Today we're helping Cailyn, who has been wearing Guerlain Mitsouko for 20 years. Lately she's finding that the Eau de Parfum smells different — she says it "used to move quickly to the bottom notes and almost wear like a skin scent on me... [now it gets] stuck in the middle notes". She wants to find something new, hopefully within her price limit of around $100.
Here is what we know about Cailyn:
She says she has a very sensitive nose and stomach.
She used to work in psychology, but she's currently educating her child at home.
Cailyn loved the warmth, wood, and spice of Mitsouko, and says it was alluring rather than loud. She leans towards woody orientals that aren't powdery or overly sweet (see below). She also likes perfumes that change over the course of the day, and she prefers fragrances that stay close to the skin — no big sillage, please. Unisex fragrances are ok so long as they aren't too masculine.
Cailyn doesn't like powder, overly floral, overly gourmet, or overly sweet smelling scents.
What say you?
Note: image is Melaka, Malaysia by yeowatzup at flickr; some rights reserved.
I would love to smell this perfume on you Cailyn! Mitsouko is what drew me into perfume obsession. I first sniffed after reading about in a magazine (Lucky I think) and I was completely repulsed. a few years later I went to sniff it again and was smitten.
You can find older bottles of Mitsouko on ebay for reasonable prices. You may want to consider stocking up.
Sonoma Scent Studio is worth trying. Her scents are high quality and reasonably priced. Champagne du Bois may be a nice start.
Costes is a nice woody incense. I believe it’s about $80 at Luckyscent.
I know you said you’re not a fan of florals, but do give Estee Lauder Jasmine White Moss a sniff.
Agreed!
I grew up in Malaysia and I adore the mailbox picture from Melaka. They have amazing food there that is different from most Malaysian cuisine. I would give my left arm to be there again. Sigh.
Anyway, the first thing that jumped to my mind is TDC Osmanthus. It is light, not sweet or overpowering, and has that kind of peachy note of Mitsouko, only not so rich. It is perfect for summer but it can be a little soapy. I’m not sure if it falls within the recommended budget.
My next suggestion in the light woody oriental is Bvlgari Omnia. The original one with the amber bottle. I think it gets overlooked a lot which is a shame because it is a great fragrance and definitely within the $100 budget and is widely available.
Also, as a lover of classic fragrances I think you might like something like Bois des Iles. I don’t know if it is available in the small bottle (the vat is $200) but it is something that is often split and easy to get a sample or decant of.
I second the Bvlgari Omnia! It isn’t loud, definitely wears as a skin scent that is always comforting to me. It is widely available on a lot of discount websites as well.
I love Omnia!
So sad, I cannot smell any omnia…….. Maybe Bulgarie Eau Thé blanc is also something.
What about Vol de Nuit EDT? Might be worth a try.
Cailyn, Mitsouko has changed, indeed.
I think there is no real dupe for that feeling of a warm skin scent that old Mitsouko does like no other… because Mitsouko has something that skin scents usually lack: personality….
But I have plenty of suggestions nevertheless.
Etro Shaal Nuur – the opening leans towards the masculine edge of woods and citrus, but it dives very quickly to a more feminine warm vanilla-incense-and-woods scent, which stays close to the skin. It is a very pleasant and relaxing scent; well made, and with a nice packaging. (but no Mitsouko).
What about Guerlain’s l’heure bleue? it might not share the structure of vintage Mitsouko, but they share the same texture.
Chanel Bois des iles: aldehydic opening, then sandalwood resting on a sweet oriental base (amber 83, that should be the name). The same end result is achieved by Une fleur de Cassie, by frederic Malle: it start aldehydic animalic floral, and ends in an orienatl confection of sandalwood.
While you are testing Chanel, you could try 31 Rue cambon? A modern chypre. A real chypre on the other hand would be MDCI enlèvement au sérail… but that is out of question, I suppose ($$$).
But my real suggestion is Guerlain’s Shalimar in extrait. ok, it’s out of the price range, but there is only one perfume that can look eye-to-eye with Mitsouko, in my book, and that is Shalimar.
I second the 31, rue Cambon. It is a very classy woody scent with warm accents and to my nose it has a light peach note. Also, you could get the small bottle for a reasonable prize.
Zazie beat me to the Shaal Nur recommendation. It’s really lovely!
I love Shaal Nur – it is all roses and vetiver on me.
Same here, Ann!
Serge Lutens Féminité du Bois. Check Parfum1 for discount pricing and coupon codes that bring it within your price range.
I second Sonoma’s Champagne de Bois and offer Chanel’s Bois des Iles as an option. Decants will help bring the latter into your price range. Enjoy!
I’ll third Champagne de Bois and Bois des Iles.
Love all of these suggestions – makes me want to track them all down and wear them! Cailyn, I know you love the woodsiness of Mitsouko, but how do you feel about the dark fruitiness? If you want to revisit Mitsouko’s peach, you might try Sake by Fresh, which is the deepest and most sophisticated perfume in that line.
