B*Men by Mugler

Joyita by Mugler, which I can’t fathom why didn’t last longer on the shelves. It was discontinued within three years, though given its lack of impact, some units remained hanging in small boutiques. Perhaps it belonged to an era when houses didn’t take risks and if a scent didn’t work, it was dropped. I wonder if the public didn’t connect with B*Men due to the disappointment that olfactorily it had little in common with its sister, despite sharing quality and a pioneering character. But they lost a great fragrance, because under an eighties base, it weaves original layers of rhubarb, licorice, and anise, all over a spiced and patchouli background from the house. I’d even say it shares the same concept as Dior’s Sauvage Elixir many years later. Thierry Mugler, as always, was ahead of his time.

I have the metal casing version. This is already a collector’s item; it gives me the sensation of being in a cabin by the fireplace.

B*Men has one of the most delicious openings I’ve ever smelled in a perfume; I feel an eighties style in that opening. Then, as it dries down, it changes to a scent of spices, wood, and a patchouli that gives it a green, earthy touch. Upon drying, it becomes sweet without being cloying. It’s an ideal lotion for autumn-winter, cloudy and rainy days; it lasts a very good 8 to 10 hours on the skin and the projection is moderate. Apparently discontinued, highly recommended if you can find it around.

As the comments say, this smells of burnt wood with a sweet touch and very slightly spicy. This B*Men has absolutely nothing to do with A*Men; they don’t resemble each other at all. However, I can detect a slight resemblance to A*Men Pure Shot/Energy Rendimiento. 10 hours of longevity and 4 hours of projection.

Thanks to the courtesy of Bofifa, I could try this perfume. B*Men seems to me a good product, balanced, refined, and quite different from the flankers of A*Men, with undeniable style and quality. It’s worth trying; it’s elegant and fine, suitable for any event. Longevity and power are moderate on my skin; the opening is very pleasant and the drying down is truly of quality. It’s a successful combination of spicy and sweet that has awakened my interest; I’ll try it at other times of the day to discover all the tonalities of this brilliant and complex aroma.

The original A*Men wasn’t like the one now. The one I wore almost 20 years ago was much more powerful, wild, and savage, with a projection that bordered on criminal and could cause a good headache to oneself and others. It was just as novel and extreme; at the time, a gourmand was something unprecedented in men’s perfumery, but the joke stopped amusing me quickly, and I stopped using it. The point is that back then, I frequented the Sephora on Plaza Cataluña a lot. There was a lanky man of Indian origin who, for some reason, ended up gaining my trust, so I could get many good tips and samples, but also occasionally he’d tell jokes that threw me off quite a bit. Anyway, on that very distant day in 2004, he saw me enter and offered his usual mocking smile: ‘My dear friend! How rare to see you here again, eh? If you come almost every day, you’re always here. Why not ask to work?’ -all this said with pats on the shoulder in response to my uncomfortable smile. But today there’s a novelty, friend. You must try this. And he led me towards the ‘Thierry Mugler’ section, where B*Men stood out with its wonderful red star bottle and superhero comic lines. I was captivated the moment I smelled it and took it home. That wasn’t like A*Men, although it started similarly. That smelled more like the perfumes I liked. The first thing you perceive when you apply it is that same burnt sugar tone found in A*Men. That same cloying and brutally sweet sensation. But this note stays at the bottom quickly, and what ultimately emerges is a classic oriental with a foot in the ultramodern. Let me explain: the base is vanilla and an intense cedar that link it to marvels like Davidoff’s Zino or Heritage, giving it its canonical shape, along with woods and flowers that sparkle like the glint of cellophane. The modern part comes from a very original aniseated nuance, of licorice and rhubarb, which turn B*Men into an almost avant-garde experience, extremely pleasant, spicy, sweetish, but also earthy and dry. Very for men but not for ‘gentlemen’. A*Men and its numerous flankers took the fame (we’ll see what happens with Alien Men), but for me, the true treasure has always been in B*Men. It’s not so loud; it has its classic part but also smells completely different from everything. The trail is very good and lasts for ages on the skin. Anyway, the Indian guy from Sephora left, and his place was taken by an aseptic girl who believed in the vapour cloud for applying perfume. It turns out B*Men also left; in fact, as I recall, not much time passed before it became impossible to locate it. But for me, it’s the best men’s perfume Mugler has ever launched. A little gem that fell from the fine rope of the passage of time and fashion, but which must be reclaimed as one of the happiest episodes in men’s perfumery.

