rich. A shame because it almost gets there and I feel like I missed out on a fun find.

Man where do I start with this one? Can you say SEXY? SEDUCTIVE? DARK? HOT? I LOVE this perfume. It is one of the most sensual fragrances ever. It lasts for an eternity on skin and just oozes sex appeal. I bought this blind just because of the notes alone and I was blown away at how fabulous it is. I can't believe it took me this long to get a bottle of this seductive juice. If you are into dark sensual leathery ambery powdery scents then by all means run out and get yourself a bottle of this ASAP! FANTASTIC!

Oh, man...I was so sure that after Bal a Versailles and Rumba my nose is steeled against pretty much everything. But one spray of Habanita almost knocked me over. It does get significantly more nose friendly after about an hour, but wouldn't come off for days if you just leave it on. It does have some similarities with Shalimar, but Shalimar is by far superior in refinement.
Let me tell you, it can be much more enjoyable if you stop thinking of crotches and dirty underwear and just take a look at the notes, because it is very comforting scent and yes, sexy.
I'm not sure i will ever be wearing in public, but I am glad I could experience this classic. And yes, I surely can appreciate its quality and complexity.

UPDATE:

Not as scary as I thought!

It falls in the same familiar old-school Oriental family as Shalimar & Maja (vintage formula).

Baby powder, booze, vanilla, roses, leather, sweet tobacco, and spice. It's sexy, timeless, and screams bad girl! I could see myself wearing this, but I almost feel it would require a uniform of whips and chains to go along with... this stuff is intense!

The word "familiar" can have several senses or meanings. For example you can say that a perfume is familiar when it reminds you of other perfumes or, in the case of Habanita, when it simply makes you feel comfortable. This fragrance plays on several universally familiar smells (baby powder, vanilla, flowers) and gives them a sexy twist moving back and forth from naivety and malice and doing it with an incredible "nonchalance". After a quite impressive and distinctive opening with a smoky flowers bouquet wrapped in leather, it morphes into a sweet and warm musky leather and vanilla drydown. In this phase it stays colse to the skin and at the same time definitely remarks its presence that's dangerously sexy and unforgettable. An unique perfume that can do great also on a man.

Rating: 9/10

"If you can imagine dousing yourself in baby powder, donning an old leather jacket and then smoking a cigar in a closed room with a single rose in a vase 10 feet away, you’ll get the general idea" (online review quote)

I'll be getting this! ...it's on it's way.....yipeee!

Update: Rec'd, and it is EXACTLY as described above. Not scary at all, but not my style. I remember this smell from taxis when I was a child.

This smell seems like it would suit a man better than a woman to me...

OK Dark beauty, I want to try this one too.... so... if you don`t like it we could make a swap :)

This is not really a review, review... sorry

I want to try this scent, but why am I scared to take the plunge? Maybe because everyone keeps talking about it being "dirty", and then associating it with cigaretts, which I hate.

Some are scared of classics like Chanel 5, or Shalimar, but the reviews on this one have me teetering on the edge. They are so mixed.

It's a classic, and just for that, more than deserves a try! Even if it'll take some courage on my part to do so.

I like it but am not getting the down and dirty experience I had hoped for.

Certainly not girly, prissy or pretty but still a little too conventional.

Bandit is too much, Habanita is not enough.
Cabochard is for beginners.

Where to from here ?

Molinard's Habanita was first designed as a fragrance to scent cigarettes. As an occasional smoker myself, I can certainly see how this fragrance could mesh well with the scent of smokey, stale tobacco smoke. Don't get me wrong, I love the smell of cigarettes, especially on a man even though I know it's a dirty habit. Molinard's Habanita for this reason, is a little piece of heaven.

Habanita opened quite strongly on my skin with rich, shiny leather notes, sweet, powdery peach and nose-burning resins. It was like a more potent version of Bvlgari's Black at first, dark, rubbery and slightly masculine.

As it settled, the floral accords began to immerge, in a sweet, baby-powderish manner with subtle hints of smokey tobacco, leather and resins. Occasionally it smelt like red vintage lipstick, that odd cosmetic smell I come across in classic scents sometimes. I find this combination quite delicious and strangely sexual, in a sadistic and masochistic way.

Habanita is the scent of a strong, confident and powerful woman who does not mess around, she gets straight down to business. It almost blows my mind with how raunchy and wicked this fragrance is. I love wearing this because it's so different from what I usually reach for on a daily basis.

