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Tureckijj – :
Notes: arum lily, karo-korund, white rose, osmanthus, narcissus and orchid. This is headache-inducing to me. When I smell it, all I get is a vision of an elderly woman trying to hide her addiction of chain smoking – and not very convincingly. Or the way a stuffy funeral parlor smells with a myriad of people and casket wreaths – all in a small confined area. Not for me at all. It’s going in the trash.
sagno – :
My mom has been wearing this since it came out in 1990, but I was weirdly anosmic to it for decades— just as many people are anosmic to certain types of musk. She would say ahh, this is my favorite perfume,” and would use the body cream and the EDP generously, but all I could smell was a very faint, pleasant powder note.
I’ve kept a bottle of the EDP in my collection and recently discovered, to my delight, that I can smell Destiny now— and it’s gorgeous! I use 4-6 sprays and it’s never overwhelming but I definitely know it’s there, all day. I don’t even find a ready comparison between Destiny and any other fragrance. I will say that it is clean, delicate, buttery and pure in its white floralcy. It isn’t at all sweet or heavy, and truthfully I don’t detect any of the most common white flowers, such as jasmine or gardenia, which is a plus because those can be cloying and heavy. Some have said Destiny is a lotus-based scent, and that seems accurate. There is also a fair bit of sandalwood.
Soft, fresh, classic and rounded, Destiny will never “wear you” or smell like “granny potpourri.” It’s just really enjoyable and delightful. May become my signature, too! I will say that surprisingly, I don’t like this one as much in the pure parfum or bath oil version as I find those to bring out a musky fetid-mess that isn’t present in the EDP. If you like soft gentle skin scents like Cashmere Mist or musk oils, Destiny may knock your socks off in a good way!
lohankin – :
This is ingenue to the nth, and a true classic. It is not sweet or teen girlie. I think one has to be a specific physical type to pull this gentle, all-floral perfume off, and I never say that about fragrances. It is so delicately pretty while still being very present (medium sillage), that it just seems to be made for a young woman between 18 and 30 who is small-boned and sweet-faced, and a bit reserved, or at least naturally gentle. The fragrance itself has no sharp edges, nor is it white floral “heady”.
While more worldly women would find MM Destiny to be too soft for special occasions and try to wear it as a daytime frag, it is actually too “dressy” for that. It is a bit out of its era with its emphasis on feminine vulnerable prettiness, but for some females who generally feel a bit anxious during gatherings, it seems to encourage others to approach her more gently so I think it’s even therapeutic. The lovely scent cloud is calming in itself to the wearer and attractive to others.
The perfume format is the only one worth having, and the MM website sells a test size for a very reasonable price. You will know if it is “you”.
mihailgaichencev – :
There is nothing sweet or powdery about this. It also is not a typical white floral. Some folks here have nailed it. On top is a big blast of aldehydes. There is also oakmoss in the composition even though not listed in the notes. The fragrance is a very dry classic vintage fragrance. Very dry! To my nose, the main notes are aldehydes, orchid, the dry lily, a hint of rose and oakmoss.
Unfonyannetty – :
Other’s have nailed the perfume composition/notes/description, so I won’t even go there. I wore this fragrance back in the 90s. It is such a soft unassuming floral that I would always be shocked when people would ask me what I was wearing and compliment me. I got more compliments with this fragrance than with almost any other fragrance I have owned. It’s perfect for daytime/office wear. It’s absolutely beautiful and classy without smelling “old”. Just pure white flowers. I love it!
venya1 – :
Very nice mix that reminds me of L’Heure Bleue layered with Diorissimo in a very soft drift of clouds.
andr-1988 – :
Well, the reviewer just below me, LuLuGoes, pretty much nailed my thoughts on this fragrance. Perfect description. I will add..for me, this is just soft, comforting, relaxing, feminine, just lovely. Even though this is soft, it does last all day, which is pretty amazing, considering this is slightly above a skin scent/borderline moderate sillage/projection. Sort of what some may consider a “mom” scent..This is a scent I easily could see my mom wearing when I was a child. Slightly vintage vibe, yet timeless. A slight soapy scent, but mainly a very soft floral with perhaps a bare touch of sweetness peaking through at times. But to quote LuLuGoes, “Marilyn Miglin’s Destiny is a sheer veil of sweet flower petals. Tender lily meets the elegance of true white rose. I have never smelled another fragrance like this. Very feminine, timeless, ageless, beautifully balanced.” –Again, that is the perfect description.
If you like timeless, slightly elegant feminine scents, a little clean (and perhaps slightly soapy); soft delicate florals, this might be worth checking out. I picked up a rollerball because I was not sure about this one, I had no experience with any Marilyn Miglin scent, and had not even heard any chatter about any Miglin frag. The rollerball is lovely for the purse and/or to travel with, but I will definitely be seeking a full bottle of this soon. Just so lovely. Quite possibly a contender for a signature frag for me, if I did not love so many others..lol. But this is an unexpected beauty and I just happened by chance to “find” online…I see this will be in heavy rotation for me, so yeah, I better get a full bottle. The votes here have this currently listed as a Fall scent (and daytime), but I think this is actually lovely for year-round, and even suitable for nighttime.
