Every once in a while there is a fragrance that for some reason calls to me like some siren song begging me to check it out.  Mitsouko by Guerlain is one of those scents.   I am certainly not the target market for this fragrance but that’s not going to stop me.  Maybe it’s the bottle, it seems very old-fashioned and stylish, but whatever reason here it goes…

WHAT I SMELL:  Mitsouko goes on herbal and medicinal, it’s very strong and rounded.  It then moves into a warmer phase that is hard to describe,  still herbal, a little sour and eucalyptus like with hints of Jasmine and Peach.  Mitsouko’s drydown sits in this light and powdery spiced peachy understated chypre stage that is soft and subtle.  I have to admit, this is really a hard fragrance to describe.  The blended notes are masterfully composed into a scent that is very unusual and distinct.

From the Guerlain website:

Fruity chypre Mysterious, Balanced, Velvety.  A masterpiece of balance and originality, Mitsouko marries a fruity note of peach with jasmine flowers and May rose. The mysterious dry-down of the fragrance blends spicy notes with those of underbrush and vetiver.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  When I first put this on, for some reason it reminded me of my dentist office growing up.  Maybe someone there wore this or something similar or maybe it is that medicinal edge that first comes out.  But at the time, the dentist office was already an older building from the 1930s so it had this kind of deco feel about it.  Mitsouko also had that feeling of being from a bygone era.  My hubby said it smelled like an old lady.   I don’t know if I agree, but it definitely is a scent for the more mature.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE MITSOUKO: exotic, unique, full-bodied

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MITSOUKO: Bois de Jasmin, I Smell Therefore I Am, Scentsate 

BOTTOM LINE: I will revisit this scent again.  I can’t say that I love it, but I do believe that Mitsouko has stood the test of time for almost 100 years for a very good reason.  It’s not for everybody, but I know that if I wore this on the right day, it would be perfect.

• Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
• Scent: Chypre Fruity
• Classification: Feminine
• Expense: Varied, in EdT and EdP (review based on the EdP version)