Habanita, from French indie house Molinard Parfums is a legendary, iconic fragrance which started out as a personal fragrance for scenting cigarettes in 1921. The EDP version was launched in 2013. 

It was inspired by the woman of the Roaring ‘20s - boyish, even androgynous, and audacious of the Jazz Age. This is the spirit of Habanita.

Habanita EDP opens with a note of sweet, floral geranium that reads as elegant. Soon, lentisque fresh, green and balsamic and petitgrain complex, deep and green with facets of citrus zest appear. Ylang-ylang joins the mix. Lush, exotic, and intense, it smells like jasmine and gives a creamy, feminine sensuality to the opening. The way these notes are combined creates a sense of excitement that leads to the heart where I smell licorice. It's from vanilla-faceted and anise-tinged heliotrope. Jasmine picks up where the ylang-ylang left off – it’s green and animalic. Where there’s jasmine, there’s usually a rose, and here it’s paired with rose centifolia that’s green and spicy with fruity aspects. Mimosa adds powdery notes to the floral bouquet, a nod to the new cosmetics craze. Virginia cedar is smoky, and it links to vetiver, patchouli and vanilla to create an accord of honeyed, blond tobacco. Then, the smell of leather. It’s from Oakmoss, I suspect. It smells the way an old, worn leather jacket would smell after a night out dancing and smoking. The base is warm from amber and sandalwood and smooth from white musk.

Habanita dries down to a deep, rich and sophisticated scent.

This perfume is over 100 years old yet it doesn't smell ‘vintage’ or dated. That’s because Habanita is not a shy girl but a confident woman, and confidence always ages well.