To celebrate 20 years of haute perfumery, Thierry Mugler parfums is launching a collection of limited edition fragrances with a leather twist in October. Harking back to the origins of traditional perfumery and the link between perfumers and glove makers, Mugler sets to unleash four luxurious limited editions of its four famous fragrances.
Angel, A*Men, Alien and Womanity have all been given the leather treatment, having been infused with tailor made leather pieces in metal caskets for a period of four weeks. These brand new leather interpretations aim to enhance the original compositions with “intense, innovative carnal notes” and showcase Mugler’s four iconic fragrances through “the prisms of leather.”
“(Les Parfums de Cuir) The Fragrances of Leather is a journey to the heart of Mugler fragrances, with a noble material, for a collection of 4 exceptional creations”
As with all things Mugler, Les Parfums de Cuir promises to be an innovative collection of olfactory twists on four fragrances that have each created the mould for their respective genres. So throw on your leather corsets, suits and boots we’re off on a tour of Planet Mugler, and this time we’re doing it in style.
“From its fusion with natural leather over a four-week period, Angel borrows its most sensuous notes. The fragrance takes on “addictive” leather facets with iris accents, as well as delicious apricot facets. The initial eau de parfum becomes all the more enticing.”
Pierre Aulus
Thierry Mugler Olfactory Artisic Director
The Notes
Top: Bergamot and Manadarin
Heart: Passion Fruit, Peach, Apricot and Leather
Base: Patchouli, Vanilla, Chocolate and Caramel [1]
How Does it Smell?
Angel has received the flanker treatment many times over its 20 year life span. We’ve seen liqueur, bitter dark chocolate powder and a whole heap of flowers added to it and this new leather version is right up there with best versions of Angel to have been unleashed on to the world.
Right from the outset this Angel is much drier and more bitter than the original. The cocktail of fruit we are used to seeing in Angel is significantly muted, having been replaced by a big slab of leather, which is definitely of the couture kind, rather than the harsh and smoky birch tar kind. There also seems to be a good sprinkling of floral powder, possibly iris, that adds an extra layer of glamour to an already very glamorous perfume.
In the base the warm vanillic and sugary caramel facets of the original are all but gone, leaving room for bitter dark chocolate, leather and patchouli. The overall impression is, for want of a better word, rather “fierce”. I mean that in the best possible way of course, this Angel takes no prisoners and she struts along the catwalk steely eyed, full of purpose and looking (and smelling) pretty darn fabulous.
Angel, Les Parfums de Cuir smells like a piece of Mugler couture, made entirely out of leather and doused in Angel – Mugler’s signature scent for a signature piece. It is the olfactory representation of the back stage area at a Thierry Mugler show – fabulous, carnal and oozing with style.
“On contact with leather for four weeks, Alien becomes all the more enveloping and captivating. The amber notes are magnified by a special leathery effect, close to suede. The eau de parfum takes on a leathery depth, rounded off by gourmand dry fruit accents, which amplifies Alien’s magnetism.”
Pierre Aulus
Thierry Mugler Olfactory Artisic Director
The Notes
Top: Sambac Jasmine
Heart: Cashmeran and Solar Notes
Base: White Amber and Leather [2]
How Does it Smell?
When it comes to Mugler’s annual limited editions I always look forward to the revamping of Alien like a cat on catnip. I adore Alien the most out of all the Mugler babies, as well you know and with each and every year Alien has just got better and better, with the Liqueur de Parfum, the Le Goût du Parfum and the Essence Absolue, each being slightly better than the last.
So how does Alien, Les Parfums de Cuir fair? Well, it certainly isn’t my favourite version of Alien, that accolade goes to this year’s Essence Absolue, but it certainly isn’t bad either. The leather intensifies the fruitiness of Alien, whilst adding a fuzzy quality as well as something sour and discordant. It smells like a leather handbag that has had a bottle of Alien residing in it for far too long.
If you like Alien then this version is certainly worth trying, however I do find it to be the least interesting of the four leather editions, possibly because it is the most unoriginal. Perhaps the bar was set a little bit too high by the Essence Absolue for this one to impress, or maybe it just not different enough from the original, whatever the reason this Alien does not make me scream to be abducted.
