Missoni

MISSONI is a unique and beautiful fragrance. The dark chocolate notes are exquisite, delicious and seductive in this perfume. This is not a teenage fruity candy floral. And though it does have a gourmand touch, it is not a sweet gourmand scent. The chocolate notes are bitter sweet and with a touch of spice in this fragrance. The rest of the notes provide different variations to showcase the irresistible beauty of the dark chocolate. This scent is for someone who appreciates finer things in life. It is for a sophisticated woman who loves life, friends, parties, gourmet dinners, fine wines and of course dark chocolate desserts. The beautiful opening sets the tone for this perfume. The chocolate notes come almost right away. They give the bitter orange and bergamot combo a scrumptious and expensive dessert touch. The rose, peony and magnolia complement the dark chocolate incredibly well. The rose is very classy, peony is sweet and innocent, and magnolia is regal and distant. The chocolate notes give the floral heart very chic touch. The final stage is truly beautiful. The amber and dark chocolate are bitter sweet and spicy. I tried to figure out what brings this spicy accent to the base notes. I almost feel a touch of a pepper but there are no spices listed in the notes. This is a bit of enigma to me. This fragrance reminds me of a dessert I had in a trendy and expensive restaurant. They had sample of dark chocolate from 5 different places in the world. The chocolates were served with unique orange sauce, real edible flowers and two other delicious sauces. I have never tried anything like that. It was expensive but the price was worth the unique experience. This fragrance is just like that. It is a unique experience and it is exquisite and unforgettable. I highly recommend this fragrance if you are looking for a unique fragrance and love chocolate notes. It is one of my favorites.

Missoni is another perfume I have long been curious to try since reading Luca Turin's glowing review in Perfumes: The Guide as a young teenager. I bought a small decant, and find it to be an interesting if polarising perfume. I admire Maurice Roucel's work in general, and this is typical of his bold style. More a fruity-floriental-gourmand than a typical floral-fruity, Missoni can be summarised as a chocolate orange scent - something I have not encountered before. I love orange-flavoured chocolate, and it smells quite realistic here, albeit with a sweet floral edge. Missoni is orange-heavy from initial spray, initially tart but becoming sweet as it progresses, and is closer to orange essential oil than the fruit. The chocolate note follows closely. It is bitter, resembling dark chocolate. It smells like cheap chocolate, or cooking chocolate - but not in a bad way. Jaffa Cakes spring to mind. As it develops, soft, sweet florals emerge, sheer and slightly powdery, providing a nice counterpoint to the chocolate orange accord that dominates this scent, making it somehow more "perfume-y". Here - before the orange fades - it most resembles a floral-fruity. A sweet amber-vanilla accord follows, tying everything together nicely - making the chocolate orange accord more gourmand, while bringing the floriental piece to life. It fades to a sweet amber skin scent with the chocolate orange remaining until final fade. Sillage is moderate and longevity is long-lasting, and it is pretty transeasonal. Unlike anything I have encountered before, Missoni is a bold, artistic feminine scent, 1970s in spirit, if noughties in style. Not a crowdpleaser, as is the case with creative scents in general. Surprisingly wearable, and really quite cool, there is much to admire here. 4.5/5.

Hmm, another one that could have been successful as a men's or unisex fragrance. Upon the first spray, I got hit with a burst of chocolate and oranges. This doesn't seem very floral on my skin. In fact, its more of a gourmand on my skin. I've never smelled anything like this before in perfumery. I HAVE smelled something similar in cake. LOL.. Gourmandish fragrances work well for me and this one is quite nice. MIssoni Missoni has a strong presence, so I doubt that this will have longevity issues and the sillage will get you noticed. UPDATE: I can detect the florals finally making a presence, but they don't take over. In fact, this could be quite boozy (not such a bad thing) in heat. There isn't anything overtly feminine about this fragrance at all. What more can I say? I really like this. It's an hour later and the sillage is still as strong as when I first sprayed it on. This could shine in cold weather. I'll have to see how this develops in heat soon. I got this for an extremely low price (Special thanks to Iloveperfumes79!!!!) and I'll gladly drop the full retail price for another bottle. I'm becoming very curious about the rest of MIssoni's fragrances. With a pricetag like this and the womens' marketing, this line could very well become my little secret weapon. UPDATE#2 It's 12:42AM EST and it's STILL ON MY ARM!! The florals have blended in well with this chocolate and amber base. The scent has been haunting me all day, never letting its presence be unknown. This is a perfect drydown, suitable for cold weather, a crisp Spring day or a Summer night. It's simply beautiful!! Ladies, if you have this and don't really like it, try it on your man!