After applying two sprays of this proposal, which I had been looking for for a long time given its renowned fame, I can imagine how interesting it must have been for Christine Nagel and Jacques Huclier to work on this creation, as the approach of the now creator nose of Hermès contrasts greatly with the approach of the American house. And it is that, to be the second proposal after the already very popular A*Men, in B*Men we have a proposal that, personally, I consider superior to the rest of the flankers derived from the mother fragrance, having proposals that use notes such as leather (Pure Leather), Wood (Pure Wood), Pure Tonka, etc. The beauty of B*Men lies in an incredible opening where anise and rhubarb (note that by the way this is not mentioned in the sheet but is in the English version) and a gourmand-spiced vanilla are built upon the wood. The impression of the POWERFUL set, certainly very bright, intense, and long-lasting, has impressions of extremely pleasant olfactory and peripheral classical reminiscences; anise citrus and the rhubarb-vanilla gourmand set are difficult-to-reject accords; however, B*Men feels more along the classic line of woody orientals than gourmands, something that personally I like quite a bit. It’s not difficult to understand the high price that must be paid for this fragrance, unless, by an act of luck, you find it at a reasonable cost… the recommendation would be to acquire it; it’s a fragrance with much intrinsic value and unquestionable aromatic quality. Longevity 12hrs, Projection from high to medium.

The best part is the opening: an explosion of patchouli, followed by licorice with an impressive woody touch. I’m not a fan of woody fragrances; I find them boring, yet these two have completely captivated me. I perceive it very differently, distinct from everything else. If you’re seeking something original, the smoky, woody, fine wood, green, and dry notes stand out, like that trail of smoke when wood burns in a fire. Now I understand why the star on the bottle is red, as if there’s fire inside, giving you that fine smoke. Frankly, it’s an intense fragrance, not for everyone. You can detect its fine components; there’s an exquisite incense note at the base that makes it warm. Its entire development is woody, with very subtle leather and anise. Without a doubt, it’s for strong personalities, determined minds, mature and self-assured individuals. I believe this fragrance should say ‘for over 18s’. With its matte green metal bottle and red star (resembling a war helmet), it projects the image of a sniper preparing for a mission, in military attire and camouflage, weapon ready to survive days in the jungle. Night falls, he cannot abandon his mission, cannot sleep or blink; he must be at maximum concentration, allowing no errors or noise, not even the sound of breathing. Total determination to complete the objective; the dew falls on his lap, he perceives it all, his senses are sharpened, his sights are set on the target, and his finger is firm on the trigger like his signature. All these sensations evoke B*Men for me.

It has exceptional reviews; some place it as Mugler’s masterpiece alongside Wood or Malt. For me, it would rank higher, alongside Wood and Cuir. Licorice is the protagonist with pepper touches in the opening, and the dry down leaves a very warm coffee, a red Bordeaux aroma like the colour of its star. It has great personality. I remember the Mugler advert with two superheroes fighting, A*Men and B*Men; they gave away a comic with the special edition, which I have. It’s a fitting metaphor; I recommend searching for the advert on YouTube. In short: for nocturnal loners. Ideal occasion: going out at night. Alternative: Gisada Ambassador Intense. Blind buy? No. My vote: 8.

This fragrance is a compliment generator; it opens very strongly, similar to A*Men but easier to wear. It’s a shame it has such poor longevity, lasting only 4 hours on my skin and projecting heavily for just an hour.

The opening recalls A*Men with that toasted caramel from the vanilla, anise, and licorice. Then it evolves into spiced and violet notes, giving a powdery sensation. The dry down stands out for the musk and patchouli. Clearly it’s a winter scent, ideal for evening, a proper oriental. I disagree that it’s so woody; I find the vetiver and cedar soft. It’s more gourmand or spiced oriental. It has good longevity, around 10h, and the trail goes from heavy to moderate, less than its brother A*Men. It’s a youthful fragrance, suitable for semi-formal or informal occasions (not sporty). The opening is striking, just like A*Men, but the dry down isn’t. It’s good, but doesn’t excite me enough to buy in bulk. Perhaps I have an issue with Mugler, as A*Men didn’t impress me much either.

It has an opening slightly reminiscent of A*Men, that feeling of toasted caramel, which I suppose is attributable to the vanilla, anise, and licorice. Afterwards, I believe it evolves towards spicy and violet notes, giving it a slight powdery sensation. The finish features musk and patchouli prominently. Clearly it’s a winter fragrance, better for the evening, a proper oriental. However, regarding the woody aspect, I disagree, as I find the vetiver very soft, just like the cedar. It’s more gourmand or spiced oriental. It has good longevity, around 10 hours, and its projection goes from heavy to moderate (less than its brother A*Men, in any case). It’s a youthful fragrance, suitable for semi-formal to informal occasions (certainly not for sports). Its opening is striking, just like A*Men, but not its finish. It’s a good fragrance, but personally, I’m not moved enough to buy it in a large size. Perhaps I have an issue with Thierry Mugler, as their A*Men didn’t impress me too much either, or simply they’re not the type of fragrances that motivate me.

If by chance you ever find this fragrance, don’t hesitate to buy it. The scent is a perfect blend of resins, sweets, and spices, very delicious and inviting to smell. This perfume suits autumn and winter seasons and evenings. It can be worn daily in the office with a measured application, and it looks very good at formal events. Unlike A*Men, this fragrance is attractive in all its phases.

I wore this for a while; a 100ml bottle, haha. It left a trail smelling of aromatic herbs like rosemary or sage, even though the notes don’t list them. Very pleasant, what a shame they discontinued it; there were so many limited editions of Mr Mugler and this was totally different. This and Pure Malt are great masterpieces of Mugler perfumery.