My man, although he was a little taken aback at first, adores this scent on me. He says it smells like I've just spent the day with some hot lesbian bikers in leather get-up, smoked a few too many cigarettes and came back to him smelling clean and powdery but dirty at the same time. His description is actually far more exact than my own.

All in all, as I've said, this is an extremely powerful fragrance and one that lasts a decade on the skin too. I highly recommend to everyone and anyone, and I think those that dismiss it are fools because it's a classic for reason, and a good reason at that. Thankyou Adrien02 for gifting me this beautiful fragrance.

well based on all these reviews, i did get myself a sample and it is not at all what I expected. I have to wash it off that is how much I don't like it. I did not expect the heavy baby powder smell to be so prominent. I never want to smell of baby powder. It would make more sense to just buy that (and cheaper)... This is probably the first disappointing perfume I ever purchased. Sorry everyone...this one is a stinker.

Great! Timeless is a big time compliment. Does it remind you of anything? I¬d even sooo appreciate if anyone send me a stripe of paper sprayed with this so that I could at least imagine. I could send you in return a try of something from my wardrobe.

I haven`t tried Habanita yet. I`d love to but need to sample it beforehand and so far haven`t found any Molinard boutique. So I`d love to ask you, honestly, without any perfume quasi intellectual attitude is this fragrance similar to Shalimar or to the original Arpege by Lanvin, which are both excellent and very pleasant to my nose but (lets face it) a bit dated. So... does Habanita smell dated? What do you think?

Espectacular,cálido,dulce,con mucha personalidad.De los perfumes mas maravillosos que he tenido en mi vida.Un gran acierto!!!

I´m totally impressed of this fragrance and I´m so glad, that I found it... I bought now 2 bottles and I hope they will last a while... ;-) I was locking for a "special" leather-fragrance and than I found this beauty! Happy-happy-happy! Smelling smoky without smoking... great! ;-D

Woody and smokey,heavy, dark, gothic. Jazz clubs at 2am. I cannot compare it to anything else as it is such a unique smell. Its longevity is incredible. I think its a scent everyone should try but only about 10% will wear it. I love it but can see that it's not for everyone.

Who were you, sweet Habanita? Were you a sultry-voiced cantante singing her boleros and swaying her silk-clad hips to the sound of conga in a dark cafe? Were you a haughty mulata, whose skin smells of ylang and tobacco as she paces the moonlit Malecon, breathing the salty ocean wind after a day of rolling cigars in a humid tabaqueria, dress clinging to the perfect hourglass figure, bare shoulders glistening with the first dew of balmy night's sweat, hair untamed and adorned with a single vermillion flower?
Did you while away your siestas daydreaming in a lush fragrance-filled patio of a whitewashed villa in Siboney? Did you give your generous young body to anyone who desired it, and then, did you wash their love away with french soaps they gifted you with, remebering each and every one of these nameless, faceless men with a dignified gratitude and a pang of affection?
Who were you, inspirer of poets, assassins, perfumers? I wish I knew...

But as I'll never know her in flesh, I still envision her, a fierce woman long gone, all but her scent, the scent of Habanita.

Do not shy away from this one....the dry down is definitely worth waiting for if you are put off by the initial burst of fragrance with the first spray. I love wearing these orientals since so many people won't give them a chance. It makes wearing perfume more special when everyone else is not walking around with the same scent.

Ohhh this is just impossibly good.
When I used it for the first time I thought "well, powder - nothing special", but! Then it started changing: to sweet, leathery, slightly rosy, powdery tobacco. Amazing and so addictive.
I can easily imagine a crowded, jazz club and women with bobbed hair, fitting hats and in tight, sleek dresses, smoking lots of cigarettes. And wearing Habanita.
It's mind-blowing and seducing.
Truly a masterpiece.

Ay ! When you first spray on Habanita this foxy lady will swirl around you asking for a dance ! :-)

This is a very unusual scent. Potent and seductive, reminding me just a little bit of Poison but without the fruits.
Habanita has a good portion of leather in it but very very soft and musk, mixed with tobacco and some spices and flowers.
Floriental and nothing for ladies who prefer "quiet" scents. Habanita is salsa through and through and will get you noticed !
The "baby powder" note is noticeable but I very much enjoy it. It is part of this strong but yet soft perfume.
Use it for a night out in town or on a date - you will feel extraordinary wearing it.
Besides, the black opaque bottle is beautiful !

