MyQueen by Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen’s perfume line was both infamous and short lived. Perhaps better known for the erotically charged skank-bomb Kingdom than its other offerings, McQueen’s perfumes were nowhere near as successful as they were artistic or ultimately as they deserved to be.

Following in the same vein as his fashion output McQueen’s first perfume Kingdom was a renegade scent created to shock, however the second and final perfume from the brand – MyQueen – was something entirely different, opting to reference the subtle intricacies of the designer’s sculptural tailoring rather than courting the realms of controversy.

Created in 2005 by perfumers Anne Flipo (Ananas Fizz, La Chasse aux Papillons & Donna Karan Woman) and Dominique Ropion (Carnal Flower, Alien & Portrait of a Lady) MyQueen was created to represent the McQueen woman – “a vision of the woman of his (McQueen’s) dreams” – with the kaleidoscopic bottle representing not only the many facets of this woman but also McQueen’s love for antique glass.

Kate Moss for Alexander McQueen

The Notes

Top: Parma Violet and Sweet Almond
Heart: Orange Blossom, White Flowers, Heliotrope and White Musk
Base: Iris, Patchouli, Vanilla, Vetiver and Cedar

How Does it Smell?

It is pretty much a guarantee that your first thought upon applying MyQueen is “gee this smells just like those parma violet sweets” and that’s all it is about for the first five minutes or so – sweet violets and sugar fizz. But there is something much deeper, something much darker lurking beneath MyQueen’s surface that unfurls slowly over time.

In a seamless transition the opening violet cacophony is followed by sweet almonds and vanilla, both of which, along with a generous dash of orange blossom, plush things up a bit and take MyQueen from being thin and airy to something almost full-bodied with dreamy, erotic tones that give the impression that McQueen’s queen is a thoroughly sexual beast.

The darkness truly reveals itself in MyQueen’s latter stages where patchouli and cedar reign supreme. Both notes cut through the plush, velvety-ness of the vanilla and the sweetness of the almond, dropping large hints of earth and spice. The tiniest touch of vetiver serves as a jagged contrast from the overall theme of softness, reminding the wearer that a McQueen composition wouldn’t be a McQueen without something a little jarring and shocking.

MyQueen isn’t as quite as fierce and strong as the (rather striking) advertising image would suggest, but it is suitably McQueen in the sense that it shares his almost obsessive attention to detail in addition to being both erotically charge and awash with romanticism – it is by no means a shrinking violet.

Why Was it Discontinued?

After the commercial (and in many cases – critical) flop of Kingdom the pressure was on McQueen to have an olfactory success and unfortunately MyQueen wasn’t a hit with consumers. Perhaps it felt a little too old fashioned, after all violets have never been the flower du jour, or perhaps it just wasn’t renegade enough for such a savage house.

Whatever the reason MyQueen was the last perfume to be released in the brand and could quite easily be considered as the nail in the olfactory coffin for Parfums Alexander McQueen.

Availability

MyQueen, the Eau de Parfum (not to be confused with the EDT or ‘Light Mist’), can be found in 50ml and 100ml sizes on most online discounters for very reasonable prices. If only Kingdom were so cheap…

Disclaimer
Image 1 linhperfume.com (edited). Image 2 lemonto.wordpress.com. Notes and quotes via Fragrantica.

Givenchy Dahlia Noir L’Eau

This week’s Escentual post is a review of a fragrance that took me wholely by surprise – Dahlia Noir L’Eau by Givenchy. The original Dahlia Noir made next to no impression on me whatsover (very much in line with most Givenchy offerings) and I am, as you know, not a massive fan of anything remotely green – so it is with great surprise that I give a big thumbs up to Dahlia Noir L’Eau!

Please click on the image above to head over to Escentual.com and read the full review. Don’t forget to leave a comment!

Disclaimer
Image via Escentual.com. I am affiliated with Escentual.com and post as their fragrance expert/blogger.

