Fragrance review: Guerlain Mitsouko

Created by Jacques Guerlain in 1919, Mitsouko can be a difficult love affair for someone unfamiliar with the chypre family, which is not as popular these days. It does not reveal its beauty all at once, nor does it allow one to treat it casually. It starts out aloof and cool, before revealing its intense and sensual side. Peach note is very true and quite gourmand, however the abstract nature of the composition never allows it to be instantly recognizable.

One of the most famous chypre fragrances that are characterised by a combination of citrus in the top notes and oakmoss in the base. Mitsuoko is a fruity chypre with peach adding a luscious accord to the austerity of the oakmoss. It is quite unusual as it is rich and elegant without notes that are too sweet, heady or heavy. A wonderfully balanced fragrance.

The EDT is the sharpest version, while the EDP and the parfum are much softer and subtler. The parfum in particular is quite lovely as all the notes are executed well and are in perfect harmony with each other. Since the parfum can be difficult to find, I think that the EdP is a great alternative.

Comments

[N aka parislondres]

ITA that the parfum of mitsouko is the very best and then the EDP. How I love Guerlains dear V!

xoxo

[Robin]

I have tried the parfum, and sadly, I still don't love it, despite that fact that I love many chypres. It is one of my biggest perfume failings. I hope to grow into it some day.

[N aka parislondres]

Today I had a tour with two clients and one of the women simply fell for Mitsouko instantly and was so emotional about it and had tears of joy in her eyes. I had tears in my eyes too as it is such a beautiful fragrance that evokes such emotions.

[Romina]

Rightfully one of the greatest. But it is a "sad" scent. Amazing how perfumes can really convey a story.

[tiare]

I remember vividedly the day that I decided to go and get tested for a correct scent for me. Previous to that day, I had worn many different perfumes (Joy du Patou, Oscar, channel number 9) I was all over the map and I wanted to be owned by and to posess my "own" scent.

I explained all of this to the perfume consultant at I Magnin's in SF about 20 years ago. We tested a few different things before she brought out Mitsouko. For me it really was love -I should say (all caps)it was exactly what I was looking for -all of it!!

I really don't know much about the art of fine perfume, but I do know this -for me it is exactly perfect, it was then at age 20 and it still is today. The complexity, sometimes sweet, sometimes other but always me. Thanks so much to the man for creating it!!!!

[Bois de Jasmin]

Tiare, what a beautiful story! Thank you so much for sharing it. It is really a pleasure to encounter something so beautiful that you do not want to look anywhere else.

[Dr. Linda Greene]

It is becoming more difficult to find Mitsouko, the body lotion is very difficult, please let me know where to purchase the body lotion.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Linda, I think that your best bet would be online stores. I just did a quick Google search, and here is what I came up with:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-32,GGLG:en&q=mitsouko+lotion

Many of these are reliable. Perfumemart is the one I purchase from rather often.

[SmarteCookie]

Though Mitsouko is lovely, sadly this perfume does not smell right ON me anymore. Really a shame. I am selling my remaining new bottles (in boxes) on eBay, and would love for them to go to someone who really loves Mitsouko! Feel free to look me up, my username is SmarteCookie. Thank you.

[Grainne]

Mitsouko was my favourite 30 years ago, and I went sad as I began to dislike it. I thougt I grew out of it. But then I heard from a little parfum-creating company that they changed the ingredients from natural ones to synthetics, at least many of them.
So, I did not grow out of it, I smelled the difference and I disliked it.
That company creates individual unique perfumes, I have got one of my own now. It is not too expensive and it is wonderful, just what I always wanted to have and be in.
They are able to reproduce the old ones like mitsouko, with natural ingredients, but thats very expensive because of the whole analysing jobs they have to do.