Mitsouko Eau de Toilette

Hmmmmm. I think I don't get this one just yet, but I'm slowly getting there. I imagine this one varies a lot based on skin chemistry, and, based on the comments I see here, I don't think I have the best possible skin chemistry for this. Nonetheless, something about it just won't let me go. My first thought upon sniffing Mitsouko was that this... stinks? This smells, in the kind of way that my mother would want to cover up with a clean department store celebrity floral. It smells exactly like something, though I don't quite remember what... I do understand the old lady comparisons. This smells like it is from another era. It smells like timeless, graceful maturity. It reeks with a certain sourness that I hated at first, particularly in the opening burst of green sharpness and spices, but then it started to remind me of libraries and old book pages, soft cuddly amber and ink... There is nothing sweet in this. Zero. Maybe a whisper of peach fuzz, but not a ripe, juicy peach you'd ever want to eat. Maybe a suggestion of a floral bouquet far, far away, wilting quietly on a dusty piano. Something in Mitsouko is very close to death. She is somber, sour, serious, and oh, so old. And yet... I just can't figure her out. I have to keep wearing her until I know her secrets. I can feel myself slowly falling for her mysterious whispering charm. I'm falling under her spell. On me, the opening of this is sharp and harsh, with spices I can't quite name that have an almost anise-like pointiness. The vetiver is loud and green, like grass screaming as it is cut, and the oakmoss is pungent and inky. I'm surprised by the strength and performance of Mitsouko throughout, but particularly in this first brash stage. That opening punch of spiky spices feels really familiar to me, and rather folk-medicinal. In the first minutes, it's astringent almost like an odd spicy scent of cleaning wipes manufactured in a country with wildly different olfactory tastes for cleaning wipes. I wouldn't usually think of this as something I'd want to smell like, and it's my least favorite part of the scent, but it's growing on me. The suggestion of peach comes out right in the middle, as the green and inky nuances begin to quiet down unevenly and let slivers of fruit and beheaded flowers through their grasp. In the drydown, the amber comes out and softens the green bitterness of the vetiver and oakmoss, which have become soft and tea-like. This stage is so enchanting and lovely, and I wish it projected more. In a day, I've gone from strongly disliking this to wanting to bathe in it. I never buy more than a milliliter of any fragrance, with very few exceptions, but this one tempts me. Enchanting. Update: today I wore Mitsouko EDT all day. First I brought her to work with me in the library. I couldn't tell where the soft, gentle dusty library smell ended and Mitsouko began. I then walked with her down to the farmer's market for some flowers, and promptly got caught in a gale. Mitsouko sang beautifully all around me in the rain. When I finally ran home in the rain, grabbed my umbrella, and walked to a dinner party, Mitsouko was still hanging all around me deliciously in the air. She has a way of magnifying and blending with all of the best things in your own skin and all around you. She sings clear, resonant chords with dampness and rain, with water and rot, with overripe fruit and earth, with spices and sin. She embodies the cool late August nights when the road glistens with rain and the air is heavy with a refreshing wetness. She is divine and she has graced me with her presence. I'll have her as long as she will stay. I'm a chronic sampler who tries everything in the tiniest possible size and never orders more of anything, who cannot imagine having a signature and wearing the same scent every single day. Mitsouko is the first scent to seriously tempt me with settling down. She blends with my own skin and my surroundings gloriously, creating a bridge that helps me appreciate the beauty of both. Unlike some heady sweet or floral thing, Mitsouko never exhausts me. I go to bed thinking how exciting it will be to wear her again. I think of her when I am trying other scents. I'm well on my way to having to order more. Update 2: It's official. I'm a fickle, novelty-chasing forever sampler, and Mitsouko is my first signature scent. Each time I bring her out she shows me something new. Today it is a comforting, delightful cinnamon with an almost-chocolate nuance and something animalic and carnal in the background. Another day, she's rain and dusty books, or perhaps dry vanillin and tea. She changes so entirely based on weather, climate, skin chemistry... she is divine. Update 3: I caved and bought a tester from FragranceX (my first ever full bottle, of anything!) and I like her very much, though she is not the Mitsouko I fell in love with in my 1 ml sample. Gone are the anise-cinnamon disinfectant spices and the moldy peach that I know and love. This Mitsouko feels more earthy, vegetal, and so much more mushroom-y. Perhaps she has a bit more of a citrus sheen, not bergamot, but something like a hint of lemon. Oddly enough, I get something animalic and civet-like, a skanky sexy note that simply wasn't there in my first sample. My batch number tells me my bottle is from 2017. I've heard Mitsouko doesn't keep well, and department store lights probably don't help. (Lesson learned!) I don't know how some of you preserve hundred-year-old bottles of the stuff! Still, she is pretty, though not as plush and mystical as what I first sampled. (The conspiracy theorist in me can't help but wonder whether sample distributors might put EDP in EDT vials to get more people to come back for a full bottle... but no, I think my bottle has simply started to turn.) I do like this damper, more animalic, mushroom-centered, possibly-turned take on Mitsouko, though I still dream of the one from my original sample most of all. Someday I'll find her again.

There is the extrait, the eau de parfum, and this, the eau de toilette. The extrait is undoubtedly the benchmark - as can be said with most Guerlain perfumes - but so complex, mysterious, and multidimensional is Mitsouko that even in three different concentrations the perfume still elicits a weak-at-the-knees reaction from me regardless of the one I'm wearing. The opening of the EdT is the same irrespective of the concentration, that powdery bergamot - a Guerlain signature - nestled on a bed of ripe and juicy peach skin that is quietened down significantly compared to the other concentrations, and the roses and jasmine smell dried rather than freshly bloomed. Notably missing in the EdT is the citrusy-juicy floral sweetness of the ylang-ylang, a key note of the other concentrations. This immediately gives the EdT a sharper, crisper, airy yet more rigid or stately character. In the other concentrations, Mitsouko always felt to me like the soft and polite smile of a kind and beautiful person; a radiant yet restrained smile presented from soft lips and warm eyes. The EdT still smiles like the other concentrations, but their back is straighter, their shoulders pushed back, their neck long and stiffened. Despite this statelier presentation the EdT somehow very successfully presents itself as much lighter and more diffusive than its sister concentrations; it's easier to make perfumes more rigid by adding heavy materials, like those that present woody or earthy notes, but the EdT avoids this cliche with impeccable style and grace. This change of character is evident in the dry down as well, with the vetiver playing a much smaller role and dry amber and oakmoss (a synthetic oakmoss to be noted in this modern formulation) playing greater roles than they do in the other concentrations, encouraging Mitsouko to lean more into its chypre side rather than balance out a bit with balsamic amber notes. For the men out there who might find the extrait and EdP concentrations a bit too feminine - a point I've ranted about before - the EdT is likely going to be more in their lane. Thankfully, for the rest of us that believe this to be one of the best perfumes of all time and couldn't give less of a damn which sex it portends, the EdT maintains the overall character and spirit of Mitsouko whomever she was. Though not as complex as the extrait or EdP, keeping her feelings and thoughts more to herself in the EdT, you cannot help but be allured by her magnetic, gentle, and kind beauty. Many thanks to Guerlain for only slightly changing Mitsouko's mood, and not her person.