Versace Eros

As a fashion brand I have the greatest respect for Versace (admittedly less-so with Donatella at the helm) – they know how to make gaudy look glamorous and are at their very best when they are being as showy as possible. As a perfume brand Versace is less attractive, again their older stuff is good (I’ll always have a soft spot for Blue Jeans and Versace Woman, and Blonde is pretty awesome) but their newer stuff is very much lacklustre at best.

So it was with mixed expectations that I approached the brand’s latest masculine offering ‘Eros’. On the surface Eros appears to have everything you would want in a Versace fragrance – tacky bottle (it’s positively wonderful in its tackiness), ridiculous, over-the-top advertising (see here) and a Tanorexic muscly adonis fronting the whole thing – but as we all know in the world of fragrance, appearances can be deceiving.

Eros takes its name from Greek mythology, specifically the Greek God of Love. Created by perfumer Aurélien Guichard (Bond No 9 Chinatown and all of the new Robert Piguet fragrances and re-issues) Eros is described by Donatella Versace as being for “a man who is own master and who defends his own ideas and goals. He is a hero.” We know exactly what Donatella’s idea of a hero looks like but what does he smell like?

Gratuitous Man Candy…

The Notes

Top: Apple, Mint and Lemon
Heart: Geranium, Tonka Bean and Ambroxan
Base: Vanilla, Vetiver, Atlas Cedar and Oakmoss

How Does it Smell?

Eros opens with an incredibly ordinary blast of lemon and apple. Each note seems to want to out-blare the other resulting in a citrus din that if applied in sufficient quantities could very easily cause a headache. There is a herbal element lurking in the background that fails to cut through the astringent quality of the citrus, which is a shame because frankly it would have been a relief.

Vanilla follows very quickly and boy does it make its presence known – this is full-on, attention-seeking vanilla at its strongest and most relentless. Mixed with the citrus the vanilla feels very sweet but not very creamy, the overall texture being quite powdery and whilst it doesn’t feel top-notch quality wise there are interesting burned and toasted sugar facets to it that could be something quite special if things were better balanced.

The base notes promise vetiver, cedar and oakmoss, all three of which appear to be taking an extended leave of absence. Perhaps the vanilla murdered them all and hid their bodies under the floorboard? Whatever happened they’re not present and Eros pretty much finishes as it started – loud and proud with apple, lemon and vanilla.

Eros is a tricky beast, it feels as tacky as you would expect a Versace fragrance to feel but it doesn’t achieve godly gaudiness and isn’t anything you haven’t sniffed before – in fact, it’s very much like a lot of things already out there. It’s main problem lies solely with its volume, it blares out a relentless stream of citrus and vanilla that is so loud it knocks out all of those interesting nuances that could have made for something quite special. I’d never thought I’d say this but Donatella, perhaps you should tone it down a bit love?

Availability

Eros is available in 50ml (£46) and 100ml (£62) Eau de Toilette. Matching body products are also available.

Disclaimer
Image 1 glamorousboysinc.com. Image 2 blackpaper.ch. Notes and Quotes via Osmoz.com.

Chanel 1932 – “A Constellation of Diamonds”

Chanel and I have fallen out recently. “Why?” I hear you ask. Well it’s simple, the venerable house has failed to live up to expectations of late with recent releases such as last year’s Coco Noir (a perfume so yawn-worthy I couldn’t even be bothered to review it) being well-made but painfully safe, proving that this once innovative house prefers to go for the big bucks rather than the big wow.

Still, we have the wonderful boutique-exclusive ‘Les Exclusifs de Chanel’ line to rely on for our wows, right? Not always, 2011′s Jersey was a serious lavender miss-step that proved that there is such a thing as a granny perfume, and an angry one at that.

You may be thinking – “So what, Chanel always produces quality” – and you’d be right but est we not forget that this is the house that broke ground with N°5 in 1921 with a perfume deliberately designed to smell manufactured and put-together like a piece of couture – with Chanel one not only expects quality but also innovation.

