Cologne of the Missions

Sheer tragedy that this has been discontinued, because frankly it's one of the more trustworthy, yet elegant scents I've ever come across. Certain days, I just can't pull off my favorite diva scents like Shalimar or Yvresse. Maybe it's due to my particular chemistry varying in the day-to-day, maybe it's because I'm not quite in the mood for whatever reason, maybe Mercury's in retrograde and the Great Old Ones are having some spat about the return of Eternal Darkness or whatever. But to go without SOME kind of scent - well, that just makes me feel incomplete and underdressed! I was on the hunt for something low-key, yet sumptuous. The buzz around this fragrance has been pretty amazing - I'm a fan of the robust vanilla in vintage Shalimar, but not so much elsewhere - I usually find it far too sweet and overloaded with artificial fruits and candyfloss dressing. It got me thinking that while SDV is TREMENDOUSLY out of budget, it couldn't hurt to indulge this curiosity about Cologne des Missions. Thanks to an extremely serendipitous find, I bought a full bottle off of eBay after borderline obsessive reading about this scent across Fragrantica and the blogosphere. This fragrance definitely has one of the more dedicated followings out there, and it's very clear as to why. If you have the chance to sample it, do. This is perhaps one of the most comfortable, singular, and luxuriously true vanilla fragrances out there. CDM opens on my skin with somewhat zingy cedar aromatics that within moments transform into a lush, tremendous natural vanilla extract that never becomes excessively gourmand or candied. It's linear, but has depth thanks to the subtle, sinuous resins coiling throughout. The boozy notes evaporated fairly quickly on my skin, but I've noticed they linger more with a heavier-handed application. Whether you take a light touch with this fragrance or spray it everywhere, it has the benefit of never becoming overwhelming or excessive. This vanilla is a fragrant chameleon amongst its devoted followers - classic and comforting, or rich and sensual, appropriate in warm weather or chill, for a daytime romp or a nighttime rendezvous. Furthermore, it PERFORMS. Sillage is anywhere from 4-12 inches on my skin, for upwards of 8 hours, and it has tended to evince more compliments than not. I've worn it to the office, on dates, on errands - and it NEVER feels out of place. The tendency has been to dismiss vanilla as ordinary, as a baseline, for good reason of course, but CDM reminds us of the magic of this ingredient, to reflect upon what this feels like for each of us as individuals, to contemplate how this ingredient can express itself across myriad ways and moods to become a singular and transcendental experience. This fragrance is a meditation, leading you into the creamy-petaled orchid, into the dark and twisted bean, unfurling alternately the raw sweetness and boozy, resinous aromatic enchantment within. But perhaps that's excessive. I really love this fragrance, after all. I would urge those who dislike vanilla to give this one a shot. The careful framework of resins and wood makes for a very elegant take on a note too frequently written off as basic or relegated to a doom of chokingly artificial praline gourmand nightmares. Despite its tragic discontinuation, samples and sometimes full bottles are available in the wilds of eBay, and worth every bit of trouble to track down.