A classic warm ripe peach, mixed by earthy oakmoss and spices... . از علاقه وافر و ارادت زیادم به برند گرلن و عطرها و عطارهاش نگم ولی فک کنم نهایتا اگر مجبور به انتخاب ناب ترین ترکیبش باشم میتسوکو رو انتخاب کنم. ساخته دست ژاک گرلن بزرگ به سال ۱۹۱۹ میلادی . مطمئنا میتسوکو عطری نیست که سلیقه های امروزی راحت بپسندنش. آلبوم عکسی کهنه و خاکی از یک فضای با شکوه و مجلل کلاسیک هست. . یک عطر هلویی اما نه هلوی باطراوت و آبدار بلکه هلوی گرما خورده ای که از حالت شادابی و تازگی خارج شده. . یک هلوی حسابی رسیده و بالغ. پرز دار و خاک گرفته. شیرینیش تاحدودی مثل شیرینی بخار هلویی هست که از دیگ پخت مربا یا لواشک هلو خارج میشه. مثل نکتار هلو که نمیتونه حس تر و تازگی و شفافیت میوه واقعی رو بازتاب بده. یک شیرینی میوه ای مات، لاکتونیک و برگه مانند ... . این وجهه از رایحه ی هلو رو عطر تلخ و خاکیِ خزه بلوط و وتیور همراهی میکنن و کلیت فضا رو، رو به چوبی شدن میبرن و البته در نت پایه پررنگ تر و واضح تر حس میشن. درواقع مانع شاداب بودن هلوی عطر هم ، همبستر شدنش با همین خزه بلوط پیر و کهنه سال هست. . . عطر در قلب خودش روایح گلی رو جا داده، ترکیب کمرنگی از رز و یاس و درکنار اون یلانگ یلانگ پرقدرت با حس گلی و موز کال مانندش ... . بعلاوه هاله ای گرم و مطبوع ازشیرینی تیز ادویه ای که به کار جلوه ی شرقی میبخشه عطر رو دربرگرفته. همچنین در پس زمینه ی کار از ابتدا تا انتها رایحه ای تلخ و نفتی طور در کنار بویی کَره مانند جریان داره که نمیخوام به صورت حدسی براشون منبعی مشخص کنم اما نمیتونم هم وجودشون رو نادیده بگیرم. . این ترکیب هلو با رایحه خاکی زمینیِ کهنه به من حس برگه های خشک شده و خاک گرفته ی هلو که مدت ها در صندوقچه ی مادربزرگ مونده و کمی هم خشک شده رو میده . حس ریختن هلو توی گونی های خاکی که هنوز بوی برنج میدن . حس دست کشیدن روی پوست مخملی و شسته نشده ی هلو و رد شدن پرز هاش از زیر انگشت ها و بویی که متصاعد میکنه. یا بعضیا میگن هلویی که روی زمین خاکی و خزه بسته ی جنگل افتاده... . با تست عطر منتظر اتفاق خارق العاده ای نباشید که تحسین و تشویقِ مداومِ بزرگان و علاقمندان به عطر از ابتدای ساخت میتسوکو تا کنون رو توجیه کنه. سرتاسر عطر نمایانگر تعادل ظریفی بین حالت میوه ای و حس خاکی چوبی ادویه ای عطره که حُسن عطر هم همین تناسب و هماهنگ کردن این روایح و خلق شاهکاری کم نظیره.

I wrote this review in 2006 for Makeup Alley and I wanted to share it here as well: How to describe this scent? Not sure I can do it justice, but here are my impressions: They say that scent triggers powerful memories. If that's the case, Mitsouko transports me to my beloved late grandmother's bedroom. I mean that in the best possible way - this is NOT a "grandma" perfume! My grandmother was a lovely, elegant woman who passed away when I was 12. I never really knew the name of her signature perfume but now I would say hands down that it was Mitsouko. This fragrance smells just like her vanity, her jewelry boxes, her makeup collection, her clothing closet, the soft skin of her cheek whenever I kissed her. It's a wonderful scent - truly more nostalgic than the period in which I initially smelled it. It transcends time. Mitsouko evokes for me the early 20th century - classy and classic. The scent conjures up a wooden steamer trunk filled with antique lace, an album of sepia photographs and greeting cards, a stack of love letters tied with satin ribbon, hat boxes filled with beautiful chapeaus and veils, an ivory wedding dress preserved with spices and still-soft dried roses. In case my thoughts above don't convey it, Guerlain's Mitsouko is a stunning, thought-provoking chypre fragrance. From first to last it is striking, but I love it even more on drydown, when it becomes softly powdery and "mysterious" as it's name implies. I can not detect the individual notes, nor do I "get" the peach in here. I smell dried flowers (violet, rose?), some amber and spice, yet it has a decidedly cool and dry feeling rather than a warmth. No, Mitsouko is not for everyone. It is one of those perfumes that chooses you. Try it, and see where it takes YOU.