I am, of course a blip that probably isn’t on Chanel’s radar and it will surprise no-one that my dissatisfaction hasn’t stopped them with their schedule of releases (or releasing dreadful adverts staring Brad Pitt). Their first release for 2012 is part of Les Exclusifs de Chanel and has been named after and created to honour the year the brand’s high jewellery line debuted – 1932.

From the Chanel website:

“A constellation of diamonds – In 1932, Mademoiselle Chanel showered Paris with diamond stars and a high jewellery line was born. Jacques Polge chose to evoke this constellation-collection with a precious, white and oh-so feminine flower; jasmine. Worked petal by petal to make every facet shine, it gradually spirals into place, waits to reveal itself on the skin and finishes by divulging its sophisticated and voluptuous side.”

Chanel Diamonds

The Notes

Aldehydes, Bergamot and Neroli, Jasmine, Rose, Lilac, Carnation and Ylang-Ylang, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Opoponax, Orris Root, Coumarin, Ambrette, Musk, Incense, Vanilla and Iralia

How Does it Smell?

As you would expect from a fragrance that is – a) made by Chanel and b) inspired by diamonds – 1932 positively shimmers as it flashes from the bottle on to the skin. Luminous white light from aldehydes and lemon-tinged citrus add vivacity with a touch of something dark and almost bitter as if to capture the cold, hard quality that makes diamonds so attractive.

1932 is billed by Chanel as a jasmine perfume and it is to an extent but a good portion of the floral contingent comes from iris. Here the iris gives the impression of a finely milled powder displaying both violet and root facets but in a relatively clean and smooth manner (Iris Silver Mist this is not). The bitterness of the opening carries through into the heart and is slightly reminiscent of the green buds and stems showcased (albeit in a much more direct way) in Mona di Orio’s Tubéreuse.

Vetiver makes a brief appearance towards the end of 1932′s development, it feels almost soapy amongst the musk in the base but a subtle dose of sandalwood and vanilla keeps this soapiness firmly in check, ensuring that the overall effect is a refined and smooth in line with the classic Chanel aesthetic that we all know and love.

To say that 1932 is very ‘Chanel’ is an understatement, in fact it very much feels like a case of ‘Chanel by numbers’ – there’s the signature crackle of aldehydes up top, followed by white flowers and powder in the heart before finishing on a smooth base of sandalwood and musk – and if it weren’t so pretty I’d be annoyed at how safe it is. But pretty it is and 1932 is easily the nicest thing the house has come up with in a while, still I won’t find myself rushing out to buy it but if you’re in the mood for a Chanel that neatly merges the classic with the contemporary then I would most recommend a sniff.

Is 1932 pretty enough to make me forgive Chanel for the likes of Coco Noir and Jersery? It almost, just almost is…

Availability

1932 is available in Chanel boutiques and select department stores in 200ml and 75ml Eau de Toilette.

Disclaimer
Image 1 via perfumeshrine.com. Image 2 via kentonmagazine.com. Quotes via Chanel.com. Notes via Basenotes.

G is for Guerlain…

This week’s stop on my Escentual A-Z of Fragrance is the letter ‘G’ – and the only ‘G’ that could possibly count in the world of perfume is ‘Guerlain’. Like many fellow perfume nerds I have a major soft spot for this venerable French house and with this guide I aim to take you on a whirlwind tour of all that is Guerlain including the perfumers that have made the house the great institution that it is.

Please head on over to Escentual.com by clicking on the image above and don’t forget to leave a comment whilst you’re over there, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the world of Guerlain.

Disclaimer
Image via Escentual.com. I am affiliated with Escentual.com and post as their Fragrance Expert/Blogger.

Scent Up Your Life!

The Scent a Celebrity Series is my vain attempt at picking perfumes for those who don’t know any better, yes I mean celebrities. Let’s face it, most celebrities are incapable of choosing decent clothing/boyfriends/girlfriends/movies/insert-celebrity-mistake-here let alone having the ability to make decisions about something as important as their scent – that’s where I come in. Never fear my dear schlebs, I will ensure that you are appropriately scented, all you need to do is listen.

