A*Men Pure Wood

Launched in 2014 as a limited edition of the renowned A*Men line, Pure Wood is Mugler's interpretation of raw nature translated into perfume. A meeting of woody strength and the oriental gourmand DNA that made the line an icon. The result is a fragrance that combines virility, warmth and sophistication with a striking signature. Olfactory Pyramid Main notes: Oak, Coffee, Vanilla, Patchouli, Cypress Despite its relatively straightforward structure, the olfactory experience is rich in nuances. Oak and cypress bring a resinous, moist and earthy opening, which immediately connects with the idea of a living forest. This woody introduction is dense, naturalistic, but never raw, always wrapped in the polished and modern finish characteristic of the A*Men line. Shortly afterwards, coffee enters the scene, bringing depth and warmth. Here, it is drier and more roasted, less creamy than in versions such as Pure Coffee or Pure Tonka, balancing perfectly with the sweetness of vanilla and the earthy side of patchouli. The construction has a slightly smoky and milky touch, which brings a rustic, almost nostalgic charm. Performance Long-lasting: Excellent, lasting between 8 to 10 hours, especially in mild to cold weather. Projection: Moderate in the first 2 hours; then it becomes closer to the skin, but noticeable. Sillage (trail): Medium – leaves an elegant trail, never invasive. Use Occasions Pure Wood is perfect for fall and winter, both day and night. Although it has an elegant side that makes it suitable for more refined events, it also fits very well in sophisticated casual situations, such as dates or night outs indoors. Its sensual character, with an earthy and woody touch, conveys maturity, confidence and introspection, a perfume with personality for those who prefer a discreet yet present fragrance. Bottle and Presentation The bottle follows the classic design of the A*Men line, but here it has a texture that simulates polished wood, with a matte finish and a translucent amber star in the center. It is an exact aesthetic representation of what the perfume offers: the fusion between rustic and sophisticated. Final Score: 9.3/10 A*Men Pure Wood is one of the most underrated versions of the line. It avoids the excessive sweetness that some editions of the line carry, bringing a more mature, contemplative and natural approach. The use of woods, especially oak and cypress, is well constructed and gives a feeling of authenticity and silent strength. Sweetness is present, yes, but much more as a supporting actor than as the protagonist.

Ok, so, this one it's finally available in my area. I was very excited to try this, this is the fragrance that i was the most excited to try this year, because i'm a big fan of the A*Men line. Now, first things first. Scentwise, this is an amazing fragrance. Woods, caramel and vanilla. These are the main accords. The wood note it's very high quality, i have to tell you that. Smells very natural. Of course, the original A*Men DNA it's present, but this is one is not so loud as all the flankers. I don't think this will be a polarazing fragrance, it's easy to like. I mean, what's not to like? Woods, vanilla, caramel? It's a mind-blowing combination and the result is phenomenal. So overall, scentwise, i love it a lot. I think this is the most elegant A*Men flanker. Now,let's get to the downside. This is the most soft A*Men flanker. I don't understand why people voted the sillage enormous and very long lasting. Tried this one both on my wrist with 1 spray and on paper with 2 sprays. The scents fades away very very quick. After 1 hour projection drops dramatically, and becomes a "skin scent" . This is the biggest disappointment. I didn't expect this from an A*Men flanker. Such shame that such an incredible creation, and a name so famous for making loud and monster-sillage fragrances, to have the sillage of a bath soap. I'm very disappointed, especially because i actually love the scent a lot. Not sure if i would add this to my collection of A*Men flankers in the near future because, as some of you may know, i usually enjoy loud fragrances, with heavy sillage. But, that's just me. If low projection it's not in issue for some of you, i guarantee you gonna love this. Also, if you plan to blind-buy, this is really a safe one, it's easy to love. Now, the bottle, also a disappointment. In the official pictures, the bottle looked so awesome, interesting design like a piece of wood. But, it's just photoshoped. In reality it's just a cheap plastic yellow/brown-ish bottle. If you try a google search, you will find some real pictures of the bottle. Now, let's get this one some ratings! Scentwise, i give it a full 10, hands down, an amazing creation. Sillage - 5, Longevity - 7 (although sillage it's soft, it lasts quite a while), Bottle Design - 4 (the most crappy bottle from the line). So, final rating: 6.5/10 . This fragrance, with an above-moderate projection, it would be a masterpiece. Too bad...

