A devil's take on 'Angel*Men' & the 'Pure series' of Manfred Thierry Mugler (Part One) By Paul Williams

I now have a dedicated blog on Facebook with my 30 years of data, research and knowledge on the A*Men and flanker series from 1996-the present day which is here:

 

THIERRY MUGLER A*MEN & FLANKER SERIES 1996-? BY PAUL WILLIAMS

 

www.facebook.com/groups/4280494602275069

 

 

** The photograph shows part of my personal collection of Mugler fragrances

 

From Right to left: 2ml A*men metal flask, A*Men 30ml metal flask 2011, A*Men 100ml metal flask 2011,B*men metal flask 2004,pure coffee,pure malt,pure havane vintage 2010, 'Le Gout du parfum-The taste of fragrance', Pure shot, Pure energy in metal flask, A*Men 30ml metal flask 2011, A*Men Seducing 30ml rubber flacon, Pure Havane 2014 Original formulation, Pure malt creation, Pure wood, ultra zest, Angel Men USA travel spray presentation set, A*Men 2018 reformulation in metal flask, A*Men Gold esdition 2012 in presentation case, Pure tonka,pure havane 2018 reformulation, kryptomint,pure tonka in gold edition flask,

 

 

A devil's take on Angel for Men & the 'Pure series' of Manfred Thierry Mugler

 

 

The chemoreception that forms the sense of smell is called 'olfaction', a sense that is crucial in the detection of hazards, food and pheromones. Through orthonasal olfaction and retronasal olfaction, we breathe and chew flavours and odours good and otherwise, a crucial part of our daily lives. The human function of smelling is carried out by two small odour-detecting patches consisting of approximately five or six million yellowish cells within the nasal passages, and although feeble in comparison to those of animals - a rabbit has 100 million of these olfactory receptors, and a dog 220 million, we are nonetheless capable of quite an acute sense of smell.

 

 

I was one of those souls born with the ability to detect, pinpoint, appreciate the smell of things around me to a heightened degree compared to my peers, and from an early age began to appreciate the importance of fragrant smells around me long before others could detect them. Let's be honest here, back in the sixties and early seventies when I was a boy, there were few pleasant fragrances on the market for men, and my first foray into the world of smelling 'good' came with Fabergé's famous, perhaps infamous offering of Brut 33. Cologne, body wash and hair shampoo, soap on a rope and Christmas box sets from Gran were a must, with a plethora of unsuspecting passers by collapsing from the ghastly scent cloud which hung over me like a personalised storm cloud through my adolescence.

 

 

Fast forward my difficult teenage years and into manhood (the brief memories I can muster through those years of drunken debauchery), the emergence of some splendid male fragrances to elevate me towards 'stud' status with the ladies, 'Denim for men' by Faberge, Pfizer's 1967 stalwart 'hai karate',Procter & Gamble's 'old spice' with the wonderful music used from 'Damien' heading up the TV adverts in clorious monochrome, I was by now searching for something different, something daring, a signature scent to call my own. Hitting me like a thunderbolt, straight between the eyes in the midst of my clubbing days at London's Hippodrome, Cafe de Paris and Stringfellows nightclubs, came a new fragrance that literally knocked me, and the fragrance world for six. Like one of those Marmite atser tests it was loved and hated, cosseted or despised, yet few could ever deny the impact that it had on the world. Things would never be the same again. A fragrance bold and powerful, unashamedly masculine with notes of patchouli and Bourbon vanilla and toasted Arabica coffee beans conspiring to bombard one's senses and pound them into submission..... It separated the men from the boys, garnered attention and compliments, and got right up the noses of those moany old aunties who thought the smell of carbolic soap behind the ears was a prelude to passion and romance and always bought us socks and hankies with our initials printed in the corners for Christmas presents, expecting us to conform and 'belong'.

 

 

Mugler's concept behind A*Men focussed on comic strip superheroes that as children we idolised and who's adventures we followed in weekly comic books or animated cartoon feature films. The rubber flasks designed by Mugler himself, echoed the rubber suits adorning the flesh of so many superheroes, and also provided an Eco-friendly option of disposal as objects that could be recycled. With the success of A*Men around the world, Mugler waited a full eight long years before creating a new fragrance for men.