On first spritz, I get the strongest blast of baby powder, EVER! This phase lasts a long time...well over an hour. Wondering where all of these exotic notes are hiding? This is one dark, exotic, sister. Seems just perfect for a big, loud, rawkus night out downtown in the middle of winter...Indian food and then bar-hopping and clubs...A scent that will make me get into trouble when I wear it. That much is certain.

This fragrance Blow my mind. This is an intense, powdery, darkly seductive vanilla/tobacco fragrance, with so addictive leather notes. The scent lasts longer than any perfume I have, it certainly lasts and I've only used a drop or two.

I feel Habanita is the rebel lady-killer and risk-taker sister of Tabac blond.

The bottle is an outstanding Lalique design.

If you enjoy big masterpice like Mitsouko or Shalimar, you will love this.

Great oriental perfume. On my skin, it smells mainly of vanilla. I wear it only in the winter because it reminds me of christmas dishes and warm cozy places. At the same time, I also like to wear it when I travel in exotic places such as Jaipur or Cairo.

I am not a fan of oriental perfumes but this one is an exception. It makes me feel like a "femme fatale" but a sweet one :)

AH Habanita! What a ride! This conjurs up images of a female lion tamer walking into the arena with a short black leather suit on.LOng leather gloves and a whip.The animals r let in,everyone bareing their teeth and groweling when,the biggest,blackest panther u have ever seen imerges.At first the panther wont obey his mistress and slaps at her whip,turning his massive head to look her straight in the eye.She makes deep eye contact and (FEELS)his strength and power coming out.Everything for a brief second stands still.Its as if time is frozen.In that brief second,she smiles knowing she of all people can tame this beast.

She cracks her whip and down from his stand he crawls.Just when things have escalated to the crowd feeling as small as ants,the beast turns and eyes her again! This time he lunges at her.But,she is not afraid.He wraps his mighty paws around her and they roll on the floor.The crowd is going wild,the heat,passion and unrealness of it is almost to hard to bear.

Just when they think they can stand no more,the big cat licks the mistress all over her faceand begins purring.The mistress has won.

Habanita is dark,passoniate and dangerous.Can u b one of the select ones to tame him?

ho sentito questa fragranze e me ne sono innamorata

Yes, yes, yes! This is about the smokiest, dirtiest, sexiest scent I have ever come across.

I got a little gun shy about blind buys. So I decided to go for just a lowly little sample of Habanita. After all, the reviews here are a little controversial. I wouldn't want to be disappointed.

I'm glad I was cautious but let me tell you, I would have been happy buying a gallon of this blind. It is everything I want in a fall/winter perfume.

Starts off spicy, then stays spicy, but has a little kick...then the drydown is tobacco and spices and leather and something really, really dirty and sexy. It reminds me of the way I find myself attracted to a man who smells like cigarettes...even though I don't smoke and hate the idea of second-hand smoke.

Habanita, you are one sexy devil, even if you taste like an ashtray.

Update: This stuff lasts and lasts...Up to 10 hours on my skin. It's one of thos apply in the evening and still smell in the morning scents. And this is for the EDT. Not sure about sillage as I am actually a bit afraid to wear it in public yet. As it gets to the leathery-powdery phase, about 20-30 minutes after applying, it takes on a slight hint of crotch, which I'm afraid others may not perceive as "perfume".

My bottle of Habanita arrived, bought online after reading all these wonderful reviews, and girls, you've nailed it. This is a perplexing perfume! It started warm and spicey, but by lunchtime (locked in a closed meeting) my colleagues were wondering "what that fuel-ey smell is". This evening it has lost its annoying, cloying punch, but is still going stong on leather and dirt. It certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea. It's a high risk proposition - I'd not wear it on a first date, but it might be just the thing for a seduction. I like that perfumes like Habanita are made - we don't all want to smell like roses and jasmine all the time!

Recieved my perfume today mmmmm smells a little fruity and slightly sweet candy kind of smell like bubble gum, with a little leather scent.Thats the first stage then couple of minutes later after a rubbery leathery sweet smell comes along this mysterious rich and soft powdery tobacco scent.very alluring complex sexy scent.Very mysterious.That s what it smells like on my skin.A srong baby powder in the drydown but with a twist, mature and elegant.

Everything you've heard and read about Molinard HABANITA is true: this really is a complex perfume! Now, whether or not one likes it, that's another matter, which clearly depends more on the skin of the wearer than the composition itself.

