Hello APJ, Our dear Robert Herrmann has left this mortal coil and moved onto the next great adventure. He wrote for APJ early on and was plucked by CFB to reach a far wider audience. Always fun, he had a wicked sense of humour and was kind. I liked him. Now he has gone and I thought the best way to remember him was to revisit his last post for us.
Robert is survived by his gorgeous husband Ron who has kept us updated and informed about his illness with wit and charm. We all are hugging you Ron.
Portia xxx

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Robert Herrmann

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Wait.

You HAVEN’T tried Dress Code yet???!!! Go order a sample/decant/bottle RIGHT NOW!!
You’re welcome.

I had been waiting for this since first hearing about the pre-release in the summer of ’15. It was at that time strictly a limited edition, and would only be available at 2 select retailers in the USA and at the Guerlain flagship store in Paris. So faster than you can say “Thierry Wasser” three times, I popped online and found ONE bottle available at Bergdorf’s in NYC. Three minutes later that bottle was on it’s way to my house…..

Now fragheads who know me, know that I am absolutely a Guerlain Ho’ of the ‘nth degree, hell I have one whole shelf in my Perfume cabinet stuffed full, and dedicated exclusively to Guerlain. New Guerlain offering? Come to Papa! Every. Single. Time.

Habit Rouge Dress Code by Guerlain 2015

Thierry Wasser

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, neroli, rose
Heart: Spices
Base: Woodsy notes, leather, tonka bean, praline, vanilla

Aaaahhh Dress Code. Guerlain certainly hit it out of the ballpark with this wonderful flanker!

The regular HR has long been in my top 5, and a few years back I was lucky enough to purchase a vintage mid-90’s new-in-mint-condition bottle thanks to the largess of a Facebook fragrance friend. (Looking at YOU, Jake!❤❤❤)

But about Dress Code…..

Let’s just say that Mr. Sulu would give Dress Code his “oh myyyyyyyy” stamp of approval.

Do you love a fabulous Gourmand? HRDC opens with a huge blast of caramel/chocolate/vanilla which within minutes adds a wispy back note of orange blossom.

Right away however the spices and rose peek through, followed by a resin/leather and woody vibe.

All perfectly blended and seamlessly drifting in and out with no single note taking up the spotlight. Just a gorgeous amalgam which like the energizer bunny, just keeps going and going and going….there’s a smoky aspect as well, as if the spices have been roasting over an open fire with some tonka thrown in for good measure.

By this time HRDC is firmly established in the drydown phase and swear-to-god if asked for a comparison, I would say that to me it’s solidly rooted in Shalimar territory. But purposely skewed masculine, although I suspect a woman would feel TOTALLY comfortable wearing this, especially to buttress up a “take-no-prisoners” attitude.

And HRDC has attitude.
In spades.
That first edition sold out in a heartbeat, but have no fear because Guerlain re-released it last year with their updated bottle. EXACTLY same perfume, just different packaging despite what you may read online. It’s the same, trust me.

And so for creating HRDC, and then bringing it back….Thank you Guerlain. Love it..

Further reading: Scent Gent and Persolaise
Sadly Australia isn’t getting Dress Code but it’s available in Guerlain in major department stores of Europe & USA

Have you tried Dress Code yet? What other Guerlain’s do you adore? (I know right? There are so many!)
My Name Is Robert Herrmann (but I forget sometimes)