It's a bit of a shame that I shunned the vintage on first sniff. I immediately decided it wasn't for me until I sprayed on the current EdT while in David Jones. I was standing at Jo Malone and the assistant said 'my, my don't you smell fabulous?'. I couldn't work out why he said such a thing... I didn't come into the store wearing anything. I brushed my fringe out of my face and caught a whiff of the forgotten Mitsouko. I fell in love. Flash forward a month and a half, my friend was selling a rare limited edition 30mL bottle from the end of the milennium. I had to have it - it was a steal. Now, this week, on Saturday, it arrived by post (along with Poison Eau de Cologne) and I was hyper ventilating... salivating. It was now mine, I own it .... I really, really own it. I spray it on my hand... from the start, it's very similar to the 2016 Eau de Parfum, which I disliked, but it dries down so elegantly. The oakmoss and peach in this are just to die for. This truly could be the perfect chypre. Mitsouko Eau de Toilette is sadly void of the animalic qualities I found in the vintage parfum I'd tried. The animalic qualities that brought it quite close to Roja Dove's Diaghilev. This one is perhaps a bit fresh, a bit urinous (a floral / moss brand of urinous quality) with some very unusual white flowers, roses and spices. Avant garde, but perhaps a bit traditional at the same time At the present, I have a bit of L'Heure Bleue sprayed on one hand and Mitsouko on the other and I have to say - there's got to be some sort of connection between the two. There's something in both of these scents that smells uncanny and it's unusual to me. Very beautiful side by side. Plus, if it mattets to you, projects really well and lasts HOURS.

Aaah I have always wanted to be able to wear this and finally in my 40s I can. This was one of my mothers great perfume loves. And I loved it on her. Haunting and wistful but warm and assertive. Not your average woman. As a youngster I got all the base all the time and it was incredibly pungent on my then oily skin. That would have been the early 90s formulation I smelt and I’m unsure of the strength. But back then EDTs were the definition of beast mode. This week I received a mini edt and then on a local auction site bought an incredibly priced 50ml EDT 2014 batch in the gold box (was factory sealed) and she is divine. I lost my mum in 2013 so it’s a special feeling to sense her with me today in this fragrance. Today I am experiencing joy. It’s a sharp green top with a dive into soapy rose and jasmine. I get a big dose of ylang emerging (much like Samsara). The fragrance has a huge throw for the first hour on my skin (it’s 18 degrees C here today in late late winter) and then fruit appears. A honeyed ripeness and what feels like pink pepper and cloves with cinnamon. The green is dark and moody to boost the fluffy soapy musk that is here too. Like sunshine and shade in the same fragrance. It’s love. I’m now hunting down the edp and extrait for a full experience. Recent versions are completely oos everywhere so I’ll see how it goes. I’m patient and steely eyed when on a mission - there will be success. Mitsouko is discerning - she reveals herself slowly and doesn’t give a damn about what anyone else thinks. She is a jewel, a non conformist and that classic beauty with good bones who looks more stunning with age. She sees the sign “beware, here be dragons”, raises an eyebrow and carry’s on ❤️

I own vintages from 1960's and 1990's; they smell fairly similar on me, a gorgeous subtle scent that I feel like I 'own' (sometimes!). It is the only one I get regularly complimented on. I can't identify individual notes, maybe due to the age of the scent, but I adore it - sophisticated, subtle wood, it doesn't seem overly complex and yet it is capricious and can change with the weather. I feel I can combat the world when we are getting on 'as one'; there's a soul to this composition. Thankfully I had never conciously identified Mitsouko until recently, when I blind bought a sample for comparison. I can only imagine how I would be devastated if it had been part of my entire life, or someone I loved wore it, and the formulation had changed forever. I think I will cry when I can no longer obtain a good vintage - this is the perfume I feel most emotional about. I tried it against the reformulation and, initially I felt that I could wear the modern version. However, recently the new version has been in combat with my chemistry and unfortunately it turns to a powdery cinnamon bun smell that radiates far and wide. It cannot replace my older bottles. I read somewhere that often the top notes deteriorate even if the vintage has been stored impeccably - I wondered if that was why I prefer the vintages. Unfortunately the reformulation remained linear on my skin and after several hours I had to give up and wash it off. I will try the current version again and hope that on another day I can come back here and say, it was all me, it's a mistake, the new version is a masterpiece! What I will say is, if Mitsouko, old OR new suits you - there's nothing much can compete with it.

To sum up all of the beautiful things said about Mitsouko: This is a grown woman's perfume. Mitsouko is a beautiful woman in her thirties or her forties who knows what she's about. She knows what she wants. She wears her beauty in stately elegance, self assured, and at all times with gracious strength. This is not a sweet perfume by any measure though some have described it as having leanings toward the gourmand. I beg to disagree. Mitsouko only has leanings toward the gourmand if one favors dining on incense and dry woods. It was not created for the perfumery palate of today where our noses have been trained by the contemporary gastronomical landscape that says every worthwhile meal must have a dessert as a finish. Such is also the collective requirements that we have for our perfumes: every perfume must have a sweet note somewhere in there creating cognitive confusion as to whether we should be smelling or tasting. Instead, Mitsouko is a golden plume of resinous smoke wafting past the shoji doors of a stately Japanese home and into a blooming garden edged by an orchard of peaches after a cool late afternoon rain. The smoke, thick and filled with heavy spices and woods, collides with the smell of the fragrantly ripe peaches of the orchard and the lighter scent of rose de mai and jasmine. Hanging over it all is the smell of damp green vegetal earth. This is the beauty of Mitsouko. I could not reserve this simply for special occasion wear, but instead wear it on cool days when I want to feel a sense of quiet elegance. I have the parfum/extrait as well as the cologne. The cologne is a vintage formula dated 1973 (yes, it was kept well and it's still a keeper).

My previous review of Mitsouko Edt went only as far as how I read this classic. I didn't wrtie a thing about how the Eau de Toilette ranks amonst the other Mitsouko concentrations. First Ishould mention that I love woody, earthy scents without artificial sweetness. I find perfumes that are difficult to understand at the get go really interesting in the long run, They often aren't similar to their peers.They are not crowd pleasers. If there is anything that makes me suspicious, it is a crowd pleaser. I love perfume with soul! A perfect example of difficult? Mitsouko Eau de Toilette, current version. This kind of scent can go really well. But it is probably nor likely to not, depending on so many factors. Skin chemistry, but then the tastes of the moment just don't seem to jibe with today's conventions of beauty. Not pink, sweet or sugary. My first reaction is shock. All I smell is burnt leaves and wood Not sure ifI like this. Am I detecting the fire burning up at Camp Roberts? As it so happens with my favorites, the Guerlain classics, it takes m a few days for the notes to fall into their place and to be able to smell the progression of notes. Then first, the moss materializes out of the smoke and ashes. Then, there's the dry and very realistic peach. Then, Surprise! The peach becomes VERY prominent. It smothers the forefront. Is most intense of all concentration but this peach particularly amazing. Pure perfection! The truest, and because of that the best depiction of pitted fruit I have found in any perfume is in Mitsouko in all strengths. And it pairs up magically with the earthy cinnamon note that next rises to the forefront.

