Reviews of Mitsouko (1919)
by Guerlain

I've tried this fragrance in the EDP version several times, and I just cannot force myself to appreciate it. I wanted to - I find the name, the bottle, the history....EVERYTHING about it fascinating.........except for the smell. And it kills me. No seriously....the smell could kill, and not in a good way!

I'm not afraid of aldehydes (I'm a Chanel girl and get my kicks from 5 and 22, and I love vintage Joy which is chock full of aldehydes AND peaches...a combo I thought I'd never like 'cause i hate fruity+flower fragrances), and I can handle spicy animalic scents (Jicky and Shalimar are favorites of mine). Unfortunately, Jicky, Shalimar, and Nahema are the only Guerlains that have befriended me so far. L'heure Bleue and Mitsouko do the same thing to me. They make me sick to my stomach. Literally. I've never had to scrub a fragrance off of my wrists before puking until trying L'heuere Bleue. It isn't the "skank" factor that many perfumistas laud and that many fragrance lovers just can't get past. I can enjoy "dirty hippie" smells like spice, sweat and musk...and the ol' "morning after" smell. It isn't the "old lady" factor. Most "old lady" perfumes (powder and all) are awesomely sexy to me, and I usually prefer vintage even though I'm only in my 20's. I'll never understand the statement that a perfume can be "out dated." Fashion never really is. Think about all the inspirations we take from the past and mix into contemporary fashion...just like literature. Classics are classics! But then again, I find many classics over-rated as well....Dickens, anyone?

So, here's the kicker for me: Mitsouko smells an awful lot like mint bubble Orbitz gum on me. Or maybe it's something from Trident? I forget. Smells like a waxy-based, nauseatingly fruity menthol. I swear it does...maybe mixed with a little cough syrup? It makes me think of horrible b-flicks that have a cult following for no other reason than they are "unique," difficult to "get," and rather unapproachable for the "common" person. I'll never understand it. Unique can be great...I love unique (and sometimes kinda weird) fragrances (hah...and admittedly, I love many b-ficks too!), but I just can't handle off-putting and unapproachable. But then again, people say the same thing about my beloved Jicky, and it could just be my body chemistry...so whatever floats your good smellin' boats,people! : )

It stinks.

Well, not exactly. It smells expensive and familiar, but not good. It would be very nice on a older person. I do not want it on my skin. Wearing it feels like advertising for a company I don't like. It's okay if others wish to wear Hollister clothes, for instance, but I would be horribly uncomfortable doing so. This fragrance makes me feel uncomfortable, like I am pretending to be 30 years older than I am.

All I get from it is a dry leather smell. No peach, no mosses, just old leather. I was very disappointed.

I've tried and I've tried. Every time of day, every time of year, any excuse of an
occasion. But I can't get by the cloves. Yes. I know you're in there. But the bottle alone, is worth the price of admission. Oh, what's the problem with cloves? Old Dad, born in , 1900, said they were used to help with tooth aches. Cloves do have anesthetic properties...if that is what you want. But the association....
Please tell me I'm wrong....

Thumbs down.

Eeek.

I tried this after reading the laudatory reviews of it. This is a very strange scent. Goes on powdery and dries down to a strongly gastronomic, savory, fleshy scent. Peanut is a fair description. I find it a little alarming and not very appealing.

I bought this recently because it's supposed to be the best fragrance in the world and I thought at first that I must have bought an online fake. It immediately reminded me of my mother's make-up drawer- stale face powder. I persevered with it for 3 days, then asked my partner to smell it. Straight away he said "old ladies' make-up." I was relieved to find here that other people have had the same experience - I thought there must be something wrong with my nose, though I recently recognised that a friend was wearing it and it smelled of old ladies on her too.

I appreciate the significance of this perfume, but I cannot wear it. I don't smell something that pleases me, I smell a museum. Yes, there are too many aldehydes, they almost tear open my sinuses. Yes, I get musty connotations of endearing old ladies who still wear the fashions of long forgotten seasons. Yes, I too get a sensation of heating up peanut oil in a wok - not rancid, but less than pleasant. There is no peach and a lot of dark unconciliatory moss. This review is based on a 7.5ml pure perfume from the 1980s or earlier.

I blindly bought a bottle of edt , but i really don't like it, i tried several times without success, it smells chemical and artificial, maybe my nose is not good for aldehydes, the bottle is full i'll try again.

I really wanted to like this. But to me it smells of rich old ladies! I guess my nose prefers more modern scents, and this one smells cheap to me. I have to assume it is the fault of my nose, since everyone else seems to love it. Or maybe it's the case of the emperor and his new clothes?

I got this as a present for my girlfriend as a blind buy based on all the great reviews on this site. All I can say is it is a spice bomb, despite other reviews saying differently. Both my girlfriend and mother who smelled it said they were reminded of their grandmothers. Any woman under the age of 50 has no business wearing this scent.

Mitsouko hates me—she turns rancid the instant she touches me.

Mitsouko smells bad probably ruined by the aldehydes. I dislike aldehydes that smell like old lady. Too bad since I was looking forward to liking it since it got such rave reviews from so many people

Guess this "elusive" one is only for some, as I find it fetid and burnt-smelling. "Mystery," indeed. Go for Shalimar, ladies and gents, or Jardins de Bagatelle, or (YUM!) the Eau Extreme version of L'instant. Leave Mitsouko alone unless you are just DYING to figure out its burnt-smelling "mystery."

This might have something to do with scinchemistry, but on me this smells absolutely awful. Old mold. I wouldnt wear this one for free.
benb

After reading volumes about the legendary Mitsouko and finally landing a sample vial, I'd like to believe that I just need to mature in my tastes. At this point, though, I have to report that Mitsouko is bitter and too spicy for me. I can't cultivate an appreciation for spices. I've tried. If you're not keen on them either, skip this classic. I have issues with aldehydes, too. (Go ahead, look down your refined noses at me!)