HABANITA opens bright, sweet, and fruity with a decidedly "going to be an oriental-vanilla fragrance" feeling. Wrong. One minute later, HABANITA begins to manifest a dark rubbery note which also has--as others have observed--a diesel oil cast. I would describe this as close to the smell of burnt tires, but not quite to the point of tar, a scent which I find often in myrrh-rich perfumes. Here it is the leather, apparently, which turns to dark rubber on my skin.

Just when I'm ready to dismiss HABANITA forever, however, a beautiful creamy woody oriental drydown appears! This stage is scrumptious, luscious and comfy, and the leather note has finally settled down to the point where vague memories of the opening begin to return. Except that the drydown exhibits the richness of wood and benzoin notes, which transform what might have been a mere fragrance into a perfume.

Conclusion: for about half of its relatively lengthy life, HABANITA is truly a pleasure to wear! But was it worth the wait, slogging through fields of old tires covered with diesel grease? About that, I am unclear.

Oh dear, oh my....I need to tell you all that I am in love with a new fragrance, and yes it is Habanita...

If I could make some stars for fragrances on a famous street, like the best Hollywood actors
have in America, I would sure pick Habanita. I waited for so long to discover this beauty, and I finally have it now, I was so excited, and the first impression was very good. You almost don't need to spray it to make an idea about what Habanita means. It is enough to smell the cap or the atomizer to be hit with a strong cigarette smoke mixed with vanilla in your face. Then if you survive the impact, and you dare to spray it, you will notice a bitter dusty smell, that would drive many people away from it.
After a short time, the bitter smell disappears
and leaves room to the greasy smell, that Catbiscuit was talking about...
If you resist to this too, you'll discover a treasure that Habanita is,
a creamy and powdery and greasy and cigarette smelling perfume.

Of course, my opinion is very subjective, and I am describing it, like I feel it on my skin.

If this managed to resist for almost a century, it really deserves to be on the list of the greatest perfumes ever...Like No 5, Mitosuko, Miss dior and Vent Vert (from the well known)
Wearing this you will sure be noticed by everybody, want it or not...And since
I like strong and heavy orientals this is perfect for my vanity.

Being a good perfume doesn't mean to be a best seller, but to resist no matter how many sweet of death and average smells are created with years and to fascinate our souls even though the fashion in scents has changed many times from 1921 till now.

I love you Habanita! (EDT)

well... this might be a surprising or heavy fragrance for those who usually use florals/floral-fruities. Actually, I am not a great fan of heavy perfumes myself either and I do not find Habanita overwhelming (someone compared in to Shalimar but I think this is not so much of a smack in the face, yelling)

It is sweet/powdery but on me it comes out more in its feminine dimensions...(not with the wish-i-was-a-boy girl/rubber/etc. fragrance), at instances it even reminds me of Serge Lutens Chergui...

To me this perfume creates a picture of a woman sitting by a table in a restaurant. Dressed in a decent tight black dress that does not show too much of her. She is confident and could spend her time alone but there is something magnetic about her that everybody notices.

So I would say the ad is about right except the woman wearing Habanita is less approachable

I can't understand anyone having a negative effect from this perfume but that seems to be the case with some folks. I think this is the most beautiful POWDERY scent ive ever smelled and it is now one of my signature scents without a doubt! Thanks cisco for endowing me with this beautiful scent!

What is this??!! When it first opens it smells like my dad if he came home from his job as a train mechanic with grease stained hands, standard issue steel capped boots and a snifter of scotch at the pub. It is butch and I like it.

All of a sudden, it is a creamy earthy floral vanilla with a tinge of burnt rubber underneath. Hmmm, interesting.

Progresses to a delicious cedar spiced vanilla/benzoin combo. I think I might be persuaded...

I can imagine a biker chick wearing this. Smoke wafting from her nose, sitting on her diesel bike, leather jacket and hair matted from her helmet. Sigh. It makes me wish I was a biker chick.

I am not sure if I can wear this but I am certainly enjoying its drama and smokin' hot sex appeal.

Just received my tester and I am in a state of confusion....I hate it, I love it. Before the dry down I hated it. Now that is is dry it smells sort of like Shalimar. Shalimar and Habanita are not quiet little girls. They are assertive women. I don't know if I am assertive enough for this fragrance. I'll be back when I make up my mind. I must say, it is smelling better and better all the time. I have the EDT. The EDP must be like a nuclear explosion.

