Reviews of Patchoulissime (200x)
by Keiko Mecheri

I love this fragrance as I'm not a great fan of full on patchouli. If you give a couple of coats or spray liberally it's not that mild . It is also one of the better lasters from Keiko Mercheri and I get a full day easily. Patchoulissime is exquisite as it is.

I loved reading purplebird's excellent review and astute description of the different approaches to patchouli by various houses.

There is nothing wrong with Patchoulissime at all - a dry, light, earthy, herbal patchouli that is as far from 'raw' or 'animalistic' as patchouli can possibly be. It's still patchouli, but by far the kinder, gentler version of patchouli. I'm firmly with foetidus in that I like my patchouli without being watered down, and while this fragrance is well constructed and would appeal to those wanting a mild patchouli fragrance, it is not for me.

Patchoulissime – Keiko Merchari
A clean, well-handled patchouli that smells refined and herbal. Patchouli is a difficult not to tame. There are two main schools of thought: one celebrates the earthiness of patchouli, adding little else (such as the high-quality Santa Maria Novella Patchouli and the lovely L’Artisan Patchouli Patch); the other school aims to sweeten the patchouli with fruit and amber notes (my favorites being Jalaine Patchouli, Coromandel, and Montale Patchouli Leaves). Most objections to the fist school occur because of associations with “hippie patchouli.” On the other hand, the substance, itself, causes problems with the “sweet school” because patchouli is one of the mustiest notes in perfumery. Regardless of the prettifying, it still smells like dirt, and the incongruence with vanilla can be revolting if handled improperly. Enter Keiko Mercheri Patchoulisse, almost a school unto itself. It is so light it approaches dryness. It is so soft that the patchouli comes across as an herb. This light, herbal nature completely removes all mustiness, but the perfume never becomes the least bit edible. Probably the only other perfume I know that succeeds in this same task is Aromatics Elixir. Patchoulissime is like one, tiny sliver of AE—the part without the complex balsams and florals, which leaves it spare and airy. I recommend it to anyone who hasn’t found a friend in patchouli yet.

Foetidus is exactly correct; Mecheri's is a softer, gentler patchouli. Which is precisely why I love it! I'm ecstatic to have found a patchouli that leans more to the feminine. A bit less raw, yet still dry and earthy - slightly sweet. Thankfully, there were no florals added to this elixir, now Patchoulissime can play together with a slough of floral fragrances! If you are a 'patchouli devotee', this one may disappoint. For some men, this one may be too mild. For me, this patchouli is just right! Full bottle on it's way ~ two thumbs up!

Animalic dry patchouli and a bit of a hay-like note that I think is supposed to be vetiver. What's really nice about this is that it's not over the top like the patchouli in A*Men or others and not too minute as if it's never there. Still, one wonders why every perfumer does a patchouli. Probably it's because people like me like patchouli when it doesn't smell like their old college dormitory at 2am on Thursday night.

Take some dry patchouli and sweeten it a bit and you got Patchoulissime. Foetidus is right, it's not a heavy or spicy patchouli fragrance and it's not Ye Ole Hippie Patchouli, but it's still clearly patchouli, pretty much a single note. One sweetened, light and airy, and a tad "perfumey", which is what I like the least about it.

The softer, gentler patchouli. This pacification is accomplished by placing it in an accord that is citrus and very sweet. What is left in order to accomplish this gentle patchouli is something that is quite ordinary and boring; it’s a patchouli without its rawness and substance. Patchoulissime has very little spice going for it—I would have liked a little more breadth in the fragrance. The rose has possibilities but those possibilities have been ignored—it doesn’t contribute as much as it could / should to a fully developed fragrance. The citrus is subservient, so it doesn’t contribute much, but that’s okay, we have plenty enough citrus fragrances in the world. The patchouli and benzoin aren’t enough to carry Patchoulissme as an Oriental. It is a simple and pleasant scent but I wonder if that’s enough. I don’t think a patchouli lover would buy this, because it isn’t patchouli enough and it has little else going for it. Neither would a patchouli hater buy it because underneath all that sweetness, it’s still sort of patchouli. Okay, as simple as it is, it is a very well-done scent—It has good sillage and excellent longevity and a very comfortable and pleasant patchouli / sweet drydown. But…I love Patchouli and I don’t need it watered down.