“For its Fragrance of Leather version, Womanity Eau de Parfum adopts a more sensual personality, more intense and faceted; after an extended immersion with “natural leather”, it discloses as subtle amber, leathery tone that echoes the labdanum notes already present in the composition”
Pierre Aulus
Thierry Mugler Olfactory Artistic Director
The Notes
Top: Citrus Notes and Green Notes
Heart: Figs, Caviar Accord, Animal Notes, Aquatic Notes and Leather
Base: Fig Tree, Woodsy Notes, Oriental Notes and Sunny Notes [3]
How Does it Smell?
OK so let me get this straight Mr. Mugler. You want to take the already bizarre blend of figs, brine, yeast and caviar that is Womanity and add leather to it? Are you sure this is a good idea? Should I stand back when you dunk the leather in? I mean I’m pretty sure the thing might explode. You know this is madness right?!
Madness, they say, is the closest thing to genius and the addition of leather to the already-bizarre composition of Womanity is the stroke of inspired intelligence that turns it into something beautiful, luxurious and nowhere near as bat shit crazy as the original. Brace yourselves Womanity-haters, you may just find yourself loving this one…
Womanity, Les Parfums de Cuir is a much softer interpretation of the original, where the milkiness of the fig feels creamier and the strong, astringent quality of the citrus is dialled down considerably. The fabulous bready, salty accord that makes the original so wonderful is still there and coupled with the hammy quality of the leather this Womanity gains an extra animalic facet, with touches of labdanum that makes it the most superior version yet.
I wasn’t expecting to love Womanity, Les Parfums de Cuir as much as I do, I really wasn’t. My thoughts towards Womanity (and the wonderful Le Goût du Parfum version) has always been admiration, even enjoyment but never full-on love. This version however, is the absolute bees knees, it is just so luxurious & refined, and as far as the collection is concerned I consider it to be the best of the bunch!
“After four weeks of maturation on contact with raw leather, A*Men develops a new leather dimension brought to life by animal hints. The highly dosed patchouli note becomes softer, more mysterious and more rounded.”
Pierre Aulus
Thierry Mugler Olfactory Artistic Director
The Notes
Top: Bergamot, Helional, Lavender and Peppermint
Heart: Coffe Bean, Tar, Patchouli and Lavender
Base: Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Caramel, Chocolate and Musk [4]
How Does it Smell?
A*Men is one of those “kitchen sink” scents. It seems to contain just about everything you could imagine and even more, just for good measure. Every year we see something new added to this cocophony of smells, so far we’ve had; coffee, whisky, tobacco and chilli, and now we have leather.
Pure Cuir starts out in a very similar way to A*Men, but with this incarnation there is a strong undercurrent of leather sitting beneath the original structure. If Angel, Les Parfums de Cuir’s leather is fetish-like, then Pure Cuir’s is more ‘new car’, and perfectly showcases the smell of fresh, untouched leather seats.
I find that the mint is more pronounced in this edition of A*Men than any other, and on the other hand the lavender and tar facets are barely there at all. The heart is much fruitier, with accents of stewed apricots, and touches of something vaugely floral lurking in the background, before settling on A*Men’s signature base of patchouli, vanilla and chocolate.
A*Men Pure Cuir is soft and plush, much more so than I thought it would be, and it’s definitely less “raw hide” than it probably sets out to be. Still, it is very macho, and whilst it may not be as obviously leather based as say, Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather, the combination of A*Men and cow skin works exceptionally well and I can see it becoming a fast cult favourite with the Muglerati.
Availability
Angel, Alien and Womanity, Les Parfums de Cuir will be available in 30ml EDP for £40 and A*Men Pure Cuir will be available in 100ml EDT for £45. All four fragrances are due for release in October and will be available from all Thierry Mugler ambassador doors.
Disclaimer
PR samples. Images and quotes via press release. [1], [2] & 3 osmoz.com. [4] basenotes.net.
The Candy Perfume Boy 