Mitsouko - Comparison of Old and New Formulas

I subtitle this "The Sad Evolution of Mitsouko." In it, I attempt to side-by-side compare old and new formulations, samples of my own and provided by various people.

2006 - Formula with no oakmoss. Only treemoss listed. Citrusy opening note. Dry wood heart is extremely resinous (musty in a pretty, haunting way.) Peach emerges from the wood. In the EDT it is discordant with the wood for awhile and takes longer to focus. In the parfum, it emerges faster and stronger. The peach is dominated by the wood for a relatively long time. Base ends with a delicate, sweet peach which is more aromatic than edible.

1980s - No citrus top notes. Wood is still resinous, but the peach is more well-matched with the wood. The peach emerges faster, stronger, and better in higher concentrations, as it does currently. Smells similar to the current version, but the peach and wood are more mellow and integrated, and it is overall better and less harsh.

1970s - Extremely different. This must be the last time that Mitsouko smelled like Mitsouko. Right from the start, this is a creamy, rich, sweet, round, peach. So deep, so lush, so delicious. The wood is integrated into the peach (not the other way around) and it is mild and hardly noticed. The peach evolves by picking up sweetness and a bit of powder, like a box of expensive, old-fashioned makeup. The base has vanilla. This aroma is lacking in later versions. Together with the fruit, the base ends up smelling like vanilla cake soaked with orange or peach liquour. This fragrance is all about peach, not wood.

And this is the EDC from the 1970s. What paradise must the EDT, EDP, or pure parfum have been?
I can see Mitsouko sitting in front of her vanity, wearing her peach silk kimono. She is not sad and musty. She is smiling and sweet.
Why cannot they make Mitsouko like this again?
I am sorry, but if you haven't smelled this, you have not smelled the real Mitsouko.
I am dismayed. This old formulation is beautiful beyond words.
People, Guerlain has pulled a switcheroo. And it happened after the 1970s. The current changes are bad, but the wost change happened decades ago.

I used 2006 EDT and parfum. Therefore, I would doubt that the 2006 EDP would smell any better, having smelled the highest and lowest concentrations already, and their general characteristics are the same. I still recommend parfum over anything and EDP over EDT.

I used 1980s EDT.
I used a vintage (exact date unknown) EDP.
I used 1970s EDC.

I do not know the story behind the lovely 1970s sample that was provided to me--where it was purchased, whether it was first-hand or second-hand.

Personally, I would disbelieve the validity of an unshiffed, e-Bay purchase of vintage Mitsouko. I would have to smell it myself, and only NOW that I have smelled the real thing. Before, I would not have known what to look for. Without that knowledge, I would only be able to trust getting an old bottle from a friend or relative.

I was sad to make this discovery, people. I was sad to tell you the truth, and I hope that you do not think I am gloating--that I have smelled the Real Mitsouko, and you have not. This is not my message at all I only want to tell you, as far as reformulations go, the real murder took place long ago.

Those of you who love the current Mitsouko and do not wish to be disappointed, don't try the pre-1907s UNLESS you love the current Mitsouko for the dry woodiness and not the sweet, fruity, peach. If that is the case, you would be happy that it has evolved in this direction.

How about this?
New purchasers, it is best to judge the new Mitsouko on its own merits. If you like it, then it is good. That is all that matters. Truly, this is a fair thing to do, because the old version was like an entirely different perfume, with the focus on a different aspect of the notes, altogether.

shifts, your comment was perfect. It put some optimism in this thread.

I was afraid yesterday, from the start, in my first post, that people would think I was bragging because there are people who try to be first to smell things. It is like a status symbol to say "I smelled the new..." And I did not want anyone to think I am like that.

You are a sincere critic and a truthful person, so I think you can handle knowing what the old Mitsouko smelled like. Also, I think the woodiness will be pleasing to you, and not so much the creamy peach, n'est ce pas?

In answer to your first question, there are a few ways to find out: Read blogs, forums, and reviews. Refer to Parfums Le Guide by Luca Turin (or other writing by him) because he has actually smelled the vintage perfumes and tells you when they ruin them.
Get your hands on the vintage. I don't trust e-Bay buys unsniffed. Some people do.

People from the DIY forum or some of our resident parfumeurs might be able to answer whether oakmoss will still be sold.

What's happening? Check out this thread. It starts out about Mitsouko, but the discussion turns to regulations and natural vs synthetic, which is a hot-button topic anyway:
http://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=192660
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Is is true that the perfume made and sold in France is made with better alcohol, (and possibly different ingredients) than the perfume sold to the USA?
I agree with you totally that ingredients make a huge difference in perfume, as much as formulation--maybe more.
I wonder what lovely ingredients were in the 1970s version...

Thanks for the great tip.

I'm not sure when it happened, but there is a change.
Altogether, Mitsouko seems to be moving away from the mellow, creamy peach into a more bright peach and dry wood.

That "harsh" note is what most people object to in the newer versions. Is it the change to treemoss? Is it more citrus? Is it a harsher oud component? Is it the loss of ambergris? Is it a lessening of the 1970s vanilla or amber base? I do not know. But you are not imagining a change.

I truly wish they would put dates on bottles.

(Pluran, please bear with me, I know you've had to read through my reiterations in PM form already. I write this again for the benefit of others reading the thread. Thanks.)

My EDT and parfum from 2006 had more woodiness and a citrusy top than the 1980s version. There could be actual citrus-type ingredients, or vetiver could account for that difference.

The 1980s version was smoother and more integrated - and you know what? There might two reasons for that. I thought about this for awhile. Perhaps it was the formulation, but perhaps it is because the ingredients have sat around in the bottle together, exchanging molecules for decades.

The 1970s version, oh yes, that was where it smelled peachier. A focus on different notes, definitely.

Compared to the old 1970s version?
More woodiness.
It is still a quality perfume, not synthetic smelling.
However, the focus has moved away from the peach.
That is why I say, if you like the wood part, it is changing in your favor. If you seek the peach, you have to wait for it to come out. In the old one, it was there, BANG, right from the start, with less wood.
If the new EDT smelled bad to you, it was probably those harsh notes in the beginning, but they do go away.

Hi Narcus.
Absolutely, I agree with you. I, myself. wonder the same thing.
Perfume houses seem to be evasive with their answers.

For example: every time I call Chanel to see if some classic is being discontinued (because it is sold only in EDT in the U.S., or because it must be special-ordered my mail) I am told all the proper, comforting things: No, no, it is still current, the sales representative has not heard about any plans to discontinue or reformulate.

Another example: I wrote Balmain about Jolie Madame, because oakmoss was not listed in the contents. After months of waiting, they replied that the formula had not been changed. But I know the bottle had been changed. And aren't there regulations that require oakmoss to be listed on the box?

I doubt we would hear the truth from Guerlain about reformulation. These things should be signalled with a newly-styled bottle, a label, or a name change, but they rarely are. Of course, one has already spent one's money and opened the bottle by the time one finds out. Then it is too late for returns and refunds. It discourages me from further purchases of my lovely, old-shool Chypres. What will I encounter in my next bottle of Miss Dior?

Luca Turins blog started an avalanche of e-mails to Guerlain about the reformulation of Mitsouko. However, after a nasty flame-war about natural perfumery (unrelated to Mitsouko, but pertinent to the oakmoss controversy and safety regulations) the blog was closed. (Mr. Turin was given some natural rose fragrances, and he commented unfavorably on them, starting a 'natural vs synthetic controvery.) Since then, I have been unable to find "official" news from Guerlain.