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Men That Wear Mitsouko

post #1 of 37
11/3/12 at 11:32am
Thread Starter 
I just bought my first bottle of Mitsouko EdP. I remember the first time I smelled it; I was mesmerized and hooked on it's beautiful melody of notes.
How do you wear it? Do you spray your chest and wrist or in addition spray your shirt? My skin usually eats fragrances for dinner and I have to spray my shirt and sometimes my hair, but not so much with Mitsouko. It generally lasts for about 3-4 hours and longer as a closer to the skin fragrance.
I have quite a few samples of fragrances considered unisex (ie. Chanel no.19, Cuir de Lancome, Shalimar...) and I have worn them around the house, but I haven't grown a larger pair enough to wear them out! I love all of them and I want to wear my new Mitsouko proudly down the street, but I think it's so ingrained in a lot of men to not wear "womanly" things that I HAVE to get over. Any words of Wisdom for me?

Peace and Thanks Guys!
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post #2 of 37
11/3/12 at 11:53am
Do whatever you like without compromise: this is you!
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post #3 of 37
11/3/12 at 12:04pm
Don't have it yet, but if I'd have the opportunity, I'd probably wear it.
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post #4 of 37
11/3/12 at 12:23pm
My favourite version is the still-with-oakmoss extrait; to me it is earthy and round with full, ripe peaches.
The current EdP is altogether a much brighter and more youthful affair that leaps off the skin.
Instantly recognisable - I was lucky enough to sit next to a woman on the tube a couple of weeks ago who was wearing it.
Words of wisdom ? Trite as it sounds, life is short. Too short, at least, to worry about such silly things. Just enjoy a fabulous perfume.
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post #5 of 37
11/3/12 at 12:24pm
I wish I could wear womanly fragrances. They tend to be so well better made than mens fragrances, generally speaking. It's not that I don't have the cohones to pull it off, I just don't like the feminine scents on my skin. I envy the guy who can pull it off.
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post #6 of 37
11/3/12 at 12:31pm
When I tried it some time ago in a shop I got peach and this horrid peanut butter vibe, it really put me off to say the least.
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post #7 of 37
11/3/12 at 12:35pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

When I tried it some time ago in a shop I got peach and this horrid peanut butter vibe, it really put me off to say the least.

Wow! Jack, I had never heard that before. That would be a turn off!

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Quote:
Originally Posted by senore01 View Post

I wish I could wear womanly fragrances. They tend to be so well better made than mens fragrances, generally speaking. It's not that I don't have the cohones to pull it off, I just don't like the feminine scents on my skin. I envy the guy who can pull it off.

senore01 I love to wear some that are more masculine and not nauseatingly floral/fruity. I especially like the ones that settle into leather notes, so, a chypre like Mitsouko is a suprise for me to love. I just started becoming interested in unisex fragrances when I joined BN's?!
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post #8 of 37
11/3/12 at 1:03pm
Mitsouko is perfectly masculine. I'm sure that, if smelled out of context, a casual sniffer would not be able to say it's a feminine. Besides, as you say, feminines are now syrupy florals.

This is the first step. You will then be able to move to Joy, Rive Gauche, Anais Anais and more.

cacio
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post #9 of 37
11/3/12 at 1:06pm
I have worn all the frags you mentioned in public, and no one raised an eyebrow. They may be marketed to women but they smell great, and Mitsouko would smell good on anyone IMHO.
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post #10 of 37
11/3/12 at 1:45pm
I was very confused as i noticed after joing in BN, that many men use womens perfumes. If i smelled somewhere some man using women's perfume, it would confuse me a lot. But that does not mean that i would be small-minded or disapproved it, it's just that i couldn't use myself a feminine perfumes. I agree that if one likes to wear them, there is no reason for not to do so. Everyone should wear whatever they enjoy!
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post #11 of 37
11/3/12 at 2:19pm
I wear shalimar edp, so dont be shy with mitsouko... fragrance have no gender
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post #12 of 37
11/3/12 at 2:52pm
Charlie Chaplin's signature fragrance was Mitsouko, if I'm not mistaken. His Mitsouko will not have been the same as the one we have today, but I think it's still pretty unisex. The older the vintage the better. My favorites to wear are the 70s/80s EdC, and the PdT from the 80s. I also have the current EdP, and would not hesitate to wear it. Maybe go a bit light though to see how it works on you throughout the day.
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post #13 of 37
11/3/12 at 3:21pm
This is by far my most favorite and easy to wear womens frag. I initially bought it for my girlfriend but then decided to get my own bottle. I think fragrances from way back then are really considered more unisex by todays standards. I also own a good sized amount of Shalimar Perfume de Toilette which I think is also stunning on a man. Chanels Cuir de Russie, Bois des Iles, and Cuir by Lancome(I own them all!) are all designated for women but very wearable for men. Have no shame my friend, you are not alone in wearing what you like when you like!
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post #14 of 37
11/3/12 at 3:24pm
I love wearing Mitsouko EdP. And I'm quite triggerhappy with it als well.
1 or 2 at the neck, 1 at the back of my head in my hear, 1 at my chest or on my shirt and 1 on each hand or arm.
People are amazed when they ask me what I'm wearing and I tell 'em it's a womans fragrance and it's almost a hundred years old.
Just started on my 2nd bottle and I'm sure I will always keep it in my collection. Magical stuff!
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post #15 of 37
11/3/12 at 3:25pm
I heart men who wear Mitsy
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post #16 of 37
11/3/12 at 4:20pm
I've seen old ladies wear this. If they can, you can!
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post #17 of 37
11/3/12 at 4:29pm
It's a BEAUTIFUL scent but I would definitely by embarrassed is someone recognized it on me (to be truly honest). But the reality is that even though it is instantly recognizable to a fraghead, it's not like the average joe will say "THATS MISOUKO! ITS FOR CHICKS" or something like that. I think we overplay that for scents that aren't 1 million or other very common among younger crowds are instantly recognizable. I don't think anyone would know unless they themsleves are old ladies who wear it regularly.
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post #18 of 37
11/3/12 at 7:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by southerngardens View Post

