Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

 

The soundbites
If A*Men Pure Tonka were a colour, it would be a near-black purple.
If it were a piece of music it would be In Da Club by 50 Cent.
If it were a fashion accessory, it would be a wide, heavy, bronze-coloured bracelet.

If Angel Muse were a texture, it would be the softness of caster sugar.
If it were an item of clothing, it would be a baby pink, backless t-shirt.
If it were a place, it would be a spot a few yards away from the entrance to Charbonnel & Walker on Bond Street.

The reviews
Mugler‘s flankers tend to fall into one of two camps: they either add an entirely novel twist to the original perfume or they exaggerate one of its existing facets. Last year’s A*Men Ultra Zest was an example of the former, so it’s not surprising that this year, for their masculine release, they’ve opted for the latter. A*Men Pure Tonka (put together by Jacques Huclier) is our familiar, fuzzy-chested demon from 1996 – with his coffee, cocoa and patchouli – except that here, he’s grown an equally fuzzy beard. The patchouli, although still present, has been trumped by an oversized coumarin note (the substance being one of the main constituents of both the lavender and tonka beans cited on the official notes list), creating an effect that is literally bittersweet. Even as it tries to win you over with a coating of sugar, it delights in giving you the odd nip. He’s playfully cynical, this chap: the kind of guy who parties harder than anyone else because deep down he knows the end of the world is just another Nicolashka away. In other words, he’s entertaining company.

Equally worthy of your time is Angel Muse, Mugler’s latest addition to their unstoppable bestseller, this time composed by Givaudan‘s Quentin Bisch. In the 20+ years since the original Angel sugared its way into our bloodstreams, tastes and fashions have changed, so it’s fascinating to ponder exactly why Muse works so well as a more modern Angel. My theory’s simple: the sweetness has been tempered with a sprinkling of ‘healthier’ notes. Yes, the syrup is still very much present, but it’s now paired with a saltiness (hazelnut), a sharper citrus facet (grapefruit) and a more prominent dose of spices (pepper). This beautiful assortment rests not so much on patchouli – as in the original – but on vetivert, a material which, with its combo of smoke and liqorice aspects, has always balanced the syrupy and the savoury. In other words, Angel has gone all super-food on us. And she smells very attractive for it.

[Reviews based on samples of eau de toilette and eau de parfum provided by Thierry Mugler in 2016]

Persolaise


Discover more from

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

2 thought on “Persolaise Review Angel Muse (Quentin Bisch; 2016) & A*Men Pure Tonka (Jacques Huclier; 2016) from Thierry Mugler”
  1. Since the Great IFRA Calamity (has it really been eight years? how frightening, this rush of time), I've relied almost exclusively on your reviews as my most trusted opinion. I find myself so often searching back through your index to read your descriptions and reviews, as I'm doing right now. They frequently inform my next purchase! I'm so grateful you're still here, and on video, too. Thank you.

    1. Wow, Hummingbird, what a wonderful comment to receive. Thank you! Yup, I'm still around… and I don't plan to go anywhere just yet.

      It's readers like you who make it all worthwhile.

      Thanks for mentioning the videos too.

I love hearing from my readers, so please feel free to write a comment or ask a question.