I did order this mainly because this was voted as a daytime Fall scent, which I have been looking for more daytime Fall scents, but this is actually very versatile. Very happy with my “discovery”.
bah – :
Marilyn Miglin’s Destiny is a sheer veil of sweet flower petals. Tender lily meets the elegance of true white rose. I have never smelled another fragrance like this. Very feminine, timeless, ageless, beautifully balanced.
Fabulous sillage and lasts 10 hours or more. This is nothing at all like her famous Pheromone for women. Completely different creation. Worth a try. Super soft yet powerful.
Dav99 – :
This is my signature scent. If I could only wear one scent for the rest of my life this would be it. Light, floral, airy, with powder. It just smells rich. Not cloying for me at all, very light to the point someone leans in because they are so intrigued but have to get closer so they can smell it. I can see where this would not be a scent for everyone. I can see this being a love it or hate it perfume with no in between.
barkas – :
still have my old bottles from around 2001. Fresh clean and not sweet – it smells almost “cold” in a good way – like an icy breeze – not quite metalic but like cool marble or wet stones- this aspect blends with the white florals making it stand out from typical white florals. I see that some reviews say it’s too sweet or cloying so I’m wondering if this has been reformulated as are so many previously lovely scents. I have not smelled a new bottle so I can’t speak to how that would smell or compare to the original, but the original is not what I’d call sweet or cloying at all.
Tadesky – :
Fragrance Review For Destiny Marilyn Miglin
Notes: Arum lily, karo-korund, white rose, osmanthus, narcissus orchid
Destiny is a spring time floral fragrance. It’s purely floral and the flowery smell to my nose is a tad on the greenhouse or florist shop side. The recreated synthetic scent of calla lily is very real and Marilyn Miglin went a step further with it in the flanker for this perfume Destiny Calla Lily. But here the osmanthus narcissus and orchid are the key players. All the floral accords are there but to my nose the osmanthus was taking the lead. Very realistic osmanthus. It smells like floral shampoo but who’s going to complain if you smell like floral shampoo. Sweet flowers. This also has a rose which begins to bloom toward the end of the performance. This frag has no top middle or base notes so you get all the notes at once and the progression is only slight. Without the base notes the whole thing is airy and like shampoo and has a very short life. It was on me only for 1 hour and 20 minutes. It’s not a bad scent and it’s very easy to wear if you like florals and perfect for spring time. Office-friendly and subtle, fresh after the shower scent and very womanly.
Respect_Auto – :
A nice soft powdery floral. Very feminine. Very pleasant smell. 🙂
sexoed – :
I’ve revisted Destiny by Marilyn Miglin. I first tried it and wore it for a time in the late 1990s (purchased through HSN who’s pricing is more affordable than Ms. Miglin’s website). Now I find that Destiny is just too strong and cloying on me. I don’t enjoy smelling or wearing it anymore. The aldehydes and vanilla (yes there is vanilla in this) are overpowering to my nose.
sega4444 – :
Still have my bottle from the 90’s. Just sniffed her today. Still as special today. Clean, crisp white.
venom8097 – :
Tiktak, I have tears in my eyes right now your wonderful words were so sweet.
And Yes I agree with you that this is an aaahhh scent. Any one who works in the up close and personal fields like doctors, nurses, dentists ect could wear this with no worries.
edit…
I ordered the pure perfume and I can say that I am so amazed by this as the pure perfume is so so so much better!
I would love to try many more pure perfumes!
Melcv448Bessinepome – :
I always forget I have this, pull it out to test it, and then find myself sighing with pleasure the way you do when you get to drop your head on your pillow at the end of a rough day. I generally don’t like white florals all that much since they tend to be too sweet or stabby but this is gentle and somehow familiar. Longevity isn’t spectacular but, folks, this is the bargain of the century for the quality at the price. It’s great to have for a bad day or a day that you can’t even figure out what to put on.
Sillage: starts arm length but comes back to about 1′
Longevity: 3-4 hours
Fabulosity: a perfect cup of cocoa with a madelaine
Value to price: Incredible
8/10
Mevki377Negeltzex – :
This is such a nice soft comforting scent. If you like white florals try this one. Creamy soft white floral that smells angelic like.
justkamal – :
My mother bought this for me back in the 90’s. I often complimented her on how nice it smelled on her. She bought me a bottle when I was going through a really tough time in my life. My Mom passed away in 1998 but I always keep a bottle of Destiny on my dresser and wear it whenever I need to feel a Mom hug. That’s what this smells like. A big, comforting hug from someone you love. Not a Diva scent, not a Femme Fatale scent, just a wonderful AAHHHH scent.
rustam_65chelny – :
Beautiful, soft fragrance. Long lasting with good sillage, yet still delicate somehow. This is very different than a lot of perfumes I have tried. I would repurchase this. It’s so feminine and a bit retro in the best way.
lemmonal – :
Very soft but long lasting with a gentle sillage. I love this fragrance just before going to bed. It is clean but not necessarily soapy.