I won't pretend to have new ideas about a fragrance with so many thorough reviews from better-trained noses, but I do have a sentimental story. My grandmother passed away in 1995, and I was put in charge of sorting through her clothes and sending them for donation. Everything was given away, or so I thought. Somehow, I ended up with a random pair of her pants among my things. She'd been gone a while by then, and I remember coming across them and catching a whiff of her smell. It was a comforting scent that I'd always recognized as hers. I didn't think it was perfume. I thought it was a conglomeration of all the different smells from her house and toiletries. Jump ahead to now. Those random pants still retain the same fragrance, and I occasionally pull them out to sniff to remember her. She was a great lady, and I'm grateful for any reminder of a woman who made me feel so loved. Today I received a small bottle of Mitsouko in the mail. It's my first chypre. It's not vintage. I'm sure it's a modern reformulation. I dabbed it on my wrist and let it unfold, and then...there was my grandmother. I smiled. I teared up. And now I'm on a mission to source some vintage Mitsouko. Anyone who says this smells like an old lady might very well be right. If you have a beloved relative who lived at a time when Mitsouko was popular, this scent may evoke a scent memory that is instantly worth the price of the bottle. I don't see myself wearing this often, but I will definitely wear it anytime I want to experience the flood of memories of a wonderful woman who has been gone from my life for nearly twenty years. Thank you, Guerlain.

Evil Chypre, EDT 1994 What a difference 10 years makes. I've always read about the darkness of Mitsouko--I love dark notes. But I couldn't find this dark version of Mitsouko. I've had 2 bottles of the EDP, a sample of the current extrait (the freshest, most lovely peach I've ever smelled, BTW) and a 10 year old bottle of the EDT. Yeah, they're all mossy, classic, peach, but missing a certain darkness. Well. The oakmoss laden EDT from the 90's--and prior, I assume--is a scary dark perfume that reminds me of old fairy tales. Back in the day the characters that populated these stories were truly without redemption, they were evil and incorrigible and scary. For some reason it reminds me of this old Animae cartoon I had recorded from TV in the 80's. It was about a girl who gets stuck in a night time forest that is populated by a castle, giant trees, a scary evil prince who wants to kill her (truly evil--no evil hiding a soft, sensitive side, just evil) and an indifferent unicorn that she has to goad into helping her. Mitsouko just screams of night time--in fairy tale when roses and peaches and incense are cloaked with moss and trees, and everything is menacing, and your heart is racing and you can't wait for daylight. I just think that Mitsouko is best for some sort of adventurous nightime princess who is young and has long hair and wears dark velvet gowns and doesn't have a lot of friends. Yeah, if you don't like oakmoss and dark perfumes you aren't going to like this. Hard to believe that this is what Mitsouko used to be, but it's exactly what I was looking for.

In the description above it reads: " . . Eau de Toilette is much sharper, while Eau de Perfume is warmer and nicer . . .". I found a 2ml MITSOUKO on Ebay but it states Parfum de Toilette. The juice is a deep amber color but wears like a cologne or EDT, as far as staying power goes. The back of the box reads: (C) COPYRIGHT GUERLAIN 1983 68. CHAMPS-ELYSEES 75008 PARIS MADE IN FRANCE 78% VOLUME Since Fragrantica does not list a Parfum de Toilette, (0xymoron, I guess?)I will go out on a limb and review under the EDT. Mine does start off sharp and calms down to an warmer and nicer version of itself. Since it was created in 1919 and the bottles I now see online are a decidedly greenish color its safe to say this has gone thru reformulations of some sort. I have only tried this one and I do like it. Initially I get what appears to be a run-of-the-mill vintage powdery floral which conjure up memories of my grandmother and mother. My Mom used to use Youth Dew and my grandma had a tin of Yardly talc in the medicine cabinet. These two things combined remind me of Mitsouko's first 1-5 minutes on my skin. If I were to liken it to any other fragrances I would say Opium/Shalimar/Zen (black bottle) combined. This is not so dated that it would not be welcome in our century. It has a timeless appeal for me and softly develops and remains close and personal. It fits my skin chemistry well. Does not last as long as I would wish but may have to find more to remedy that : D

Ah, Mitsouko - how can I possibly begin to review you? I'm 23, so many would say I'm not really the target audience - but Mitsouko is eternal, and anyone wearing it is a little bit bohemian, in my humble opinion - so do target audiences really exist? Actually, a previous reviewer (hotrodangel) said this fragrance isn't timeless, it's dated, and that "dated" isn't an inherently bad thing. I completely agree - you can't argue that it's dated, that it could never be mistaken for a fragrance released in the past couple of decades - and why must "dated" have negative connotations? Mitsouko proves that "dated" can be glorious and beautiful - it belongs to another time, without any pretensions towards modernity. It's possibly the most coherent perfume I've ever smelled, if that makes any sort of sense. On my skin, at least, the notes of peach, ylang-ylang, bergamot and oakmoss are jumping out, but Mitsouko is far more than a sum of its notes in a way I've never experienced before. All perfumes are a careful symphony of notes, but Mitsouko just does it in a way that's exceptionally beautiful; in a way that makes you think each individual note was willed into existence simply for this perfume. I know I'm waxing poetic, but Mitsouko deserves it; she really is an exceptional fragrance, comparable to nothing else. I only wish I could smell the original, one of these days...