I just bought my first bottle of Mitsouko EdP. I remember the first time I smelled it; I was mesmerized and hooked on it's beautiful melody of notes.
How do you wear it? Do you spray your chest and wrist or in addition spray your shirt? My skin usually eats fragrances for dinner and I have to spray my shirt and sometimes my hair, but not so much with Mitsouko. It generally lasts for about 3-4 hours and longer as a closer to the skin fragrance.
I have quite a few samples of fragrances considered unisex (ie. Chanel no.19, Cuir de Lancome, Shalimar...) and I have worn them around the house, but I haven't grown a larger pair enough to wear them out! I love all of them and I want to wear my new Mitsouko proudly down the street, but I think it's so ingrained in a lot of men to not wear "womanly" things that I HAVE to get over. Any words of Wisdom for me?

Peace and Thanks Guys!

Good for you, Gardens! Mitsy is wonderful on anyone if they enjoy it. I have the parfum and the EDP and enjoy both.

Wear what you like and don't apologise to anyone for it.

So many scents go unappreciated because both sexes get scared off by the gender label. You might also try Jolie Madame (leather violet) and Bandit (leather) if you love smoky floral leather of Cuir de Lancome, which is what I would want on a desert island.

And you MUST try Vol de Nuit in the parfum!
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post #19 of 37
11/3/12 at 8:09pm
I have a decant of the current EdP. I find the EdT to be less peachy and more mossy, with a yeast like smell that iw a bit hard to overcome. The same for the extrait. So, my favourite rendition is the EdP with the silky bright peach notes slowly melting into a vetiver drydown. Definitely a unisex, when the first 10 minutew or so with thir grandmotherly vibe are over.'
As I have a decant without atomizer I just dab it on y neck, which works fine (a bit difficult to dose so). I find it to be extremely substantial and long lasting without ever becoming overbearing. It has an extreme slow transition between the phases, which I havenever seen before. After 5-6 hrs on skin it still develops...
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post #20 of 37
11/3/12 at 9:17pm
Wore it on my arm tonight and my wife said "EWWWW....SMELLS LIKE A GRANDMOTHER".

LOL
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post #21 of 37
11/3/12 at 9:31pm
It's quite a moody one but I enjoy the PDT.

Go and smell your way along the top shelf of all the latest 'Men's Colognes' out there at any given time and then find a few classic 'Women's' chypres like Mitsouko, Bandit or even lighter stuff like Eau de Patou & Sous le Vent, and then tell me with a straight face that vanilla bombs like 1 Million, Spicebomb, Tobacco Vanille are 'masculine' and Mitsouko is 'feminine'.

The 90's saw the advent of 'clean' for men, and the last decade has added sugar. On the evolutionary scale we've gone from Perrier to 7Up
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post #22 of 37
11/3/12 at 9:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. reasonable View Post

It's quite a moody one but I enjoy the PDT.

Go and smell your way along the top shelf of all the latest 'Men's Colognes' out there at any given time and then find a few classic 'Women's' chypres like Mitsouko, Bandit or even lighter stuff like Eau de Patou & Sous le Vent, and then tell me with a straight face that vanilla bombs like 1 Million, Spicebomb, Tobacco Vanille are 'masculine' and Mitsouko is 'feminine'.