Missoni is odd, I admit it. Missoni's perfumer might even admit to its oddness. Honestly this fragrance is like Missoni's signature pattern. It zigs. It zags. It draws the eye...well, nose in this case. Like the designs, it in no way ends where it begins. The first time I wore it, I literally asked (rather enthusiastically and *cough* loudly) "WHO smells sooo good?" My co-worker leaned in closer and replied, "you", to my genuine surprise. I didn't recognize the fragrance I had sprayed on that morning as the same one lingering in the wind around us. Truly, I did not. I would never have guessed the initial serving of oranges dipped in a dark somewhat chalky chocolate would go down so easily. It had become soft, tangy, sweetly and wonderfully floral. A floral fruity, after all. I had my doubts. The magnolia in Missoni dries down to delicate offering. It somehow presents as both watery and breezy. The amber is warm, welcoming and colorful, but less obvious than in other offerings. The longevity on my skin is amazing. Late into the same evening, the answer to the question was still a soft "you".

just got this today as a dark horse...the last bottle i spotted tucked away in the corner on a shelf looking kind of lonely. i was intrigued and since i spent the better part of 2 hours of my day off talking fumes w the sales clerk and sniffing countless bottles of juice (and coffee beans!) i figured why not. i HAD to know what that off skewed bottled contained. what a pleasant surprise and love at first whiff for sure =) that sealed the deal and into the pile it went with the three other gems (i know, for shame on my budget lol!) and my quest to find a head over heals fall fragrance was over. people are bashing this but i'm infatuated with it and my nose can't leave my wrist alone. every few minutes i get something different-chocolate, mint, a modest and demure soap, soft spices, sweet flowers among other things. there's never a dull moment with this joyous fragrance. perhaps this is an acquired taste more for the light of heart, eccentric, whimsical type than for traditionalists. i'm that eccentric whimsical type so this suits me perfectly =)

Ahhh . . Missoni. I wore this on my wedding day. I had decided I did NOT want to wear a "signature" fragrance", so I went on the GREAT quest to find the PERFECT fragrance for my Octber 1 wedding that would not overpower, but yet, was romantic and something unique. My dress - Champagne-colored silk with ivory lace and crystals covering the entire dress (very vintage-feel). I searched for MONTHS (My gown was the VERY FIRST I tried on - not the same for my perfume). I gave myself headaches smelling scent after scent. While at an outlet mall, I stopped in the fragrance store and the wonderful gentleman working asked what he could help me with. I described my dress . . .I described my usual signature scent (at that time) . . .I described the venue . . .I told him of not wanting to small anything like I usually did. He grabbed ONE BOTTLE only - Missoni. The moment I smelled the wild rose and chocolate, with a hint of apple, I KNEW, this was the scent for the most important day of my life. I was not wrong.

Missoni is a lunatic carousel horse, champing at a bejewelled bit, undulating to a tinny, warped calliope tune. A kaleidoscope filled with spinning bits of hazy burnt-orange sea glass, velvety rose petals and cocoa pods. And yeah, it’s also like someone else mentioned, a chocolate bar floating in a swimming pool [full of watermelon rinds]. So really, I dislike Missoni vehemently and I love it to bits. I’ve purchased and sold it twice, and am now on my third bottle...it’s just so perfectly schizo, it’s no wonder it’s so polarising. If you’re able to source it, I suggest you pounce on it. Niche snobs will keep a secret stash of it while openly proclaiming disgust, mass-market lovers will recoil in horror, designer/couture brand devotees will be perplexed, but they’ll all wonder why they can’t forget about it. Absolutely Addictive. (and the bottle is adorable)