Mitsouko is a perfume that comes up definitively as one of the perfumes that is a must sniff for every budding perfumista. So I dutifully ordered my parfum samples of all the Guerlain classics. While Shalimar was easier for me to understand, Mitsouko took some time but when I got it...I was rendered speechless. That peach is to die for!!! And I find myself drawn to want a full bottle of it more so than Shalimar. In a world with a common vocabulary of OMG, LOL, IDK, SMH, TMI, people will refer to this as old lady, as derogatory as that is...because they have no other reference. It really is not their fault, being fed a constant diet of sugar, super clean, and/or fresh, instant gratification, the tendency to overshare, and quick and easy. It's my wish we lived in a world where refined, classic values, mystery, introspection, and deep thought were more normal. I've read reviews that this reminds people of libraries and old books. One of my favorite places to be are bookstores which could be why Mitsouko speaks to me. I know others will look at me funny when I wear this. I don't care. I know that the WTF look is due to lack of exposure not because it isn't devine. I'll just LMAO:) but I would wear Mitsouko with pride. Maybe one day they'll get it too. Maybe one day this style of fragrance will be more normal. Maybe...one day.

The most interesting fragrance I have ever worn. Very Zen. Feminine, but in a non-Western fashion. A Geisha's perfume. Quitet, contemplative beauty that is so different than the direction commercial fragrance has taken. For me, that is a good thing. Not to say all modern scents have one unifying factor that puts them in the same category. But Mitsouko stands alone in it's self expression. I enjoy going into that quiet and comforting place that Mitsouko takes me. I love the meditatative, peaceful sense I get from Mitsouko. It takes me to a quiet space somewhere, possibly in the attic to read or meditate when modern life stresses me out. It reminds me of the dark, windowless room in my attic back in my youth. How the entire attic smelled like aging cedar. The enjoyment of being in an old building, and the earthy, wood scents of these places. I enjoy wearing Mitsouko in spring and summer. A great scent to revisit during exciting and busy periods for the sense of groundedness it gives me. I have all stregnths except for Eau de Toilette.The Cologne is what I am wearing now, and I just love how the notes present themselves.The longevity is a problem in the hot spring and summers here in Southern California. l feel it would be an ideal strength to increase the length of time I could go without re-application.

The first time I sprayed this it was very animalic and juicy yet bitter peach. Now I'm getting nothing but spices and powdery iris. So far I haven't got much from the oakmoss or amber which I love so much. This seems to mutate with the weather. I want to love her but I want more of those sweet and earthy notes to round out the spice. Edit: this is amazing. Went from ok to love in a few wears. Yes spicy (sometimes) but other times all peach. Oakmoss eludes me some but shows up more with over-spraying. [Editing again here to mention--the oakmoss and spice can be hard to seperate, to my nose. I once thought this was SUPER spicy, but I think the oakmoss is what I'm actually smelling, it sort of tickles the throat and nose, which for me is pleasant.] Was Mitsouko the progenitor of all peach fragrances? Just so good I want to spray it in my mouth accidentally on purpose 😂 or lick my arm. Who needs Chanel really? Mitsouko... Warm, elegant, feminine, soothing, very "me" despite all the others who share the love. Try the EDP if you're a fan of this, or on the fence--it's even easier to love.

Ah, Mitsouko, another Guerlain that's such a classic that I'm having a hard time saying anything at all about it - everything has been said many times before, and much more eloquently than I can, and on top of that I'm not even sure which version I have. So I'll just say I'm with the majority who "love" it: it's unique and wonderful, impossible to describe and unlike anything else I've smelled. I can't discern any specific notes, it's just blended to perfection, extremely well-balanced. If there's peach it's the dry softness of the skin rather than the exuberant, juicy sweetness of the fruit, and the oakmoss and spices just translate to subtle warmth on my skin. In fact, if anything Mitsouko reminds me a little of violets, but I guess that's just the suggestion summoned by the warm, powdery, subtly sweet character of the typical Guerlain base. It's oldfasioned in a good way, high quality and elegant, but at the same time very comfortable and versatile enough to be suitable for any situation, in any season. I can definitely picture a full bottle of this one somewhere in my future!

I am a Guerlain fanatic. Haven't invested in new fragrances for a long while, because there were more important things in life. But I reshuffled. Gave some bottles away that did not rock my boat and made some room for the new. One of my new additions is Mitsouko. Based on some of the reviews here, I almost didn't buy it. But I found a good deal on Ebay, and as Guerlain rarely disappoints me, I jumped at the opportunity. And boy, am I glad I did. It was instant love, right from the initial spray, and its beauty unfolded more and more as time went by. It surrounds me so nicely. Not in a dramatic way like my night time favorite Shalimar, but you can unmistakably detect that it comes from the same house. A bit more tempered, but neither shy nor outdated. So far all the Guerlain frags I have tried are timeless beauties. I am sure they will prevail long time after these modern perfumes with no edge or distinction will disappear in our memories as sad hiccups of this time. Mitsouko, another beauty on my top shelf. And she is a lady for keeps. And she lasts all day long. Amazing.

This is a wonderful chypre perfume. Mitsouko is warmer, and more down to earth than her older sister L'Heure Bleue. I remember all of my Grandmother's wearing fragrances like Mitsouko and I always thought they smelled wonderful. This starts very earthy in the opening, very warm earth, a just misted over dusty earth, the spices are warmer and a bit moist, not as arid as they are in L'Heure Bleue. The peach is juicy and sweet but it never overpowers the spices, this isn't a perfume that wants to smell like peach pie! No way! This is a perfume worn by a lover longing to give her beloved an embrace that pours out all of the affection and warmth in her heart. She will never stray, she is grounded, warm, sensual and giving. L'Heure Bleue is of the clouds, of dreams that can never come true, she is melancholy, and wistful and there are certain times for that type of perfume but Mitsouko is so much happier because she is in the here and now and she is happy. I will cherish both of these fragrances but I see myself wearing Mitsouko on a regular basis. She is more my personality.

This review is for Mitsouko EDT vintage 2001. (I am very familiar with Guerlain's Shalimar and the difference between Shalimar eau de toilette and the perfume version are striking, so I'm assuming the same goes for Mitsouko.) This fragrance is stunning and complex. There is nothing else like it that I've experienced before. Sure, the Guerlain powdery dry-down is similar in many of their older fragrances, and Mitsouko has that, but the chypre is very unique. Not sharp, not overly spicy (a light cinnamon note), a definite oakmoss-vetiver-bergamot-and-something-else chypre. Maybe that something-else is peach, but I don't detect it as peach. To my nose, the notes blend to create something totally original. I love this fragrance. Who is the woman whose signature is Mitsouko? She's confident, challenging, curious about everything, intelligent, gorgeous. She might be a tomboy. She laughs easily. I also ordered some l'Heure Bleue and am looking forward to comparing Guerlain's 1912 LHB with its 1919 Mitsouko. (I have my eye on Apres l'Ondee, too, but it's pricey!)

