Badgley Mischka Couture (2009)
by Badgley Mischka

Yes, it's true. Couture is a stripped down version of the original Badgley Mischka. It's not as fruity as the original and it's more creamy, with quite of bit of patchouli up front, a bit of musk as it dries, and a smokiness from top to bottom. The white florals are discernible but not as full-throttle as the Les Fleurs version.

I adore the original, despise the Les Fleurs version, and like-like Couture. The bottom-line is that Couture is a patchouli-rich scent which is devoid of clutter and perfectly acceptable as an everyday scent for patch-lovers. I dropped a whole $7 on a 7ml parfum mini, then immediately purchased a 15ml of parfum gel for twice that. I'm not sure that I need more quantity, but Couture definitely has a purpose in my wardrobe. I have tried the EdP and have to say the parfum version is much better.

Couture is a non-sugar, non-hippie patchouli that can be worn to the office. I definitely recommended Couture for sampling, and I'd say that patch-lovers can confidently blind purchase a mini.

25th September, 2011. (Last Edited: 7th October, 2011.)

What happens when you remove the peach from BADGLEY MISCHKA? You get the base, which appears to have been bottled straight up, with the addition only of a dash of pear, as BADGLEY MISCHKA COUTURE. This composition reminds me a bit of Grès CABARET, which showcases a somewhat sweaty muskiness, in complete consistency with its name. I myself have never really understood what people mean when they use the locution “transparent rose,” to be perfectly frank. But perhaps there is “transparent” gardenia, violet, and jasmine in BADGLEY MISCHKA COUTURE as well—in precisely the sense in which the Emperor's New Clothes are “transparent”.

My overall impression is that BM COUTURE was a quick and cheap flanker. Same bottle (dipped in a low-quality gold paint with poor adhesion), same composition minus the top notes plus a touch of pear. As one who never managed to comprehend the effusive outpouring of admiration and even gratitude for what appears in some select cases to have been an eschatological delivery of sorts occasioned by the sniffing of BADGLEY MISCHKA, I cannot muster up much enthusiasm for this flanker either. I don't really think that BM COUTURE is any worse than its namesake, but it's also not really any better.

[Editorial note: should any easily roiled readers feel a welling-up of offense in response to what may seem, judging by phonetics alone, to be my possibly scurrilous use of the word 'eschatological', I humbly exhort them to avail themselves of one of the many free online dictionaries of the English language only a few keystrokes away *before* succumbing to the temptation to press that pesky report button. Thank you for your consideration.]

11th September, 2011.

I love the original Badgley Mischka & after reading the great 2 reviews on about couture I was so eager
to try this. No where - no where on line could I find it except eBay so I bought it
with a no return policy & the fragrance I am wearing smells like a mans aftershave. Not a nice one either. The bottle came without a lid & it is not in a gold colored glass bottle either, as the photos show.
So I don't know what the real fragrance smells like or if this is the Couture. I hope not. I am new to buying fragrances from odd places & I never thought there could be fake representations of perfume.
The reviews of BMC really created a fragrance world I wanted to live in - but this bottle is not it.
Sorry.

15th June, 2011.

I just purchased this perfume and I love it. I am very fussy about fragrance. It has to last and not be overpowering and this is it. Love, Love, Love. Basenotes is a good place to visit! Thanks

3rd July, 2009.

Delicious, a wonderful scent that is feminine and beautiful. I love the way it dries down. Sophisticated. Not overwhelming or loud. Well done

9th March, 2009.