Animale Animale for Men

Oh hell yes!! Package just arrived after a week and holiday delays...6.8oz bottle...wow, huge! *2 sprays to arms, one to rear neck* WHOOOOOA.....This is WAY better than the watered down modern version of "Davidoff - Zino" that I've been using!!! "Animale Animale" is indeed as amazing as I had hoped! I've never smelled "Pure Malt" or "Amen" or "Angel Woman" before, but THIS....THIS right here is friggin PERFECTION!!! I get the sweetness and warm creamy fruitiness on initial spray...then it blossoms and expands like a nuclear mushroom cloud into this AMAZING slightly spicy and vanillic...but still sweet and honey-infused...aura of deliciousness ALL AROUND YOU!! I'm picking up a spicy-woody scent in there as well...it's creamy and vanillic, but not overly vanilla! And this is from 3 sprays!! I may have to take it down to two on exposed skin or only do 3 under my shirt. Holy shinola this is GOOOD STUFF!!! I have been looking for this EXACT combo of notes for the longest time. I even went back to "Davidoff - Zino" trying to get close to this because it was the closest approximation, of what I had been searching for, that I have ever smelled. This is gourmand nirvana...this might be my new signature scent...goodness. Just put it on about an hour ago....it's STILL pumping like crazy! This is amazing! IT SMELLS SOOOOO GOOD!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 I am hoping and praying that the wife likes this because I'm in love already! I will update with drydown info later today. (UPDATE: The next day) I wore this fragrance all day and night yesterday....3 sprays total. I could still smell it at 11pm but very faintly. I had to put my nose to my inner elbow to smell it. That was when I noticed that the drydown of this is EXACTLY the same as "Michael Jordan - Legend" on my skin!! Oh..and the wife likes it!!! WOOHOO!!! She didn't say it blew her away and gave her a headache or anything negative! So that means it's as smooth as I thought...another plus! *NEGATIVE* The only negatives regarding the fragrance so far are the physical bottle. The thing is just a monster to try and hold. I realize I got the biggest bottle, but the square shape of it makes it hard to hold and spray effectively. And then there's the sprayer...completely horrible. It doesn't do anything actually bad...but it's far from good. It shoots out such a small amount that you wind up putting on 4 sprays to equal one spray of any other brand sprayer. Those two factors combined makes me want to decant all of this into one of my large 200ml spray bottles and keep my 100ml bottle (incoming) for display. *FULL-WEAR BREAKDOWN* I'm wearing a full setup of "Animale Animale" layered with 2 shots of my "Cheesecake" creamy vanilla fragrance on my chest. I've got on at least 10 sprays of AA to my body with 4 of those on my chest, 4 on my arms and 2 on my neck. Everything under clothes and it's radiating NICELY! I can smell everything blended together perfectly...this is just awesome. Now to see if it lasts all day without topping up. I brought a 10ml travel sprayer of the mixture along just in case (70%AA, 20%Bourbon vanilla, 10%Cheesecake vanilla) I need to top up....though I doubt it. Always be prepared...lol. But...more to follow at the end of the day. =D UPDATE: This fragrance does SOOOO well in cooler environments. It lasted the entire day at work and kept me in a cloud of gourmand heaven. As soon as I went outside in the early afternoon to run errands...it faded severely. This fragrance does NOT do well with heat and even mild sweat. That is unfortunate...I'll have to plan on wearing this one mostly in the fall, winter and spring. Summer wear ain't it... I still love it, but this drops it from a "Signature Scent" to just a favorite because it can't handle year-round usage. I think if I layer it with "Alexandria Fragrances - Hafez 1984" It will give this the BOOST that it needs to be worn in the heat.

Although people call this 'modern', I must say this is more of an oldschool scent. I have smelled this back in the days when I was a kid. That being said, it is not outdated at all, but all-time classic. One of the best gourmand fragrances ever created with a gingery-fougere vibe. Spices, cigar, and honey-amber which I find sour contrary to the general views which states them being sweet. The pineapple does not create a fruity, but rather a woody smell along with sandalwood and nutmeg. The overall smokiness and something reminiscent of incense creates a seductive fragrance that is a lasting and projecting powerhouse. I used to smell it on my grandfather and on my uncles in the mid and late 90s. Wasn't a big fan of the smell, but now, I'm addicted to it. Can't stop smelling in on me. Anywhere you go, you are going to smell unique from all the PRs and Armanis. Will get you noticed and will earn you compliments. Similar to A*Men minus the overly chocolaty-date smell that would make you smell like Arabian coffee which is nauseating. Even if A*Men started selling for 20 something dollars like Animale Animale, I'd by this over any Thierry Muglers any day. Does not smell like anything like the alcohol notes of Pure Malt, but I do get similarities with Pure Havane. This is a masterpiece (made before any of the Thierry Muglers came out) and one of the best kept secrets in my arsenal. Do not let the price fool you, but do not blindbuy...this is not for everyone and not for kids. As for me, I'll keep buying as long as they make it. The woodsy-spicey cigar is to die for! Easily better suited as my signature scent than Zara Gold, but I have to reserve this beauty for those special occasions where I need to make a statement. UPDATE: Previously I stated that this was a longevity and projection monster. I was right about the longevity, but regarding projection, it is just too unpredictable to have a standard. Sometimes it projects like a monster, but other times you have to sniff real close to detect it. Meaning under certain conditions, it sits very close to the skin. This requires body heat to be activated to its fullest potential...so remember to wear in on your skin rather than your clothes. UPDATE 2 : ANIMALE ANIMALE has got THE worst sprayer that I've ever had to come across. I Have seen 2 dollar hairsprays spray better than this...you need to press it firmly and repeatedly 5-6 times to get juice out that is worth of just one good spray. and the overall bottle quality is shabby (not that I should complain...only 20 bucks)...shame such a beast comes out of such an atrocious opening.

