Missoni Missoni for women

I'm reviewing Missoni again, because this time I have slightly different experience with it than last time. Today, Missoni actually smells "fruity" to me. It is not fruity in the sense of "juicy", "sugary" or "sweet", but rather it has this "aquatic" quality. I think magnolia, gardenia and cocoa stand out the most on my skin. Missoni is both contemporary and timeless fragrance; highly recommended!

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.

Adorable, chic, little jewel! The aquatic note just lightens up that nutty dark chocolate and steers it away from the heavy, overly rich, territory it could have fallen into. Its pretty, and unique but also elegant. I imagine a girl like Charlotte Casiraghi wearing something like this.

There are any number of expressions that convey incongruity. For rhetorical use, the oxymoron (eg. deafening silence.) The unintentional, often humorous contradiction in terms (eg. compassionate conservative.) The misplaced modifier (“I bought a doll for my sister with a plastic head.”)

A non-sequitur though is less a mistake than a peek into somebody’s thought process. A good non-sequitur gets at that wonderful, riotous feeling of a mind racing faster than than the ability to communicate. My favorite was someone saying, “I like ice cream! Can you swim?!”

There are perfume equivalents that exemplify the distinctions. Contradiction in terms: Britney Spears’s unquestioningly conforming Curious. Oxymoron: Lalique’s blindingly bright Encre Noir pour Elle or Angel’s high-energy state of dissonance. Misplaced modifier: Chanel Bleue’s shrill saccharine note.

Then there’s Missoni, the non-sequitur that points to a mind just buzzing with invention. It’s a chocolatey floral. A starched, crisp, sweet fruity. A savory, nutty wood. We sometimes say “synthetic” to connote “bad” but will say that synthesis is an accomplishment. Roucel makes the distinction meaningless, and trashes the negative connotation. Missoni is simultaneously exuberant and harmonious, composed yet somehow spontaneous. It succeeds conceptually, merging and twisting perfume genres while still managing to be strikingly beautiful to wear.

Missoni is an endless challenge to me. I find it interesting and at times unsettling. I don't love it, but nor do I dislike it. It took me an age to get past the enormous dark chocolate note. I get waves of harmony, orange and chocolate, hints of flowers, but there is dischord. I don't think I really like it but then I can't quite bring myself to part with it either. I just want to be able to try it again to see what happens this time. I can't stop sniffing it, even when it hits me with the uncomfortable mixtures of notes. Wearing it is certainly an olfactory adventure; note to self, go see a pyschoanalyst!

Gosh i tried with this, but Its awful. Made me wish my nose would grow over. Orange, definitely chocolate and some obnoxious chemical flowers thrown in. Burnt orange peel and a bit of cinnamon somewhere....for a moment. Then it all screams away together. Hideous. And you cant get the stuff off.I tried to use it as a toilet spray. Still hideous. I gave it away to a friend and said enjoy! please never wear it around me...

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!!!!

woow this is the first perfume that i tried and gave me a headache and even a little nausiating :-(
very intense and inpressive sillage+stayinpower
had to scrub this off -_-

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

as tigerlillian says below, the first part is just pure cucumber. i dislike eating cucumber, i dislike 're-tasting' cucumber when it (invariably) gives me indigestion and as it turns out, i dislike smelling cucumber as well. after that, pure patchouli...and it's not even in the list. if you've read my other reviews you'll know i really don't like patchouli yet it seems to always find me. therefore missoni in a word? NO.

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.

This is an amazing fragrance - kaleidoscopic is the word! I smell sweet orange and dark expensive chocolate first and then a wave of mint and some herbs before it cycles back to a richer orange and a dryer deeper chocolate. It certainly isn't right for everyone but when it works for you it's like nothing else.

As a fan of the original Missoni, I decided to give this new juice another try. Gave it over an hour on my arm and scrubbed. It's so strong-and not in a good way, I can't even sniff at it without the feeling of an oncoming headache. I would have guessed that melon and/or pear are in this-both being a problematic notes for me, but neither are listed.

Chocolate? Orange? Magnolia? Love chocolate, orange and there's a magnolia tree outside my house that's never given me a problem, I was outside today enjoying it's beautiful scent. BUT, I get the same horrible experience when I smell J'Adore and Clinique Happy, both have magnolia, maybe it's that.