Every time I sniff from my precious tiny decant of Mitsouko, I think, "How am I going to handle not having this when it runs out?" And yet I made a pact with myself to buy no more perfume. I will put this on my wish list; maybe when I use up my 75 ml bottle of L'Heure Bleue, I'll get Mitsouko next. Of course, given the number of my perfumes, and the relative infrequency with which I wear L'H B, despite loving it, I might never get around to a full bottle of Mitsouko. So maybe a larger decant. At any rate, it's a fascinating fragrance, like a spicy peach in a sun-dappled forest. I love the cinnamon note, which seems to function a bit like the clove or anise in L'H B and Après l'ondée. I pick up on the ylang-ylang more than the rose and jasmine, but it's still distinctly a green floral chypre with fruity top and midnotes. I bet the vintage is sublime, with the real oakmoss and other currently banned natural ingredients. But this is absolutely beautiful, and I would love to smell it on my man, even though I know he would never consent to wearing it.

I hated this historic 1919 masterpiece at first. The sample of vintage 2005 EDT opened heavy and slightly metallic. However, the dry-down became magnificently spicy & was beautiful when layered with the clean, green-leaning vanilla of Eau Duelle. I may come to love Mitsouko as much as, if not more than, Cristalle. In fact, I'd argue that the icy Cristalle is simply another variation on a general concept first begun by Mitsouko. Both are elegantly iconic fragrances, but Mitsouko has a sense of cinematic romance Cristalle lacks & they are magic when layered. Update: Warning: I rapidly became nauseated by the reformulated 2026 Mitsouko EDT. However, the vintage 2005 EDT is stunning, with rich, dark, inky, and earthy oakmoss that grounds the scent and gives it a corporeal, three-dimensional backbone. I am distressed by the replacement of classical oakmoss with synthetic oakmoss alternatives (like Veramoss) that leave the base of the reformulations smelling sheer & the entire fragrance feeling cloying & hollow.

This is for an EDT from 2004. Ah, Mitsouko, at least in EDT, is easy to wear. Was she the first fruity chypre? What a great idea that is. There don’t seem to be too many perfumes in that genre, so I think that why there aren’t many perfumes that smell like Mitsouko, with her dessert-like peach, maybe sitting next to a vase full of red roses, in a cedar cabin in the woods. The peach is lush and full and sweet, it smells very natural, at first opening with a hint of citrus, but at all times it is wrapped up in soft woods: treemoss, sandalwood, and vetiver. As Mitsouko sits on my skin the peach becomes more rosey, a rose that is very gently dusted with extremely fresh grated cinnamon, the cinnamon is very soft and more woody than spicy to my nose. The very base notes are of amber-incense-woods. The lasting power for my bottle is a full 6 to 8 hours with only 2 sprays, nice changes and development on the way, and sure, this may smell a bit ‘dated’ but that’s because this is a damn good perfume.

Mitsuoko edt is GORGEOUS........the first test I could smell some citrus and strong opening notes, when it went to dry down, oooh myyyy it is soooo gooood, I couldn't wait to get a full bottle so I finally did and I couldn't stop wearing it, I would spray on my pillow as my bed time scent and my clothes or arms. Mitsuoko smells weird, wet, mossy, very unique&mysterious, definately not for everyone, love it/hate it. It smells like an old building in a very good way or antiques, it brings me back to the time during early 1900s which I love classics. It's really not a usual perfume. I imagine reading books in a library during early 1900s that is located in a beautiful woods during fall and seeing sunset shining through the window, that's the feeling that I get anytime I wear this gem. The sillage and longevity are good, not so heavy but last me all night long, on pillow it lasts few days. Never tried the edp yet but going to get the edp one day, right now I'm so in love with Mitsuoko edt.

I fell in love with Mitsouko in 1971. Back then it was such a captivating scent but it was (and still is) a "love it or hate it" type. I didn't like the reformulation of 2000 but understand the one from 2013 is very good and as close to the original than anyone will be able to get. The EDT is sharper than the perfume but I like them both because after the initial shock, they both calm down into something people say "what are you wearing, I love it!" People don't understand that there are restrictions on raw materials originally used in vintage scents, but I understand that the 2013 reformulation has a stamp on the bottom 3W01 and if you can find that you will find the Eau de Toilette a bright citrusy accent, the Eau de Parfum all about golden peaches, and the extrait de parfum emphasizes the dark jasmine. All three are baroque and rich according to a post I read. I don't know what that means but I'm willing to give it a shot! My bottle is from the late 1980's and still smells amazing.

In some ways, I agree with the previous reviewer, that this is something melancholy and maybe even sad about Mitsouko. However, I completely disagree that there is anything unpleasant about it. It’s melancholy is the most beautiful of ways. I find Mitsouko to be divine from start to finish. It starts off with a slightly spicy and citrusy bang. As it dries down, the spicy citrus doesn’t disappear, it just fades into something that is warm, and in my opinion, beautiful. Given the main accords of Mitsouko, you wouldn’t think that it smells “pretty”, as it almost sounds a bit masculine, but for me, it’s absolutely pretty in a mysterious and exotic way. Like Shalimar, Mitsouko makes you feel like you’re wearing a piece of history. It feels classic and mature – but not remotely “old lady” (as so many people like to describe certain fragrances). If I was playing the deserted island game and had to choose only one perfume to bring – Mitsouko would be in the top 3 of ones I had to choose from.

To me, this one is mainly fruity, a little lemony, spicy and vanillery? Maybe it is the combination of peach and amber? Not at all harsh. A perfume I ve never smelled before on anyone and not reminiscent of any other perfume. It is very nice in the drydown and so unique! I don't like it on my clothes , it loses its charms and its totally different. On skin it is a really aristocratic, soft and in a nice way vintagey perfume, Not a sillage monster at all. I am thinking of it as a night waiting your lover at home, wanting to get kissed at the right points and having a mystery, a secret all over you. Not an everyday public wearing perfume, not because it is not wearable but because it is so special and romantic. To me, at least the edt is not masculine. At first, maybe and in clothes definitinely but this one must be on your skin and behind your ears or on hair. Whereas Shalimar is a bombastic, oriental, dynamic women who speaks loudly, this one is an erotic whisper.

