Habanita Eau de Parfum

L0OK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL AND GRACEFUL "HABANITA"... I met Marisol several times in Little Havana. She was a pretty youthful girl, but she looked like a grown woman with her resourcefulness. I always saw her in a very colorful dress, showing that she was a true “Habanita”, walking along her paths on Calle Ocho, which she covered several times a day. She passed by me several times, always in a sweet sway on her route to the Taqueria El Santo where she worked. As a self-confessed taco aficionado, I couldn't help chatting to Marisol a handful of times in that restaurant, while I was waiting for a “Taco al Pastor” or a “Taco de Camaron”. Life in Little Havana has always revolved around Calle Ocho. One of its most interesting attractions is the adjacent Máximo Gómez Park, also called “Parque del Domino”. It's a place where elderly Cubans gather to play dominoes, cards or chess, while trying to fix the world, discussing issues from Cuba's past and future. I used to walk around and see the old-fashioned Cuban atmosphere in the eyes of the pensioners sitting around the tables in the garden. The smell of steaming coffee mixed with cigar smoke and rum, always in bottles hidden inside brown paper bags, was thick and intoxicating without being heavy. In this neighbourhood, we also find artisans who make cigars, many Cuban restaurants offering exquisite flavours, lively noisy bars and stores cluttered and always colorful with vibrant Latin music. On this same street, we can walk on the stars that pave the Walk of Fame with reference to the best-known Cuban singers and actors. Marisol loved to jump among the stars on the sidewalk, shouting out the names of the artists recorded and immortalized there. Nostalgia and the strong aroma of very sweet coffee dominate most of Calle Ocho. You can't visit Little Havana without trying the authentic Cuban coffee, a very intense and extremely sweet espresso served in tiny cups. But if you want to cool off, there's nothing better than drinking an ice-cold Guarapo - a kind of sugar cane juice with ice - while sitting on a terrace. If you're lucky, you might even see the sunny Marisol passing by. Twenty years have passed since my daydreams in Little Havana, but I've never forgotten the charm of my precious “habanita”. - My other much-cherished Habanita is the Molinard perfume. It was first launched just over a hundred years ago, although nowadays it's only easy to access the latest redesign from 2012. Like the Habanita from Little Havana, this fragrance is wonderfully simple and complex, elegantly decadent, passionate, dominant and self-confident. The perfume adds the characteristics of being powdery, spicy, floral, amber, balsamic, woody and earthy. It is said that the original 1921 version was not born as a perfume. It seems that it was created as an unguent to mask the strong smell of cigar tobacco. It was used by French high society ladies who enjoyed a tasty, fragrant cigarillo but couldn't smell like the smoky bearded men who accompanied them. Its intense aroma quickly conquered the noses of elegant socialites and became one of the fashionable perfumes of the post-war Roaring Twenties. Formulated as a perfume, the first Habanita appeared in 1924. Although some other great and well-known perfumes were also created in this decade, Habanita proved to be very original. It was the first oriental perfume for women to use vetiver as an ingredient. Until then, vetiver was an essential oil used exclusively in men's colognes and shaving products. Jewelers and glassmakers such as Baccarat and Lalique designed and produced some of the bottles commissioned by Molinard to house the first version of Habanita. Today's beautiful black bottle is based on an original 1930 design by René Lalique. - Molinard's Habanita (2012 version) is a very complex perfume. Some unlisted notes and accords can be perceived. Molinard claims that the current version has more than 680 ingredients, the same number and type of ingredients used in the vintage version, but mixed in different proportions. At the opening, we are flooded with a resinous balsam, slightly salty and astringent due to a strong note of mastic. This balsamic tonic quickly mixes with various florals - mainly rose centifolia and heliotrope - and the earthy scent of nutmeg. The base becomes predominant perhaps two hours after application, with vanilla and amber standing out on a woody and leathery background. On my shelf, the Habanita bottle coexists with other pseudo-feminine perfumes such as Guerlain's Shalimar