The 90's saw the advent of 'clean' for men, and the last decade has added sugar. On the evolutionary scale we've gone from Perrier to 7Up

LOL! I like your metaphor. I think of Jolie Madame and Bandit and compare them to your "vanilla bombs." I guess this is the modern "masculine" version of the current women's fruity floral.
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post #23 of 37
11/3/12 at 10:02pm
Perrier to 7up, very well said.

Were it not that it's now more Kool Aid than 7up ...

cacio
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post #24 of 37
11/3/12 at 10:22pm
Mitsouko has been my signature scent for many years; so much so, that friends can identify my presence in a room by association with the scent, sight unseen.
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post #25 of 37
11/3/12 at 11:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by N_Tesla View Post

Mitsouko has been my signature scent for many years; so much so, that friends can identify my presence in a room by association with the scent, sight unseen.

Nick! How nice to see you back. Yes, I thought of you and your beloved Mitsy!
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post #26 of 37
11/4/12 at 1:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by döfä91 View Post

If i smelled somewhere some man using women's perfume, it would confuse me a lot.

My guess is that you wouldn't know. Unless you're already familiar with a perfume and know it by name, most people wouldn't be able to tell just from smelling it whether it's marketed to men or women.
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post #27 of 37
11/4/12 at 6:33am
Wear it!

I'd be more afraid wearing something like Victoria Secret's Dream Angel's because IMO that's what 'Women Smell Like' where I live, they sure don't smell like Mitsouko (even though I wish they did).
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post #28 of 37
11/4/12 at 8:06am
Somehow I never get the grandma vibe. On my skin Mitsouko is just a wonderfully mossy chypre. Perfectly unisex imho.
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post #29 of 37
11/4/12 at 11:03am
I never got the grandma vibe either. The Mitsouko I know is much more butch than something like Dior Homme or all of the sweet gourmands that are so popular.
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post #30 of 37
11/4/12 at 1:52pm
Thread Starter 
I don't get the "grandmotherly" smell either. I think that comment is coming from people that have not smelt a miraculous chypre if it blew up their nose!

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Primrose View Post

Good for you, Gardens! Mitsy is wonderful on anyone if they enjoy it. I have the parfum and the EDP and enjoy both.

Wear what you like and don't apologise to anyone for it.

So many scents go unappreciated because both sexes get scared off by the gender label. You might also try Jolie Madame (leather violet) and Bandit (leather) if you love smoky floral leather of Cuir de Lancome, which is what I would want on a desert island.

And you MUST try Vol de Nuit in the parfum!

I will make it a point to try Volde Nuit and thanks for the other hints! Your a Doll!
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post #31 of 37
1/6/13 at 8:05pm
Mitsouko is a great fragrance, and as has been said before, life is short...too short to miss out on enjoying great experiences...like wearing Mitsouko or some of the other great fragrances you mentioned.

I doubt anyone but a 'fume-head would recognize any of these fragrances on you, and the ones who would recognize would almost certainly admire your panache for wearing such goodness.

I've only recognized a fragrance marketed to women on a man once, and it smelled fantastic on him--I was quite impressed really.

A few years back, I had boarded a plane and noticed a nice aroma from time to time. I sniffed to check if it was me. Nope. Not that good that day. After a while I realized I was smelling it each time a male flight attendant walked by. So eventually I overcame the social awkwardness of asking a guy what fragrance he was wearing. He smiled and said, "it's new". I didn't click that he was avoiding the question, so I pushed, "no, I meant what is it?" He then answered, "it's Cartier", and moved along to attend another passenger. Well, I mentally went through all the "masculine" fragrances I knew from that line: Santos, no, Pasha no, Declaration, no, Must pour Homme, no. The fragrance did seem a little familiar. Had he lied to me? Was it something else altogether? Nope, it was Le Baiser du Dragon, of which I had smelled a sample a few months before. Worked great on him, not feminine at all.

P.S. I did buy my first bottle of Mitsouko EdP this week too. I wanted to get the cool bottle in the gold box before it disappeared, replaced by reformulated material.
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post #32 of 37
1/7/13 at 7:01pm
Nice coincidence: I wore 'new' Eau de Toilette today, right after a lunchtime workout at the gym (two tiny sprays from a plastic decant bottle). Perfect. The other guys in the locker room didn't flinch. It just smells GOOD. End of story.
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post #33 of 37
1/7/13 at 7:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by southerngardens View Post

........Any words of Wisdom for me?.......

Wearing them around the house won't tell you as much. You have to get out and move around, get the body temp up, be around others, etc. Shalimar smells better but my girlfriend often mistakes it for Bois du Portugal. Mitsouko's androgynous, especially the new edt. There's so much vetiver in Mitsouko I sometimes think I'd rather just wear a good vetiver fragrance. You'd be a lot better off wearing Mitsouko than most of the disinfectants made for men. Nothing smells better than vintage Mitsouko parfum.