Mitsouko is already known and loved by pretty much everyone, it is simply a triumph of ingenuity in the perfume industry - the real definition of masterpiece. I’m writing this review whilst sampling a decant from a 1990s EDT bottle, and I’m in love. Oakmoss of course leads the way, which is intensely green and creamy in its overdose. Bright, hesperidic facets from citrus notes give the scent a lot of lift, whilst it indulges into the creamy facets with that impeccable peachy C14 aldehyde. The powdery florals and warm spices are more noticeable here than the current formulation, which is more just focused on trying to recreate that oakmoss accord to the best of their ability. No words can describe the mastery behind this magnificent beauty, having the privilege to sample this from a time before IFRA butchered the use of its most important note, is surreal. I have to secure a bottle of this if I am to continue living on this earth.

The first time I heard of Mitsouko was in an article about Vivienne Westwood. She said it was the sexiest fragrance you could wear! After that it stayed in my mind for years until I finally smelled it last year. I was so shocked! The scent didn't appear to suit its name and I couldn't work out what it's notes were. After falling in love with Shalimar I thought I was ready for another attempt but realized that these Guerlain fragrances need the warmth of skin to come alive. I took the chance of buying the EDT and after letting it rest for a day, put it on after my bath. I'm smitten! This is my 'One' this melds itself to your chemistry and no one note jars another. It's a perfect union of green Mist and blue smoke. So delicate and impossible to pin down. It's like trying to pick out individual brush strokes on the Mona Lisa. Best not to analyze but simply to admire its perfection. FYI this is a 2016 EDT.

What can I say about Mitsouko that hasn't already been said? It's a legendary chypre and Guerlain siren that has proven popular for nearly a century. It's a must-sniff for all and a must-have for most. The current EdT has a subtle peach in its citrus opening, but not an overripe Bath & Body Works sugar bomb peach, more of a softer, fresh peach. It's mossy-woody drydown and subtle powder make it thoroughly unisex, and to be perfectly honest, I think it would sell well if sold in a "pour homme" bottle these days. I haven't smelled the EdP, but suspect from reviews that it is more "feminine." Mitsouko is definitely a titan of old-world grand perfumery, but it doesn't smell antiquated the way its sister, L'Heure Bleue does (LHB is beautiful in a wistful, even melancholic, way that can make blood run cold). It's timeless, and deserves to be worn, enjoyed, and appreciated for centuries more.

I did not expect to like Mitsouko, but I love it! I tested it just because I love several other Guerlains, and I was very pleasantly surprised. I do not usually like peach notes in perfume, but this is worlds away from the fruity sweetness I've smelled elsewhere. Mitsouko is both soft and sharp. Soft from the peach, a velvety feeling with minimal sweetness. This is not a juicy bitten peach, but the fuzzy soft scent of peach skin. The sharpness comes from the oakmoss, I suppose. All wrapped in the most delicate of spices. It sounds terribly discordant, but it is not. It is masterfully blended. I've heard it described as an autumn perfume, but its velvet delicacy reminds me more of spring. In fitting with its other contradictions, it is both delicate and strong, and lasts well on me. Mitsouko is unlike any of my other perfumes, and I'm quite enchanted. My bottle is from 2005.

This scent is incredible in how it smells like "memories." For some reason this specifically reminds me of my childhood bedroom. I assure that neither I nor my mother owned Guerlain anything during that time. But Mitsouko smells so close to the scent of that bedroom, and I honestly have no real explanation for why. I had a mélange of pretty-smelling potions (aka the OG Bath and Body Works mists, L'oreal Kids hair detangler, and my mom's Jovan powder) - does Mitsouko really equate to any of those? Not necessarily, yet it hits the nostalgia nail on the head. What a mystery. Other than the odd, unfounded nostalgic connection, I simply appreciate how well-blended these classics are. Because it's so organic, and you can't really pick out one "note" from another, I can see why it reminds me of a multitude of times, locked in one special place...

My one true love is back in my possession! I ordered a vintage (circa 1980's) bottle of Mitsouko from ebay. Ordering fragrance from ebay or online at all always makes me nervous. I never know if the perfume will be authentic or not. Well, I am so happy. This is the real McCoy! I know the scent of my old Mitsouko when I smell it. I ran out of Mitsouko last year and was dreading buying the new reformulated Mitsouko. For good reason too. When I smelled the new formula it nearly ripped my heart in two. It is a faint, bare bones fragrance. The framework of Mitsouko is there, but not the wonderful, dense body. Without oakmoss it has no depth for me. I am so happy I took a chance on the vintage bottle on ebay. Mitsouko has been my most favorite fragrance since the 1970's when I first tried it. I will treasure this bottle, while I can.

I scored a tester bottle for 1/3 of the price and couldn't have been happier! Finally i got a mitsouko frag( even it's not the edp i always wanted- still is mitsouko). Now for my nose first impression-with only one spray-is sweet and smoked and spicy peaches. Exactly my cup of tea. I suppose the smoke effect comes from moss and vetiver which i love and spices with a hint of cinnamon makes peach sweet and oriental,that's why for me is more of an oriental/chypre. Next thing i thought is:"wow!sophia grojsman must have loved this perfume throughout her carrier!" Because instantly reminded me of spellbound original bottle! All in all is magical, is totally a must have. Longevity is great(detect it after shower) and sillage radiant within arms!

This review is for vintage version: In 1919 Jacques Guerlain creates this masterpiece calling it Mitsouko (mystery). It's the name of a Japanese woman, heroin of a book called "the battallion” of Claude Farrere. Since then, it's considered one of the perfumes that made history, and despite that, it wasn’t easy to find. So I had to order Mitsouko even if I’ve never tried it before. However, at the first spray I was literally conquered since the first notes and as the day went by I felt like it always belonged to me. It's not an easy perfume to wear, but they say that once you fall in love, you can't stay without it anymore, and that's what happened to me

One time I stayed at the Hotel du Cap on the French Riviera. It was a beautiful suite with a bottle of champagne, a gorgeous fruit basket, and a fragrant bouquet of flowers in the sitting area...it smelled exactly like Mitsouko. Okay...I've never actually stayed at the Hotel du Cap or even a really fancy hotel suite like the one described above, but it is what I think of when I wear Mitsouko. This is beautiful, classy, old school, yet timeless. Something about this sparkles. To my nose, this is all soft peaches, fresh flowers, and light spices. This is a classic and it is easy to see why it has endured. Exquisite stuff.

