Angel (1992)
by Thierry Mugler

((Wow... I just saw that Angel has been around for almost 20 years. I had no idea!))

So, 10 years ago, I got my very first whiff of Angel. I was babysitting, and the mother of the kids had a bottle in the bathroom. It was in love at first smell. In high school, I loved patchouli, and I think of Angel as an "adult version" of patchouli! While working at a perfume kiosk a few years later, I would steal sprays of the sample non-stop!

Angel IS on the pricey-side, compared to some perfumes out there. But, I got the star that you can refill... which is a brilliant idea! It's also a perfume you need to try before you buy. It is very strong, and at first it may knock you off your feet. But give it a chance. Most people love it. I get compliments on it HOURS after I put it on. So, it's definitely long-lasting. Give it a try!

5th December, 2011.

I am sure that all the devils in hell wear Angel, Samsara, Youth Dew and all the other loud and cheap fragrances. Angel is so disgustingly sweet and strong it gives me a headache and makes me feel sick to my stomach whenever I am too close to a woman who is wearing it. I just can't understand how such an awful stench could become so popular. Why on earth would anyone want to smell like a dessert cart on steroids?

1st December, 2011.

There are certain accords in fragrances, similar to a specific chord change in music, which knock you off your feet. I won't bore everyone by listing some though. There is a moment in Angel which sent shivers down my spine. This is when, about 5 minutes in, the blackcurrant/peach note emerges from the fog of chocolate and patchouli -- it is truly exquisite. For one instance, I was thinking I could pull this off, but the rather long and powerful drydown is too feminine for me. This was the EDP and it is very potent. That burgeoning accord, while it lasted, deserves a thumbs up on its own.

8th November, 2011.

I AM ABSOLUTELY CRAZY ABOUT THIS STUFF. Since I'm out of Shalimar right now, it's my favorite scent I own.

Yes, Angel tends to be a love-it-or-hate-it topic; that's because the fragrance is so very original. Olivier Cresp (TM's perfumer, who built Angel) clearly has a yard of guts, and so do the folks chez Thierry Mugler; I'm told Angel just didn't sell for the first two years, but they kept making it and let it find its audience.

And, boy, does this fragrance "work" on me! I love fragrances with strong and unexpected contrasts between the top and bottom notes, and some light and space in the middle; Mark's White Vetiver does this rather badly and Fergie's Outspoken Intense does it pretty well, but Angel is the mack momma of this style. All that bright soft sweetness up top and then that BIG patchouli note underneath. . .I'm just gone on the stuff. I'll wear the men's version when I can get a dab of it, too, though I haven't worn it enough to talk about it intelligently.

20th October, 2011. (Last Edited: 14th November, 2011.)

Reading reviews everyone says the dry down is good, but when I sprayed it on myself it was so revolting I didn't wait for the dry down to wash it off. I know it's harsh, but I truly cannot stand it.

6th October, 2011.

YUM!!! Luckily Angel now works with me, it didn't always, I used to HATE Angel with a red hot passion! I think the reason I hated Angel previously was not only because of the mega dose of patchouli that assaulted my nose upon first spray but also because I was putting one spray on each wrist and that was just too much!! I attempted Angel again while studying up on Innocent (which I like a lot), I kept going back to reviews of Angel and was intrigued by how blank and white the reviews seemed, people either loved or hated Angel with very little so-so in between. I dug out my sample and squirted it on a q-tip then lightly dabbed it on my wrists, I did still get the strong patchouli but it was much milder and the dry down was to die for, on me it's a blend of deep dark chocolate, a touch of vanilla and patchouli. I've now graduated to one spray on my wrist then lightly rubbed on the other wrist and lo and behold I actually LOVE the patchouli now!! My husband loves it too! I think Angel really comes down to personal chemistry, it smells wonderful on some and horrible on some, I also think it is frequently over applied and that's why it has such a bad reputation, if the over sprayers would lighten up you'd probably get more compliments and less scowls.

23rd August, 2011.