 

 

B*Men was launched across the globe to a fanfare of press releases with a range of grooming products including shower gel and after shave lotion, promotional mini rubber flask 2ml editions and even a beautiful grey metal flask limited edition in a presentation case, plus one boxed edition with a comic included just like it's predecessor some years earlier. But the press were less than kind about that 'difficult second album' so to speak, and the internet is littered with mediocre reviews and fragrance lover's reviews that all point to the new 'baby' being nothing more than a toned down version of it's older stable-mate. In truth B*Men is far from disappointing, and despite being discontinued and view in retrospect as a failure, in latter years though rarer to find and ever more expensive to purchase, it has come to be viewed as a unique and appealing fragrance in it's own right. That 'difficult second album', sadly could not live up to the legendary first, perhaps merely a victim of hype and stratospheric level expectations.

 

 

A*Men & the 'Pure' series of fragrances

 

 

My personal collection of Thierry Mugler A-men & Pure fragrances isn't definitive by any means in terms of someone who is an outright 'collector'. Missing are various versions and special editions, presentation boxes with original comics and certain American issues where the fragrance was marketed as Angel Men, but it is assembled though my love and deep passion for these fragrances which, to my nose are quite simply exquisite in all their variances and aromas.

 

 

It all began for me back in 1996 when Mugler offered the mens version of the female fragrance which had taken the world by storm and created a new genre for them, the Gourmands (they smell so good you could eat them!). A*men was different, startling, polarising even. Not for shrinking violets, I can still remember the amount of comments that I received when wearing that fragrance, though sadly through the years, as with many major fragrance houses, the original fragrance has fallen victim to reformulation and the current 2018 version is a pale shadow of it's vicious, snarling beastly brother from the nineties.

 

 

Two other Mugler pure series fragrances have also sparked controversy on various websites having also fallen victim to the reformulation game, Pure Malt and Pure Havane, and again current 2018 versions are arguably nowhere near the aromatic wonder and perfection of their ancestors. More on that later. So here is a brief (and not comprehensive) overview of the Thierry Mugler range starting back in 1996 with the game-changer, the daddy of them all..... A*Men.

 

 

A little background

 

 

Manfred Thierry Mugler was born on December 21st 1948 in Strasbourg, France. At the age of nine years old he began studying classical dance and later at age fourteen he joined the ballet corps for the Opéra national du Rhin in Alsace. He also began formal interior design training at École supérieure des arts décoratifs de Strasbourg. After moving to Paris he began designing clothes for Parisian boutique, Gudule and within two years became a freelance designer for fashion houses in London, Paris, Milan and Barcelona.

 

 

Mugler moved from strength to strength, his first collection in 1973 followed three years later featuring in an event organised by Japanese company Shiseido. His first boutique opened in 1978 and during the eighties and nineties his name and popularity increased dramatically. Also a keen photographer, he published his first photographic book in 1988, and has worked as director for short films and adverts, and even collaborated with Cirque du soleil. But for all that, I noticed him only when he turned his hand to the art of fragrance.

 

 

Mugler's entrance into the fragrance world came in 1992, after he approched Jacques Courtin-Clarins of the Clarins group founded in 1954 with a view to backing his first ever fragrance creation. Clarins bought a stake in Thierry Mugler Couture and Mugler began 'Le cercle' for it's customers, and 'La source' to allow refilling of fragrance bottles. Angel was an overnight success, with the groundbreaking, award winning woman's perfume going on to sell more than $280 Million annually along with Alien, launched in 2005. By March 2019 global sales for all Mugler fragrances exceeded $797 Million. Suddenly we men were victims of the scent, rendered incoherent, incapable, speechless by the mere whiff of a woman passing by adorned by this new and remarkable wonder scent. Us guy's had to wait another four long years until 1996 for our chance to feel unique beneath the glitter balls on the dance floors the world over, when 'A*Men was launched and the world of fragrances changed forever. Angel was inducted into the Fifi awards Hall of fame in 2007, an annual event sponsored by The Fragrance Foundation which honor the fragrance industry's creative achievements. A*men also won the 1998 fragrance of the year - Prestige there. Mugler approched Clarins to help him create and market his first perfume, and to this day Mugler is still part of the Clarins empire.