and Mittsouko. For me, they are all fundamentally unisex. The longevity is enormous, and between 10 and 12 hours are guaranteed with 3 sprays. The silage is enough to attract the attention of people at a distance of 8 to 10 feet. The projection is reasonable for almost three hours. Allow me to display my passionate assessments of Habanita: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ - Opening: 10.0 (Breathtaking: spicy, floral and balsamic) - Drydown: 10.0 (Fantastic drydown of vanilla and amber; sandalwood and leather are also perceived. Outdated perfume? Are you joking?) - Longevity: 9.0 (Up to 10 ~ 12 hours with 3 sprays) - Silage: 8.5 (Up to 6 ~ 8 feet with 3 sprays; projection close to 3.0 hours) - Uniqueness: 9.0 (Reminds me of some Guerlain perfumes, without really being similar to any of them, namely Shalimar, Mitsouko and, to a lesser extent, L'Heure Bleue; I can't help comparing Habanita's dry down with that of L'Heure Bleue without iris, or with that of Shalimar without civet; I could also mention the very similar Enslaved by Roja Perfumes which was launched 5 years before Habanita's current formulation) - Wearability: 7.5 (winter and fall, preferably at night) - Versatility: 7.5 (It's a chic perfume. It's best worn on formal occasions; beach and gym? No way!) - Compliments: 9.0 (If you're a man, I can only assure you that this is not a masculine perfume, and no one will mistake you for Brad Pitt or Harrison Ford. But you'll get a ton of compliments anyway. If you're a woman, you'll destroy all your competitors even if they're extremely elegant) - Quality: 10.0 (Very good quality ingredients and finishing details) - Presentation: 10.0 (Simply a beautiful creation by René Lalique) - Price: 8.0 (a 75 ml bottle cost me 46 euros, but I bought mine on sale; these days, 75 ml bottles usually sell for over 70~80 euros) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Overall rating: 8.95 / 10.00 - between 7 and 8 = above average; - between 8 and 9 = recommended; - above 9 = don't hesitate not even for a second; MY RECOMMENDATION: Sometimes it's difficult to give a direct and honest opinion about a perfume that I revere and consider a masterpiece... but it's really hard to detect any flaws in Habanita. Okay, if you're a man, this isn't a masculine perfume, and at most it can only be considered a unisex fragrance that leans towards the feminine side. But if you're like me, perfumes have no gender. So go ahead and enjoy it! Your wife or girlfriend will certainly steal it from you. A blind purchase? I wouldn't recommend it because of its complexity. Also, forget about pretending to find any family ties with your favorite blue fragrance, which is so in vogue these days. But if you do happen to smell it, you'll certainly love it too. This perfume is ageless and will bewitch anyone! NOTE: “Habanita” literally means “a young woman from Havana” MUSIC: from Bizet's Carmen - “Habanera” sung by Angela Gheorghiu.

This will be my first ever review, because nothing has quite touched me like this truly beautiful fragrance. I have been a fragrance collector since my teens, over 20yrs. I have a passion for fragrance, the memories and powerful feeling it evokes. I don’t wear anything that doesn’t scream I have arrived. I’m often told I’m smelt before I’m seen, and have never been told that a scent doesn’t carry well on my chemistry except by one very mean & vindictive colleague, who is bitter and had been single for nearly 15yrs 😂 I wonder why!!! Anyway I live for powerhouses, silage and projection bombs. I don’t like to smell like everyone else, I don’t go for what’s popular. My first in love scent was Coco Chanel I was probably about 14yrs old the 80s Coco black & gold bottle, I knew at that point I was different, because the body shop was popular then, and they just didn’t touch my craving. I purchased my first bottle of Coco Chanel Parfum at 17yrs old and wore it shamelessly on dates, special occasions, weddings, funerals without thinking it was a confident boss lady scent, it was what smelt good & expensive on my chemistry. Knowing Estée Lauder, Cinnabar, Shalimar, Passion Elizabeth Taylor, Miss Dior originale, Miss Dior 2017, Gucci Rush, Emmeraude, & Boucheron, if that helps paint 🎨 a scent picture of me. I dress Classy, and sophisticated even as a teen & still do now with a hint of unspoken sexiness, carrying off pearls & twinsets long before my time. I’m 39 by the way, of Jamaican heritage, living in the UK. Coupled with a cigarette rolled in licorice paper or a French vanilla cigar the air around me reeks something