I don't know what's in this Missoni but it nearly makes my head spin.

The verdict: I just can't stand this stuff. It's one of those rare scents that I go to take a sniff of and involuntary pull away from.

I ran out to buy this when I read Luca Turin's homage to it--"kaleidoscopic," I think he called it. I wanted so much to like it, but what I smelled initially was chocolate, mint and mothballs. Sweet, sickly, real headache material for me. I will say it has staying-power: no matter how I scrubbed I couldn't get rid of the smell. It finally wore off the next day. I have a nearly full bottle, unused.

this smells exactly like one of those dark chocolate sticks filled with sweet orange liqueur when melt in your hands! strong! not shure if i wanna smell like this... maybe better drink it haha.
very beautiful bottle worth to buy the miniature. guess not everyones cup of tea.

try instead Elixir des Merveilles by Hermes with caramel and orange peel. very nice !

Missoni just doesn't sit too well with me. It disturbs me, yet it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is that turns me off it.

For starters I dislike strong, overly juicy citrus openings, which is exactly how Missoni opens. It was a mixture of bitter and sour oranges with a touch of salty ocean water. It fizzled in my nose and made me a little nauseous.

As it settled it became much more bearable, however the oranges do tend to clash with the softer floral notes in the heart. I am a little confused and amazed as to how 'Perfumes: The Guide' rated this fragrance five stars.

I was looking forward to the chocolate note in the base, however when I finally smelt it on my skin, it was the last straw and I promptly went to the bathroom and scrubbed Missoni off my wrist. It goes from being refreshing, tangy and sharp to dark, chocolatey and far too foody.

Missoni almost turns me off orange-flavoured chocolate for good. Jaffas are like a worst nightmare for me now.

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.

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.

I agree with mr chaz...this is not fruity to me. It is floral/peony with milk chocolate. It is not sweet like I initially thought it would be from reading the notes. I am a gourmand lover and even though you can smell the chocolate, it is way more floral than I am used to. I am not crazy about it, but don't hate it either. It is not sweet/gourmand enough to suit me, but I can see where floral chocolate would be appealing.

this is an amazing scent, really)) floral fruity? no way! to me, it smells more like floral with dry cocoa notes, not very sweet or gourmand, very ambery though. Lovely)) it's quite strong, but strangely comforting. Perfect for winter or fall!

One of the few perfumes I've tried that makes me physically ill. Too sweet and overbearing for me.

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!

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!!

My experience was totally different from reviews here so I even tried it twice! Angel category? creamy? after reading reviews I expected a gourmand or something like oriental vanilla, warm and delicious.
To me this IS a floral fruity, just with icky sweetness and something indeed aquatic about it. After just spraying it on it opens very sweet and syrupy then it settles down and smells bland, hardly detectable and disappears quickly. I didnt enjoy this concotion of clashing notes, in this case they didnt really work at all for me.

This is an unusual scent. it smells like chocolate and strawberry jam ?! as you can imagine this is a very sweet scent, and i would recommend to wear it in the winter. i really like it, not sure that i love it, and i do neeed to be in a special mood to wear it ...

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.

I was so confused. I blindly squirted my sample vial of Missoni, and , poof, out came this idyllic scentsation.
I checked the Fragrantica database, and I thought it must be the Oriental Missoni because the one I was wearing was too interesting and different to be a Floral Fruity. Well, I compared the notes listed and itś this one!

The chocolate and amber are strong throuhgout wear, the chocolate and amber rush out in the beginning with the top notes, too. It all feels creamy, delicious, and bright, youthful and free,but still stylish, and mature.

It doesn't seem too much like a Floral Fruity perfume, because the fruits in use are all citrus; and not the common candy-like Fruity style perfume. The peony and rose are most prominent in the middle notes. The acquatic notes are really cool, it doesn't seem like acquatic notes would blend well here they really fit in well.

Have you ever eaten dark chocolate with orange bits in it? Well, itś not exactly like that, but, itś an idea to lend towards describing this almost indescribable, fantastic perfume. The dry down does become heavily sweetened.
The fixation is long lasting, and the
sillage is medium strength. Quite a
unique and exciting scent!

