It's big news for the fragrance aficionado - Thierry Mugler has a new perfume Aura. Editor Trudi Brewer believes it's set to be the next Angel.
Aura by Mugler
It was a fragrance game changer, rich, delicious and hypnotic, Thierry Mugler's Angel took the world by storm back in 1992. Known as a rich gourmand fragrance, these scents are packed with synthetic ingredients that have an almost edible aroma, it stood out from the crowd of weak florals of that time. It was too loud for my fragrance taste, but on the right wrist, it was unforgettable. In my mind, there has not been another Mugler creation that has lived up to the Angel name - until now with Aura by Mugler. The work of four top perfumers including Daphné Bugey, Amandine Clerc Marie, Christophe Raynaud, and Marie Salamagne and when you get a room of top-flight experts such as these in one room - you do expect magic to happen.
Here's what I think of this new creation.
What is it?
Most scents have a top, heart and base note, simply put the top note is the first impression that fades after a few minutes, next is the heart note. This is the true impression of the fragrance, but it is the base note that makes the scent last for hours and gives the fragrance its personality and character. With this new woody aromatic, it has three very unforgettable, yet potent heart notes, unique in fragrance composition. The first, called tiger liana, a synthetic note, which apparently is a smokey sugary almond aroma, next is the combination of sweet, green rhubarb leaf and orange blossom. Finally, what the brand calls the carnal, or sexy heart, is a blend of Bourbon, vanilla and Wolfwood. Where the Wolfwood comes from is a bit of a mystery, clearly, it was created in a fragrance lab, it's a secret alchemy of smokey woody notes, what I can tell you is that it has never been used in fragrance making before.
What we like about it?
Fragrance, like art, is subjective. One scent can smell amazing on one woman and not so great on another - so searching for a new fragrance is always trial and error - it's one beauty product you need to try before you buy. Aura is bold. It has a green, mossy aroma from the first spritz, a bit like freshly mown lawns or a bush walk on a rainy day, and then the smokey, warm notes become more dominant. And finally, you're left with the lasting scent of warm liqueur-like vanilla - at least that's how it smells on my skin. I am not sure if It suits my skin - it's very potent, personally I favour fresh light citrus scents. It's certainly designed for a confident fragrance enthusiast and that makes sense when it's sister scents are Angel and Alien. But what I do love about it, is that it's brave, unapologetically loud, not a safe flash in the pan floral. It's rich, a statement scent that once on the skin of the right woman will turn heads. Thanks Mugler for preparing a unique oriental fragrance offering in a sea of sameness.
And the bottle?
Created by the designer Thierry Mugler himself, it's a chiseled, bold, sculptural masterpiece. That is carved in a multi-faceted heart shaped bottle you would expect to see in the fictional Land of Oz. The opulent, emerald green is a shade befitting this perfume masterpiece.
Who is the face?
Every fragrance needs to tell a story that's what gives it cut through in the clutter on perfume counters. The brand chose the model of the moment Zhenya Katava to be the face of the scent.
Available at Life Pharmacy.
The face of the new Aura Mugler fragrance is Belarusian, Zhenya Katava. This is the movie that hit our Instagram feed the day it launched.