Seconding Bulgari Omnia. Also, I’d recommend Atelier Cologne’s Vanille Insensee. Light, woody vanilla with a little citrus and vetiver at the opening. My husband really likes it on me (haven’t clued him in yet that it’s supposed to be unisex). You can get the 30ml bottle for $60 at Neiman’s and the decants at TPC are priced the same per ml as the 30ml bottle.
Bois des Iles, absolutely. It ties with Mitsouko as my favourite ever. I find the warm, spicy ambery bases similar in feel. It comes in 75ml bottles now, too.
Also, what about Chanel no. 19, EDP? It’s got a green/aldehydic opening but mellows to something quieter and warmer, a refined sandalwood/vetiver. It doesn’t precisely smell like Mitsouko, but they have a similar timeless chyprish sophistication.
For spicy, woody, orientals, I highly recommend the following
– Smell Bent – Bollywood or Bust. Don’t be put off by the whimsical packaging or branding; this is an *amazing* fragrance (rose, sandalwood, spice). Samples available: http://www.smellbent.com/leisure_cruise.html
– Mauboussin by Mauboussin
Both are *extremely* reasonably priced for the quality.
Angela’s review of Mauboussin here:
https://nstperfume.com/2011/02/28/mauboussin-by-mauboussin-fragrance-review/
I honestly don’t find it any “bigger” or “louder” than Mitsouko edp.
Mauboussin would be a very good one to try!
I’ll vouche for both Bollywood or Bust and Mauboussin. Both are very easy to wear orientals.
What about Ormonde Jayne Woman? Its a green woody floral- in my opinion more woody than floral, like a romantic walk in a forest. Mysterious and unique!
I was going to suggest this one too, a woody scent somewhere between a chypre and an amber.
Have you tried Estee Lauder Private Collection?
Also seconding Sonoma Scent Studio for high quality, long-lasting perfumes at an affordable price. Jour Ensolleile is a beautiful woodsy floral chypre, but maybe too strong for Cailyn?
(if the question is addressed to me)
No, I haven’t tried the private collection, but it seems I should!
I meant for Cailyn but you should try it too!
Dear Cailyn,
my very first thought was – as Aimiliona already posted – Serge Lutens Feminité du Bois. As it’s summertime, why not go for something completely different? I’d suggest L’Artisan Parfumeur Mimosa et moi.
I’ll chime in on the Vol de Nuit and Shaal Nur recs. I think of them as cold weather/warm weather siblings. Something woody I have worn since the 70’s is Caswell-Massey’s Tricorn, a very affordable sandalwood/amber.
My usual odd recommendation this time is… Nina, by nina ricci… it has more “molten woods” without being overly sweet and it has minimal sillage…
Hi Cailyn, I feel your pain. I too wore Mitsouko for decades until it was reformulated. I switched to Wazamba during fall and winter and Dune (or cologne) during spring and summer.
I agree with a lot of the recs above, especially Etro Shaal Nur, SSS Champagne de Bois and hunting vintage Mitsouko on Ebay. Also, if I remember correctly, Rappleyea, who loves Guerlain, has recommended SSS Incense Pure in previous posts.
Finally, I’d recommend that you sample Parfums de Nicolai. Patricia de Nicolai, the granddaughter of Pierre Guerlain, founded her own company because it never occurred to the old-fashioned Guerlains that a woman could be a great nose (!). Her line is remarkable value for dollar, too. Odalisque, New York and Maharanih would be great to start with. Hope you enjoy the quest!
Second Patricia de Nicolai..My mom loved Mitsouko but found the drydown of the current EDT too powdery (Though she loved the drydown of the pure parfum). She loved some of the PdNs she tried subsequently (Number One and Le Temps D’Une Fete- though these are more floral).
Eau Perfumée au thé Vert or Eau Perfumée au thé Blanc from Bvlgari, Le Baiser du Dragon, Montana Parfum D’Peau, First by Van Cleef…
Everyone makes such great rec’s above. I love Mitsouko and especially that “dried leaves” accord in the base. There is nothing in the world like it and it will be hard to replace it!! I’m going to recommend Hermes Amazone – vintage or current. It has a very austere white flowers-chypre opening, but it’s mostly a dry wood with a lovely base that makes me think of Mitsouko in a way – it gets to that chypre-ish dry leaves that I love. Also Caron’s Montaigne – again – a dry woody oriental with a well balanced but subdued narcissus and white flowers opening and a gorgeous sandalwood base. You may also want to try vintage or current Givenchy III which again has an austere well blended green and chypre construction. Very beautiful, very classy. You want to head off to more woody orientals, I’ll also suggest vintage or current Lancome Magie Noire which is rich and dry and has an excellent woody base. Good luck!
Late, but there are a lot of suggestions for Mauboussin and it can be found inexpensively enough to spring for unsniffed. I did this myself and it doesn’t work on me. It reminds me of Feminite du Bois which I love but there is something in the top notes that don’t agree with my skin. If you want to try it please contact me – I’m julia941 at yahoo and also on MUA. I would love to share!
Parfum de Therese
No 19
Promesse de L’Aube, MDCI (decant)