Nirmala

When people say the first gourmand was Angel , it makes me rolling eyes . This one is so sweet that it would have deserved to be called so too , despite it doesn't have any food notes (well fruits are food, but you see what i mean )because of it's oversweetness . Unlike many i don't believe either that they resemble each other , the main thing about Angel is Cotton Candy , Chocolate and Patchouli ( btw i've noticed that when any scent has quite a strong patchouli note , there's always someone to say "OMG! It's like Angel !!! " even if it's the one and only note they have in common . ) Roll eyes again Nirmala hasn't any of those foody notes ! They're just both very sweet ! Really different . Nirmala has been created in 1955 , but it's so hype in its smell , if it was better advetised it could be a hit ! All the Loverdose , LL Premier parfum , Black XS for her fans .... would love it and BUY it , because it's pretty cheap ( there is also a little 30ml bottle available) I've asked the lady from the perfume store to scent me with it this morning, because i'd always love it on the test paper , today it's quite cold outside, and despite this i believe it's really really sweet . If you're not a gourmand fan , don't buy ! If you are, you'll love it , and yet you won't smell like the other gourmand fans !

Okay...this is a complex one. I have found that the hallmark for French perfumery is they are very complex and need time to settle down or "air out" before their beauty can be judged. Wouldn't it be nice if people would take time to look for the beauty in people over time and not snap decisions? The opening of this lovely perfume is AMAZING! I cannot describe it other than musky...I believe that the cedar note is rearing it's head mixed with passion fruit and all the other citruses it is odd but fear not that smell some people are repulsed by goes away to reveal a sumptuous plate of fruit, ripe and ready to eat. Tonka bean and sandalwood rounds it out while the smell of cedar gently remains throughout.My suggestions: only try it if you can gently and patiently wait for the perfume to manifest itself, spray it on about an hour before you leave your house so that the ENORMOUS sillage settles down and lastly I would say that don't buy this based on your love for another perfume that this one may be like...let Nirmala stand on it's own. She doesn't need help. :) Happy Perfuming! ♥

I just received my first bottle of Nirmala today and I love it!!! It is such a beautiful fragrance. It starts off fruity and dries down to something sweet sexy and confident. No synthetic burn or assault like so many fragrances..... I see that most commentary indicated that the scent is similar to Angel and it really is, but much classier and authentic. I have Angel, Angel Innocent and Star. This is a little more like Angel Innocent with less powder on the finish. Really divine dry down and gorgeous right from the first spray.....OOOHHHHHH I am in perfume heaven again! (Also bought Habanita and it is definitely for night wear and just as fantastic, a little on the daring, edgy and smokey leathery side!!!!) I love love love Molinard!!!!! Please keep these REAL fragrances alive and well!!!

At the start I definitely got the sweaty skin smell, I think it is the combination of the mango with the spicy vanilla notes because I have smelled that 'B.O. type' smell before, wish I could remember exactly which perfume that was so I could compare the notes! Fairly sure the other one I tried didn't end up smelling good on me even at the dry down. However with this little beauty I'm so glad I hung in there and waited because I think that dry down is the part which makes this perfume sexy, heady and delicious. As someone else mentioned, candied patchouli is close to EXACTLY how I would describe the dry down, and luckily the old patch is a good friend of mine :) very glad I got a tester of this for around $20, it was well worth the money in my opinion.

I got Nirmala in a grab-bag of samples and thought it was cloying and strange when first smelled - but I could not leave it alone, had to just check it again, day after day; something about it mesmerised me even though it seemed overwhelmingly sweet and fruity. I used up then sniffed that one little sample container day after day until I finally just ordered a bottle of it. I now absolutely love it, but have to wear it very sparingly - as it is so intense. I find it irresistable but on the edge of being too much! I don't wear it to work. Although it has some shared notes with Angel it is a different experience altogether: it is a very complex and original scent, not at all like anything else. Very worth trying!

