I know, I know, it’s a juvenile joke, but I couldn’t help myself. I came across an ad for Mischief Academy perfumes on Instagram and decided to discuss their names and the concept with you.
Sunday Question #296:
Would You Like To Smell Like Poo[h]?
Perfumers Anh Ngo, Luis Hou and George Tedder created perfumes for “The Fairy Tales” collection:
- Winnie the Pooh (Honey, Beeswax, Bergamot, Lemon, Lavender, Clary Sage, Vanilla, Tonka Bean),
- The Little Mermaid (Pink Champagne, Lilac, Sea Salt, Ocean, Lemon Zest, Seaweed),
- The Mad Hatter (Cognac, Rum, Toffee, Condensed Milk, Butter, Leather, Black Tea, Saffron),
- The Cursed Apple (Red Apple, Poison (Bitter Accord), Rose, Violet, Lipstick, Wild Berries),
- Hansel & Gretel (Gingerbread Cookies, Hot Chocolate, Rum, Cinnamon, Clove, Tonka Bean, Vanilla),
- Pinocchio (Palo Santo, Sandalwood, Peach, Saffron, Vetiver, Cedarwood),
- The Jungle Book (Forest Foliage, Fig Fruit, Pear, Muguet, Amber, Sandalwood, Cedarwood).
Do any of these names or notes sound interesting to you? Would you want to wear one of those (provided you liked the scent)?
My Answer
The names aside, what caught my attention was the brand behind them.
Mischief Academy, a new brand created in 2025, is one of hundreds that appear every year. It positions itself as a US-based brand (with the main address in San Francisco), but its parent company is from Vietnam. The same parent company has another perfume brand, d’Annam, which is slightly “older” (from 2023), and its portfolio holds already 25 perfumes. Two out of the three noses who created The Fairy Tales collection authored most of d’Annam’s perfumes.
d’Annam started with a Vietnamese collection, positioning itself as a Vietnamese brand. Soon after their first collection, they shifted their focus to Japan, expanding the brand’s scope to “Asian cultures.” Now we have this new brand experimenting with well-known Western fairy tales, clearly appealing to our “inner child.” For me, it feels like a pure marketing experiment without any substance, history or inspiration behind it.
But beyond all these considerations, in my opinion, perfumes for grown-ups should not be called any of those names (and perfumes for kids, even if we were to agree that something like that should exist, should not cost $120 for a 50 ml bottle). Looking back on my life, I can’t imagine any age beyond 12 years old at which I could see myself in the following dialogue:
– Mmm, you smell wonderful. What is it?
– Oh, thank you! It’s Winnie the Pooh.
How about you?
Undina's Looking Glass 
Hey there Undina,
The note lists look interesting but we all know they are only guidelines.
Yeah, I’d like to try them. At this rate I’m expecting them to smell more like sketches than perfumes but if they are even a decent sketch they might be interesting.
The names are silly but also fun, I’ve worn perfume with equally or dumber names, I’m sure.
Portia xx
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Portia, you have such an outgoing and bright personality that if anyone could pull off any silliest perfume name, I imagine it would be you!
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Undina, thank you. It doesn’t lessen the cringe when someone asks though.
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I wouldn’t say no to a discovery set (some interesting notes lists) but I’m having a hard time imagining wanting a bottle of something called Winnie the Pooh. There are a couple of reviews on Luckyscent for some of them that are positive. I have a hard time getting excited about yet another new brand these days as I survey my jam packed closet shelf…
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I would rarely refuse to try anything for free! And I would be the first to eat that crow if I were to end up loving any of them. But I don’t believe in that brand, and I won’t spend any money to see if I was wrong.
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Nah…. The only contact I want with these characters is reading the books to due any day granddaughter
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Congratulations on your new family member! You’ll be reading those names to her in no time! :)
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She arrived on 21.4.26
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While the premise seems fun, repeating any of the names if asked what I was wearing would be embarrassing at best.
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Yep. But if you get to try and like any of them, it might make it a fun post (and even a funnier one if you dislike them).
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I might buy a couple for my grandkids. They like things that smell good. They comment on my perfumes when they like them. I’ll get a sample set probably and the notes for Winnie the Pooh sound nice, love a good honey 🍯 fragrance.
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Honey in most fragrances is my Kryptonite, so that note alone would have scared me away, even before the name :)
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Sure, why not? 😉 The Mad Hatter and The Jungle Book look more up my alley based on notes, but the actual scent would determine the final verdict.
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OK… Maybe The Mad Hatter – kind of a tongue-in-cheek name if not to know about the rest of the line.
Tell us more if you ever try them.
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