A*Men Pure Shot

Well then. Quite a lot of buzz about Pure Shot. Is it a good fragrance? Absolutely. Is it similar to A*Men? No, not at all. There is a patchouli note in the base, but that's the closest you'll get to A*Men with this, which is why I think Pure Shot should have just been renamed and made its own individual fragrance. So, what does it smell like? Well, Pure Shot is a strange conglomerate. I get elements of many different fragrances. People have compared it to Ice*Men, and, in some instances, B*Men, both of which I can understand, but probably the closest fragrance to Pure Shot is... Terre d'Hermes. Yes, Terre d'Hermes, specifically in the parfum. Me thinks there's an Iso E Super note in Pure Shot. It's not COMPLETELY the same; but there's definitely a big similarity, in my opinion. I don't get any mint, but I definitely get some crisp, velvety juniper berries and a fleeting citrus, which smells like grapefruit. Another noticeable element, which also brings it close to Terre d'Hermes, is pepper. There's a major pepper note in here, but it's not as prominent as Terre d'Hermes, and definitely not extreme to the point of "peppered steak", ala Chanel Sycomore. I also smell cardamom. The sillage and longevity are both spectacular. Pure Shot seems to be a fragrance that is different to everyone's nose, so I suggest just getting yourself a sample and seeing what you think. Despite the packaging and marketing, which don't match the fragrance at all, in my opinion, Pure Shot is a quality fragrance that will hopefully stay a while, because I think it smells awesome, which is expected from a house that has churned out quality fragrances such as Angel, Cologne, Alien, and Pure Havane. I find Pure Shot to be a welcome addition to the Mugler line, and recommend trying it. P.S. Natt's review below is probably the most accurate review of this, so far, to my nose - he's a good guy with a great nose!

I can't stress too strongly that the classic A*Men did not captivate me at all - to the contrary. So the decision to buy this version was rather spontaneous, as I was intrigued by the add campaign with the handicapped sportsman Oscar Pistorius - the first handicapped runner to ever qualify in regular Olympics. Such initiatives are remarkable and I applaud them with all my heart. The classic A*Men in my opinion smells like some kind of sweet pastry or dessert and generally has all the notes I'm not particularly fond of - it's too sweet, too faint, too warm... The bigger my surprise that Pure Shot was completely different. The scent itself is truly exceptional; a very successful aromatic composition. Contrary to most opinions, the minty note is not at all leading. There is an icy sensation at the very beginning, but it's gone within seconds. Maybe I just didn't recognize it - no clue, but to me the minty-menthol notes are simply too vague to matter. The toilet water is very fresh, and fragrant at the same time, almost spicy. Very discernible are the patchouli, pepper and, the citrus notes less so. It also has a hint of sweetness, almost vanilla-like. All perfectly proportioned. Now on to the vices. I can't precisely define the durability of the fragrance. The first time I used it, it lasted up to 3 hours tops. Today I am under the impression that its subtle traces are present after 5 hours. However, it is not nearly as durable as other Mugler fragrances - both for men and women, which can be easily recognized. I guess it depends on the individual using it and their skin, but altogether it can be viewed as a vice. If it weren't for the durability issue, it could easily be one of my personal favourites.

PS starts off with a berry/minty vibe, the berry smelling kind of green earthy im guessing thats the juniper.Now the minty note does have a slight menthol feel like other reviews have stated but just slighty(on my skin at least).I gotta say though on paper this smells much sweeter,on my skin it smells mostly fresh and cool/clean with some sweetness. A hint of the white pepper in the background starts to come out not to long after the opening i'd say 20-30 mins in.The mint is gone within 40 mins or so(but still smells very frsh) then it gets sweeter at wich point the pepper and cardamom come out completely giving it a nice sweet and spicy mix, not gourmandish though.Its a pretty linear scent after that and to be quite honest i get a hint of patchouli at the very end but just a hint wich for me was about 4-5 hrs in. This stuff lasted 7 hrs on my skin but it became a close skin scent after about 2hrs wich i didn't like. Overall its a nice fragrance though best suited for spring or cooler summer days imo. I really can't compare this to the rest of the pure series since i only have pure malt,and a sample of A*men. Those do smell alike in the drydown but PS doesn't smell anything like those 2 anyway for the price i'd rather just get something else for the hot weather instead of PS

Pure Shot begins with a big burst of juniper berry and pepper, enhanced by a touch of synthetic mint. It’s a bracing accord, pleasing to an extent except for the pepper which lends it a woody fizz, adding complexity at the cost of pure pleasure. 5 minutes later a pleasant but familiar shower gel accord arrives, blue, aquatic and synthetic. And this it seems is where most negative reviews finish. But within half an hour the shower gel accord has toned down, revealing a complex mix of woods and spice: white pepper, cardamom, sequoia and iso-e super amongst the shower gel. Gradually this woody mix fades over 2 hours and an alluring but subtle patchouli comes to the fore with the shower gel note still whispering the background. This last phase smells amazing. In my view this is not a summer scent. It’s subtleties would be missed in the summer outdoors environment. I actually find it best in the office, where the smooth, complex woody mix adds the right amount of formality to what is otherwise a sporty fragrance.

I'm a BIG Thierry Mugler fragrance fan and I really do like Pure Shot very much as a spring & summer fragrance...the juniper berry/mint/patchouli combo upfront is truly fantastic and unique...with the pepper and sequoia thrown in it's even better...the cardamon is there but just a smidgeon and that's only if I try to imagine it being there...Pure Shot & Pure Energy are one and the same with the exact same notes listed so who knows why the exact fragrance would have two names?...irregardless, this a rather unique spring & summer fragrance...quite the bitter green, astringent, fresh, herbal, woody concoction that has moderate to long-lasting longevity, especially if reapplied in a timely manner...if you want something for spring-summer that's very different, go ahead and give Pure Shot a shot or two...three, etc...just reapply every few hours and you're good to go on & on & on et al...