Angel by Mugler

When I started in perfumery with a novice nose, I HATED this perfume as my favourites were sweet scents. Now with more experience, I say Mugler’s Angel is a gem. If you give it a chance, you discover the opening is potent, almost mentholated and pushes you away, but it softens gradually. Notes of fruit, honey, cotton candy, dark chocolate and a dirty but sexy patchouli emerge. It’s not for everyone; it’s UNIQUE, different, sexy, imposing, almost carnal, a misunderstood work of art.

Honestly, it’s one of the most unpleasant perfumes I’ve tried. I was curious about its notes, but on my skin, which highlights the patchouli, it comes off horribly. The opening is unbearable; I had to wash my hands several times. Afterwards, it wasn’t that stinging smell (which many describe as cat pee), but something mentholated, earthy and more digestible. On my skin, I didn’t sense the sweet accord or the rest, just a strong, unpleasant patchouli. I have no doubt it suits others, but it’s not for me.

I don’t know what kind of nose those 12,000 people have who love it, honestly. It smells like urine from someone you pass on the corner who’s been peeing there every day for years, almost 🤮. Where’s the gourmand aspect???? It should be called Angel Earthy Dirty Patchouli 🤮🤮🤮.

Angel… what an extra-sensory work of art; I’m a total fan since 2019. I’m reviewing it again because it’s a new year and this scent, beyond being my personal signature, enhances my festive seasons. As I write, I smell the bottle: years pass and I keep refilling bottles; I can’t let go, it’s my iconic scent. It’s a dimensional portal; I feel the 90s or 2050, with no middle ground. I understand this sense of time and space comes from my chronic anxiety and the sheer number of notes; it’s unique. I understand the negative reviews; it’s perfect. Since 1992 it was created for complex, atypical and rare noses. I’m grateful not everyone likes it; it was never for low personalities; it lets others know the elevated vibe one has thanks to the resinous and sweet notes. My circle knows I’m wearing it and they always come close to my neck; it must be that my vibe creates chemistry with these notes. Recommendations: use it at night after 6 pm; it’s not for daytime. In summer, use it moderately unless it’s the EDT. For people over 30. In winter it goes with everything; at night it creates magic like having a glass of wine with chocolate and friends. High personality, guaranteed character and no fear of success; literally it’s an Angel accompanying you.

I finally got it in 2025. I tested a 25ml sample to see if it would take… and zass, chocolate with praline, cocoa, coconut, and something magical. What a powerhouse, goodness me, it won’t go anywhere and the Angel takes over. What a perfume, what a rush. It’s not for everyone; it’s original and out of this world. If you can’t handle the strength, don’t buy it, but do try it because it doesn’t suit everyone, but it does for me (in winter or cold weather).

My personal signature perfume from 1999 to 2016. Since it left the Clarins group it has been sinking… A year ago I refilled my star and perceived that the chocolate note no longer exists and almost no honey; the milky notes from the middle have been halved and that sensual essence that lasted 10 hours is gone. In the new formulation is there some coconut? The raspberry is still noticeable with lots of vanilla and the patchouli is perceived like nail polish. Approximate longevity 3 hours, perhaps 6 or 7 on clothes. Nothing like the old Thierry Mugler. I’ve found a clone that does last 8 hours and the old formula, without coconut, very similar to the body oil and hair mist which were wonderful. RIP Angel 2025!

I tested it at Ulta Beauty, gave it a swipe on my wrist, and the opening was horrible; I didn’t even want to keep smelling it. It’s too strange, it smells like sweat or rancid liquids. I understand that the concept of Angel is supernatural and otherworldly, but I don’t think an Angel should smell like that. 🤨

I tested it in a perfumerie and reading the notes on Fragrantica almost gave me a heart attack. I think I live in an alternate reality because cotton candy, honey, chocolate, and coconut… I imagine they are perceived via Bluetooth, because what a surprise. I knew nothing about the perfume, only the star-shaped bottle, and the tester sparked my curiosity. I gave it a swipe on the strips (thank goodness, because I would have suffered if I sprayed it). The first impression was unpleasant and discouraging. The first thing was a strong smell of herbs, a nasty patchouli fused with a pine cleaner. I don’t know if there are pleasant cleaners, but not even that. The smell was horrific, like those 1L bottles of herbal or lemon water that ladies use before going to mass. Minutes passed and the heart still felt terrible; it evolved into a mentholated scent, like the worst spearmint I’ve ever smelled. In summary, this is not a sweet gourmand perfume (even though the notes say otherwise). With great kindness, it has an unbearable patchouli smell with herbs and menthol. I hope it never becomes my weakness, because I wouldn’t recognise myself.

I had been wanting to try it for months because of the notes, dreaming of that cloying sweetness of the cotton candy and the fruity notes, but I was very disappointed when I tried it on my skin. I couldn’t distinguish any note, just a strong smell of detergent. The Nova version is closer to what I thought it would smell like; luckily I didn’t buy it blindly u.u

I don’t know what’s happening with this perfume; it’s one I love and adore, I’ve been using it for 2 years since I fell in love with it, but lately the new batches I’m trying smell disgusting. It didn’t smell this bad before; I no longer feel the sweet notes, the chocolate, the fruits, just a very dense and dirty patchouli, and a bitter honey that makes it smell old, like something from years ago. My mum tried it and even she said it smelled horrible. Angel always gives me compliments; I have a bottle from the 2022 batch and that one still smells incredible, but the new batches I’ve tried smell too badly; no one gives compliments, as if they went too far with the patchouli. I don’t know if it’s bad luck, but it’s a pity because it was my favourite. I got excited buying a large 100ml bottle from 2024; at first I didn’t notice, but after smelling it several times, I liked it less. It’s sad to know that one of the world’s prettiest perfumes has been ruined. I compared it with a 10ml travelsize from the 2023 batch and it smells just as bad. I think they changed it from 2023 onwards, because it doesn’t feel like the same perfume anymore; it seems like a bad imitation. It really saddens me because Angel was never a bad perfume; it’s just that some people like it more, but these new batches smell very badly.

I didn’t like it :(. I get the impression it smells like a lady, but not a nice, elegant one.

I find it incredible that I say this, but I’ve absolutely loved it 🤣🤣. I hated it at first, but time has passed and my nose is more trained; I’m getting more and more ‘Muglerised’. Although it’s extremely well-known, it’s a totally outrageous and fun scent. On the opening, it smells ultra-mentholated and patchouly. As it dries down, what I detect most is honey, cotton candy, and a hint of anise. You have to dose it carefully to avoid a headache, but it’s a pleasure to appreciate this beautiful and groundbreaking creation.

You either love it or hate it. I’ve noticed many people voted ‘don’t like’. I think indifference doesn’t leave you. A priori, I’m one of those who doesn’t like it; it smells to me like a blaring spice from an Indian dish that you know will upset your stomach just by smelling it (and I quite like Indian food, but there are things that notably disgust me). Like an Indian spice sauce. Perhaps a chutney. That would make sense of all those supposed fruit notes. But I don’t detect any sweetness or fruitiness, only a spicy note that I dislike. This perfume has many notes and I think it depends on your skin, your pH, the specific day; certain notes can be highlighted and vary the experience quite a bit. I will try it again.

On paper, I didn’t like it, and well, it must please me in some way to catch my attention. I also tried Nova, and despite being more acceptable, I still feel it’s common.

I gave it many chances, but it simply doesn’t work for me. It smells overwhelmingly of olive with a sour edge; I can’t detect a single promised note.