Every summer, the fiercely innovative fashion and fragrance house of Thierry Mugler launches lighter, more ‘heat-friendly’ versions of their popular Angel and Alien fragrances. Usually, these limited editions see Mugler’s celestial beings draped in fruits, flowers or a delightful combination of both. This year however, is a bit different and instead of creating a limited edition summer flanker for Alien, the brand has decided to launch a permanent edition to the collection in the form of Alien Eau Extraordinaire.

This year’s Angel flanker is also a break from tradition and instead of showcasing the brand’s flagship fragrance drenched in floral or fruit waters, Mugler has opted for a summer fragrance that celebrates our dear Angel’s gourmand signature, albeit in a lighter, more dreamy and delicate way. This perfume is called Angel Eau Sucrée and believe me when I say that it is utterly delicious.

Angel Eau Sucrée is described by Thierry Mugler as being “a new ode to indulgence”, and whilst is is instantly recognisable as ‘Angel‘ it most definitely approaches the world’s first oriental gourmand from a different angle – one where the shimmering particles of sugar are evocative of twinkling starlight and the fluffy clouds of whipped meringue are the plushest, most luxurious fabric known to man. If the sweet shops on Planet Mugler all smell this good, then send me into space with a one-way ticket.

The Notes

Top: Red Berry Sorbet
Heart: Caramelised Meringue
Base: Vanilla and Patchouli

How Does it Smell?

As promised, Angel Eau Sucrée opens with a juicy and cooling swirl of red berry sorbet. The tartness of this bright, pillowy fruit sorbet is topped with a few sprigs of fresh garden mint, allowing for a multi-dimensional fruit accord that is both acidic and soft. The top notes don’t scream ‘fruit’ though, and it would be fair to say that this rouge sorbet is merely the adornment on top of Mugler’s brand new dessert.

The star player in this olfactory pudding is a big and puffy bed of meringue. Again, the effect is wispy, light and summer-appropriate and is nowhere near as oppressive or heavy as the original Angel (which I do think can smell wonderful in the sticky summer heat, but that’s a conversation for another day). But the meringue here is all sugar, crushed into a glimmering pile of delicious stardust, and what’s missing is the metallic sheen and slight eggy quality found in real meringues. For that effect I would recommend By Kilian’s Love but the Mugler makes do without it and the idea of delicious meringue dust comes across exceptionally well.

As Angel Eau Sucrée moves into the base it becomes more and more Angel-esque, and displays the familiar patchouli, caramel and vanilla accords that make the original so famous (or infamous, for that matter). The effect here however, is much more subdued and well behaved. The patchouli isn’t anywhere near as dirty or ‘stonking’ and both the vanilla and caramel bring wave upon wave of soft, velvety deliciousness that manage to be light yet filling.

Angel Eau Sucrée is hands down one of my favourite interpretations of Angel. It joins the ranks of Angel Le Goût du Parfum and Angel Les Parfums de Cuir as one of the most enjoyable riffs on Mugler’s flagship scent. What makes this one a little bit more interesting though, is the fact that it manages to be quite different from the original (it’s all sweetness and light, whilst Angel is a complete bitch) without losing any of the olfactory DNA that makes Angel such an undeniably unique perfume. Bravo to Mugler and let’s hope they have the sense to keep this one as a permanent addition to the lineup.

Availability

Thierry Mugler’s Angel Eau Sucrée is available in a 50ml limited edition Eau de Toilette for £41.50.

Disclaimer
Samples, notes, quotes and image 2 [cropped] via Thierry Mugler. Image 1 via theperfumeshop.com.