I wore it in 95-96. Loved the scent and performance. Not only it was lasting 18+ hours, it was projecting at more than arm reach for 12+ hours when applied on skin. At the same time, as it needs body warmth, if sprayed on clothes, it had even longer longevity, but near zero projection. And here was my problem: it gave me bad skin rashes. First day skin would itch, and if I apply in again within week after first application my skin breaks in rash. It isn't necessary sign of low quality ingredients, almost all Serge Lutens frags do the same for me, and many niche, and especially indy houses selective frags. It is fixatives, propellants, or solvents they using. So I had to give away first bottle barely using 1/4 of it in time when my whole collection was just 12-14 bottles. Fast forward to 2025, seeing it on sale for $22 I braved myself to buy it again. If my scent memory is correct (it been 30 years!) it still smells the same, or nearly the same. Performance, however, is abour half of what it used to be, but ... (or miracle!) it doesn't give me rashes anymore! I guess prohibition of some components used in old formulation isn't totally arbitrary? When it come to scent, it does smell Mugler-like style honey tobacco from late 90s - early 00s, but just as most Mugler frags, it doesn't feel outdated, but rather stop being unusual or ahead of it times as it was when it was originally released. Yes, it is a bit brash and lacks sophistication and smoothness (as btw, all Muglers are in my opinion) of today niche offerings with similar scent profile... but it is 1/5 if not 1/10 of their prices, so it punches way above it's weight, so to speak. If this scent profile is not your cup of tea, skip it. If, however, you're into this kind of scents, it will be full bottle worthy, and you might will scratch your head how come it isn't been talking about in "fragrance (pay-influencers-to-push sales) community" as a damn good chipie.

I never would've thought to try this, even with Angel being my signature. A friend on this site *GENEROUSLY* gifted my husband a set of sample decants from his stash, and included this because of my love for Mugler's creation. Well, my husband said it was too sweet for him (and the poor man probably just can't disassociate from Angel either because of me). He likes it, but said he "couldn't wear it". So here I am. ~ Angel flankers never appease me; and I've tried a few. What ends up happening is that I inadvertently compare them to the original, and I get bored. I would rather just scrub them and put the original back on, unless they're different *enough* to be total breakaway departure fragrances. This however is different; and as impactful. It's fascinating and holds my attention...it's another bizarre gourmand to become lost in, and for that reason, I love this. It's not a Mugler, but feels like it. It's more masculine and I get some wood notes. There is pineapple in Angel (which sometimes I detect more than other times); however, the pineapple here is electric and super bright. I do get some languid ylang ylang when I move around...but not consistently. It's very strange; ylang ylang always feel jungle-esque and sensual to me. The muskiness of the patchouli in this is intoxicating; and the blend with honey moreso instead of cotton candy-ness creates a more androgynous feel. The tobacco also tips it slightly in another direction...but it's equally as strong as Angel. I've said Angel is unisex (possibly 70/30 toward femininity), and I'll also firmly assert that this is as well (70/30 toward masculinity). Without the Angel comparisons (which I cannot help but make); this is a funky, creative, innovative but sexual frag that can be worn by whoever has the fortitude to rock it.

This fragrance has been already extensively reviwed. I would like to add some personal opinions only, comparing Animale Animale with A*Men. - A*Men was launched in 1996. Animale Animale was launched in 1994. If one fragrance is clonning the other, surely it's not Animale Animale. - The two fragrances are similar in their different stages. The dry down is praticaly identical. - A*Men is a bit sweeter and spicier. Animale Animale is a bit fruitier (pineapple). - Animale Animale performs almost as good as A*Men. - A*Men has a bit of smokiness that I do not detect in Animale Animale. - A*Men is a bit more manly than Animale Animale. I do think that Animale Animale is closer to Angel than A*Men is close to Angel.. - A*Men has an average sprayer. Animale Animale has a bad sprayer. - Three 200 ml bottles of Animale Animale cost as much as one bottle 100ml of A*Men. I tested Animale Animale in one arm and A*Men in the other. I asked my wife to tell me which is which (she adores Angel and loves A*Men). - Opening notes - She got it right. - Heart notes - She got it wrong. - Drydown - She got it wrong. My rates for Animale Animale for Men / A*Men: Scent:.........................8.5 / 9.5 Longevity:...................8.5 / 9.5 Sillage:........................8.0 / 9.0 Versatility:...................9.0 / 8.5 Compliments...............8.5 / 8.5 Uniqueness:................8.5 / 8.5 Quality:........................8.0 / 10.0 Presentation:...............5.0 / 9.5 Price:..........................10.0 / 8.5 Average:....................8.22 / 9,06