Positive Reviews of Mistral Patchouli 
Atelier Cologne (2013)

Okay, first off, I don't like patchouli much by itself. Therefore this was a very pleasant surprise. Woody incense with patchouli blended perfectly so that it's a smooth fragrance of resins, wood and incense but somehow very light and airy the whole time. Really really nice fragrance.

Mistral patch stands alone in terms of uniqueness. I got a very fresh, green citrussy opening and then a clear chinese-five-spice blend. Checking the notes I see star anise and the note is very well realised. It must be this that gives an Asian culinary feel because my brain keeps picking up ginger, lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves.

The consensus is that the citrus is pomello / grapefruit and the whole scent is much more complete than p.p. checking the notes makes me feel not so crazy that I keep thinking of L'instant Guerlain EDT because that classic is build upon a structure of green-citrus > anise > patchouli. The named patchouli is nothing dominant here (as in L'instant extreme)but gives a slight dirty contrast to the more obvious citrus. This reminded me of a L'instant flanker, let's say L'instant d'0rient!

Other scents coming to mind included very distant memories of Gucci Envy, penhaligons Bayolea (lemongrass in an EDC) and the ginger freshness of Dior Homme sport flankers.

I highly recommend checking out this unique gem if overwhelmed at the AC counter. Simple, but invigorating and unique. 79/100

FYI, this perfume has been renamed Patchouli Riviera.

This kicks of with a pleasant mix of black pepper and citrus (mostly grapefruit on me). Green kitchen herbs come in next (maybe basil and definitely rosemary). As the citrus fades, it makes way for a polite patchouli, made especially green by the herbs, without any of the oil or dank that patchouli sometimes carries. Hours later, it dries down to a mix of patchouli and iso e super, so it keeps that peppery overtone, but gets more creamy and smoky with wisps of incense.

With all this talk of citrus over herbs over smoky patchouli, this sounds like it should be a hardcore powerhouse, but it's actually very light and airy. Not weak by any means, but "chemically buoyant", if that makes sense as a description. I've quite enjoyed it - I thought it might be a bit thin for winter, but it's been perfect, though I imagine it could also work in hot weather. Nice!

The initial blast is present with a fresh citrus mix, tangerine, pomelo and bigarrade with touches of petit grain, which is counterbalanced by an aniseed impression that, on me that it, is in the background compared to the citrus storm.

The drydown develops a floral sideline - iris, geranium and whiffs of oleander - but the citrus still rules. A restrained bright spice note comes and goes - light with a touch of clover - but this is soon pushed back by the emergence of the patchouli. This patchouli has very little to do with the dark, harsh and smoky patchouli à la Tom Ford's Purple Patchouli or Le Labo's Patchouli 24; this one is bright, light, acerbic and crisp but not that sharp; it is a bit like crisp gusts of wind down the Rhône Valley, and whiffs of benzoin give is some added depth.

The base continues the citric-patchouli theme, but adds neroli and a touch of a green vetiver to it; the latter is again night and lacks and earthy component.

I get moderate sillage, good projection and eight hours of longevity on my skin.

And interesting summery scent for warm days that has an original twist. 3.25/5.

This is my signature spring scent and in my top 3 of all Atelier Colognes fragrances (with Emeraude Agar for fall and Oud Saphir for winter). It sure helps that I am a huge anis aficionado, a love which started with the Anis de Flavigny bonbons in my mother's car and came to devotion when trying out Pastis, Ouzo, Raki and Absinth while travelling Europe as an adolescent. It smells a bit like a cold Pastis with a good squeeze of pomelo in it. I usually do not like perfumes which smell like food or beverages, but I am happy to make an exception for anis. The smell of anis evokes solitary travelling and discovering new places, therefore I think it was the perfect choice for Atelier Cologne to choose Anis to evoke the French Mistral sea wind, which is a sharp, cutting wind instead of a gentle summer sea breeze. M.P. is not a sweet, licorice or Sambucco alike anis, but tart and sour. It reminds me of a spray of cold sea water on my face when sailing in late spring. Luckily the fragrance does not smell like sea water itself, as these sea scents usually smell very chemical. M.P. smells very natural. Rather than a perfectly photo-shopped image of the sea, M.P. evokes a man's confrontation with the sea with a few brush strokes in green and blue.

Very masculine, dry and bitter mix. Good sillage, a bit too much for a young woman. I didn't feel comfortable wearing it.

Atelier Cologne Mistral Patchouli
A clean, easy to wear patchouli placed over a base of freshness a la Atelier Cologne. The patchouli plays a duet with geranium which makes is minty and crisp. Add refreshing citrus and sweet flowers and you have an aromatic and enjoyable fragrance. Some anise breaks through in the opening but it's tamed, thankfully, because it's not among my favorite notes. Longevity and projection below average. This is among my favorites from the Atelier line.

I am one who does not go crazy over Patchouli. I do own a few Patchouli based fragrances and I tolerate them very well. Patchouli can be extremely strong and poignant. So that being said, I took the plunge and bought a bottle of Mistral Patchouli. I am very glad I did. In the initial spray I can smell the star anise, patchouli, geranium and iris (4 notes)and it stays like that ALL day. The patchouli does take over just a bit BUT it is not strong or poignant. Very nice fragrance from Atelier Cologne.

This fragrance is so much more multifaceted than I expected. I don't have much experience with this brand of patchouli: refreshing, slightly sweet, and delicious. I'm a fan of the kind of dirty-fingernails-potting-soil patchouli that they sell at head shops, but I can't wear it. I find this to be a rather sophisticated, grown-up patchouli based fragrance that can be worn around other grownups.
This fragrance also holds a first for me. I have never actually sensed the "sea salt" in a fragrance before, but it comes through here. Like a salted tamarind candy. Fantastic.