Finally sourced a sideways bottle and loving wearing this. It's unexpectedly innovative and unique for what might otherwise have been a 'meh' designer juice. This one is special. In fact when you first put it on, you think o God was I wrong about this? Then you get the most amazing wafts, which change as time goes on, and you become aware that you smell really good, and everyone else thinks so, as well. Not sure if the straight-up bottles are as good as the sideways ones, but anyway, Luca had it spot on; it's lovely. I don't even care what the notes are, they could be bat-sweat and leaf-mould and I'd still want 2 sprays of this on my person. Colour me delighted.

I really don't know what to say about this one.. i like the original missoni from the 80s. this smells like a fainter version with some off notes,, i wish i could smell orange chocolate like others did. other than the faint original missoni smell there was really nothing special about it. It does have staying power as i tried to wash it off/scrub in the shower and could still smell it after i dried off. I want to love this so badd.. but maybe i will come back to it later

At the beginning all I get is dark chocolate with bitter orange and something wierd. Thankfully it fades away a little bit, and something flowery and sweet comes out. Good sillage and longevity. I like that it smells unique, and compared to other chocolate fragrances this one does not smell synthetic. Well now I think it was in a shelf for a long time an the first spray smell a little weird. but once that was gone, it is nice sweet and a chocolaty-flowerness

This takes me back to going out places to party, well, ya know finally being "legally" allowed to. It is a straight up fragrance of memories for me and very nostalgic. All good memories and I would grab this if I saw it just for the sake of having a scent that reminds me of good times. Plus it is actually a very good perfume imo. I have plenty of scents that are pure nostalgia for me and this one happens to be a unique and great fragrance on top of that.

After reading Luca Turins review and looking at the note structure I knew I had to pruchase this fragrance. I bought it as my birthday present to myself last August. I love this fragrance! This scent is why I now consider Luca Turin my guru. Every time I try a fragrance he recommends I love it. Plus he loves Mitsouko, which is my most favorite perfume of all time. So, thank you Luca Turin, Missoni will always be my august scent thanks to you.

Missoni reminds me of a favorite Bible verse; "Godliness with contentment is great gain." Perfume worn for its beauty makes you happy. This is a world class perfume rendered with such intelligence that it is completely satisfying from every angle. Wear Missoni - its makes you smart, beautiful and cheerful.

This is yummy....I get alot of chocolate, orange and apple. I can see wearing this in the fall/winter. I think it would be way too much in the spring/summer. There is also some kind of spice to it in the background. Sweet and yummy! Thank you Jillzilla!!!!

I totally agree with annehke. She described it impeccably. This is a very unusual, changeable perfume. I love it, but found it rather complex and hard to pin down. I suppose it's like the brand's clothing - very warm and colorful.

So like I was saying, the Arden Beauty is a more 'safe choice' of this perfume. I have them both and love them both, but sometimes the more affordable houses do the trick very well indeed!!

I can see why this divides opinion, I wasn’t ecstatic in the first ten minutes, and I kind of thought ‘L’ eau d’Issey with chocolate, what?’. But it develops and really takes you on a journey, there’s a lot going on. I get milk chocolate and mandarin at first (not specifically melon though it has that aquatic note), I don’t really get dark chocolate, but this is nice quality milk chocolate, not sickly, not 90% sugar. The flower notes come in after a few minutes more strongly – heralded by that aldehydic sharp note I always get from florals at first – the rose feels like a tea rose and the magnolia is silky not heavy. The mandarin becomes clearer - you know that watery mandarin smell and taste that’s sweeter and less sharp or intense than an orange? The chocolate fades to a whiff, but then a sophisticated scenty feel starts to emerge. I’d say a hint of luxury lipstick is in there. To be specific a much loved ‘l’Oreal creamy soft transparent raspberry I’ve just run out of that has a very sophisticated rose/cream scent- made me wish I could snog myself! There’s a savoury note which begins to emerge and I think it’s hazelnut. The aquatic note fades in and out, but I’ve smelled this on someone else too and it’s quite gentle sillage-wise. It's not subtle, I don't find it seductive, but I find it fun and uplifting - I'd wear it on a night out with friends. Nice in dry down – a subtle cat fur musk, straw, mildly sweaty but fresh, also warm and nutty, must be the hazelnut chocolate listed as Gianduia on another site. This can be quite more-ish

