A*Men

A*MEN LINE BUYERS GUIDE! At the second half of this message, first my personal review. First off I am speaking about a bottle I have bought from ebay that is confirmed to be from before 2010. This stuff is beastly. I sprayed some on my hoodie close to around 11pm and I tossed it on my office chair and up until I went to sleep at 4am I was getting whiffs of this while on my bed the whole time. When I woke up the next morning to take a shi* I put on the same shirt I had under the hoodie and I still smelled a*men clearly even on the shirt! because a little spritz went on the collar of the shirt when spraying on my hoodie the night before. Not only does the scent smell amazing and is the best take on a fresh gourmand ever, but it also lasts forever, likewise some of its flankers but you have to know what you're looking for. Colognes are simply not made how they used to be, because you can argue that edp is stronger than edt because of a higher oil concentration but that is false. The only driver to a colognes strength is the chemicals used before the IFRA banned them. Even with the current markets leading powerhouses like amouage interlude man being a strong stinky oud, this Thierry Mugler EDT blows it out the water regardless. Without a doubt the a*men line is some of the strongest best smelling stuff I have come across but now lets start with the buyers guide (may not be 100% accurate, this is my experience). -First off the original a*men has been reformulated the hardest so when buying a bottle of this whether its the rubber bottle or the silver flacon encapsulating the bottle (make sure the seller didn't put the silver flacon over a more recent weaker clear glass refill bottle I have seen it before and ill get to this point later) make sure the bottom of the bottle says "Thierry Mugler" in cursive on a SLANT. It cannot say "Thierry Mugler" in cursive but the bottom of the text following on a straight line, It must be SLANTED SIDEWAYS, critical. And it especially cannot say just "MUGLER" in bold text ever for anything. Don't buy the weak stuff! However for the flankers like pure malt, it could say "Thierry Mugler" in cursive but the text be on a straight line and still be the strong stuff because remember what I said about original a*men being hit the hardest. It just needs to align with this next step for the flankers. -Second point is where the bottle states it was manufactured for. In my experience it only ever said two things, "mfd for thierry mugler parfums" or "mfd for cfg" and then etc. When it says the second thing, that is the weak stuff! So a flanker may not have the slanted logo on the bottom and its on a straight line instead, but it must follow this second point and you're good. -Third point is if your bottle is the strong stuff it'll say "AngelMEN" instead of "A*MEN" (this point only pertains to original a*men strength not flankers) on the bottom, however I found this to be the least important point because I bought a clear glass refill bottle for the silver flacon and it ended up being weak anyway with all the previous parameters checking out, I believe it was just improperly stored over all the years. Those refill bottles on their own have an ugly presentation anyway, I would recommend to avoid them. Also important to point out that the clear glass refill bottle has its own sprayer and was made to fit inside the silver flacon case, but people on ebay sell it separately. -Last thing to point out is that batch codes really don't matter when it comes to these fragrances because they're reused by the company every 10 years. So something can be either from 2025, 2015, or 2005 so you must know the other signs. Spend the money on the strong stuff, don't buy any of the new recent mugler flankers either (stellar, fantasm, or the most recent a*men for that matter) and I hope you are able to lay your nose on one of the true Thierry Mugler masterpieces!

In December of 2019 I was gifted a 100ML glass refill-style bottle of Amen by Mugler. Prior to this, I had experienced Pure Havane by Mugler and quickly fell in love with the gourmand style honeyed-cherry-tobacco notes of that fragrance. Pure Havane was my first experience with ‘gourmand’ fragrances and it really opened up so many new possibilities for me! I vaguely remember the unboxing and initial spraying and testing of Amen back in 2019, and recall shelving it, with the promise of returning to it later to properly test it, experience it, and discern it. Fast-Forward to Today, June 1, 2025. I had all but forgotten about this re-discovered gem when I saw it sitting on the back row of the shelf I had placed it on back in December of 2019, and what a re-discovery it was, indeed! So, now on to the actual fragrance itself: Upon initial spraying, the atomizer was generous and even. I was greeted with a very sweet, somewhat tarry and gourmand “sugar-carmel-honey-vanilla” straight away, which was quite nice! All of those notes blended very very well to make a seamless accord in the opening of the application. Very much in the same vein as the experience I had with Pure Havne on the opening. Very close behind, the Patchouli, (in the mint family) really rounding out all of the best qualities of the sweetness by not letting it get TOO sweet....and smoothing the entire composition very well. It is not the typical ‘head shop oil” patchouli one may have concerns over, but more of an absolute or CO2 extraction of raw material -imparting only the best qualities of the note into the fragrance. Almost minty, but I can discern it is Patchouli. Very very nice, and lends itself perfectly to the composition! The longer it sat on my wrist and developed, the more notes came out to debut themselves as present in this (Per Fragrantica) composition of 10 Main Accords. Somewhere, but right between the ‘carmel-honey-sugar-vanilla’ accord and the ‘Patchouli-minty” accord...lies the ‘freshy’ accord of a very soft Lavender and Lilly that balances the previous other two very very well as it effervesces off of your skin!! It is fleeting and you will miss it after the first 30 minutes unless you are nose-to-wrist! When the dry down finally does occur, it is thick, tarry and resinous, which I love...because that means it’s going to stick around for quite a while...and it does not disappoint!! The “Amber-Sandalwood-Tonka-Benzoin-Musk” Accord as a fixative/base is thick and resinous and adheres to the skin very well, to ensure a long-lasting experience. Overall, I am thrilled that I was able to stumble upon this recent re-discovery and have the time now to pay this Quintessential Mugler Flagship Must-Have its proper due! I will be keeping it in my rotation for the entirety of this summer season and will enjoy letting it smolder in the hot summer sun when I apply it after crawling out of the pool and drying off before relaxing on the Patio. The Verdict: MASTERPIECE