I am a child of the ’90s and I am not ashamed. Yes fashion-wise it was probably one of the worst decades but musically it was pretty ace, for it was the ’90s that bought us Brit Pop, Rave music and most importantly – The Spice Girls. Ginger, Baby, Sporty, Scary and Posh may have long gone their separate ways but I (and many other ’90s kids I’m sure) still hold a soft spot for these persistant purveyors of ‘Girl Power’.

To celebrate the world’s very best girl band I offer up a scented tribute of perfume selections that showcase the ‘zig-a-zag-ah’ that gave the Spice Girls their power. Mad, bad, ridiculous and brilliantly feminine these perfumes invite you to ‘Scent up your life’ and live just like the coolest thing to come out of the ’90s since MC Hammer and his Harem Pants.

Viva Forever – The Spice Girls’ Magnum Opus

Posh

Posh spice was, and still is my least favourite Spice Girl because she never really did much and had the least talent, that is unless you consider looking miserable a talent, which I don’t for the record. Serious, po-faced and clad all in black our dear Mrs. Beckham needs a perfume that has style but lacks a sense of humour.

For Posh Spice the only fragrance that fits is Tom Ford’s Black Orchid. Mr. Ford’s first perfume offering is suitably fashion coloured (black is the new black don’t you know) and takes itself far too seriously. That said, it’s pretty fabulous and this blogger enjoys it much more than he should – much like our good friend Lady Posh.

Baby

Baby Spice was the antithesis of Posh, capturing all that is soft, pink and fluffy as opposed to black, austere and harsh. Despite her obviously ‘cute’ exterior Baby Spice always had a cheeky and mischievous air about her that gave the impression that things could descend into serious, glitter-filled mayhem at any moment.

The perfect perfume to capture both the sweet and fun sides of Baby Spice is Insolence Eau de Toilette by Guerlain. With it’s fizzy hairspray note, juicy red berries and huge violet bomb of baby powder Insolence is a perfume that does not feel the need to behave and revels in being loud, proud and shockingly pink.

Scary

Don’t ask me why but Scary Spice was always my favourite Spice Girl, I think I might even go as far as to say that I had a small crush on her as a tween. Clad in leopard print and rocking some of the biggest hair seen since the 80′s Scary Spice always struck me as wonderfully tacky.

‘Wonderfully tacky’ leads me to think of a perfume that is gaudy in an attractive way - Roberto Cavalli Eau de Parfum to be precise. Rocking zebra print and an incredibly tacky gold crown Roberto Cavalli EDP’s bottle fits the bill just as much as the hyper-sweet cocktail of syrupy white flowers (so syrupy in fact it smells quite similar to Calpol) released by the perfume. As with Mel B, Cavalli is a guilty pleasure that is hard to justify to those more sensible people around you.

Sporty

Sporty Spice definitely got the raw deal – having the most talent yet always being forced to wear tracksuits cannot be good for anyone – and I take it as a personal challenge to make up for her years of pain by not selecting a sporty perfume within this list.

Listening to Mel C’s solo stuff it is easy to forget her spice roots and to pick up on a more ethereal quality. This ‘airy-ness’ combined with the strong ’90s feel of Sporty’s look is reminiscent of the scent that defined the decade – CK One by Calvin Klein. CK One summed up all that was good – fun synthetics – and bad – thin, wan scents – about the ’90s, just like the Spice Girls really – marketing over substance.

Ginger

Ginger Spice was, and possibly still is, the most iconic member of the Spice Girls. She was the loudest, brashest and most obscene – the glitziest, most glamorous Spice that single-handedly embodied the movement of girl power. Attention seeking was the name of Ginger’s game and she requires a scent that is so colourful it verges on the brink of being annoying.

I know I bang on and on (and on) about Thierry Mugler on this blog but the only option for good old Ginge is Angel. What could suit Geri Halliwell more than a ladette fragrance that demands the attention of everyone it comes into contact with? Nothing, absolutely nothing – Angel is the only answer.

