Friday 19 June 2009

Alien by Thierry Mugler: A Review


Alien
Thierry Mugler
2005

Top Notes: Sambac Jasmine
Heart Motes: Cashmeran, Solar Not
Base Notes: White Amber

Don't let the lumiescent purple juice fool you, this is a BIG white floral with huge sillage. Alien was created in 2005 as a follow up to Mugler's hugely successful Angel. One gets the impression that Alien was created to diversify the brand, to add another perfume to the portfolio and show that Mugler isn't just 'the guy who does Angel'.

Angel and Alien aren't worlds apart, I wouldn't call them sister fragrances or even say that Alien is a variation on the theme of Angel but they do share similarities, the biggest of which is the potency and sillage. Alien is not a quiet fragrance, it projects itself creating 'mystical, supernatural aura' around the wearer. The top note is bright sambac jasmine that at first is slightly reminiscent of something unsettling, possibly a bug spray or chemical which is reminiscent of the unsettling synthetic opening of Angel. On me the top notes take a while to fade and after a few hours Alien settles down to a quiet, powdery vanilla that if left would last for days. Alien is categorised as a woody oriental and I would say this is pretty spot on, the top is very floral but the dry down is all wood and vanilla.

Alien has been on sale for nearly four years now and is available in EDP, Extrait (with a fancy claw applicator) and Sunessence EDT. You can also buy a refillable bottle and use the Alien Source to refill (as with Angel). If you are a fan of Angel or just somebody who likes a good white floral then Alien is definitely worth a try, it's an interesting take on the genre, you just have to be willing to give it the time to get past the unsettling top notes.