Following on from yesterday's post, today is all about Parfum D'Habit, another men's favourite over at Basenotes. I struggled to find a comprehensive list of notes for this perfume. One source listed leather, bergamot, patchouli, incense and amber, while Luckyscent listed bergamot, blackcurrant, vetiver, leather and patchouli. A lot of folk at Basenotes mention a sandalwood note too. I suspect that in reality a combination of these two lists would be reasonably accurate.
Parfum D'Habit opens with quite a potent, slightly animalic twang. This might be blackcurrant, which can smell a bit pissy, which with a good dose of patchouli, could create this impression. In a weird sort of way, there is something about this perfume that in my opinion is not miles away in feel from L'Artisan's Al Oud, without the oud and perhaps a bit more stripped down. Once the animalic note disappears, Parfum D'Habit becomes mostly a leather fragrance, kept slightly green by the vetiver, and ever so slightly powdery and earthy by the patchouli. This perfume also is a kissing cousin of Eau des Iles, I think. Not so much in the actual smell, but more in the overall gentlemanly, quite refined feel. A lot of reviewers describe Parfume D'Habit as a powerhouse fragrance, and while it is no wilting flower, it strikes me as fairly linear and subdued after the opening.
The leather is not overwhelming, being neither smoky nor tarry. Like I stated yesterday, like Eau des Iles, Parfum D'Habit is refined, sophisticated and very well done. But, it lacks something, at least for me. I find it overstays its welcome on my skin and save for the opening, is a bit too refined. I wish it would bare its teeth a bit more. While Parfum D'Habit and Eau des Iles receive a lot of the praise over at Basenotes, I personally prefer Route de Vetiver, which is a little more unpredictable and rough-and-ready, which is more to my taste.
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