You know, every time I visited my local Mugler rep to sample some of their latest fragrances, she would always politely intimate that Pure Wood was her favourite. Of course, you know how it is, reps are always pushing their newest products, but somehow I felt that this was different. In fact, it was clear that she was instructed to push Pure Tonka, but was torn between being assertive and being honest. So anyway, I sprayed the card and what did I get? Well, my initial reaction was "GEEEEEZ-USSS!" this is wayyyy different than A*Men. It was literally like having tree bark callously shoved up my nose. The strength and resemblance was truly remarkable. I didn't know how to feel. Impressed? Certainly not disappointed... Five minutes later, the smell reminded me so strongly of something I smelled before, but couldn't quite put my olfactory finger on...and then it hit me! BEESWAX CANDLES! See, I've been a meditator for as long as I can remember, so the smell was very familiar and comforting. Nevertheless, I wasn't sufficiently impressed, so I gratiously took the small sample the rep gave me and headed home. It wasn't until I sprayed myself a couple days ago, did I really understand what I was missing. WaWaWeeWa. Sure enough, on the skin, that wood smell blended beautifully with the pine and vanilla, to create a light tree-sap, vanilla, honey scent. It reminded me of being at a cottage. Very nice. I like. You see, my signature scent has always been MB's Starwalker and I love anything that reminds me of the forest - Swiss Army original, Burberry London, Insurrection Pure 2, CDNI. But this one really took me by surprise. In fact, I think I like this MORE than A*Men AND Ultra Zest. I know, call me crazy. But yeah, the projection totally sucks. I get that. And so what? That just makes it less cloying in hot weather, right? And finally, I recommend you DON'T blind buy this one because it may be a little polarizing. Give it a sniff on the skin first, and see how you feel about it. Smell - 10/10 - at least, to yours truly Longevity - 8/10 Projection - 3/10 - mostly discreet Overall - 8/10 - Christmas to the outdoorsman

While not really a review I just wanted to say a few things based on the 'promo wipe' that I received in the mail... This has a very dry Oaky opening to it... Like the finish one an alcoholic beverage that has been long aged in oak barrels but this is not alcoholic at all if that makes any sense... Very Oaky and a little smoky... The Chene by Serge Lutens type of Oak... Oh it's wonderful BUT (at least in the 'promo wipe' they sent out...) it is pretty short lived... The Oak drops back after the first 20-30ish minutes for the Cypress to take over and after an hour then we get into a beautiful yet simple 'baked goods' type of gourmand... The wood is still around but it's like you are baking outside in a wood burning stove... Light smoky woods and baked goods... Yes please... This fragrance screams Autumn to me and I am now REALLY looking forward to ordering a bottle... Once I add this to my collection and give it a few wearings (on days off around the house in the Summer... ^_^) I'll report back... From the 'promo wipe' this is going to be a winner BUT if the Oak stays around a little longer and stronger from the bottle this is going to be at the top of the list from this house for me... Say tuned fragrance lovers... ^_^ --- UPDATE: Yeah this smells even better from the bottle... More oak and wood though out the whole life of the fragrance and while sandalwood is not listed in the note breakdown it seems like there is a hint of creamy sandalwood and perhaps guaiac wood as well... I do NOT get much of a cypress feel from this at all from out of the bottle... That is not a bad thing either IMO... I also get more coffee in the heart now so it's like baking outside with wood with your morning coffee... Hell yeah man... This is awesome stuff and I can not wait for Autumn to arrive to wear this bad boy out and about... Awesome job TM... This is a WINNER!!! 9/10

I am relatively new to the world of fragrances, and in fact, this is my first review. A*Men Pure Wood was my first full bottle purchase, and currently my most frequently worn casual scent (office, home, etc.) I purchased it at Nordstrom after trying just about everything on the shelf over a couple weeks. I always look forward to the big sharp blast of conifers at the opening, cypress I guess. It's short lived, usually gone by the time I get to work. Through most of the day I catch occasional whiffs of a nice sweet vanilla smell tempered by a bit of dry woods lingering in the background. It's definitely a sweet fragrance, but not cloying (I think thanks to the dryness of the woods throughout the drydown). By the end of the day it becomes a really lovely mellow sweetness, like burnt sugar and the inside of a hardwood dresser (I assume this is "oak"). After the top notes subside, this scent does not project very far for me (which is fine, I typically wear this in settings where I don't want much projection). I do notice the scent does tend to wake up quite a bit when my skin gets warmer than usual. Longevity is great, I can usually still detect it after a full 8 hours at work and it lasts even longer my clothes. I can usually detect a hint of it days later when I'm doing laundry. I wasn't a huge fan of A*Men (too loud, too sweet, just too much), but Pure Wood retains enough of what I did like about that scent and balances it with a variety of pleasant dry woods as the scent unfolds. I think this is a pretty safe fragrance to wear in most settings. Probably better suited for the cold months, but I've worn it in summer and didn't find it bothersome. Great purchase, I would happily buy another bottle when it runs out. It's an amazing fragrance if not a particularly daring one.