"Mitsouko is a thing of subtle silk opulence: strength and balance and twilight. I imagine that in the Chinese opium dens, just as the opium eaters begin to lose consciousness, they perceive a similarly magical smell drifting from their pipes. If Mitsouko is not five stars, no perfume is."
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post #34 of 37
1/7/13 at 7:35pm
Thread Starter 
I have moved past any apprehensions that I had about wearing Mitsouko out in public. I am now wearing Chanel No.19, Guerlain L'Heure Bleue, Mitsouko, Hermes Amazone, Shalimar, Chamade, Etc....I found that I am happiest wearing what I like and being myself.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by docluv45 View Post

Mitsouko is a great fragrance, and as has been said before, life is short...too short to miss out on enjoying great experiences...like wearing Mitsouko or some of the other great fragrances you mentioned.

I doubt anyone but a 'fume-head would recognize any of these fragrances on you, and the ones who would recognize would almost certainly admire your panache for wearing such goodness.

I've only recognized a fragrance marketed to women on a man once, and it smelled fantastic on him--I was quite impressed really.

A few years back, I had boarded a plane and noticed a nice aroma from time to time. I sniffed to check if it was me. Nope. Not that good that day. After a while I realized I was smelling it each time a male flight attendant walked by. So eventually I overcame the social awkwardness of asking a guy what fragrance he was wearing. He smiled and said, "it's new". I didn't click that he was avoiding the question, so I pushed, "no, I meant what is it?" He then answered, "it's Cartier", and moved along to attend another passenger. Well, I mentally went through all the "masculine" fragrances I knew from that line: Santos, no, Pasha no, Declaration, no, Must pour Homme, no. The fragrance did seem a little familiar. Had he lied to me? Was it something else altogether? Nope, it was Le Baiser du Dragon, of which I had smelled a sample a few months before. Worked great on him, not feminine at all.

P.S. I did buy my first bottle of Mitsouko EdP this week too. I wanted to get the cool bottle in the gold box before it disappeared, replaced by reformulated material.

That's a great story! I am Glad to hear you got some Mitsouko! Good for you! She is a mysterious and wonderful frag for both men and women. Like in your story she smells totally different on a man than on a women.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

Nice coincidence: I wore 'new' Eau de Toilette today, right after a lunchtime workout at the gym (two tiny sprays from a plastic decant bottle). Perfect. The other guys in the locker room didn't flinch. It just smells GOOD. End of story.

So very true Mike. Mitsy does "just smell GOOD"!

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Quote:
Originally Posted by pluran View Post

Wearing them around the house won't tell you as much. You have to get and move around, get the body temp up, be around others, etc. Shalimar smells better but my girlfriend often mistakes it for Bois du Portugal. Mitsouko's androgynous, especially the new edt. There's so much vetiver in Mitsouko I sometimes think I'd rather just wear a good vetiver fragrance. You'd be a lot better off wearing Mitsouko than most of the disinfectants made for men. Nothing smells better than vintage Mitsouko parfum.

"Mitsouko is a thing of subtle silk opulence: strength and balance and twilight. I imagine that in the Chinese opium dens, just as the opium eaters begin to lose consciousness, they perceive a similarly magical smell drifting from their pipes. If Mitsouko is not five stars, no perfume is."

I know what you mean. There are some terrible men's frags out today! And Mitsouko is a five star frag with such mystery and beauty. She has become my love.
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post #35 of 37
1/7/13 at 8:04pm
I have a few semi-vintage versions dating from around the 80's - couple of Extraits, Parfum de Toilette and EDT.

Wore the EDT for an evening out yesterday - superb, deep, rich mossy baritone accord that really just makes you laugh when you look at the most of the confections being foisted on young guys these days. It's not so much the fact that so much stuff is sweet or simply bland, it's just that they seem to be so mean - tightly packed little synthetic things with no sense of space. Mitsouko is expansive, it gives you room to lean back and relax and enjoy the view - these new chemical things are like the seats in economy with a 6 inch screen about a foot in front of your face.
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post #36 of 37
1/7/13 at 10:32pm
Great analogy, Mr.R.
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post #37 of 37
1/7/13 at 11:39pm
The main problem with the wearability of Mitsouko is that it is a chypre. Beautiful as they can be they have been out of fashion for more than 20 years now. I'd say if you are comfortable wearing old school masculine chypres you should have no problem whatsoever. I'm speaking for the Vintage EDP as I'm not familiar with the current formulation or other concentrations.
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