Join the Discussion!

Which was your favourite Spice Girl?

Do you agree with my choices?

Which scents would you choose for Posh, Baby, Scary, Sporty and Ginger?

Please leave your thoughts in the comments box below!

Badgley Mischka Eau de Parfum – Lemming or Loser?

Have you ever been convinced that you would love a perfume before even trying it? The scenario is quite straightforward and goes something like this; you notice a particular review or mention of a perfume on a forum and your interest is piqued, you then scour the blogs for reviews, draining the internet of all information on the particular subject. After you have soaked up as much info as possible you eventually track down and try the perfume for the first time and you fall in love. Or do you?

Like many fellow perfume nerds Luca Turin and Sanchez’s ‘Perfumes The Guide’ is a perfume bible that has created many a lemming (i.e. a fragrance love or lust) for equally a many perfume lover (as well as causing them to shout in frustration at their trashing of some of their favourites) and perhaps the biggest of these olfactory crushes for me was Badgley Mischka Eau de Parfum.

Reading Tania Sanchez’s 5 star review of Badgley Mischka (see below) it’s not hard to see why I was desperate to get my hands on, what promised to be, a beautiful fruit bomb. Everything about it sounded perfect; huge fruit? Check!; Lactonic notes? Check!; Similarities to Angel and Gucci Rush? Double check! I just knew that I had to have a perfume that ticks all these boxes in my life.

“The first time I met Badgley Mischka’s fragrance was in a lab bottle tester at Bergdorf Goodman, a few months before its release. Sprayed on a blotter, the first thing that happened was a big, breathtakingly gorgeous fruity top note, which I promptly decided to forget about, since what doesn’t have a big fruity top note these days? The second time I smelled it, I sprayed it from the real bottle (a set designer’s idea of a classy bottle, with a metal nameplate making it look like an executive paperweight) and was immediately floored by a big, breathtakingly gorgeous fruity top note, with both lushness and freshness, reminding me of juicy edibles at the moment of maximum ripeness before everything goes to brandy – peaches, mangoes, lychees, pineapples – but fruity fragrances aren’t my style, so I moved on. The third time I smelled Badgley Mischka, I sprayed it from a new tester for the purpose of writing about it, and the first thing I noticed was a really big, breathtakingly gorgeous fruity top note, but as I was feeling rather academic, having just been complaining about the prevalence of fruity fragrances, I focused instead on its similarities to Angel or Gucci’s Rush, its lactonic woody drydown that unfortunately thins at the end, talking to LT about a possible link he smelled to Narciso Rodriguez for Her, and so on. The fourth time I sprayed it, It was after I’d written a dry, appreciative review, calm, sensible, and helpful, and it was evening, after dinner, with the lights out; I wanted to smell that big, gorgeous fruity thing again, now that the pressure was over. It rang out, came chorusing up from the skin in great clear peals like church bells on Easter morning, simple and perfect and sure, a message of straight forward good news, and I imagine it’s rather like this when the longsuffering hero looks up at the end of a string of confused romantic disasters only to discover that his longtime friend has all this time been the most beautiful girl in the room, and only familiarity prevented him from seeing it. Time to face the facts and hire a caterer – it’s love”

T.Sanchez – Perfumes The Guide

The Notes

Red Wild Berries, Jasmine, White Peony, Indian Sandalwood and Caramelised Amber

How Does it Smell?

But how does Badgley Mischka smell to me? Is it a lemming or a loser? Well it does open with fruit but to my nose the effect isn’t akin to the “breathtakingly gorgeous fruity top note” that Sanchez (rather wonderfully) banged on about in her review and this is where the disappointment lies. The fruit has a fermented, almost champagne-like quality that is only intensified by a large slug of sparkle and fizz, and does not present any of the promised lushness and ripeness that I hoped it would have.

The opposing forces of milk and caramel form the central core from which all of the fruit and fizz emanates. It could all be tooth-achingly sweet but the bitterness of flowers keeps the caramel firmly in check and makes for a very comforting mid-section that is easily the most attractive part of the fragrance’s development.

