Mitsouko (1919)
by Guerlain

When I was tried this, it was overwhelmingly sweet, but the longer it stays on your skin the better it gets. It fades to a lovely powdery sweet smell with hints of spice then a subtle peach and a final lingering woody smell. It's not 'the one' for me, but if you can get over its first overpowering sweetness it's like wearing a sweet summer's day with the promise of exotic travels.

8th December, 2011.

My favourite Guerlain scent. Reading these reviews reminds me I should replenish my wardrobe and buy more

27th November, 2011.

The first time I smelt Mitsouko I was so excited. I'd read Luca Turin going on about it and was expecting some sort of divine revelation.

I went into a department store and smelt some on a smelling strip. My first reaction was - Wax Crayons?

However, I'd been told that you needed to try this on your skin and keep going back to it (I've also learnt that the first time I smell something complex my brain defaults to a smell it already knows).

So I kept on trying but it still wasn't opening up for me. Then on the seventh(!) try, I'd sprayed it on and had gone into another shop (I still remember it vividly). Suddenly it opened up around me. It felt like I was at the centre of a 3D scent mandala whose constituents were constantly shifting and revolving around me. I was totally lost in the enchantment of it.

Ah Mitsouko, what are you? Hyper-synthetic peach layered with rich florals, or bright citrus with deep dank moss? Sometimes you feel like a misty morning, others like a bright clean summer's day, or musty dark green undergrowth in the rain, or a candy violet treat, or......... Whatever you are smelling like though you really hit the sweet spot in my brain and smell just darn GOOD!

Mitsouko's genius, I believe, lies (like the language of Shakespeare) in indeterminacy. By remaining complex and open, generations of people are able to project their own interpretations into its structure. True Art.

It wasn't quite divine but I definitely got my revelation!

2nd September, 2011.

I've actually changed my mind about this fragrance. The first time I wore it I thought I didn't like it, probably because it comes on very strong when I first apply it. However, I gave it another chance today and I actually like it a lot more! I think how I feel about a fragrance can vary a lot depending on my mood. Also, Mitsouko is very different from most modern fragrances so I think I just wasn't prepared for the way it smells. Today, I've been wearing it for a few hours and I find I really enjoy the way Mitsouko smells when it dries down. When I first apply it I mostly smell the dry woody and green notes a lot, but dried down it smells like exotic spices on me and I find that I want to keep smelling it! I don't think it's a fragrance I could wear every day but it's definitely a really nice sexy evening scent! I actually do recommend this one to everyone who likes chypre and spicy exotic fragrances.

22nd August, 2011. (Last Edited: 2nd September, 2011.)

Bought this for the wife based on all the reviews and so thought it was going to be something amazing. But I couldn't wrong enough,Mitsouko smelt awful!! It smelt like an elderly women's wardrobe. Very strong and very flowery....its so strong it would knock out any bee in your area!!

19th July, 2011.

What to say about Mitsouko? Her reputation proceeds her. Even the name is mysterious. I blind bought this after reading many many intriguing reviews and anecdotes...I knew my collection wouldn't be complete without it. But, I was relieved and surprised to find that I also am able to wear Mitsouko. AThe overall feeling is classic, if old-fashioned, and well rounded , with a spicy cinnamon note in the base, middle notes including a familair jasmine/rose accord, as well as that well-blended peach note. I can't help but continue to to analyze this fragrance when I wear it. I love this fragrance for taking me on a trip back from 1919 up until today. If you have any interest in chypres, you must sample this one. But forewarned is forearmed, this bears little resemblance to most modern fragrances so if you get freaked out by the idea of "an old lady scent" do not blind-buy. Sample and enjoy!

30th May, 2011. (Last Edited: 20th September, 2011.)