Update: Purchased it, lost my nerve, swapped it to Sonia for the much more mundane Obsession. I still love it though and feel pleased that Sonia is honoring it as one of her favorite scents.

Sexy, moody, shadowy and mysterious. This is _not_ a young girl’s perfume. To be sure, there is nothing like it on earth. A dark and dusky red rose with leather leaves and musky petals. A fragrance way ahead of its time. I'm of the mind that every woman should try a sample - perhaps even some men might enjoy this one! Unbelievably sensual and creative... it does not disappoint. This fragrance if for late nights with the one you love and a clever woman who likes to come to the party dressed in leather, lace and several strands of pearls wrapped around her neck. It's hard to believe this could have been you grandmother's perfume (or perhaps not)!

I really wanted to like this perfume, and thought I would based on the reviews above; unfortunately, the ONLY thing I could smell on my skin was baby powder. From opening to dry down, that was it...Oh, well, good thing it was only a sample!

Cigarette & Roses a bit of Wiskey and a
touch of Incense Bring this into an
Elegant Testament Which i find amusing
Picturing a smoke filled dark Cabaret;
A Male Impersonator ala Marlene Dietrich
Julie Andrews in Victor and Victoria
it's a sensuality to a Sexualy Repressed Convent School Educated girl Like
Madchen in Uniform like Senerio then
she sings
*Wenn ich mir was wunschen durft*.

at the end of the song she leans over
and slowly kisses the girl and this was a sexual Awaking for this Schoolgirl.

Picturing David Bowie in his
Berlin years Eleganly Dressed with a cigerette on his hand and a pint of wiskey on the other. in the Movie just a Gigolo. The darkly Oud i can dechphier
in this perfume like the deadly Sexuality of Rudolph Valentino and Pola Negri sizzling on the screen to a bewildered Movie Goers. Japanese Silent movie Star Sessue Hayakawa Seducing
the wife of a British Admiral.

The powdery rose brings you to mind
Opera of the Last Diva.
the Bottle is very Beautiful Greek
Nymphs Engraved in a Opaque Bottle
very ideal for home decoration when the bottle is empty Leather makes it Dangerous.

If you can find sex in a bottle this is it. i give it a 10!

Stunning! While Habanita EDT delivers a bit too much powder and smells to me like a boudoir of a hopelessly aging variete dancer, the pure parfum concentration is just right (one with the pump). If this perfume were a woman, it indeed would be Theda Bara, a silent screen vamp of the early cinema - not a classical beauty by all means, but oh those hungry eyes. A glorious, mesmerazing and somewhat strange combination of vanilla and vetiver, a marriage of The Beauty and the Beast respectively, that doesn't smell of either in the end - just dark lucious nameless flowers of a fantasy garden.

When you just spray Habanita, you almost afraid, that it going to look like oldwomanish. But gradually it opens with something tabako-rozy-vanilla-vintage powdertish smell. It is absolutely wearable, nice and strong simoultaneously. I imagine a lady, who goes for ballet or opera, put it on her skin, before she close the door.

this is the funkiest, sweatiest, most 3D scent i own.
more so than tabu, which was my go to skank.
love it love it love it
it is what i imagined civet to smell like
but i guess that's the combination of the amber and musk
...stayed with me
for.
ever.

Habanita is a soft oriental with a heady, bitter opening. The drydown is a lot calmer - dusty, leathery and easy to wear. I find it very similar to Balahe and I recently discovered that they have a lot of notes in common - orange blossom, orris root, jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose, musk and vanilla. Habanita is more powdery in the base and the leather note is very disctinguishable, at least on my skin. I also smell tobacco which is not listed in the notes. I would classify Balahe, Habanita and LouLou as classic orientals with definite retro sounding. I appreciate the complexity and character of every one of the three but LouLou is my favourite and the only one I would repurchase.

Habanita starts out chypre sharp, then quickly evolves into a powdery heart. But after a few hours the balance between the leather and powder is absolutely perfect. Then I think this is a perfect chypre.The leather slightly predominates, but is softened by the fading powdery effect. The three stage evolution makes it very worthwhile, so wear and smell for several hours.

To me this scent is way too powdery for me. Its great for those who enjoy powerdy scents. It has elegance to it, a bit of sexyness. Its like a hybrid of L heur blue and bvlgari black.

not bad, but not for me.