In her review Sanchez says that Badgley Mischka “thins” in the base and I can very easily go along with that. The cosiness of the caramel intensifies before trailing off into a vague and astringent woodiness that is accented by an incredibly Gucci Rush-esque plastic patchouli note.

Badgley Mischka Eau de Parfum is most definitely a fragrance that I am on the fence about. I concede that it is very nicely done but I can’t help but feeling that I should like it more than I do and when compared to similar fragrances such as Rush I can’t help but feel like I’d rather have the Gucci.

Is it a lemming or a loser? Hmmm, you’re going to have to give be a bit more time with that one…

Availability

It’s quite tricky to find Badgley Mischka EDP here in the UK but keep your eyes peeled on eBay, I picked up a 15ml travel spray for £7!

Disclaimer
Image 1 via urun.gittigidiyor.com & hellacosmetique.gr (combined). Notes via Bergdorf Goodman. Quote via Perfumes The A-Z Guide.

F is for Five Golden Rules…

Tis 01 April which means that many a prank or trick will be played upon a plethora of unsuspecting souls today. I however, am for too kind for all that malarky and instead would like to share with you the latest instalment in my Escentual A-Z – ‘F is for Five Golden Rules’.

Please click on the image above to head over to Escentual to check out my Five Golden Rules for being a perfume nerd – you’d be an April Fool not too!

Disclaimer
Image via Escentual.com. I am affiliated with Escentual and post as their Fragrance Blogger/Expert.

The Silver Song of Spring

L’Artisan Parfumeur is one of those brands that took a long while to click with me. I started off exploring two of their cult classics – Tea for Two and Patchouli Patch – both of which left me cold. I then left the brand alone for a few years whilst I sailed off around the perfume world trying anything and everything that wasn’t ‘L’Artisan’.

Fate brought me back to L’Artisan Parfumeur many years later when a friend dragged me into the Covent Garden boutique. It was there that I tried and loved Bertrand Duchaufour’s ode to the clash of East and West that is Traversée du Bosphore for the very first time and after that, well after that I fell down the rabbit hole grabbing and adoring everything that L’Artisan and Duchaufour had done together.

The latest perfume launch from L’Artisan is not a Bertrand Duchaufour creation but that’s not a bad thing in the slightest. Created by perfumer Dora Baghriche-Arnaud this latest perfume joins the brand’s Grasse collection of candles and scented gloves that takes inspiration from “the spiritual home of fragrance, in Provence”.

Named Caligna (meaning to ‘court’ or ‘flirt’ in the Provençal tongue) – the first perfume in this collection is an ode to the Grasse countryside and according to L’Artisan Parfumeur it “evokes a warm breeze blowing over the land, a sense of freedom in the wild open spaces, a lightness of being with laughter echoing into the distance.”

“Addictive and aromatic. Take a stroll through the Grasse country side, where mountains and the Mediterranean meet…”

The Notes

Clary Sage, Fig, Jasmine Marmalade Accord, Mastic and Pine Needles

How Does it Smell?

Caligna’s top notes are awash with under-ripe green figs. The treatment of fig here is incredibly subtle, with the woodier and bark-like aspects of the fruit emphasised rather than the milky and jammy facets. There is a silvery freshness to it in the opening stages that is both sweet and cold like a cool spring breeze.

Jasmine plays a strong part in the middle stages and is billed as a “jasmine marmalade accord“. I’m not entirely sure whether jasmine marmalade is a thing (I’d like it to be) but my impression of it here is a sort of sticky, green bitterness that melds with the ever growing ashiness of the fig bark. With time light flashes of fresh tobacco, similar to the green tobacco found within Etat Libre d’Orange’s Jasmin et Cigarette, appear to give a harder edge.

By the time Caligna reaches its final stages it is relatively subdued, speaking only in wisps of greenery and earth. There is a little touch of something that I can’t quite put my finger on that gives a little lift and carries the idea of jasmine on a spring breeze right through to the very end.