Nirmala vs Angel. As a matter of fact right now I have both on (it's a pity we humans have only 2 hands;) So, the opening differs greatly - Angel is more foody and sweet and makes me think of a cup of hot chocolate; Nirmala is also sweet but not in a gourmand way. The middle notes are practically 1:1 on me, rich and smooth, deep and dark. The basenotes are very much alike, but I like Nirmala more - can't even explain why - maybe Nirmala has a more prominent woodsy note in it. A few years ago we had to saw off an old orchard - cherry trees, plum trees, an old eve etc. And this smell of sawdust + tree resins comes to my mind when I smell the drydown of Nirmala - Angel gives me more food-like associations.

I love this - get an older bottle if you can though, not sure if the latest version is the same quality. Yes, it reminds me of Angel, but Angel copied Nirmala, if anything! A blackcurrant note is very strong in this perfume, and it's one of my favorite notes. Passion fruit is very prominent too, and it's VERY redolent of sandalwood, right on the edge of being too much. IN the older version the sandalwood is of excellent quality, so that's not a problem for me. This is an example of the right way to do a fruity scent, and it blows all those boring, smell-alike lightweights out of the water.

I am wearing this parfum today since 7 am for the first time and I loved it, because (I do not know the reason) the atmosphere it creates around brings me happiness. This morning getting the car to work, my husband looked right to me and asked what kind of parfum was that one?...he said it looks like you have a bath with a liquid and fruity candy. That is a good description. It is a rain of fruits, and flowers all over you! Right now at 5:30 pm I still smell like a candy but mixed with clean jazmine... I think is a wonderful addition to my collection!

I have to say I like this after I read the reviews and thought I better give it a go, I am a big fan of Eau De Star and the Angel Rose - I can see that they are similar in some aspects to Nirmala. I wore it a couple days in a row and loved the smell of my work uniform when I picked it up. I must be accustomed to the fragrance as it just blended in and I could not notice it being overwhelming or anything like that. I think this is a great buy at a great price and overall a great perfume that lasts all day.

As a teenager I used to wear Angel until my friend told me about Molinard. Needless to say that I switched to Nirmala as it was cheaper. I heard that Thierry Mugler sued but i don't know if this is true but in any case, this was created before Angel. I hope they didn't change their formula. I used to love it. Now, i'm much older and don't wear it anymore but this smells like magic! Sensual, young, mysterious, beautiful, sweet and sexy in the most gourmand way you could imagine without ever being cloying.

Received today and could not wait to try! Ripped it open, sprayed twice and blah!! OMG Pit and rotten fruit!I couldn't believe THIS is the frag. I have read so many wonderful things about, so I waited.. One hour later..I get Angel, BIG TIME. This is a relief, I can salvage this bottle after all. Angel-I like so this is good! A couple hours later I get Angel+aged fruits(a nice stage) A scary thing, this scent.NOT for the timid, shy or faint of heart.

Kastehelmi, I have both Angel and Nirmala and I love them both, but my husband prefers Nirmala!!! He says it has better staying power and is more alluring. It does not have the depressing effect that Angel has. So if you know the picture of the two clown faces, the one smiling and the other crying, Angel is the crying one and Nirmala the smiling one!!

Nirmala is my absolute favourite, my 'signature' scent. I have many fragrances - one for every occasion, colour, mood, time of day, season, etc - but Nirmala is special. I've been using it for years, and am only sorry that the packaging has been changed from the elegant dark blue bottle to the new clear glass style.

It's hard to believe that such a beautiful, quality fragrance can be found for so inexpensively! Excellent for summer. I absolutely adore it, well done!

I just wore Nirmala yesterday after being out of it for a long while. It's certainly not for the shy or cool personality. At the same time it is sweet enough that it could work for a younger person. For Americans it would definitely seem feminine but I think some men could wear it. In either case a very light hand is the best - this baby is strong going on and doesn't dissipate as much as drop off after 6-8 hours on the skin. It sticks forever on cloth. I was concerned that I was getting a reformulated bottle, but going on my experience the juice I got hold of is the one I remember fondly. I knew it as soon as I smelled that slightly dirty sweet opening of the fruit. It is not a simplistic sweet fragrance - rather there is a fermented complexity to the fruits that lasts into the woody and still sweet drydown. This does have similarities, on my skin, to Angel. The woods are not as strong as the patchouli however the "dirty" or fermented effect reminds me of Angel quite a bit. Even though it's definitely fruity, the way Molinard uses fruit is not the same as a lot of the gourmand frags of the last 25 years or so. I don't think, ooh I will chomp down on that cassis (or passionfruit or whatever). Instead I lean closer and wonder what's so compelling about the scent and making me feel almost like I do after a good dessert. Wearing this made me remember a summer when I wore it daily. It's really a great warm weather scent - if it suits your style, of course. As of 9/30/2011 Parfums Raffy seems to be selling the older formulation.