 

 

An incomplete History

 

 

1996 A*Men

 

 

2004 Angel Men Travel spray (January USA only release of presentation box containing a tall skinny rubber flask fitted with 15ml cartridge ans two separate 15ml refill cartridges. Batch number 401327)

2004 B*Men

2004 B*Men Metal flask edition in presentation box (Batch number 408074). Released in August 2004

 

2006 A*Men summer flash

 

 

2007 Ice*Men

 

 

2008 Pure coffee

 

 

2009 Pure Malt Edition Limitee

 

 

2010 Show collection Bracelet de force Limited Edition (A-men in different rubber flask). Released October 2010

2010 A*Men sunessence edition orage d'ete (Released in March another summer version of A*MEN)

 

2011 Pure Malt - Rerelease due to popular demand. No longer says 'edition limitee' on the front.

2011 Pure Havane Edition Limitee (Original white Cigar style logo on box) Released in May 2011

2011 Le gout de parfum (The Taste of fragrance) – Sometimes referred to as 'Pure Chilli' and created with a chefs eye to a fragrance, by Helene Darozze.

2011 30ml Zamac metal rechargeable edition

2011 2ml Zamac Metal rechargeable edition sample 'Not for sale' on box

 

 

2012 Les parfums de cuir (Pure Leather) Released in October 2012.

2012 A*men Gold edition – Limited edition gold flacon in presentation box like B*Men special edition). Manufactured in November 2011 for 2012 release.

2012 Pure Shot (See below for details)

2012 Pure Havane (USA only re-release due to popular demand still with white cigar box style label on the box)

 

 

2013 Pure Energy – Edition Limitee (Re-released 'Pure shot', again in white rubber flacon)

2013 Pure malt creation (Special limited edition variation on original 'Pure malt', in a white box with silver lettering).

 

 

2014 Pure Havane - January Re-release in a different box. No white cigar label. Now says: 'Thierry Mugler' and underneath 'Sublimee de notes fumees-sublimented by smoky notes'. Still original formulation.

2014 A*Men Urban - Limited edition. Created by Jacques Huclier & Givaudan, a Swiss manufacturer of flavors, fragrances, and active cosmetic ingredients.

2014 Pure Havane – Sublimee de notes fumees (Re-release now in a different box. Cigar style white logo replaced by oblong white logo. 'Thierry mugler' in gold on front of box)

2014 Pure wood – Sublimee de notes boisees, Released June 2014.

 

 

2015 Ultra zest Edition Limitee(The first move away from the 'Pure' series of names.

2015 A*Men vaporisateur Metal rechargeable (Metal Zamac flacon in standard Pure series box)

2015 Pure Havane - October 2nd re-release. 1st reformulation with box the same as 2014 release.

2015 Pure Malt - October re-release. 1st reformulation with box the same as 2012 release.

 

 

2016 Pure Tonka – Sublimee de notes torrefiees. Released Feb 2016.

 

2016 Pure Havane (Still same box as 2014 release and re-released)

 

 

2017 Kryptomint (Sometimes referred to as 'Pure mint'.) The new box now states 'MUGLER' instead of 'Thierry Mugler' on front.

 

2018 Pure Malt (Reformulation). The new box now states 'MUGLER' instead of 'Thierry Mugler' on front.

 

2018 Pure Havane – April re-release and 2nd reformulation. 'Sublimee de notes fumees' (Repackaged for the third time. Oblong white logo and now says 'MUGLER' on front of box. Reformulated with prominent cherry/honey opening and arguably diminished longevity and projection.

2018 A*Men Silver metal Zamac edition in normal Mugler box rather than presentation box)

2018 Alien Man

 

 

2019 Alien Man Fusion

 

2019 A*Men Ultimate

 

 

An interesting theme which runs through the Mugler 'Pure' and A*Men/B*Men series of fragrances comes from the nose behind them, Perfumer Jacques Huclier. Huclier only shared duties on a few fragrances: B*Men with Christine Nagel/Ultra Zest with Quintin Bisch & Taste of Fragrance with top chef Helene Darozze.

 

 

'PURE SHOT' & THE 'FACE OF MUGLER' OSCAR PISTORIUS

 

 

Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius was a South African Double amputee athlete from 2004 to 2013 known as 'Blade runner' after his endeavours at the Paralympic and Olympic games, even competing against non-disabled professional competition. On 14th February 2013, Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria. A year later after a high profile court case, he was cleared of murder but found guilty of Culpable homicide and handed down a five year prison sentence and a concurrent three year suspended sentence for a reckless endangerment charge. In 2015 his case was heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal which overturned the verdict of Culpable homicide and convicted him of murder, extending his sentence to six years which was later extended to a term of Thirteen years after the State appealed at a lenient sentence.

 

 

At the height of his fame as an athlete, Pistorius had won six Gold medals at the Paralympic games, as well as a silver and bronze, a Gold at the IPC World Championships and three other silver medals.