Caligna is both pretty and intricate, it’s one of those fragrances that feels refreshingly simple but decidedly complex at the same time. It smells very natural but does not smell of nature, you won’t wear it and imagine yourself standing within a stunning vista as it is far too introspective and nowhere near large enough for that.

Do I love Caligna? Well it’s very safe to say that I am more than taken by it (I’ve used a good portion of my 15ml decant already), I almost see it as a greener and more refined version of Creed’s Silver Mountain Water (read: less of a chemical foghorn) and if it were to come in a 50ml size I would be sorely tempted to make a purchase.

Availability

Caligna will be available in early April in 100ml Eau de Parfum for £95.

Disclaimer
Sample via L’Artisan Parfumer. Notes via basenotes.net. Quotes via Press Release. Image 1 via mimifroufrou.com. Image 2 boisdejasmin.com.

Angel and Alien Aqua Chic

It’s almost impossible to believe that the first day of Spring has already arrived. Looking out of the window one is greeted by flurries of beautiful but ultimately inconvenient (and more than a little bit annoying) snow. To put it in to context, at this time last year it was a rather more palatable 21 °C and today it’s… – let’s not depress ourselves shall we?

Whilst this blogger may not be ready for spring his favourite perfume brand – Thierry Mugler – certainly is. This month sees the release of their annual ‘Aqua Chic’ editions of pillar fragrances Angel, Alien and Womanity. All three of which are reinterpreted as fresher, livelier and more aqueous perfumes.

For the Aqua Chic editions both Angel and Alien have been redressed in floral waters – rose and orange blossom respectively – to create summer-infused perfumes that are more than welcome to turn our SAD minds to think of warmer, happier and decidedly less blizzardy days.

Angel Aqua Chic

The Notes

Rose Blossom, Raspberry Blossom, Green Apple Granita, Patchouli and Vanilla

How Does it Smell?

For Angel Aqua Chic the original – an olfactory drag queen – has been considerably lightened by the addition of rose water. This rose water in particular has a berry-like and sugar syrup-esque quality that smells like the vivid pink sauce of a liquidated cyber rose. In short, it’s not the delicate blush pink rose essence one is used to.

The rest of Angel Aqua Chic’s development very much falls in line with the DNA of the original Eau de Parfum but the whole thing is unsurprisingly much lighter and effervescent. Chocolate and patchouli take a back seat to the floral candy floss effect, which in itself is relatively muted and not at all like the tour de force vibe found in Angel.

Angel and rose have been together before in the wonderful La Rose Angel and in comparison the Aqua Chic edition doesn’t come close. That said, this version is not meant to be a mind-blowing remix of the original and it succeeds at being exactly what it set out to be – a sparkling, watery but not aquatic (an important distinction) and rose-tinted summer version of a modern classic.

Alien Aqua Chic

The Notes

Orange Blossom, Lemon Blossom, Pink Grapefruit, Wood and Amber

How Does it Smell?

Alien and orange blossom were born to be together it’s a simple fact. The bitter citrus of the orange and hay notes of orange blossom blend exceptionally with the fizzy white jasmine to create a juicy, mouthwatering Alien that feels reassuringly in touch with nature in the heat of summer.

The golden light of cashmeran that cemented the hyper-jasmine of the original is, as with the florals, approached with a softer touch here and most of Alien Aqua Chic’s ‘boost’ is courtesy of airy and silky musks that provide a lot of lift whilst adding a touch of powder in the base.

Alien Aqua Chic is very pretty, the addition of orange blossom is inspired but it iss all perhaps a little bit too fizzy and light for my tastes and one can’t help but wish there was a little bit more of the original’s oomph to liven things up. One can only imagine just how good a non-summer Alien and orange blossom combo would be – now that I would like to see!

Availability

Both Angel (50ml) and Alien (60ml) Aqua Chic are available in Eau de Toilette concentration for £40.

Disclaimer
Sample and images via Thierry Mugler. Notes via Escentual.com.