I've had this scent for years. At first loved the bottle, but didn't quite know what to think of the smell, but it grows on you. The mango definitely comes out on me and a spicy vanilla. In fact, I would guess this has cinnamon, black pepper or cardamom in it. Exotic florals are listed, maybe one of these flowers gives it that spiciness. My daughter hated it when she was little, but the other day I had her smell my wrist after dry down and she said mmm. I have the gorgeous dark blue bottle with the old fashioned lady on it. Pretty sure I only bought it for the bottle! Lol. I don’t get why some people say this is fresh?! Fresh is aquatic, floral or citrus not musky, vanilliac, over ripe, spicy fruit, lol. There are times when this perfume has smelled a little different to me, I think it’s that over ripe, musty, b.o. fruit smell that occasionally comes out or others mentioned cumin, but if used sparingly and occasionally it really is quite unique and sexy! I agree with others, surprising that it was created in the 50’s, though to my young nose I thought well I guess this is what vintage perfumes smell like because I really hadn’t experienced vintage scents, but now I know so many vintages are horrid compared to this juice. Some describe some perfumes as sex in a bottle, this is one of those perfumes, in fact almost certain I have conceived a child wearing this! Edit: I recently sampled Angel for the first time. They maybe somewhat similar, but overall different. I pick nirmala over Angel in a heartbeat.

this to me deffently have the resemblance to bouth innocent and angel by TM. the opening is very much like innocent to me . but this one is alittle bit more fruity and stronger . I can realy smell the citruses , especialy the grapefruit, in this first moments it is pure pleasure , then the Mango and passionfruit come in and makes it a little bit messy for me , im not quite shure if i like it that much in this stage . this have to grow on me i think. The mango has so much neewanses to it and so does the Passionfruit ,but after all the clen smell of grapefruit saves this for me in this stage. then in comes the tiny whiff of vanilla . and my thoughts are mmm... nice . then it grows eaven bigger and takes the Tonka beans to dance. heavenly . the sandelwood iMO could have been left out in this , but it is not to strong so.. in this ending stage the drydown is pretty like angel IMO . the innocent have left and the Angel has arriwed:) this is a unik and very interasting perfume . (The only thing i have to think about whit this is not to put it on whit a empty stomack. i then will get ill by it . some perfumes have that affect , and this is one of them ..) i quite like it , note shure if i easely could use a 100 ml bottle but who knows..

I have been wearing Nirmala for years now, and I also wear Thierry Muegler's Angel. If you smell Nirmala (the eau de parfum, sadly discontinued, is your best bet) you will instantly "get" the inspiration for Angel. Its so blatantly derivative of this 1955 classic that its almost embarrassing, one wonders why there isn't some sort of copyright protecting scents. Nirmala is exquisite, fresh, strong and lively, more elegant than Angel because it has no head-shop inspired patchouli note and less of a chocolat-ey, vanilla note. Its better for daytime wear because the sillage, although decent, is not the atomic blast radius sillage of Angel. Its also a LOT less expensive than Angel. Don't get me wrong - I wear both Nirmala and Angel, I love strong sillage and sweet scents, but Nirmala is probably the most wearable of the two on an everyday basis. Try to find an older, frosted pink glass bottle of the Nirmala eau de parfum, because the eau de toilette only lasts a very brief time.

