Mitsouko (1919)
by Guerlain

Mitsouko and I have been intertwined for many years . I wore her for several years without deviating to any other perfume ,such was my love for this chypre . It's savoury sweet spicey peaches ,leather ,moss. That was what vintage Mitsouko is to me. The EDP and the EDT were my choices then .
I tried the new EDT recently and I waited for the Mitsouko I knew to emerge - I waited a long time. The new EDT is a 'ghost' of what I wore in the 90s. Stil she's there but much subdued.
Mitsu means light, some say it means mystery .

Update: Review on new Mitsouko extrait 2009
The new extrait was' repaired' by Eduoard Flechier- borught in by Guerlain to re do Mitsouko with the permitted levels of oakmoss .
My very first wearing of the new parfum was actually heartbreaking to be honest. I know the old versions and how deep and near mythical it smells.
The new extrait opens with a gassy petrol note which I think Luca Turin smells as 'bread-like' . I can agree with his version of that.
I got a lot of vegetal notes and moss and it took about 20 minutes for the Mitsouko to emerge with a touch of iris . Therefore the new Mitsouko is abit more floral and less mossy and deep. The lasting power is not as good as the vintage of course.
Subsequent wearing of the new extrait have been easier and I am now happy to wear it once I am out of the vintage.
I found that you need to be a little more generous with the dabs or give yourself a good spray to experience less of the gas/ bread note for a shorter time . I don't know why but this is what I have found for myself.
I must be fair to Guerlain and say that Eduoard Flechier did do a very good job on Mitsouko. She's 90 years old this year and I am thankful she is still around and not discontinued . I admit that when I wore the new extrait for the first time , I was quite disappointed and thought perhaps Guerlain should have discontinued it but now I am grateful Mitsouko is still here.

Update : Mitsouko Eau de Cologne Vintage ( glass ribbed bottle- diamond shaped with atomiser intergrated into the goldtone top - circa 60s- 70s ?? )

The Eau de cologne is wonderfully resinous and deep as the the EDP version of the 80s ! It is actually stronger than the current new extrait. I believe the top notes have gone now but what lies beneath is the full mysterious version of Mitsouko that many of us Guerlainistas crave , the older ,more laid back ,glamorous baroque Mitsouko ,no holds barred. Thanks to a dear friend of mine on Basenotes who gifted this to me this Christmas, I have had this opportunity to own such a masterpiece. I think Jacques Guerlain is smiling down tonight ! :)

MITSOUKO is an enigma to me. Though it smells green and mossy for the most part, I can't deny the existence of sweetness and spice, with a depth and complexity that are beyond compare. I believe it is this inherent maze of subtleties that bestows Mitsouko with a mythical chameleon-like ability to transform its character and compliment any skin partner. On a man, Mitsouko smells confidently masculine and cerebral; on a woman, it weaves a little web of intrigue, portraying itself as a mysterious, seductive beauty. Few are immune to its legendary charms.

The EDT version I have dates from 1973 so I doubt if it's a reformulation, yet it feels light and translucent for a chypre. But when you consider Mitsouko began life as an extrait, you'd be a little more forgiving. On a more positive note, I find this translucence allows for greater variation in wearing styles with a more liberal application bringing Mitsouko's enchantment to its magical best.

*** This review is of the EDT ***

My first reaction to Mitsouko was "weird", but definitely a GOOD weird. I wanted to get to know it better and bought a bottle of the edt. If you like resinous, chypre scents (or even if you don't) you have to give this one a try at least a couple of times. I was worried that it would be too spicy but luckily I can detect just a little in the background mix. Don't expect a modern day fruity peach note though, this is more of a smooth, "fuzzy" peach which sweetens the resins perfectly. I did not find it remotely musty or old lady-ish - thank goodness! - which I got from L'HB. To me it is timeless and quite addictive. Mitsouko edp is currenly my default perfume - the one I turn to when I don't know what to wear - and it never dissappoints. If you find the edp overwhelming but interesting at first sniff, start with the edt and take your time. It will be well worth it.

I've been a Guerlain lover from my rosy days of youth...L'Heure Bleu and Shalimar have been my staples for over 40 years.
Not that I haven't strayed, as a true lover of fragrance, I've tried and loved, loved and discarded more than a few other fabulous perfumes over the decades; Chanel, Gres, Lauder, Chopard, so many others....
But the one elusive prize I've not possessed has been Mitsouko.
Now that I am in my (50ish) dotage, and should be respectable enough to find at least one true lover, er, fragrance, I dared to flirt with Mitsouko.
So, I shall confess: while dancing the tango with Tom Ford, I saw an old, used bottle of the Mitsouko on a dusty shelf. Unseen, I slipped it into my hand, and onto my skin, meaning to return it to its place, unknown...but the swirls of scent and elegance and beauty and decadence and exquisite timelessness overwhelmed me, and the little dark bottle slipped gently to the floor.
And so now, while Mr. Ford and his Black Orchids escort me much of the time, I secretly love Mitsouko; my inner self swoons with pleasure whenever we are together.
That is Mitsouko.

Cate

Review of Mitsouko edp (2008 version)

I'm also one of complainers...

I remember Mitsouko being more mossy. I could wear it days (weeks) at a time (an achievement when you have a collection of some 300 perfumes). Now the base is all vanilla-ish sandelwood. Though I love the sandelwood based Guerlains like Jicky and Samsara, I find that in this new reformulated version of the Mitsouko edp it is a bit too much, it makes me almost sick. I have to admit I always prefered the edt over the edp (and or even before that the Parfum de Toilette) concentration, but still I feel like "Mitsu" needs a re-reformulation. Ok they can't use oakmoss anymore, I'm not a nose, but there must be some sort of alternative.

I give Mitsouko the tumbs up only for what it was and what it represents in the perfume history.

Utterly hideous and beautiful at the same time, Mitsouko is probably among the 10 best fragrances ever created on the planet, and I'm basing that opinion on the reformulated versions - I can only imagine what vintage Mitsouko smells like.

The scent can be described as having peach skin overtones rounded out by a spicy, powdery, mossy, green, hay-like base. Somehow the peach is not sweet at all, however it is slightly juicy and mouth watering. The most surprising thing about Mitsouko is that it's easily unisex, if not somewhat butch with its animalic chypre undertones. One of the only fragrances out there that actually embodies an authentic oriental/Japanese vibe, while still maintaining that romantic French touch that is so characteristic of classic Guerlain's.

While Mitsouko is a wonderful work of art, it is, however, quite dated and not easy to pull off for younger generations. On the other hand, anyone with a nose for beauty will enjoy smelling Mitsouko, even if they don't want to smell like it.

Mitsouko is more than a masterpiece - it's perfume history in a bottle.

11/10