Habanita is the scent of 1920s oriental boudoir -- what Theda Bara might have worn in her Vamp phase. It's resolutely old-fashioned. This is one fragrance that has NOT been reformulated -- so contemporary noses, used to the clean, corporate, focus-grouped scents, would definitely find it offensive. It goes on animalic (to the point of being goaty) but then subsides to something searing, even sexy. Not a scent for the faint of heart or lovers of fashion, but one for hip chicks and perfume adventurers.

It's a beautiful name, and I am surprised that I find it wearable...So far I can't say I like it, but I am not ready to swap the sample--one drop on the wrist wasn't a proper end to my relationship with Habanita.

It is kind of waxy, exactly in the way of old lipstick...It's dusty and smells dated, but it is a classic oriental that everyone should smell once--even if, like me, you are pretty sure you wouldn't like it. I kind of like the smell of old lipstick, and there are many shades of dusty--some dusty scents cause sneezing fits, some make me want to do some discovering. Habanita is the latter.
I find the leather-amber combination attractive, it blends nicely with the orris root and the ylang ylang--The wealth of notes is obvious to me, as I smell less rose, less jasmine, not too much lilac, and the base is just busy and not so straightforward--mysterious, if you will.
I think that if I decide I like this, and wear it, Habanita would become one of my "selfish scents"-but I still find this interesting enough, that I would love to see whether it is really so dated, and finally get somebody to tell me I smell "old"...I've never been told that yet, and it seems like a certain accomplishment among perfumistas to provoke this response. If I wear it, and somebody reacts positively to it, it would be extra exciting, whether or not I want to make this scent mine.

This one is a tough one to describe. It starts with a rather harsh opening a la Tabac Blond, Vol de Nuit, and En Avion, and if it hadn't been for positive reviews I'd read long ago, I'd have scrubbed it right then. So I waited. On my skin, Habanita almost immediately sheds it tough exterior, and moves right into the softer notes of amber, ylang-ylang, vanilla and oakmoss. Yes, the leather is still there hanging around, but I feel that's a good thing (Jolie Madame is one of my favorites!).
I don't feel it's dusty, so much as it is powdery, kind of like L'Heure Bleue and Bal a Versailles. When I think of dusty, I think of Mitsouko, which doesn't mesh at all with my chemistry. I definitely get the Johnson's baby powder comparison, but this fragrance is so much more than that. This may be hard for some to believe, but I consider this a comfort scent. Very warm and sexy, and best left stored away until cold weather comes.

The bottle was the first thing that captured my attention , the dark nymph design by Lalique , very art nouveau.
Very cool since I love fantasy art ,mermaids , fairies, nymphs , elves , ect.
I happen to think the spanish name is very pretty also.

Habanita starts out very tough! - tabacco , leather , liqour! earthy and kind of on the hard side , kind of a biker mama !

Since I have rode a motorcycle before -and I don't mean riding on the back seat either ,this scent captures that fearless, tough mama side of me quite well. But wait ..

It changes , after a bit, on my skin into something alot softer, with the earthiness still there, never gone - orange blossom comes in with something like vanilla taffy candy or even mocha cappuccino comes to mind - rich and warm - soft and sweet.

Florals come in next for me , especially the rose and the ylang ylang.

I 'm thinking this will do especially well in cooler weather since its so warm and rich.

This scent shows the tough side first which can be strong and intense for sure, but give it time and it will show you its softer side that was there the whole time.

Complex, wonderful and yea, 'don't give a damn sexy'.
This is a keeper for me.

Since this really is a strong perfume apply with a light hand .
Note: this is not a scent for just any chic either, you do have to have the right personality to be comfortable with Habanita!

This is a fabulous classic and what a joy to wear after all the oceans of candy/friut/florals that dominate the market today. This may be an acquired taste but it is worth trying if you want something different with character and class.The combination of fruit, spice, tobacco and vanilla is a glorious balance between masculine and feminine and very alluring if worn with the right attitude.

I bought this unsniffed because of the reviews stating it is a sexy, femme fatale scent blah blah. All this smell slike to me is an old fashioned high end perfumey-lipstick. The waxy lipstick smell but most of all a powdery scent. I didn't find this appealing and neither did anyone around me that I polled. I can understand this being sexy way back when it first came out, but not now, no I don't think this fits the definition of sexy at all. The only place I could see this working is possibly at a whips and leather swingers night - its got this trashy kind of thing going on.

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".

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.

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.

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.

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.

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....

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...

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Unfortunately this is so far the only perfume 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;=)

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.

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.