 

 

In March 2011, one month after signing a contract with the Clarins Group and Mugler, Pistorius featured in an advertising campaign for Thierry Mugler's A*MEN, directed by Ali Mahdavi. In the advert he is wearing his customary artificial carbon fibre limbs but coated in a futuristic chrome cladding which was designed by Thierry Mugler & Stefano Canulli. Two versions of the advert were aired if fifteen and thirty second guise along with various magazine spreads.

 

 

In 2012 Mugler had launched 'Pure shot', which understandably, following Pistorius' arrest and trial over the shooting of his girlfriend, became something of a coincidental faux pas in terms of marketing and association, and the decision was made to drop him from all future campaigns. Mugler stated that the decision to drop Pistorius was ' Out of respect and compassion for the families implicated in this tragedy'. Nike also dropped the convicted ex-athlete.

 

 

Left in something of a pickle, production of 'Pure shot' was terminated and the design team quickly utilised the same white flacon and blue and white boxes used for 'Pure shot', now repackaged as 'Pure energy' which was released in 2013. To say that the renaming and repackaging has caused confusion to this day would be an understatement, with internet fragrance sites alive with stories and rumours, reasons for changes and a belief that the two perfumes were and are different in aromatic terms. Even on Fragrantica the overall scores differ for what is essentially the same perfume repackaged.

 

 

Personal favourites

 

 

Fragrantica scores show Pure malt creation as most loved with 4.58 followed by original 2011 Pure havane 4.43. Then Original pure malt 4.41 and ultra zest 4.28. Bringing up the rear with least liked is Bracelet de force at 3.29 though that is partly due to rarity and the fact it was simply A*Men repackaged. The father of all A*Men scores a measly 3.77, due in part to poor reviews for the newer refomulations.

 

 

Each of us are different, each of us has a different take on a smell, and any top five or ten of fragrances is deeply personal, subjective, sometimes even sentimental. Take my choices with a pinch of salt, because what I love, what fragrances work on my skin, with my oils, may not work on someone else's. But... as a lover of tonka bean and vanilla in a fragrance there could be only one winner for my nose and that would be...

 

 

Pure Tonka

 

 

A heavenly, creamy caramel, latte of a fragrance which, although fairly linear on my skin throughout the duration of it's stay, just wafts into my nasal cavity and gives me a feel good factor which is beaten by no other fragrance on the planet. That's right, it is my go to, signature scent, receiving countless compliments from customers and co workers alike (I work in retail meeting hundreds of the great unwashed public every single day), and standing the test of time, easily lasting up to ten hours on my old craggy skin. It is 'da bomb'. Nectar. The holy grail. I am in love with that juice. There, I've said it. Nothing that a year of therapy cannot cure me of!

 

 

Close behind would be the original formulation of Pure Havane which is just insanely gorgeous, then Pure Energy/Pure shot, Pure Malt (Original formulation and Pure malt creation), and Pure wood which is a stunner. My least favourite is Kryptomint, not because I don't care for the aroma, more that on my skin it becomes a skin scent within two hours and that for me is not acceptable.

 

 

And what about original formula A*Men from 1996.... I just can't bring myself to compare it the it's siblings and flanker army. It's still just so special, so unique, so important in my own life, the first fragrance that really changed my life. It made me feel special, it gave me confidence that I could pull it off when many of my peers still clung to mediocre, underwhelming, under performing fragrances that did them no service. A*Men is something special, a game changer, it still is, if you can get yourself a vintage bottle over the various reformulations that have lost that amazing opening 'tar' note, along with what was once stratospheric levels of sillage, projection and longevity. The new formula is still excellent, still different, still a great, but not 'as' great as the original.

 

 

The future of the 'Pure' series

 

 

Well, sadly, now in March 2019 having dealt with a lovely lady who works for the Mugler/Clarins empire out of 'House of Fraser', and has an insiders ear to the ground so to speak... It seems to be a case of time up for the pure series. At least for now. Mutterings in the fragrance community, Basenotes and Fragrantica message boards and even some well known fragrance reviewers residing in the sanctuary of 'YouTube' land, have been heard begging for Mugler to put a cap on the plethora of A*Men flankers, seal it tight and chuck it over the tallest waterfall they can find! Many have long believed that Mugler needed to reinvent themselves with an entirely new, standalone male fragrance with a name that doesn't include the word 'Pure', nor come in a rubber flask that posesses the worst spray mechanism in any fragrance known on this entire planet (I shit you not. It's true sadly and there are YouTube videos teaching you how to liberate the sprayer within by butchering the lovely rubber flask!!!). It seems that myself and a few Mugler diehards are unfortunately in a minority, a sad fact backed by the release of the awful 'Alien man' and 'Alien fusion' offerings.... I'd like to type more but I've gone into a rage over the new releases, have started pounding on the keyboard like a boxer in a heavyweight title fight and fear that I may go balls out postal at any given moment......

