The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Mi Fa arrived in 2008 as the second chapter of Reminiscence's "Les Notes Gourmandes" collection, a playful line that drew its rhythm from the musical scale. The name borrows the solfège syllables of a melody, and the fragrance plays the same game: every note tuned to evoke something edible, something to be savored. Behind the composition stood two hands: Zoé Coste of Reminiscence, and Jacques Flori of Robertet, a perfumer whose work often explores the line between confection and comfort. Together they built a scent that smelled like a memory of a memory, soft-focus, golden-warm, with the powdered edges of an old photograph.
The genius of Mi Fa is how it refuses to behave like a gourmand. Marshmallow and bitter almond anchor the opening, but the supporting cast brings in real freshness: bergamot, mandarin, mint, lavender, rosemary, a wide herbal and citrus spread that keeps the sugar honest. Neroli and jasmine bring floral lift, while black pepper adds a quiet snap that keeps the sweetness from sagging. The base settles into vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood, and Virginia cedar, but the white musk underneath gives it that clean, just-out-of-the-shower softness that separates a pastry-scent from a skin-scent.
The evolution
The first minutes belong to the marshmallow and almond, loud and almost confectionery, but the citrus quickly arrives to slice through the sweetness. Bergamot and mandarin open like a window, mint adds a cold edge, and the whole thing smells like a bakery at dawn when the ovens are still cool. The neroli and jasmine take over soon after, and the fragrance does something unusual: it becomes more floral than sweet, with petitgrain sharpening the green and black pepper ticking underneath. The lavender and rosemary never fully retreat. As the scent wears on, the gourmand warmth returns, but now it rides on sandalwood and cedarwood rather than sugar. Vanilla and tonka bean settle into the drydown alongside white musk and amber, giving the final hours a clean, skin-like warmth. It lingers on a scarf or a coat collar well into the next morning, quieter, but still recognizably itself.
Cultural impact
Mi Fa sits in a sweet spot in the gourmand family, sweet enough to satisfy sugar-seekers but aromatic enough to win over people who usually avoid that category. Wearers describe it as the scent of someone who wants to smell approachable but not forgettable, the kind of fragrance that draws comments without demanding attention. It reads as gentle rather than loud, more of a personal pleasure than a performance piece. Part of its appeal is how wearable it feels across occasions.
The House
ReminiscenceReminiscence began as a boutique in the seaside town of Juan‑les‑Pins in 1970, where founder Juan Famenias gathered curiosities from his travels and paired them with scent. The shop quickly became a miniature museum of objects, each infused with a fragrance that echoed the memory of its origin. Over the decades the brand has turned that concept into a line of niche perfumes that read like scented postcards, from the woody depth of the 2007 Elixir Patchouli to the bright floral of the 2024 Fleur de Délice. Reminiscence positions itself as a curator of olfactory memories, offering collectors a way to wear a story rather than a simple fragrance.
The Creator
Jacques FloriFlori built his reputation on complex incense compositions, demonstrating a particular affinity for resins, woods, and aromatic woods that carry smoke and sacred weight. His technical background expresses itself in precise layering and meticulous longevity engineering.