At another review, it said that this smelled like Eau de Star by Mugler. Not in the least. Not even remotely close! Nothing aquatic here! Apparently, they were clueless as to what Eau de Star smelled like.. BUT, it DOES smell very Angel-esque , without the patchouli. A truly juicy, rich, full bodied, gourmand opening, just delightful. It's like Angel Innocent. VERY much so. Better priced. After just a couple hours, on me, it was completely gone. That said, I find this perfume to be reasonable enough to still purchase and respray occasionally. It's truly wonderful, in spite of the mediocre performance. It's just yummy. I'm NOT a big fan of fruity perfumes but this one is really great. What can I say? I'm getting a back up bottle! EDIT-shocking me how completely it disappears and how quickly! And I have the eau de parfum! If you get this, be ready to reapply many times a day. You will NEED a back up bottle because you will use this juice up quickly.

One of the first fruity florals I fell in love with! It has far more interesting notes on me than the usual, the cedar gives it a pencil shavings note but for once I actually like it! It mixes with the vanilla to produce a rather animalic, 'intimate' smell blended with a strong hint of mango and passion fruit. It's clean yet feels a rather raunchy! I'm a little scared to test this at work but why not! It's funny, so far a lot of people have said sweat, b.o or 'lady parts' (and god do I love perfumes that people label like that... makes me feel like a animal!) but without that hint of skank it wouldn't be anywhere near as sexy or fun, it would just smell like shampoo. Where's the joy in that?! P.S I don't really see the Angel connection... not unless Angel took a tropical holiday and lightened up a bit...

I tested Nirmala in the store today, it's a sugary, almost cloying fruity floral. It didn't come in the bottle pictured though but in the one the Les Fleurs, Les Fruits, Les Orientaux are packaged in. Nirmala is a burst of sweet fruits, even sweeter than fruit juice, an almost syrupy mixture of citrus, mango and passion fruit. I couldn't detect the floral note, when eventually the fruity notes died down, Nirmala became like caramelised sugar with a hint of smokey vanilla, like a vanilla cake you've just got of the oven. Finally, a touch of musk made it a bit soapy and fresh-smelling, which was kind of incongruent with the rest of the gourmand and sugary notes. So this will definitely be the new Nirmala, a reformulated one, I find it hard to imagine the same scent in the fifties.

I’m wondering if it’s discontinued. It seems harder to find. I just bought 10 sample vials for $15 and the other listings were pretty high and few and far between. I knew I would be sad if I ever ran out, but not sure I would be willing to pay $100+ for a bottle. I’ve had my bottle for 20 years, but I’m getting low. It’s still good too. Tropical amber, powdery, spicy vanilla. I have a more detailed review further down. Edit: FragranceNet still has some reasonabley priced bottles, but I use this so rarely. My sample vials may suffice.

I think I'm testing the latest issue - I swear this smelt like honey on first application. I do know the older versions had beeswax so wonder if that note carried over to the newer version or I tested an older sample. I can't say I get much citrus but I do get other tropical fruits. The jasmine and vanilla and sandalwood comes forward later. Thankfully, not any cedar. This is a sweet fragrance but apply with a light hand or it could be too cloying. Good lasting power.

This is delightful. I can certainly see the origins of Angel. This is deliciously fruity, but unlike some modern fruit tropicals, this is also stylish and sophisticated. At first it brings you passion fruit and sliced mangoes, then vanilla blooms. The chocolate of the later formulated Angel is missing, so this seems lighter in comparison. The drydown is mouth watering, I am so glad to have discovered this gem.

The first time I tried it, I thought OMG... I shouldn't have bought this. It felt so strong and unpleasant, like some mixture of sweat and cheap perfume. But a few weeks later I sprayed a bit of it in my room, and it felt differently. It had a sweet fruity feeling, and it became bearable. I seldom use it on myself, but I do like to spray it on my room now and then to improve my mood when I'm down.

this is like you put all those fruits you've found in Gianyar market in a bowl, add sugar, fermented it for days and spray some as perfume. It smells intense, candied sweet, riped tropical fruits to the max. Definitely not for everyone, but if you use it sparely, this is one great fruit juice

It's like combination of Innocent and Angel plus mango, minus half of the patchouli ;) Very good if you can't decide if you want to use Angel or Innocent ;) Good staying power

Sexy candied patchouli and fruits :) mmmm!