I think it might be safe to say that if you want to love this, you really have to like aquatic notes or fruit notes like apple, pear and melon or cucumber. Or at least be able to endure them for the delicious drydown which is well worth the wait. Missoni opens with pear and apple--sweet, and bursting with crisp delight. And waves of dry chocolate and bitter orange swirl through creating a very unusual combination. Sounds clean and tolerable enough right? Well, then the flowers start to infuse and I think this is where it starts to get weird for some. The pink velvety florals are strong and very present and add to the sweetness. Like most have already said, flowers, fruit, aquatics and chocolate, definitely a journey across the spectrum. Each accord of floral, orange-chocolate and aquatic/fruit seems to hover one on top of the other. It's fragrances like this when you think that maybe three nostrils might be better than two. Clean without being a muddy mess, but somewhat of a challenge for the nose to process. To me, this evokes an image of a chilled pear and apple citrus sorbet laced with a floral infusion, and wrapped in a hard milk chocolate shell. Missoni really is a fantastic dessert bomb of a fragrance that I think will appeal to the younger at heart. Unusual, clean, delicious and signature worthy for someone, perhaps those who like to dip their fries in icecream or eat their French toast with ketchup.

Full list of notes: bergamot, mandarin, spicy orange, magnolia, peony, wild rose, apple, pear tree, chocolate with hazelnuts, amber. This is an unusual fragrance...it doesn’t smell like anything else I’ve tried. When I first tested Missoni about a year ago, I was turned off by it but decided to explore it again recently. I would say the most prominent quality about Missoni is that it is “fizzy,” especially in the first half hour of wear. It’s an uncomfortable fragrance. I would liken it to the sensation of opening a carbonated drink right under your nose. It’s also a bit shampoo-like for me, which is not something I enjoy in fragrances. Although this smells fruity, floral and aquatic, it’s hard to identify what fruits and flowers are going on. If I really try to put a name to what I smell, I would say the notes I get are melon, citrus, and a bitter-green rose...there isn't anything that smells like chocolate to my nose. All in all, Missoni seems like an attempt to put everything into one perfume. It’s a bit aquatic, a bit floral, a bit fruity, a bit foody. Sweet, fresh, gourmand, woody, bitter, and green. It’s an oddball. I don’t really enjoy the first half-hour, but I do find myself drawn into sniffing my wrist once it has dried down. Interesting but not something I would wear myself.

Perhaps the profusion of citrus in modern perfume has caused some people to forget that oranges are also fruit first and foremost and hence the difficulty identifying this as the fruity floral that it really is. And a gorgeously bitter, juicy one at that. Opening with the single most skillful use of bitter orange, bergamot & mandarin I have ever smelt, this perfume is all about the fruit. Florals are mostly invisible here, acting as an smooth intermediary between the bitter orange and the bitter chocolate. I am very sceptical of the recent celebrity use of 'chocolate' in perfume and I am not a fan of the note in general, but in Maurice's genius hands perfumed chocolate becomes pure velvety 85% cocoa chocolate bliss (with a hint of nut too if I am not mistaken). The drydown is where we part ways with the juicy orange in the compostion and we meet the creamy sweet amber with its residual dash of saltiness. If you normally interpret fruity floral as sugary stone fruits, maybe an apple or two, then this will be an eye-opener for you. PS - if you tone back the orange, ramp up the magnolia and subsitute the chocolate for vanilla, then you will be back in 1994 with a bottle of Rochas Tocade in your hand.