sexual, powerful, of an era long gone by. So when Habanita by Molinard was suggested to me, by a fragrance sister, I knew it would be hit or miss. I looked up the 1921 notes on fragrantica, and my scent obsession heart pounded with anticipation, I waited 5wks for it to come from Grasse on back order directly from Molinard, sourced by a hard to find company I use locally to ensure it’s authenticity. I wore it yesterday, and can only describe it as sexual tension, and the throws of passion in a stunning black bottle. My ex looked at me like food, and several other random men during the day, I was approached a countless number of times by men in particular one describing me as utterly spell binding. I collected an item I had purchased, and got talking to the old owner, several days later he contacted me to say he could still smell me on the coat he was wearing when I gave him a hug goodbye, and couldn’t get me out of his head(not the impression I meant to make, he was a widow and I gave him a hug out of sympathy not of any sexual intentions) needless to say it’s a scent I will be reserving for my next sexual encounter, it’s not a scent I’ll be wearing as a signature scent as much as I’d love to, because it contains something animalistic not listed in the notes, something passionate, and completely debase it’s stunning, absolutely stunning, don’t say I didn’t warn you 😂😜🥵🤤❤️🔥I love her with a passion, she will be staying firmly in my classic loving collection xXxMwahxXx enjoy with caution ⚠️ 😉

On me this is very powdery, and a little soapy. With having nutmeg, I expected a spicy woody mainly. I must admit, this was such a pleasant surprise. I love powder, and I love soapy. And, there is actually a slight hint of the nutmeg, and the slightest tinge of boozy vanilla (seriously, just a tiny bit, barely there on me) and amber. Most of what I get is mastic, oakmoss, ylang-ylang, vetiver, and heliotrope. This is such a classical concoction, however as others have stated it seems both modern and classic. Absolutely timeless. It's neither feminine nor masculine to me, this is an entirely genderless fragrance in my opinion, perfectly androgynous and enigmatic. Every 30 minutes is like experiencing a new fragrance. There's a bit of a "baby doll head" note in there - and I LOVE those. That aspect of it is reminiscent of HM Butterfly in that powdery baby doll way. It smells just like an old budoir, rose water, fragrant powders, sweet pipe tobacco smoke, and vintage perfumes. It's so soft and gentle, but is very strong. My skin eats up EVERY fragrance in seconds (Dior Addict, lasts maximum 2 hours on me before becoming an auric skin scent - my performance issues on skin is that bad), and this is the longest lasting, best projecting fragrance I have EVER had/tried. It's performance is so incredible, I immediately bought 2 back up bottles after my first use, and I know they will last me a good long while and serve me well. The longevity is a feat. I get 10 hours give or take on skin, with 6 hours projection, at 8 hours becomes an auric skin scent, 9 hours it's a close to skin scent, 10 hours, it's fading away, but still smell the amber/oakmoss if I dig my nose into wrist. Now, on clothes, this is staying STUCK until the next wash. Incredible. The sillage is over an arms length, easily, but it's gentle and inoffensive, just noticeable by others, perfectly balanced in longevity/sillage while not being overpowering. On my fragrance eating skin, I've never had people be able to smell my fragrance, and the compliments are so many that I actually grew tired of getting them! Every time a client or coworker came anywhere near me they complimented it, and I probably said "thank you" 100 times over the week and weekend! I've never ever had a fragrance perform SO WELL on me, so I am completely in awe. I am super impressed because this is incredibly rare for me. I cannot emphasize this enough. Never in my life have I been so impressed by a fragrance. I can't say enough how well this performs, and how gorgeous it smells. It's absolutely a beast- but a soft, gentle, gorgeous one. It reaches out and grabs people without knocking them out. It's so interesting and unique, and unlike anything else. This will be my permanent go to. Gone are the days of 10 sprays only to get 30 minutes for me - this beauty gives me the best I've ever had with only 3 sprays total a day. If I could only have one fragrance, this would have to be it, because it lasts, and lasts, and lasts, it's a work horse projector, yet not too heavy. It's the perfect balance of everything.