AMen by Mugler is more than a fragrance: it is a milestone in modern men's perfumery. Launched in 1996 and designed by perfumer Jacques Huclier, this innovative scent was the **first in the AMen line**, inaugurating a new olfactory language that dares to blend gourmand with woody intensity — a true timeless classic that remains relevant decades after its launch. The Olfactory Experience The opening is bold and metallic, with an explosion of mint and lavender, enveloped by fruity and spicy nuances. This vibrant and even futuristic beginning gradually dissipates to give way to the true heart of the perfume: a rich and sweet gourmand, with caramel, honey and milk, balanced by earthy patchouli and the warmth of cedar wood. It is a warm embrace with dense and seductive touches. The base reveals the fragrance's unmistakable signature: a robust and energetic accord of roasted coffee, combined with the softness of vanilla and tonka bean. The resinous base of benzoin, with amber, musk and sandalwood, provides longevity and sensuality, ending the journey with a deeply masculine and enveloping aura. Performance Long-lasting: Excellent (10–14 hours or more on the skin) Projection: High in the first 2–3 hours, then becomes moderate Sillage (trail): Very striking — a perfume that leaves a presence This is a perfume that commands respect and does not go unnoticed. Ideal for those who like to mark their territory with style. Use Occasions A*Men is a powerful and strong fragrance, made for cold climates and nighttime environments. It shines in: Formal events Date and dinners Clubs and night outs Cold and winter days Not recommended for indoor environments during hot weather, due to its power and intense sweetness. Bottle Design Designed by Thierry Mugler himself, the bottle is an icon: futuristic, bold and elegant. Metallic chrome (silver and gold), reflecting the brand's technological brilliance. Black with a rubbery touch, more urban and bold, with a translucent blue star in the center Final Considerations A*Men is not just a perfume — it is a statement of identity. When it first appeared in 1996, its bold gourmand with coffee, caramel and patchouli was revolutionary. And even after so many flankers and innovations within the Mugler line, the original remains irreplaceable. A visionary, bold and unmistakable creation that transformed men's perfumery and paved the way for new olfactory approaches. Final Score: 9.3/10 A true timeless classic, with personality and power to spare. For lovers of intense and memorable fragrances, A*Men is a must-have in the collection.

**EDITED - READ THE UPDATE** Epic Journey Into the Bottled Yonder, 197 ------------------------------------------------------- Purchased January 2022 Had first tested it with a decant spray in September 2019, but I can't remember what I thought of it and what it precisely smelt like it, but here I am with a 93% full second hand bottle because why pay for this brand new at full price. Really isn't all that special it's purported to be. Accidentally sprayed it on a hard surface and it stank the room for several days, just pungent shit when it's not on you. Unsure what batch it is because the stupid fucking rubber sleeve bottle doesn't tell me. Since I've been more curious about Pure Havane after paying twice for the mediocre experience with Angel Men I'll also be going for Insurrection II Wild. Yes I had Animale long before testing Angel Men and I didn't keep that because there's some stink in the sweetness that doesn't go away and ultimately didn't suit my purposes. Everybody likes a sweet scent but I have limitations and boundaries. It never leaves your clothes so be careful where it's sprayed. 1 Week Update: Although I've had this for almost 3 years, it is now starting to smell proper. I can sense the patchouli and somewhat baby powderness that results from that note particularly on my wrist, and therefore this beats the hell outta Le Male which is almost pure baby powder. I'll be keeping this, clicked the love button for the first time. Finally, the sweetness I can sense wears away after half an hour and the earthy/rootsy smell comes out which almost reminds me of Aramis Havana. It's quite an EDP in performance but I can just about overspray it as it's also quite a manly frag. Turned out to not be insanely sweet like I had initially perceived. I ended up re-applying it twice that day, I almost never do that with any fragrance. 2025 Update: Beneath my bottle it says Mugler in a capitals font, and I think I've said there's no batch code anywhere (didn't receive the original box with it), though smells 10 times better than Animale and surely my decant. Why else did I buy a real bottle? The decant at the time must have made it worth it to me, that's the only reason I would've done that and the fact that Animale had a note that simply cloyed hard. Was a while ago. But with sheer logic the facts sing the song that Angel Men is a bloody misunderstood fragrance and there's much more to it than just sweetness. It's practically a reinvented style of powerhouse.

NO: A*Men is not for everyone. Since its release it has been one of the most polarizing men's fragrance on the market. The critics (and the rude commenters) will tell you it’s too much. They complain about the infamous tar note or claim it’s a suffocating winter beast that should only be worn in sub-zero temperatures. They are missing the point. While the masses relegate this to a clubbing or winter coat scent, I disagree. A*Men is a mood lifter. To me, this isn’t a dark, heavy brooding monster. It's a light mood fragrance. It's dopamine in a bottle. It reminds me of skipping class in college to hang out with friends (I wore this a LOT back then). YES, it works as a sunny scent. Look at the composition! The opening isn't just tar. It’s a bright peppermint and lavender. If you have the confidence to wear it, that minty opening is incredibly cooling and refreshing. The dry down is gorgeous. The caramel, vanilla, and coffee notes don't feel heavy. They feel kinetic, like Saturday morning coffee and sweets. It is purely optimistic. I need not even mention the longevity, sillage or projection. This is a BEAST, and I love him. If a scent had hot biceps, this would be the one. Ignore the haters. The people who are rude about A*Men usually lack the patience for the dry down or the confidence to wear something that announces its presence. This is a bold choice but for those of us who love powerful fragrances, it is the ultimate companion for a bright, high-energy day. Wear it with a smile and a middle finger up, and let the others complain while you enjoy it.