What a seriously impressive fragrance Angel is, for a scent like this to be released in 1992 - this was way ahead of its time. You may love it or hate it, but this pioneered the subfamily of gourmand fragrances which would become one of the most popular scent profiles in today’s market. At its core, this is a chocolatey patchouli fragrance - it’s got a surprisingly dark element with this creamy, delectable earthiness. To counter this, there’s noticeable warm spicy touches from nutmeg and cumin, alongside an overwhelming sweetness coming from honeyed florals, sweet vanilla, sticky caramel and an array of fruits. There’s so much going on here it’s hard to pick things out, but that spicy, chocolatey patchouli is what sticks out most to me. It’s not really my style of fragrance if I’m honest, but I can’t deny the influence and impact this had on the perfume industry; making it a true modern classic.
This for me is a true testament to the power of branding. For all intents and purposes it's pretty heavy on the feminine branding, yet if this was in a traditionally masculine guise I wouldn't bat an eyelid. That being said, it doesn't resemble any other perfume (OK it has a little in common with L'Instant de L'Homme by Guerlain, voilà, that's a masculino patchouli chocolate scent). This is a wonderfully pungent, constantly evolving slap to the face. Addictive and somehow gourmand but not gourmand (a trait I'm picking up on in many Mugler scents). I'm not sure I'm ready to pull this off yet, but I've thought that before and then found myself loving a perfume I reckoned I'd never wear For a designer house, Mugler keels it real, brash and bold, but without entering into the screechy side of designer hell (Sauvage, anyone?).
Okay so I wasn't necessarily going to write this review because it's pretty moany, but why change the habit of a lifetime hey? and when I read the review below me here about not having those around you complain, I felt compelled to fire up my fingers and give my thoughts on Angel. I remember Angel in the 90's, girlfriends, teachers, the high street generally and even my mum, smelled of Mugler Angel. I completely appreciate it's pioneering ethyl maltol overdose style and it's OTT Muglerness, iconic bottle design, and the genesis of Gourmand genre perfumery, none of it is lost on me and broadly speaking I thought I liked it. Having not gone back and revisited Angel in many years I felt I didn't need to as the smell had been etched into my permanent olfactory hard disk memory. Well no! Because for mother's day my sister purchased a bottle for my mum (like 'hey remember you used to like this?') and she wore it yesterday and I found it unbearable. I've heard folks mention the patchouli element before and say it's horrid but I never really felt that way, yes it's a full bodied patch base (a common theme in loads of Mugler stuff) but never have I found it to annoy. Cloy? yes maybe but that's far more the cotton candy and oh so unreal floral aspects, the patchouli I figured to be the least offensive part. but no. Yesterday it was like a knitting needle being rammed up my snozz, repeatedly, and not even a dank, natural patch, like a screeching, evil patchouli robot cyborg hybrid sent back from the future to F my Nose in the A! It's truly terrible at a distance, I shall have to spray the perfume again and experience it on skin because I think it's entirely different for the wearer, as apposed to the poor sods who have to cower and heave in their wake.
