B*Men (2004)
by Thierry Mugler

You know, this ain't bad. A*Men is overpowering and B*Men is A*Men lite. I detect a huge patchouli type note. Might be the "spicy notes" listed in the pyramid. It lasts a long time. Just be sure to spray sparingly and far away from the skin lest you received a burnt caramel note.

I like A*MEN, but I like this even better. Sad to hear it has been discontinued.

This starts rather deliciously confusing with a sour fruit/ peanut butter coconut smelling blast. I first wore this in the summer in Colorado, when it was rainy, cloudy, crisp, and cool one day, and hot and dry the next, I couldn't help but feel that B*Men was the perfect scent for those days, because B*Men is a shape shifter of sorts. Hot weather will enhance the dry, dusty, red sand impression given by the amber and spices, while cool weather brings out the sensation I receive later on in its development of pine needles, wet leaves and wet earth, as if walking through a forest at dusk just after a cold rain storm. Infused into every step of B*Men's development is a rich gourmand sweetness. This fragrance is not only fascinating, but delicious, warm, and comfortable.

After reading Chandler Burr's descriptions of this (something about a creamy cement wall, spices on one side and a pastry shop on the other and in a separate article, "a field of spices in a forest of saplings growing under a fresh, clean, blue Indian sky") NATURALLY I had to experience this. It has quickly skyrocketed to the top of my favorites list and it will always be one of those fragrances that remind me that it is not always necessary to look towards the niche houses to find fascinating, beautiful, and extremely satisfying works of fragrance art.

This is a strange frag., some days I love it, other days I don't. The top notes are a little harsh: spicy, sour, and sweet all at the same time. I like how it's distinctive, but not everybody finds it pleasant. Good thing the top notes only last for 1-2 hrs max (depending on the weather) on me. When it does dry down, B*Men is wonderful. Amber and vetiver, the right amount of sweet with the right amount of sour. Probobly not a good idea to wear this when you plan to sweat though....

A typical story: some band launches debut album and shows us all its potential, creativity, strength and unruliness (A*Men). Then some big chief from the music industry notices that band and they sign a contract. After that the band launches second album. They still play great but their music is somehow different now… maybe moderated (B*Men)… and the guys from the band say “our music is more mature now” but YOU KNOW that it is not the music you fell in love with.
Are A*Men and B*Men similar? Yes, definitely… they are so similar that I like A*Men very much and I dislike B*Men very much. Both, A*Men and B*Men, are gourmand, but A*Men is “chocolate-ish” gourmand and B*Men is “soup-ish” gourmand.
People from my environment love B*Men quite a lot, especially the young female part of my environment. Their comments are “it smells like a kitchen but it’s sexy, at the same time”, “it wakes up the animal in me”, “I wish every man wore this fragrance”… However I wear it very rarely.
Please imagine this: You should go out. You are dressed well and you splashed some expensive scent. Then you go into the kitchen where your wife or your mother, never mind, is cooking the dinner. You are staying in the kitchen for a while (10-15 minutes) and you “collect” there the smell of the food. After that you’re ready for a good amusements somewhere in the town. You smell of your scent, but you smell of the food as well. Guess what? Your lucky day has finally arrived. You don’t have to bother anymore; you don’t have to waste your time in the kitchen no more. Just buy B*Men… I did…

After many glowing reviews of B*Men, claiming it to be a better, less extreme, less sweet version of A*Men, I had high hopes for this fragrance.

Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed when I actually sampled B*Men. There's a lot of spice and herbs going on here, plus a note that makes me a bit nauseous, which is of course a no-no for a fragrance. Apart from some sweetness and being categorizable in the 'gourmand' corner, I also don't know how B*Men would be related to A*Men.

I like A*Men, I'll pass on B*Men.