My first Fragrantica review . . .I am on a niche line perfume kick so I purchased this unsniffed based on the notes and reviews, but I don't get ANY of the lovely stuff mentioned here.. . . not clean, not fresh, not even cloying . . . just musty armpits that attempted to be camoflaged in fermented fruits and rotten flowers. Like an old parlor with upholstry that has been slept on ALOT yet hasn't been cleaned in decades and decaying flower arrangements. I wonder if I got a bad bottle. I also got Habatina, Orange Cannelle, Vanilla Fruitte, & Muse . . .love them!!

I tried this one several times , because I wanted to like it. But everytime I gave away the bottle. It is a nice and alluring scent, but it is not my type of thing. It's called the original "Angel"(Mugler). If you like "Angel", you might like this one too. Another scent trying to come close to Nirmala is the first Halle Berry. The scent to me has a big pear note.

Smells EXACTLY like "Angel" by Mugler. Unfortunantly I'm one of those who just can't stand neither one, no disrespect to all of you who loves this (for example my man loves them both on me). But why not go for this original one created in 1955 instead? every Angel-lover should absolutley compare these 2 perfumes. ;)

Heavy, overripe oriental halfway between Angel and Loulou. It lacks Angel's fluorescent fun and Loulou's stylish, raspingtone, but works fine if you're into that whole tropical-fruity-chocolate-oriental thing. 2.5/5 - 5/10

P.S. There may have been a fragrance released by Molinard called "Nirmala" in the fifties, but this is clearly modern work.

Just like Angel this smells like dirty socks and strong BO to me.

English: Count up many curiosities about the fragrance Molinard Nirmala, but that most caught my attention was that the mother of Thierry Mugler wore, and from then on decades and decades later the fashion designer and perfumer inspired by aroma characteristic of his lovely mother, creates the dreaded and illustrious Angel to the public that worships him. Reliable sources claim that the mother of Mugler was the most elegant woman of your city, then there gives to imagine the most excellent quality of the fragrance. I can not believe Molinard Nirmala was released in 1955 because it is so modern, current and insofar, that imagination comes into doubt knowing their actual release date. I'm imagining that perhaps himself has already gone through reformulations and to lose myself in reverie as one would assume it early on. Nirmala opens well with evident fruity notes of fresh-cut sleeves and with shells mixed with a light citrus Tangerine, and sheepish doses of Passiflora (very reminiscent of the "dry down" of some cosmetics to the face of the Natura brand) that permeate these two other notes in a weaving rapt causing such a warm opening that is nearly impossible not to turn the eyes of emotion to feel it. Your heart is more the face of Angel, but without provocation (in) dispensable weight that Angel cause because in Nirmala and his stylish way to be noticeable is the presence of more and Jasmine flowers with slightly spicy touches that give a warmed sensational fragrance; still in your heart is noticeable that only the sleeves of creamy form and aveludas. At its base we realize the great creativity that is the fragrance, when faced with the refined Musk, Sandalwood well measured, the drops of vanilla heated by the sun and the Tonka at its best, all mixed in with even more intense notes of sleeves and floral breezes that soften what could even go wrong. Nirmalia has great sillage, but fixed enough to cause a deep well being in the wearer. In my design is a great fragrance to be refined, easy to use, timeless, shareable, creative and unique in its way forward. Diana Alcantara dedicate this Review to you! ♥ Português: Contam-se muitas curiosidades sobre a fragrância Nirmala de Molinard, mas a que mais prendeu minha atenção foi a que, a mãe de Thierry Mugler o usava, e a partir de então décadas e décadas mais tarde o designer de moda e perfumista inspirado pelo aroma característico de sua adorável mãe, cria o temível e ilustre Angel para o público que lhe venera. Afirmam fontes seguras que a mãe de Mugler era a mulher mais elegante de sua cidade, então por aí dá para se imaginar a excelentíssima qualidade da fragrância. Não consigo acreditar que Nirmala de Molinard foi lançado em 1955, pois é tão moderno, atual e na medida, que a imaginação entra em dúvida ao saber sua real data de lançamento. Fico a imaginar que talvez o próprio já tenha até passado por reformulações e me perco no devaneio de pressupor como seria ele logo no início. Nirmala abre bem frutal com notas evidentes de Mangas recém-colhidas e ainda com cascas misturadas a um leve cítrico de Tangerina, e doses encabuladas de Passiflora (lembra muito o "dry down" de uns cosméticos para o rosto da marca Natura) que permeiam essas outras duas notas numa tecelagem embevecida causando uma abertura tão aconchegante que é meio impossível não virar os olhos de emoção ao senti-la. Seu coração é bem mais a cara de Angel, mas sem a provocação (in) dispensável de peso que Angel causa, pois em Nirmala e sua forma elegante de ser é perceptível a presença de Jasmim e mais flores com toques levemente apimentados que dão uma esquentada sensacional na fragrância; ainda em seu coração é perceptível as Mangas só que de forma cremosa e aveludas. Na sua base a gente percebe a grande criatividade que é a fragrância, ao se deparar com o Almíscar refinado, o Sândalo bem comedido, as gotas de Baunilha aquecidas pelo sol e a Tonka em sua melhor forma, todas misturadas às notas ainda mais intensas de Mangas e brisas florais que suavizam o que poderia até mesmo dar errado. Nirmalia não tem grande sillage, mas fixa o suficiente para causar um bem estar profundo em quem o usa. Na minha concepção é uma excelente fragrância por ser refinada, fácil de usar, atemporal, compartilhável, criativa e única em sua forma de evoluir. Diana Alcântara, dedico esta Resenha à vc! ♥