If this one had been around 10 years ago, I would have been all over it. I think I've just maxed out on too many floral fruity gourmand scents.

Missoni is an unusual and complex scent. It doesn't smell like Angel, but it's definitely in that same category. The watery notes also remind me of Mugler's Eau de Star, though Missoni is much sweeter. In fact, this one is almost sickeningly sweet when first applied, with pronounced ripe fruity notes. The florals emerge after a few minutes, and the water and chocolate dance in and out throughout the course of the day.

I appreciate that it is a well-crafted fragrance, with good persistence and excellent sillage. It's just not quite my taste nowadays.

This fragrance makes me cringe.I am not for the mix of Chocolate aqua & floral.I think without the chocolate this would be a good scent but it is just too drastic of a blend for me to take in.
I don't find it feminine or sexy or even to be a nice scent.
I find it hard to explain as well.Just try to imagine mixing cool water(the perfume & semi sweet chocolate Then add a few drops of Mandarin orange & floral essential oil.
Its not a good idea.

I was very intrigued by all the comments and description - it seemed that whenever Missoni perfume comes up, there is a choir of praises...Finally I was able to try it on!

Well, what can I say? At first, my nose was overwhelmed by a burst of sickly sweet freshness...Like a mixture of orange and cucumber! Honestly, it was a bit nauseating and I considered to wash it off, but for the sake of adventure went on.It gave me a headache, but in a couple of hours the cucumber started to fade (it was actually the waterlily that annoyed me so), and the scent started to settle down nicely.I felt a bit of peony but no rose at all.
Now, after 10 hours later, I really like what`s left of it.My wrist smells gently of lilac and musk - no chocolate. Only clean gentle freshness.

Unfortunately, it`s only the base that I really, really like. Though I respect this complicated scent, it`s not my cup of tea.

OK, I have to reprise my previous review!

Missoni is very different. I've never tested aqua-chocolate before! It's a vibrant scent that settles down to a pleasant fruity floral. A pity the top notes don't last longer cos it's nice to have the chocolate hit first rather than lurking underneath for ages. Fresh and buzzy and interesting!

I agree with woogyjones50 that it is very unique perfume...
I love perfumes, and I have had plenty of them... recently I have many bottles... but I have never had perfumes that smell as Missoni... I ordered them on ebay as I admire Missoni as designer...When it arrived I smelled and in the bagging I didn't like them..I do not know why…in the beginning it reminded me like some pudding or baby milk… I have no idea why…
Then I put it on again… and after few hours I started to adore them…
The next day when I put them on I fall in love with them… now they do not remind me pudding or baby milk at all… rather some exotic flowers and roses mixed with chocolate… and the smell really hits you in a good way…now I love this perfume… and I must say that they are very long lasting on me and on my clothes… I could smell them after one week on my blouse…and that happened to my (or my clothes) only twice more…with Michael by Micheal Kors and Allure Sensualle…

I ordered a sample of this and tried it the other day. All I got was a strange mixture of cinnamon and patchouli (and those aren't even LISTED) on my skin, and it didn't last more than two hours. I really expected to like it based on the notes and reviews...I'll give it another go soon and update my post!

Update:

I'm giving this another chance today. I think I've decided that the mixture of orange blossom and chocolate is just not for me. It mixes into this prickly floral composition that I don't like at all.

I still can't detect the chocolate...and staying power is horrible. I've been wearing it for a little over two hours and only have a faint trace of it left on my wrist. I guess this just doesn't work on me. Maybe it's my nose!

Oh this is amazing! I found it by chance and now I'm wondering if I've discovered my signature scent. I could detect the chocolate straight away but this is so NOT a wannabee Angel! It adds a buzz to the undertone, and thhe different orange notes together with the amber make it grown up and different. Lovely. I must have it!

i don't know how this scent is considered floral fruity..to me it smells like what my aunt would've worn back in the 60's and 70's when she smoked a lot of pot and had beaded doorways...not that there is anything wrong with that but not my cup of tea. there is something about this that reminds me of patchouli and i'm not sure why.

You will have to obtain this lovely scent--you will not be sorry. It doesn't have that extra long staying power. I spray it under my watch band, on my pillow . . .I've already begun my search for the next bottle. A real comfort scent. Helps me sleep. LUV