Nothing to add to all the wonderful reviews of this classic, but here's an extra tip: Mmmmmmm. I recently bought a bottle of Guerlain's Eau de Cashmere and have been experimenting with it on fabric and linens and (even better) layered with other fragrances as they suggest. Just sprayed it over Mitsouko EDT (on skin), and this is the BEST combo so far . . . *heaven* . . . . I'm in love!! Its like floating *inside* of a Mitsouko cloud. Dreamy and snuggly, if that makes sense. Like a hug. Like self-love personified. Soft. Peaceful. Just lovely. Great for sleeping (and can't wait to see how it's evolved when I wake up!)

ahhh, the classic chypre scent from guerlain. this is one of the best chypres you can get right now, better if you can get a vintage bottle! i get lots of moss, bergamot and vetiver backed up with some fuzzy peachness and a slight pinch of florals. my 2008 bottle has the right amount of spiciness, nothing that will irritate your nose but a good amount to support the whole backbone of the composition & gives the scent its complexity and uniqueness. sadly, this only last on me for about 2-3 hours on me before it's completely gone but the scent itself is almost flawless. overall, 9/10

I really love this perfume. I read that some found it old ,musty and dirty smelling but I find it very clean -so clean in fact that to my nose there is a very slight medicinal smell that I just love. Also adds to the grown up part of this perfume. Yeah, I can smell this scent for a long time and I don't get sick of it. I'm also thinking how decent and respectable this smells. Not trashy or "go clubbing" perfume. It has that smell of a person who respects themselves and is subtle about their scent. Wonderful!

Mitsouko EDT in this iteration is a cheerful and cozy fragrance on me. It doesn't smell like "old lady chypre" rather it seems like a healthy kitchen sink selection, perfectly-blended, fougere kind of chypre (if a fougere can be lavender-free) with references to dandy barbershops. It's perfectly pitched. Testers of these bottles keep showing up for 30 bucks which is a steal and a no-brainer. Give them to people! The jasmine is cooling. Mitsouko EDT cools and clears my nasal passages and sinuses.

A bergamot leather with waxy jasmine and a lilt of rose. The dampness of oakmoss and vetviver gives it a masculine undertone until the peach takes over the heart and the ylang,amber and cinnamon give it a slightly spicy sweet ending. Chypre of the first order. It shape shifts depending on chemistry and weather. Great for cold rainy days. Leans melancholy but still uniquely beautiful. Vintage cologne formula reviewed. Must spray a lot on clothes and skin for longevity. A classic.

I was so intrigued by the fragrance notes listed and everyone's reviews that I purchased the EDT (manufacture date 2017) on a blind buy. I absolutely love Mitsouko! I have to wonder how the original formula was during Jean Harlow's day. Can anyone recommend other Guerlain fragrances? I currently have and love L'heure Bleue and Shalimar to me is beautiful. I don't like most of the new fragrances out now and some of my old loves such as Opium are not the same.

This is the the most beautiful creamy rose perfume I have. It is a bit old fashioned, but not in a way that you can't wear this with jeans. It has that Guerlain classics smell and vibe to it. If you smell a few of them, you know what I mean. It's like a strange mix of very potent ingredients, they all scream to you but in a harmonic way. The more you smell it, the more you find in it. Definitely a must have if you love old Guerlain perfumes!

Very beautiful, the top notes remind me strongly of vintage Chanel no 5 parfum (not the eau de parfum, but the pure parfum with twinkling aldehydes and bergamot). Then the cinnamon becomes apparent, and it becomes spicier, and the iris comes through. Very nice indeed. 2019 formulation - nasty dark note that I couldn't get past. 2007 - similar to the 90s version, but lacking the sparkling top notes 1994 - perfect, as described above

I was wearing pure natural vetiver essential oil yesterday and well, that was not the first time but, I had never realized before: it was Mitsouko! I mean there is an high presence of well and "mystified" vetiver in this scent. More than oakmoss and everything else. This is a sublime vetiver based fragrance. That's why into this deeply feminine fragrance there is a masculine side that make it unisex or genderbender.

Oh Mitsouko, you ancient glass-eyed, false-teeth-wearing, brilliant grande dame... I had a vintage bottle of it (circa 1992) I cherished deeply and used sparingly but now it has dried up at last. The oakmoss is brilliant and for my bottle, that was most of what I got. Ancient ethereal woodland sprite. I think new bottles can't be the same anymore because of the oakmoss limitations. It was fun while it lasted.

Beautiful chypre, smooth, elegant. Typical Guerlain opening with bergamot, jasmine, rose. Then a perfect blend o peach, oakmoss and spices. Roja Diaghilev is inspired version of Mitsouko EDT. Mitsouko is lighter version of Diaghilev, but EDT version can be worn anytime of the day. I feel lucky to acquire vintage 1993 batch. Guerlain perfumery never disappoints you.

The color of moss and grass kissed by frost - late fall or early spring, when the trees are asleep and the snow is at the doorstep. Mist, decay, rustling leaves outside, wafts of cinnamon peach pastry inside, golden sun pouring through the window, hair spread all over the pillow, human warmth weaved with the sheets and the autumn chill.

Wearing it for the first time in last 3 years, and once again i am reminded of how majestic house of Guerlain really is. Mitsouko is a sheer perfection in today's ocean of candy flavored perfumes which all smell the same. Now i am wondering what the EDP is like, and i suppose i will have to hunt down yet another Gurlain. It never stops.

Imagine getting lost in a forest that smells like peaches. I'm just kidding. Forests are scary. A bear could attack you. Anyways, this is probably the best perfume ever created and you should wear it at least 3 times before you fall in love with Mitsouko unless you are soulless monster who probably hates puppies and cookies too.