I can certainly see how some could compare Molinard's Nirmala to Thierry Mugler's Angel, but despite the similarities, Angel is a gourmand and Nirmala is an oriental with a hint of boozy fruits. I could own both scents without feeling as if one is copying the other. Nirmala is a rich and exotic fragrance on the skin. Within moments of first applying Nirmala to my wrists, I was frantically scanning the internet in hopes of acquiring a bottle immediately. I'm a huge fan of Molinard, so it made perfect sense to go right ahead and make an impulse buy based on the top notes alone. I eventually withheld my eagerness and calmed myself in order to experience both the heart and drydown before hitting the buy button. I'm glad I took a second to think it over because the composition does tend to be a tad linear. I wouldn't consider its lack of development as negative, but it is slightly disappointing, at least for me. Nirmala opens with sweet bursts of passionfruit and mango, which can smell rather tropical and vibrant on the skin. The grapefruit accord is also present, however anything citrusy in this composition tends to be subtle rather than bold. In the heart, the fruits begin to settle and the vanilla, along with the tonka bean provide a more oriental texture. A hint of fresh jasmine keeps this fragrance smelling feminine and crisp. I'm happy to say that the longevity is excellent, with Nirmala being yet another fine example of quality from the house of Molinard. It might be of interest for some that I'm reviewing the current version of Nirmala in the newer packaging. I am unable to compare this version to the older 50's formulation, so I cannot offer any information as to whether a reformulation has occurred.

This is lovely... Tried it and totally failed in love with it, purchased next day full bottle. It is fresh, yet sweet, intense, but not overwhelming, elegant and different, easy to wear to office or anywhere you want, can be the signature scent, UNIQUE... I tried modern EDT and this limited EDP on each side of the same blotter; EDT faded quickly, EDP still there since 3 days and still goes strong! Excellent longevity, even on my skin, when usually perfumes does not last good on me.... What is the most amazing about this scent is that even the formula was created in 50s there is no old fashioned filling about it, it smells quiet modern! Some people say here that it smells like the Angel, I agree, yes after smelling it there is some similarity with it. When I tried it first, I thought that it smells like good thick, white liquid shampoo and then in few minuted it was very similar to Lancome Hypnose, every one who wear it knows this sweet clean scent mixed with vanilla,Hypnose has strong passion flower note, when in Nirmala it is passion fruit, also in both there is vanilla and jasmine... Nirmala is less sweet and stronger. Actually if you want to blind buy it imagine that it smells like Angel minus patchouli mixed with Hypnose. I love both and love the Nirmala. I trully believe that Lancome was inspired by Nirmala it to create it's famous Hypnose.