I finished my decant of it in a week and then I came to the conclusion that I need it in my life.as it's nowhere to be found here I ordered a bottle from US and as soon as I took a sniff again,I knew that I need a backup bottle I don't want this soothing vanilla dream to finish I love vanilla,I love benzoin and I love myrrh.this perfume with this long difficult name is mostly about these three notes.I find it simple and linear but at the same time a different take on vanilla,something we don't usually see among perfumes with a kind price tag Combination of vanilla and myrrh reminds me yves saint laurent opium legendary China,but this one is less spicy and doesn't have classic vibe of opium.I agree with my friend who says about similarities to captain black perfumes by which I think she mean captain siller(also known as Captain black here),a cheapie tobacco scent with dark liquid and pieces of brown leather on it's bottle.ofcourse they're not the same.that one is masculine and very tobacco-ee smokey.but I can detect something tobaccoish here too.maybe it's just it's smokey undertone or maybe there is an unlisted tobacco here.never mind the point is,this tobacco-ee vibe is well rounded by under notes and doesn't appear as too smokey or overly masculine.it's delicious.very delicious.by which I mean really delicious but thank to all these spicy,woody,smokey,tobacco-ee undertones it appears rich and sophisticated,nothing a child can pull off.it's very warm,wrapping and cuddly.very smooth and soothing.there's something nostalgic in it reminding safety,family and childhood.I received comments like you smell like the most delicious home made cake or you smell chocolatey confirms this as a gourmand.a gourmand for grown ups,also a great gourmand for men(while it's also as wearable for women) it never becomes cloying to my nose,there's something fresh and airy floating beneath this home made cake with enough spices,chocolate and smokey smell Longevity is great and really surprising.it's really longlasting for such a soft scent.sillage is moderate I can't find proper words to express my love.I have already sent samples of it to my special friends which are vanilla lovers just because I want to introduce them my love.at the same time I want to have it always in my collection so that I stop myself to spray it as much as my heart desires,I'm really afraid of running out of it I also agree with below review that it's a shame this adorable babe isn't available in Iran.I'm really mad at perfume sellers that never tend to bring my beloved fragrances Please bring this.we have the right to enjoy this delicious warm and enveloping magic around us ❤❤❤❤❤ محشره،عالیه عشقه بی نظیره.. اینجا بخوام دربارش فارسی هم بنویسم کل صفحه پرمیشه. یه عطر گرم و وانیلی،خوشمزه که حتی برای آقایون هم مناسبه..وانیل و بنزویین و مر با رگه های اسپایسی،تنباکویی،چوبی،اسموکی حتی کمی بوزی..کاملا خوشمزه اما درعین حال مناسب واسه آدم بزرگا.. این عطر یه حس نوستالژیک داره مثل آینه که یه ابر جادویی گرم و خوشمزه که پر از احساس آرامش و امنیت و تمام حس های خوب دنیاست آدم رو احاطه کرد..عطر ساده ای بنظر میاد و نسبتاً خطی،بااینحال خیلی جذاب و عمیقه.. با توجه به اینکه کولون هست و عطر سافتی بنظر میومد موندگاریش واقعاً سورپرایزم کرد متاسفانه مثل تعداد زیادی از عطرهای مورد علاقم اینم تو ایران موجود نیست درحالیکه واقعاً حقشه و حق مونه که باشه

As many other reviewers below, I also blind bought this. I'm very picky so blind buying is risky for me, and in fact all my blind buys so far have ended up being returned. I'm happy to say that this is my first successful blind buy! --- Hos does is smell? Warm, cozy, smooth and comforting. There's a bit of a "freshly baked cookies" vibe. The notes are very well balanced and blended, and it's hard to pick out specific notes aside from the vanilla. Vanilla is clearly the main player here. A soft, warm, unisex vanilla, which manages to keep from leaning too feminine with the help of the other supporting notes which make it slightly boozy, slightly smoky, and ever so slightly woody. The vibe is reminiscent of By the Fireplace, but much softer and without the potentially cloying chestnut, and also with more focus on the vanilla. The booziness is prominent in the opening, especially if you use several sprays, but it slowly fades as it dries down. It sticks around in the background, though. There's a slightly smoky incensey vibe, probably from the myrrh. There's a faint, barely detectable floral quality that keeps it from being cloying, and which almost feels a little bit powdery in the drydown. There's also a subtle woodiness in the base that gives it a bit of a masculine edge, even while the vanilla itself is very soft and arguably feminine. The slightly resinous warmth of it also gives me the impression of sun-kissed skin. As if you've been sitting in the sun for a while and you smell your skin and it just smells... warm. This is definitely gourmand-ish thanks to the vanilla, but at the same time not overly sweet at all. Some people have mentioned tobacco, but there really isn't any tobacco in here. It's not in the official notes (all listed on the bottle), and I can't smell any tobaccy. It must be the subtle sweet smokiness that gives some people that vibe. --- In summary... I really like this and I'm happy with my blind buy. Especially considering the amazing price - I paid 40 euros for a 250ml bottle. 50 with shipping. I'm also glad I got my hands on this at a good price considering the sad fact that it's discontinued. I also really like the aesthetics of the bottle, the box, and the whole concept and story behind the fragrance. It feels old-school, artisinal, genuine and natural. The only potential drawback is that it's a subtle scent. It's more or less a skin scent right from the start, so if you want more projection than that you need to use more sprays, but then the boozy notes also get stronger, so it's a bit of a trade-off. However, even though the scent is subtle and the projection isn't very strong, the longevity is actually quite good! It starts subtle, but it stays at that same subtle level for many hours. You'l have a really cozy skin scent all day long. And if you spray your clothes, you'll get a bit more projection. Absolutely recommended for lovers of vanilla and benzoin who aren't afraid of unisex fragrances.

