Habanita La Cologne

***2nd Update 12/19/25 Month and a half in*** Just wanted to add that I just recieved my very first bottle of Guerlain's Shalimar edp and mu goodness! This smells almost Identical to Shalimar! Now again, my bottle of Shalimar is brand-spankin'-new so it may change a bit with a bit of "maturation", but yeah, who.ever compaired the two fragrances are SPOT ON! ----------------------------------------------------- **Update 12/2/25 Over one month in*** So, Im happy to report that the "Funky Powder" opening has calmed down quite a bit, but its still sorta present although very fleeting and is gone within maybe 5 - 10 minutes. Im still NOT getting much in the way of Citrus, but I suppose that note adds some much needed "Brightness" for this to be a proper "Cologne Version" of Habanita which we all know is very deep and luxurious. Although Habanita La Cologne is beautifully Powdery it still manages to be quite "Unisex" atleast for today's pallette. As it begins to dry-down it becomes more Vanillic and I am most Definately getting an "Almond Like" smell in the far dry-down. I mean almost to the point where Im getting a faint Cherry/Almond-like smell, but again only in the far dry-down which brings me to how complex this little "Cologne" truley is! This transitions from sort of bright, to powdery, to vanillic to an almost nutty affair while still retaining parts of the opening and mid notes and Im ALL IN for it! The performance is impressive and I feel like it wears more like a strong edt or an edp concentration bc Im getting 6 to 7 hours on skin with good sillage and obviously lasts way longer on clothes where I can still smell it following day. Also, Habanita La Cologne can become Cloying if over-sprayed bc of the semi-sweet powderiness. Its also very unique bc although I own nearly 200 fragrances, I have nothing else that smells quite like this. I give Habanita La Cologne a solid 7 outta 10 withing its classic genre. A very nice addition to my collection FO SHO! Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts on this cool-classic hidden-gem! CHEERS and BLESSINGS!😉 ----------------------------------------------------- ***Initial Review 10/25/25*** Hmmm, this scent will take some getting used to. She's very Powdery, classic and unisex. Im NOT getting much "Citrus" in this dna, but unfortunately I am getting a "Funky Powder" in the opening, but Im not overly concered bc SOOO MANY of these classics can drastically change with a bit of Maturation that Im not overly concerned about my purchase at the moment. Ill be back for an update once tbis settles/maturates a bit. SALUD!🙂

***Updated Update*** So, Ive had habanita La Colonia as well as Shalimar edp both for around 7 -8 months now, both have "Maturated" and both have improved as far as the smell and performance goes and I tell yall NO LIE... Habanita "La Colonia" is quite a bit stronger and lasts EVEN LONGER than the current formulation of Shalimar edp does! For instance, Ive had 2 spritzes of Shalimar edp on my left arm and 2 spritzes of Habanita La Colonia on my right for around 5 hours now and Shalimar edp is now basically a skin-scent, while Habanita La Cologne is still going quite strong and lasts around 10 hours (ON SKIN!) WTH Ya'll?! These REDICULOUS "Reformulations" are RRREALLY insanley annoying and I dont care what they say, its NOT all "Because of IFRA!" I firmly believe that these houses are purposefully NEUTERING these once upon a time-BEASTLY fragrances so that we run out sooner so that we in turn have to repurchase new bottles! What a freakin' SCAM yo! REDICULOUS. Also just a side note: Habanita La Colonia shares some similarities to Shalimar, but they DO NOT necessarily smell alike. Habanita is much more Floral and slightly indolic, while Shalimar edp is more resinous, smokey and imo, is the better smelling fragrance, yet both are quite powdery and are in the same genre which would be worn for a more formal occasion. I also feel that Shalimar leans much more "Unisex" while Habanita is more of a "Floral fragrance" making it lean slightly more Feminine, yet still unisex enough for us guys to pull off. So basically if ya DO NOT love the more resinouse, smokey aspects of Shalimar but enjoy the other aspects of the fragrance, then you should definately go for Habanita La Cologne which imo is like a more "Striped Back" version of Shalimar, but I must say that I am a bit dissapointed in Shalimar edp's performance and lingering power whereas before this lastest formulation it must've been much stronger/longer-lasting than it is today.

One of the best openings of a freshie in this price range I have smelled in ages if not ever! WOW!! Stunning beauty for a "fresh" style fragrance! I'm a Habanita nut and could not possibly be more delighted with the La Cologne version. It's like Habanita only lighter and fresher, fruitier with a dose of delicious lemon, but still has a creaminess and lots of powder and florals. I get a lot of violet which comes across as iris a bit and the rose combined with the violet and powder gives it a makeup like feel in the dry down. The fragrance is just beautiful and while it has Habinita DNA, it's so different I could see it working for people who don't even like Habanita, while still pleasing those who do. This ranks up there with Eau de Shalimar as one of my favorite fresher version of a heavier classic fragrance. For me, this is greatly superior to L'Esprit but realize all tastes are different. For me, for this style of fragrance, it's 5 stars!!!

Very close interpretation of the EDP for me. The opening is weirdly fruity and sweet, but it goes away quickly (*relief*). The whole fragrance has the same basic DNA as other members of the Habanita family, but it's lighter of course. This "cologne" version is not as smoky and dramatic as the EDP. It's more floral and powdery. For most of its development, it's all about iris and rose on a soft woody base (at least on me). I really like it. Habanita La Cologne almost has a lipstick-like quality on me, and I love lipstick fragrances ! Performance is comparable to an average EDT : soft to moderate sillage, decent longevity. In that particular case, "Cologne" just refers to the style of the fragrance, not its overall performance. So far, I still prefer the EDP over this. They just have very different styles despite having many similar notes, so pick your favorite !

The opening is quite sharp - a burst of citrus, bergamot, and aldehydes. Not long ago, I used to compare this Habanita to Molinard’s Black EDP, but I’ve come to realize they are each better on their own. Black Molinard feels smoother, deeper, and more earthy, and I think that comparison made me underestimate Habanita. With some distance, I now see how beautiful the LC is in its own light. I understand the connection with Shalimar - both share that bergamot–aldehydes opening and a deep, powdery-sweet drydown. Still, the tone is different, where Shalimar leans into warm vanilla, Habanita LC dries down to a soft, almost baby-powder finish. The longetivity is impressive; three morning sprays easily lasts until evening. It’s a perfect scent for the season of fallen leaves.