Habanita (1921) Warning: May be a bit NSFW, just a smidgen though. I’ve been a collector, I’ve been a connoisseur, it’s been some time now, the nose knows what it likes with an unshakable conviction, that’s something I thankfully picked up early on. I’ve always had a strong appreciation for the classics, once you find yourself attuned to the grandeur of the old perhaps there is a bit of derision for some (definitely not all) of the new-fangled creations in perfumery, which I think we can all agree are in sheer abundance these days and has many a simpleton convinced that wearing such concoctions will result in setting some well-meaning passerby’s loins on fire. You cannot ‘market in’ sensuality where none exists, you cannot advertise desire and hope it seeps into the actual scent, you cannot have fools on our magic boxes parrot that wearing such and such will inspire a carnal riot and promise to all those who fall prey to buying a bottle, that they will be at the centre of a tumultuous orgy. It was back in the day, they made perfumes which spoke, and they mostly spoke of sin, they spoke of needs that robbed you of your virtues, a wanton abandon of reason and restraint, of rogues and harlots, of taint and stain, of robbed innocence and utter submission to your baser desires, of darkness that didn’t need the word ‘noir’ to exemplify it, because perfumery back then just was, it didn’t need to be bleated out to be a sensual masterpiece, it just was and you were lucky enough to let it touch you, mingle with your sweat and skin and rouse in you that primal instinct. That very primal instinct which is natural to all warm-blooded creatures such as yourself, the one against which you were civilised, it is what makes you scream your lover’s name because by God that name is sweet, claws and canines, it’s what inspires your inflictions and adornments of bruises and bites, your hardened embraces signalling your need to be one, the rips in the fabric and the broken buttons, gasps and thrusts, the brutish marks of your lover upon silken skin, it makes you remember that you are an animal, you’ve always been an animal, your hunger can only be satiated, it cannot be suppressed, you need it because simple satisfaction it is not, it is your only salvation. This isn’t one of those days where you worry the neighbours will hear, this is for days when you’re ready to put on a show if that’s what the pesky neighbours want, this is for days when you put a silent prayer to Mae West and hope your aerobics and antics don’t break the bed. Are you blushing yet? I hope not, because I’ve left out the most important bit, for when you feel all the things I’ve described above, make sure you’re wearing Habanita, and nothing else and I do mean nothing else. Someday I’ll follow this up with an actual review (added on the page for Habanita EdT), for now, this was just a cascade of rambling thoughts. Your very own, The Perfume Vigilante

I've been running across references—usually highly laudatory ones—to this perfume for a couple of years, but hadn't tried it because of all the comparisons to L'Heure bleue. I know L'HB has its devotees, and I understand the appeal, but it's never been a fragrance I've connected with. I usually fawn over more old-fashioned perfumes (especially ones by the iconic French houses) but L'Heure bleue—described by many as Mitsouko's melancholic sister—has always seemed too cold and thin to me, with its intensely purple bouquet of heliotrope, iris, and violet. When I got the chance to test Habanita, though, I took it—and I'm so glad I did! This is indeed akin to L'HB, but much fuller and multi-dimensional. It's an incredibly complex, progressive perfume, taking the cold florals of L'HB and adding spices and woods for an altogether richer composition. I still get the cool, powdery heliotrope front and center, accompanied by that queer lentisque note—a kind of woody, balsamic astringency—and warm nutmeg. The vanilla and sandalwood add even more creamy-spicy powder, which is simultaneously complicated by the emergence of metallic-medicinal geranium and grassy-woody oakmoss and vetiver. The petitgrain and jasmine spar around the edges, bitter against indolic. With time, the frigid florals and resinous spices mellow out, allowing the sandalwood and amber to come into focus, as well as a hint of radiant ylang. At the very end, it becomes a pure, clean, fresh powder. Other reviewers' allusions to ancient spice racks and medicine cabinets are spot-on. Habanita is a spicy-floral beauty from another era. It's a puff of dusty air from a witch's potion kit that hasn't seen the light of day in a century—and that witch has damn good taste! You know who would have adored this perfume? Virginia Woolf's Orlando. Like that character, it lives outside of time while registering the plenitude of its spiritual weight; it’s both worldly and ethereal, alluring and enigmatic, masculine and feminine, noble and profane, impenetrable and profoundly human—breathtaking. If you don't like old-school scents, you probably won't like Habanita. Everybody should smell it at some point, though. It's timeless and defies gender; while not quite formal, it tends toward the austere and abstract. The various contrasts of cool and warm make it wearable in all seasons, though night suits it better. The sillage and lasting power are impressive. The redesigned bottle is absolutely stunning, definitely among my top five. I so hope this is never reformulated or discontinued. By far the best of Molinard.