Habit Rouge Rouge Prive by Guerlain

Habit Rouge Rouge Prive, is a 2023 flanker to the original Habit Rouge, which has been popular for decades. I bought a sample of Rouge, after seeing so many positive comments about the scent.

I have been testing this Guerlain out and putting it through its paces for review. I must note, that I am not going to be comparing it to the original, as it’s been years since I’ve even smelled Habit Rouge. So, I really don’t want to try to do it based off memory alone.

How does Rouge Prive smell? How long does it last? Is it actually worth a try?

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What does Habit Rouge Rouge Prive Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, leather, ginger, iris, vanilla, patchouli, orange blossom

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My Full Review

Here’s how Guerlain describes it: The legendary bergamot-leather accord of Habit Rouge intensified by the sensuality of patchouli and modernized by the spiciness of ginger.

The opening of Rouge Prive comes out with a very strong use of its bergamot note. Juicy, sour, and quite good.

Immediately alongside of that, you’re already going to get the leather note showing itself. It’s already powerful, but will grow to dominate this Guerlain fragrance.

What’s interesting to me, is the mix of warmth and spiciness from the ginger note, and the patchouli peaking through. It’s kind of presenting a roasted and crispy bergamot aroma up close.

However, pulling back my nose, this has a light powdery/soapy aroma from the iris and very light orange blossom. The orange blossom, what little there is, seems to be gone in 20 minutes or so.

The transition away from the warmer spiciness of the opening is the first major change. That ginger becomes much weaker, leather and patchouli rise further. Still, the bergamot is playing a major role at this point in time.

After about an hour in, the powdery aroma has faded a lot. You pretty much get the same thing the rest of the way: luxurious and smooth leather, bergamot and patchouli jockeying for position, and a bit of vanilla to soften out the edges.

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Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Habit Rouge Rouge Prive absolutely packs a punch. That opening is loud, fairly heavy, and projects extremely well.

The thing is, the party keeps on going for a long long time. The projection hours into the wear, is still very noticeable, and outdoes a lot of mainstream designer colognes at their peak. 5+ feet off of the skin or clothing, seems about right, after 3-plus hours.

It also is one that lasts over 9 hours and got up to 11 for me. For some people, Rouge Prive might extend beyond that. That wasn’t true in my case, but it’s a scent with fantastic longevity.

Seasonally, this works anytime outside of the height of summer. Just avoid having it on in the heat and humidity. You should be fine any other time. Rouge Prive is at its best, when it’s at least slightly cold, however.

One that can be worn day or into the night. It’s got a refined style, that’s suitable for ‘dressier’ wear, but not so completely stuffy that it’s unwearable in a more chill scenario.

I might goes easy on the sprays, if you’re wearing it to the office or elsewhere in close quarters. Though, it should still fit in, for a wide variety of situations.

Skews older. Not an ‘old man’ scent, but probably not something that most high school aged guys are going to be wearing to class, either.

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Overall Impressions of Rouge Prive

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I do. I received this sample along with a decant of Ideal Platine Prive, also by Guerlain, and I like that one more than Rouge Prive.

But, this is still a very nice fragrance, if you’re into this sort of style. The Habit Rouge series does come across as a masculine version of Shalimar. Rouge Prive, is a modernized version of that.

I do like the opening with the ginger, bergamot, and leather. It’s a great start to the wear. The powdery touch are also nice.

I must note, that the bergamot and leather combination, does kind of get old to me after a number of hours. Just starts to wear on my nerves. Not completely awful or anything, but not something that I want to personally have on all day.

The performance is fantastic too. Rouge Prive will stick around for a long time, without completely diminishing in its strength until very deep into the wear.

Rouge Prive is worth a try, if you like the original or are a fan of leathery scents. This Guerlain does have pretty limited availability both geographically and the number of stores it actually sells in.

That being the case, you might have to just blind buy it, if you’re really interested. If this sounds like something you’d be into, I don’t think you’d be disappointed with what you get.