Mugler
Eau de Parfum · Women's · 1992
Polarizing patchouli-praline gourmand, the original sweet powerhouse
sweet · gourmand · patchouli · caramel · vanilla · fruity
Top (first impression): Cotton Candy · Coconut · Mandarin Orange · Bergamot
Heart (the character): Honey · Apricot · Blackberry · Red Berries
Base (the dry-down): Patchouli · Vanilla · Chocolate · Caramel · Tonka Bean
Season: fall, winter · Occasion: night out, date night, special occasion
Longevity: very long (10-12h) · Sillage: very strong
Angel launched in 1992, created by perfumers Olivier Cresp and Yves de Chiris for designer Thierry Mugler, and is widely credited as the first major gourmand fragrance, building a scent around edible notes of caramel, chocolate and honey over a heavy patchouli base. Its star-shaped bottle and the launch of refillable 'source' fountains in department stores were unusual for the era. Despite — or because of — its polarizing intensity, it became a long-running bestseller and reshaped mainstream perfumery toward dessert-like compositions. The patchouli used was a fractionated, sweeter version that paired with ethyl maltol to create the signature praline effect. It remains one of the most influential women's fragrances of the late 20th century and a reference point for nearly every sweet scent that followed.
The fragrance that invented the modern gourmand category — a divisive blast of caramel, chocolate-like patchouli and stewed fruit that you either adore or recoil from. Monstrously potent; a little goes a very long way.
Nose: Olivier Cresp, Yves de Chiris
Mugler Alien · Lancome La Vie Est Belle · Thierry Mugler Angel Muse · Prada Candy