 

 

I am not alone in finding 'Alien man' an utter and bewildering mess of a fragrance, too floral, too feminine and on my skin projection, sillage and logevity are less than that of the lesser spotted May fly found only in remote sections of the Pongamuchly rain forest of Papua new guinea with a life span measured in minutes! If I wanted to buy a skin scent, I could always revisit Brutt 33 and it's kindred spirits. A relative non seller, Mugler tried to boost sales by reinventing the fragrance with 'Alien fusion', but alas for my taste, a similar failure to it's older brother is inevitable, and although part of my collection, not one that I reach for often, nor would care to purchase in the near future, unless reduced to a snivelling cut priced bargain at my local back street chemist with a few packs of waterproof plasters and some incontinence pads thrown in as a sweetener! I lament the demise of the pure range that I have loved for so many years, and still do. I scour the bay of fleas (that would be Ebay), for vintage bottles of Havane and malt, B*Men and Pure wood, and can only hope that at some point new and exciting aromas might see the light of day. 'Pure sicilian lemon zest', 'pure vanilla','Pure Grapefruit and mango', 'Pure suede'..... well, a man can dream can't he...

 

 

OCTOBER 2019 'Pure series' Resurection...

 

 

Released in October 2019 came a shot out of the blue... quite literally... in the shape of the Blue box, Blue flacon and blue Star of A*Men Ultimate. Described as an oriental woody fragrance created once more by Jacques Huclier, and reaching a 3.8 score out of 5 on Fragrantica, the fragrance certainly seemed to offer a little of the old magic from some of the past pure series releases.

 

 

Any info on Pure fragrances that I have missed would be gratefully accepted. If you have not tried any of the Pure series... what the hell is wrong with you! Get out there and sample some now. It's a brave new world of fragrances and some of the finest smells in a bottle ever made are right there in the Mugler back catalogue... What are you waiting for..

 

 

Part two of 'A devil's take on 'Angel*Men' & the 'Pure series' of Manfred Thierry Mugler', looks at the thorny issue of reformulations, specifically of MUGLER PURE HAVANA and can be found here:

 

 

www.flickr.com/photos/despitestraightlines/47397173002/in...

 

 

Part three can be found here:

 

www.flickr.com/photos/despitestraightlines/46769907944/in...

 

 

****UPDATE ON MOVING AWAY FROM MUGLER****

 

 

My journey with Mugler ended somewhere in 2020 when I sold off my entire collection to a very happy collector, as I had grown disillusioned with the way that Mugler no longer cared about it's male customers.

 

 

The Alien Man range was in my opinion weak and feeble, and the constant watering down and reformulation of the superb Pure Malt and Pure Havane fragrances left me angry and not wishing to waste any more of my money on such rubbish. With the death of the Pure range came a drive upwards in prices on original bottles, and by February 2023 you could see Pure Havane and Pure Malt/Pure Tonka boxed editions selling for anything up to £200 a pop on the Bay of Fleas!

 

 

Time to walk away from a once loved range.

 

 

I moved onto other ranges, and found a beautiful and almost identical fragrance to my beloved Mugler Pure Havane, in the shape of Reyane Tradition INSURRECTION II WILD which was released in France in 2013. Initially commanding a mere $20 in the USA, by the time I found it it was between £40 and £75 in the UK. It is utterly gorgeous and takes me back to Pure Havane every time I use it with a honey, heavy cherry and cuban cigar vibe that is addictive.

 

 

I also moved towards the house of Maison Margiela where the Replica range which has run since 2012, has fabulous fragrances such as BY THE FIREPLACE (smoky/boozy like Havane) and JAZZ CLUB (as good as Pure Malt), plus UNDER THE LEMON TREES (Better than Pure Zest), WHISPERS IN THE LIBRARY (like Pure Leather)... also limited runs and costing £110 retail, but also offering me those gorgeous aromas I so loved with Mugler (duty free prices come down to £80 and similar on discount fragrance sites)

 

 

Paul Williams March 21st 2019 and updated on March 16th 2023

Done