Remarkably aromatic. A super dose of aromatic emanations open the top: possibly some of the aromatics are from the star anise and the incense, but the main contributor to the potent aromatics is the geranium – an aromatically virulent form of geranium. And it lasts.

As the geranium tones down I get a little platform sweetness from the iris and together they form what I suppose is the aromatic floral heart of Mistral. Gradually the patchouli begins to grow – or at least I suspect it's the patchouli… this patch is not at all typical; it's an semi-earthy green pathchouli, obviously working in conjunction with the base's vetiver, the patch and vetiver are sweetened a little by just the right amount of benzoin. I love it. After an hour or two of this base, I get a small taste of the salt note that others have mentioned.

Mistral Patchouli is quite remarkable in the delivery of its accords. From the dramatic aromatics of the opening through the salty crystal transparency of its base, it is an intriguing olfactory journey.

I love Patchouli, ok, let me restate that, I really like Patchouli. I have almost never enjoyed the scent unless it was on a free-spirited young lady exuding vitality and reckless abandon. A thin tee shirt and a waterfall almost completes the picture. This however, is not in your face Patchouli, and as a "man's man" I was delighted to find something with Patchouli as a note that I could also enjoy. The show opening with Pomelo, Black pepper, Star anise is like the overture to Phantom of the Opera (big, bright and bold), and the fall off, leading to the rest of this musical fragrance is Indonesian patchouli, Benzoin, Vetiver which to me is soft and steady without the Woodstock Hippy! I have also found that Mistral Patchouli does not last as long as I would like. Maybe that's why I seem to love this fragrance, simply because it becomes subtle and not in your face. Like others who have expressed a Marine connotation, I'd have to agree! Jerome Epinette seems to have nailed this one!

If you're after a patchouli fragrance in high definition this is not it. There's very little of patchouli in here. I'm not sure how much of it is (subliminally) driven by its marketing concept but I experienced Mistral Patchouli as a refreshingly breezy seaside-inspired interpretation with a mildly citric-fruity opening, an almost tangibly aqueous semi-sweet minty-briny middle phase that dries down to a softly resinous oriental-like base.

Overall I find this to be a summery office-friendly aquatic-patchouli hybrid. Certainly one of my favorites from the Atelier line, with excellent on-skin performance.

A wonderful windy/salty/incensey patchouli immensely evocative about the oceanic immensities though finally decidedly smooth and somewhat semi-oriental in consistency. I detect by soon some anise (combined with aromatic herbs, sharp floral notes and salty/ozonic patterns) and humid perfumed woods in the ozonic/ambery recipe. The dry down becomes gradually more intense and almost resinous with its incensey presence, losing "via vai" the initial sharper vibe. The intimate warm type of saltiness (lingering throughout) conjures me a lot another juice from the same line, I mean the interesting Oolang Infini which is finally more translucent and aqueous, more properly centered over a basic green tea note conjuring me a lot the classic Bulgari Pour Homme or the Roger&Gallet The' Vert (but also Heaven Chopard in some of its soapy nuances). Along the dry down I detect sweet spices, hints of fruity floral appealing sparks and probably a secret leathery undertone (may be a musk/iris/suede accord soft and warm). The final part of the evolution introduces indeed this musk/iris/incense accord so soft and almost sticky. The dry down (ambery, incensey, musky and with a salty lingering warmth) conjures me the new Eau Sauvage Extreme Intense's final density. Simply stunning, a cologne rehabilitating the infamous ozonic genre by its experimental combination of diverse notes (resinous and semi-oriental counteracting the sharp-ozonic initial ones). Great longevity on my skin.

A little off the topPicked up a sample based on a recommendation that this is "patchouli minus the hippie". I really enjoyed the kick of what must be the pomelo and pepper out of the bottle, and its contrast with the middle and base. Thought the anise was too strong in the turn from top into middle notes - if not for this I would purchase a bottle. Long lasting on the tail end, I was still sneaking smells of the warm base on my wrist after work was over. If anyone knows of similar scents with a little less licorice please let me know, could be a winner with winter coming...

Patchouli plays a supporting roleThis is my favorite Atelier fragrance. It starts with bright citrus -they say star anise but I smell Neroli or bergamot too. The geranium gives a green note, and the patchouli is supporting, in the background. To me, Patchouli and Vetiver only work as supporting notes, and that is how the Patchouli is presented here. Overall a more oriental offering than most of the other Ateliers.

To the Lighthouse Forget patchouli, and mistral as well. This fragrance has nothing of the typical patchouli facets- except maybe for some feeble, yet nicely hovering mustiness- and nothing cold or wild, as the eponymous wind is supposed to be. Mistral Patchouli is, instead, a sunny, serene, marine - but not in the sense of aquatic- refreshing fragrance. It starts with a sightly dry, bitter, crispy grapefruit and continues with a rather unusual, smooth fennel note (star anise, the official list says). Base notes are, for a change in Atelier Cologne line!, pleasant and long lasting: lemony, salty wood, with the slightly dusty note mentioned before. Mistral Patchouli makes me think of an old house by the sea, the smell of empty rooms that have been locked for months suddenly flooded with light and marine breeze that carries scents of plants and woods washed on the shore.

...somewhere somebody writes in a review: 'I don't think anybody would smell Mistral Patchouli and say', "ah, a patchouli fragrance, nice!"... well, that's exactly what did happen to me. The beautiful and hospitable lady at Skins Cosmetics (Laren - The Netherlands) is my witness. Although to me more a Föhn than a Mistral I bought it ... for now the 30ml version. Love it!