It is an intensified Angel Innocent - or the head notes of Angel, unchanged. Nirmala stays sharp all the way - perhaps, mango is to blame.It does not go all patchoulish-chocolatey on you, like Angel does. Instead of that, it holds you down with a hand full of sparkly citruses and tropical fruitiness. It is not, absolutely not, a gourmand scent.Woodsy base is still slightly astringent, never let itself loose, and it does not resemble Innocent`s flowery-milky base at all...it`s all woods and citrus here. There is a pine bark/needles accord that reminded me of Marina de Bourbon, which I love, and which also resembles Angel Innocent to my nose. Nirmala is the most grown up and strict among all of them. I am waiting for a cool evening to wear it, otherwise it probably will intimidate me! PS After a thorough testing - evening/night/morning - I want to add a couple of things. There is a note that is very strong in Nirmala and it appears to be the heart of this wonderful scent. It`s almonds, or something that smells very close to almond essence.Gradually, it goes away and the dry down is similar to Angel Innocent - very clean,slightly soapy, but divine.My love is confirmed.

Several years back I ordered this perfume blindly on line...thought the bottle was adorable and the description sounded wonderful. I don't have it any longer so I'm going solely off memory. I remember it as intensely musky and pheromoney....dare I say...like liqueur soaked panties and incense.Memories of feeling a bit dizzy and overwhelmed by it's otherworldliness and strength. At the time, I wanted so badly to love it because it was so unique but I couldn't have hated it more. It was oozing sweet,hot,woodsy sex ( which sounds amazing...I know) but it just did not mix with my chemistry. I gave it away because I just couldn't take it anymore...it was also very strong and hard to scrub off...the kind of scent that carves itself into your psyche right from the get go and makes people blush when you're near.. Reading these reviews has sparked my curiosity again after all these years....I wish I had that bottle still...I'd like to give it a second chance.Maybe it's a love or hate thing.

In contrast to other reviewers, I'm not detecting a lot of similarity between Molinard NIRMALA and Thierry Mugler ANGEL. NIRMALA opens to my nose with a dark, almost fermented fruitiness. Something--I initially thought it might be incense or myrrh--is so strong that it's nearly tarlike. As it dries down, NIRMALA becomes more enjoyable, but I don't really like the sandalwood note very much in the middle period. By the end, however, when the fermented fruit has finally gone away, the warm vanilla wood smells very lovely. I do admit that a couple of times I caught a tiny whiff of something very vaguely redolent of ANGEL, but it was so evanescent that I cannot really agree that the two have much in common. If I could skip the opening and move directly to the drydown, I might add NIRMALA edp to my collection. But I can't, so I won't.

I have to admit I've rarely smelled something as delicious as this fragrance. It's most likely the main source of inspiration for both Innocent by Thierry Mugler and Hypnose by Lancome, but it eclipses both of them with its class and masterful realization. Where the latter two become rubbery and plasticky, Nirmala matures into a deep, natural creaminess, a perfect symbiosis of fragrance and skin which I can only attribute to the superior ingredients used in the making of this gem. The passion fruit is prevalent in Nirmala, giving it a tasty fruitiness which brings it closer to the concept of a woody gourmand. It lasts for practically days (after 24 hours I can still smell its trace on my wrist) and the sillage is fantastic. Despite the price tag, I would buy this fragrance with no reserves.

I just found a new love. She is very, very old and has been around the block. She has hidden secrets and is beautiful to be around. I cannot believe there are not hundreds of reviews on this, seriously. I am a super lover of Habanita and thought with the great comments I would check this lady out. I am just thrilled about it. I really get the mandarin, vanilla, cedar and musk, not so much the Lilly. It is so beautiful. For the price, you Can get a big bottle. It is intoxicating. Now I will jump on the bandwagon but only for a short ride here, I get some wafts of the same vanilla portion of Angel, but other than that, nothing else is the same. Don't pass up this classic piece of perfume history since they are still producing it. I feel fortunate to have this classy dame.

