A*Men Ultimate by Mugler

I tried it, but this perfume gave me a stomach ache and I decided not to wear it anymore as it affects me. I only use it as a room spray until it runs out.

A*Men Ultimate seems to be the last in the saga. Although the Mugler line has been forgotten under L’Oréal, this flanker saves the day. It’s sparkling, blue and original, without resembling Sauvage or Bleu. It evolves into a balsamic and woody scent with a slight coffee touch. Pleasant for mild and daytime climates. A fitting end for a legendary collection.

A good fragrance. It opens citrusy and green, becoming sweet and creamy as it dries down. It’s like mixing CH Men with Angel. Very pleasant and perfect for summer. I give it 8/10.

Call me crazy, but the dry down is identical to Vanilla Vibes by Juliet Has a Gun; it gives a salty sensation. It opens very strongly, which can be cloying or give a headache, but it becomes acceptable over time. It has a strong resemblance to CH Men and a note of hot milk from the latte, though you have to use your imagination.

It’s the one that resembles A*Men the least; the coffee isn’t as noticeable, more decaffeinated. It has a milky essence when dried and recalls CH Men and JPG Aviator by about 50% before changing direction. It doesn’t last as long as I expected; you have to reapply, but it doesn’t bother me in fresh fragrances.

It’s the one with the least A*Men DNA, perhaps due to that subtle milky touch of cappuccino. It has the right balance of sweetness and freshness. Very pleasant for sunny spring days. Good projection for two hours and a perceptible longevity of six hours on the skin. Ideal for informal and relaxed use.

Second review and I was pleasantly surprised. I love it. I like Mugler perfumes and this is the one I like most after trying A*Men, Angel and Pure Havane. It’s versatile: it plays with fresh and creamy sweet notes thanks to the combo of fir with coffee and chocolate. It evolves well until it becomes woody, with cedar and very creamy milk chocolate. It suits any style, better with mild temperatures, although the freshness of the fir with bergamot makes it wearable in the heat. It doesn’t suffocate or get cloying. A well-done job that I hope will last.

This A*men flanker is a total success. Jacques Huclier brings that signature Mugler creaminess to it. On my skin, it smells like heavily sugared milk coffee. It’s dense, performs well, and has a youthful vibe. Plus, the price is brutal. Yes, it contains ethyl maltol, but they’re upfront about it. The trail is good and lasts for hours. It starts thick and heavy, very much the house style, then softens into an original coffee and woody cedar scent. I don’t see it as gourmand as the original, but rather as avant-garde. By the way, Mugler is now owned by L’Oréal. Get ready for more flankers and sales-driven launches, throwing away anything that doesn’t sell. That’s just how it is. I imagine the fashion designer wonders what on earth they’re doing with their perfumes; it’s a see-no-evil approach. Thierry used to take such care with his past launches…

Sorry, this should be called (A*men). It’s fresh and sweet, but not a normal sweet; it reminds me a lot of Rochas for Men and the Parfum version of One Million. The only thing I dislike is that it lacks potency, behaving just like Rochas (average). I see it as a summer scent, nothing formal, suitable for a basic t-shirt, shorts, and trainers. A good option for the heat, but the 52€ I paid isn’t worth it. Finally, the presentation is very pretty and eye-catching.

The swan song of the A*men line. Following the original from 1996, many flankers emerged that blended its core DNA with specific ingredients; some like Pure Tonka, Havane, and Coffee kept the soul of the composition. Ultimate takes a different path, more modern, but the result didn’t convince me regarding performance or scent. It doesn’t smell bad, but it loses the sense of power from previous versions with its very soft cappuccino and bergamot notes. It lacks depth and complexity to truly convince me. I hope it’s just a stumble, but I fear Mugler has strayed from the right path.

The 2019 Mugler A*men ULTIMATE launch landed in my hands just before they moved to the L’Oreal group. They play with the flanker’s name as if it were a farewell. It’s not what I expected; it’s the one that deviates most from the A*men flankers (excluding limited editions). There’s no vanilla, coffee, or patchouli, although the website says ‘mocachino’ and I don’t detect it. Signed by Jacques Huclier, who is behind 90% of the line, this turquoise bottle loses years of coherence. It faintly recalls Kryptomint. The website classifies it as gourmet-woody-fresh, but there’s no sweetness; holding it very close to the nose, it might smell like an acidic candy. The opening is very fresh, with zesty, effervescent, and soapy citrus, smelling of high-quality but artificial cleanliness. It’s counterproductive that they are synthetic, yet the blend feels natural. The effect is addictive. After a few minutes, smoky woods (like Invictus) emerge, which suit it well, but it reminds me of L’Homme ULTIME by YSL from 2016. It lasted about 6 hours with a short aura. I think it develops better in the cold, although the opening seems summery. I feel Mugler is heading towards the dark side, near Alien Man and current fashion launches. Although it sounds pleasant, to be honest: I love it! It’s just that it strays from the patterns of successes like Pure Malt or Pure Tonka, and not in a good way.