I live in the United States where this fragrance is a very rare bird. I wanted this one badly but wasn't willing to pay the $200+ the sellers on eBay wanted for this. I found an Italian seller that sold me a 100ml bottle for $40. Still expensive considering what it goes for in European markets but a steal within the U.S. I had a big 250ml bottle possibly lined up for @$75 if I liked the scent. And...I won't need the big bottle. Look, this is a nice fragrance, no doubt. It's a very good vanilla scent with a bit of that play-doh smell until it dries down a bit. Not a big fan of that play-doh smell but it goes away quickly enough. It turns into a very pleasing vanilla. Vanilla is my favorite note so, yes, two thumbs up! Thankfully, I don't smell even a hint of plastic-y vanilla. Nope, this is a very nice, rich vanilla with just a bit of play-doh in the beginning. If you like vanilla (me!) then you'll like this. On me, it lasts around 5 hours and has decent projection. So why wouldn't I reorder at that awesome price (for the U.S.)? For starters, I switch up every day and this will last a long time. Otherwise...well...simply put, it's too expensive in the United States for what you get AND I have other vanilla fragrances that are better suited for guys (of which I am). Many guys that like the smell of sweet fragrances but won't actually wear them will be (slightly...vanilla tends to be sweet regardless) more comfortable with Perry Ellis' excellent Black Vanilla Absolute, L'Occitaine's Eau de Baux with it's awesome vanilla note, and Mercedes Club Black with it's powdered, incense vanilla. There's also Givenchy's Pi but that's not similar except that it has vanilla. All are better options for guys and have a bit better quality (maaaaybe. I'm debating that even after having just wrote it) for the money (keeping in mind that unless you get lucky a 100ml bottle of Cologne of the Missions goes for @$75+ - $150+++ in the United States with 250ml regularly going for $200++ on FleeceBay). Now if Missions was indeed @$20-$25 for a 250 ml bottle in the States then that whole comparison skews toward Missions being the winner. As is...shoot, give me all of them! Haha! The price being what it is, I'm very happy to own this rare fragrance but won't seek out more. I can absolutely see where it could be someone's signature fragrance! It's that good. But to other fellow Americans, yes, we're missing out on this one. It's a shame but don't pay over $50 for this. There are other vanilla fragrances out there. Now, if a distributor ever set up camp in the United States and prices became reasonable, then by all means buy away!

Well, this is interesting. I bought a 250ml bottle of Cologne of the Missions about 18 months ago, sprayed it, thought "Hmmm... OK" and left the bottle at the back of a shelf. It was a fairly "light", soft vanilla and I thought it would come in handy to layer and sweeten/soften other perfumes, which weren't quite what I'd hoped. I couldn't detect the camellia or cedar notes - and does anyone know what centella asiatica smells like?! Sillage and longevity were both moderate, which was a pleasant surprise, given that it's a cologne. I then promptly forgot about it. When I bought it, the perfume was the colour shown in the photograph at the top of the page here. Tonight, I picked up the bottle and noticed that the liquid inside has darkened a LOT. I sprayed it - somewhat gingerly - thinking that it may have turned, and took a cautious sniff. Well - it hasn't turned. Sillage and longevity remain moderate, and it's still fairly linear and doesn't develop, BUT... It's developed a rich tobacco note. It's become a far more interesting perfume and one which I will wear by itself, rather than using it for layering (not that I did before, as I forgot about it, but you know what I mean). I can't stop sniffing the back of my hand, where I sprayed it. Has anyone else had a similar experience? ETA 20.03.2020 I tend to wear comforting perfumes to bed and sprayed this at about 10pm; I can still smell it this morning, nine hours later; longevity is remarkable for a cologne. My bottle is several years old though, so it may have developed with age.