I agree 100% with 40plus&fab. This fragrance is terribly, terribly wrong on me. It reminds me of my skin's reaction to Obsession, which is one of stinky body odor, but Nirmala is a bit better. I got nothing floral or fruity about it at all, just a heavy musk and something sour. What I DID discover is that I have Molinard's Rose, which was only so-so on me, and that TOGETHER with Nirmala is simply wonderful. I'm pretty sure that it's the musc and the tonka bean that my skin rejects. I had tried Molinard's Musc and had to return it, simply couldn't wear it at all. But all in all, I'm a huge fan of their fragrances. An all-time favorite is Chypre d'Orient, simply heavenly. But that's the thing about fragrance: It's highly individualized.

If you don't like the patchouli, amber, vanilla base notes of Angel, this is for you. It is very similar to Angel, as everyone has mentioned but the fruity scents are stronger, especially the passionfruit, I detect pineapple too. Has excellent sillage & decent staying power. I get compliments on this one. Very modern, youthful (not young) fragrance, you wouldn't guess it was made by such a traditional perfume house 70 years ago. This fragrance has made me really curious about the Molinard perfume house, I really want to purchase Habanita (based on all the glowing reviews) but I'm nervous about dropping $50 on a blind buy after I was so disappointed in Emeraude by Coty (I only dropped $10 though!)..

Resemblance to Angel? Personally I dont see any (at least Angel has only shown me its awful bitter face, whereas Nirmala is warm). The opening is a lovely-honeyed like fruity one (this reminded me of Ginestet's Botrytis). The jasmine is almost unnoticeable on my skin, very soon cca 15-20 mins the base notes appear, first like a big heap of hay with some fruits. Regarding the base there is not much vanilla, to my nose it is the cedar that is most prominent. Some musk, some tonka, well balanced. This is a unique and harmonious fragrance, for grown-up women. I reckon it is both lovely for daytime and evening. Only it does not seem to last long on my skin :(

I have an old bottle, sadly not in the one pictured which is gorgeous. Maybe the top notes have flattened as there's no tropical fruit or pomelo and it's gone direct to chocolatey floral, a teensy bit like Angel except I don't know what's happening with that - I wore Angel when it came out in the 90s but the recent vintage bottle I acquired is like mosquito repellant. With only one dab, Nirmala comes on intensely heady and erotic. When I was young, the Guerlains were for old ladies so I'm only now discovering them and Shalimar (vintage) is my forever fave. Nirmala is a similar concoction of the genuine, not chemical, journey to aromatic heaven.

I agree with the vast majority of positive comments already listed and respect the views of people less inclined to buy and wear this piece of history. A few months ago, first enjoyed this as a "concreta / concrete" solid perfume sample and since then, although not listed on the "want" section, I have intended to buy it when I next have the opportunity. Compared to Angel, I get less discomforting feelings when I wear this for a long time. Angel I prefer to spray lightly to avoid it's mildly sour notes. Great value for money if you can obtain it without too much P&P costs.

WOW! This fragrance opens up as one delicious smelling exotic fruit salad. The mango, passion fruit, orange and pomelo immediately appeared in my minds eye. There are some sweet floral notes but I also got some warm depth from lots of tonka and vanilla which last a long time. The sweet fruitiness remains constant but there is also plenty of earthy musk and woody notes making themselves known. Ive got to say that the earthy muskiness gradually imposes itself a bit too much for me to purchase fb. Not bad sillage and long longevity.

It is rare that I small a perfume that smalls “bad”. Usually I dislike a scent if it’s excessively sugary or watery . I can’t tell you exactly why , but this smells terrible to me . When my daughter was about three years old, she would make” potions” when she played with her friends , mixing crazy things like nuts and leaves and dirt together . This perfume smells like a potion created by a three year old. It smells foul and not like anything a human Would entertain wearing .

Have you ever had to clean up after a big barbeque and you put the vegetable scraps, leftover tomatoes, corn cobs, silk and leaves all into a big black plastic bag. But before you can get the bag to the dumpster, it tears open and you've got to clean it up again, only by now the scraps have begun to decompose . . . and the whole thing reeks of rotten corn cobs. Well, that is what Nirmala smells like on my skin. Rotten corn cobs. It was very, very unpleasant!