Misfit Arquiste 2019

No, this scent is not a tribute to the three screen legends Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, and Clark Gable, who starred together in the 1961 film "The Misfits." The film - not exactly a cinematic masterpiece, just to mention - is primarily noted in film history for being the last appearance on screen for both Monroe and Gable. Gable died shortly after filming wrapped due to a heart attack, while Monroe passed away a year later, presumably from an overdose of sleeping pills.
But I thought of this film when I read about Arquiste's 'Misfit.'

The carefully crafted story - which is necessary these days - goes like this: in the year 1877, in the already then dubious city of Marseille, there are abandoned cashmere shawls lying around. Shawls that had enjoyed great popularity in bourgeois circles just a short time before, carefully packed and protected from pests with patchouli leaves, brought in from faraway Kashmir. Now, however, the bourgeoisie, pressured by the proletariat, finds itself on the defensive, losing the aura of the avant-garde to a new social phenomenon, the bohemian: life-hungry artists and creatives, societal 'misfits,' outsiders. The shawls fall into their hands, and their patchouli aromas blend with the spicy-rough scent of southern French lavender.
Arquiste markets the fragrance as the "olfactory signature of the counter-culture."
Well, the story is quite nice, but for me, it seems more like Carlos Huber looked at his Arquiste portfolio and decided that a patchouli scent would be quite decorative. I suspect the artfully convoluted saga was spun afterwards.
Inspiration works differently, but so be it.

'Misfit' is, in any case, a wonderful patchouli-centered fragrance that everyone who loves patchouli should try at least once. However, having a preference for this multifaceted, aromatic-woody note is a prerequisite to appreciate this work at all. Not only are two different patchouli essences used, but also a patented synthetic fragrance component from Givaudan called 'Akigalawood,' which captures the woody facets of patchouli oils and complements them with peppery nuances.
That it is not a patchouli soliflore is thanks to the involvement of various other notes, some resinous and some balsamic, which give it a warm, cozy aura that fits well with the shawl association, but above all to the lavender, which somewhat competes with the patchouli and gives the fragrance its own unique spin.
Lavender and patchouli create a wonderfully contrasting yet harmonious accord, whose herbal peaks are clipped by the dry-aromatic angelica root and the earthy-sweet scent of carrot seeds, while the brittle, creaking-woody heart is bedded on an amber base of smoky styrax resin, labdanum, tolu balsam, and a bit of tonka. Bitter-skin bergamot opens and frames the predominantly dark scent painting, which is only occasionally wafted through by a shy hint of rose and brightened by fine ambrette chalkiness.
One searches in vain for pronounced citrus freshness, a floral bouquet, or even an aldehyde complex that would make the scent soufflé-like, so the fragrance might be perceived as too heavy and burdensome due to its rather dense texture.
I like that here.
But I am also a big patchouli lover, enjoy the complex scent of lavender, and I really like the other companions in 'Misfit.' Except for the tonka bean, perhaps, whose matte vanilla sweetness often drifts too quickly into gourmand territory for my taste. However, since it only appears as a nuance here, giving the fragrance a slight roundness, I find it absolutely bearable.

The perfumer, Rodrigo Flores-Roux, also seems to be a big patchouli lover: before 'Misfit,' it appeared distinctly and accentuated with tobacco and animal facets in 'Sandor 70’s,' then in the erotic leather dress of 'Palindrom II,' and recently in the finely crafted osmanthus chypre guise of Galion's 'Bourrasque.'
'Misfit' is perhaps the fragrance in this patchouli series that rests the most within itself. It does not strike me as overloaded (that tendency is present in 'Sandor 70’s'), nor does any animalic quality make it precarious (as in 'Palindrom II'), or a richness of contrasts particularly demanding (the osmanthus-patchouli-hyrax combination of 'Bourrasque').
A kind of patchouli Buddha, which surely lacks a bit of eroticism and daring, but effortlessly compensates for this lack with the cozy warmth it radiates.

The longevity, especially on clothing (shawls!), is absolutely sufficient for my needs, and the projection is not overly aggressive.
Thus, 'Misfit' with its dark aromatic splendor and civilized appearance has become a distinctly pleasant companion for me - especially now in winter!