It occurred to me that I never got to review Missoni by Missoni despite my intimate acquaintance with it. The reason for that is that while I rushed to buy a bottle the second it appeared at Saks, I also got rid of it just as quickly.
I've been a Missoni (fashion) fan for years and the adorable bottle with it's little knit bib was irresistible. So was knowing the nose behind Missoni perfume was Maurice Roucel. What could go wrong? spraying myself with Angel's second cousin was what went wrong. and also the fact that Missoni clearly aimed at the younger yummy-seeking crowd. I love a good gourmand and enjoy a chocolate note in many perfumes, but after weeks of making my own stomach turn every time I attempted to wear even a tiny spray of Missoni I had to admit: it was not meant for my skin.
I was reminded of Missoni perfume lately and decided to try again. C-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y. It's still a no go. I get the different elements that Roucel put together for Missoni. I understand why Luca Turin called the composition "kaleidoscopic". My brain knows why this is unique. But my skin and my nose interpret the chocolate-peony-melon combination as an old banana, and that greenish thread that Turin describes as "a luminous, almost minty accord" is the final kick in the stomach for me. It's like a phosphorous, hazardous material kind of green and the overripeness of the whole thing as soon as it touches my skin is nothing short of revolting.
It's gorgeous on a blotter, which makes the tropical nightmare even more painful to endure.
Looking back, I can see that the decision to make Missoni perfume as this fruitchouli with fudge sauce and sprinkles was the harbinger of Missoni For Target. The company wants to reach a new demographic and rake in the money in the process. A legitimate decision, of course, that probably helps fund the upper echelons of its products, but they lost me in the process.
Missoni by Missoni ($80, 1.7 oz EDP) is available from many department stores and beauty.com.
froutchouli and fudge sauce. I had a good laugh over this =) It's a shame that Missoni brand perfume doesn't live up to its potential
ReplyDeleteTee hee, you made it sound good to me! I love a good hot fudge sundae with a cherry on top!
ReplyDeleteIt's even more of a shame considering the original perfume they released back in the 70's/early 80's (I don't remember exactly when), but as I recall it was a wonderful chypre. When will this fruitchouli fad ever end?!
ReplyDeleteold banana - that really made me chuckle. My pet peeve is perfumes that on me turn into strawberry or raspberry bubble gum. Or I end up smelling like soap. argh!
ReplyDeleteI hate Missoni too. To me it smells exactly like Tootsie Rolls. (And I'm also a huge Roucel fan.) I still want to try the "Acqua" version though.
ReplyDeleteWhile I enjoy the bitter chocolate-melon contrast of this one, it's clearly dying to be worn by Margherita Missoni rather than by my paler, older self.
ReplyDeleteI actually believe LT must have been praising the earlier Missoni (1981) rather than this one. He doesn't say anything about the chocolate and melon, and he refers to a "poverty-stricken" bottle, which sounds much more like the older bottle than this current cute one. The older Missoni is complex and subtle. ~~nozknoz
Thank you Gaia, now I know the missing link. The reason why I don't mind Missoni when Turin loves it : that is the filiation Angel -> Lolita lempicka -> ... !
ReplyDelete(I don't mind lolita, it is as good as a 100% synthetic perfume can be, which means it lacks the aromatherapic buzz that lifts up my brain.)
In the past, I eventually found the coffee bean in Missoni, which likens Missoni to Guerlain's L'instant pour homme.
@anonymous : No, I really do think it is a one and single bottle and formula everyone speaks about (the perfume is discontinued, after all).
It is called "kaleidoscopic" by Turin as an euphemism :
Pro : it never tells you the same thing (a quality of masterpiece perfume)
Con : it is a mish mash, an interesting scrubber :D (green fresh, mint, melon, cedar, pathouly, coffe bean)
And it has the wischy-washy fruitchouly feel to it.
I sampled this 2006 version of Missoni today. The leading notes on my skin were mint foremost and then chocolate, secondarily. What was amazing is that the scent was extremely familiar although it took me several moments to place it. The fragrance has a lot of overlap with 'Orchid Petals and Mint Water' by SoftSoap. The Missoni doesn't necessarily smell too soapy itself: the Softsoap bottle label reads 'an exquisite blend of the finest fragrances'. If someone has this liquid hand soap, it's a good reference, just missing the chocolate!
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