Mirror Mirror Collection - Miroir des Majestes

SUBLIME - an instant and passionate love! I ordered this - another blind buy - on the basis that I rarely have a breakdown in my long term love affair with Mugler. It was waiting for me on the doorstep when I returned home from work this afternoon. It's been bloody chilly here today so, when I sprayed MdM twice to the back of my hand, the sillage was negligible - at first. The characteristic Mugler DNA is clearly evident in the jasmine of MdM - but it's a lot more restrained than that of Alien. That's not a criticism of Alien, as I own and love it and several of its flankers, including Essence Absolue, Eau Extraordinaire (try layering those two, the result is stunning!), Liqueur de parfum - and Oud Majestueux. Given that the name of this Miroir is MAJESTES and the similarities it has to Alien Oud MAJESTUEUX, I wonder whether this is an accidental name choice? They share these notes: jasmine, oud, amber and cardamom. The oud note in MdM is much less harsh than that of AOM; Miroir is a smoother and less challenging blend. Sillage is less than that of Alien although it's still beyond arms-length. I am not sure about longevity yet, but Miroir is still clearly discernible on the back of my hand, despite thorough washing with soap (I've cleaned the loo and emptied the cat litter trays) six times, since returning home four hours ago. I have just tested Fendi Furiosa (which I also love) against MdM and agree there are some similarities; FF is far more flowery though, and has an almost bitter grapefruity citrus zing to it before it dries down. MdM is more "creamy" and woody. The entire Miroir series is discontinued and is becoming very difficult to source. One last thing - the attention to detail of the packaging is phenomenal. Each Miroir bottle arrives in a beautiful mirrored box. I don't normally store my fragrances in their original boxes (I've got over 600 full bottles and storage is an issue!) but I AM keeping my Miroirs in their boxes as throwing them away feels like an act of vandalism. ETA I don't think this is too heavy to wear in warm weather.

I am usually pretty good at distinguishing the notes but this always throws me for a loop. Had I not known the notes in this I might have guessed cherry, eucalytpus and rosewood. I have later realized that it's because how the orange blossom acts in this composition. What it absolutely isn't is "just like any other orange blossom fragrance". Smelling it doesn't make me think of any florals at all. It's more about the amber accord with a side of oud and suede. To me the latter is much more prominent than the votes here suggest. And the orange blossom comes across fresh, having almost a cooling effect on top of a composition that radiates warmth. It's very Mugler... or should I say Thierry Mugler. It's not like anything we ought to expect from the brand these days. MdM is definitely the most wearable of the line of the ones I've tried. It's still very sweet though, so I personally find it to be a bit too much for the warmer months. Originality alone is hardly a selling point though, as some here would suggest. Otherwise wouldn't more people be wearing Secretions Magnifiques? And it's actually a good thing if a fragrance has a few relatives when it comes to the scent profile. This means we're more likely to find an alternative once a fragrance has been discontinued, just like what happened to Miroir des Majestes. As for the similarities, 1888 by Casamorati/Xerjoff is as close as anything gets to it. I haven't done a side by side comparison, but they're surprisingly similar at first sniff. MdM has absolutely nothing in common with either Musc Mysterieux, Oud Majesteux, Miroir des Joyaux and Knot eau Absolue by Bottega Veneta, though.

The presentation is out of this world a mirror box and gorgeous bottle, the fragrance inside lives up to its outer beauty. Imagine walking into a large office building, on the executive floor your coworker greets you, she wears a twill suit jacket, as she leans in to hug you, your memories come alive as you're hit with a familiar scent you had forgotten about, it reminds you of your mom and old Chanel 05, but has a modern twist you haven't smelled before. Its intriguing, building on the foundations laid by Chanel but it gets rid of the suffocating, dated aldehydes and florals and replaces it with something lighter, modern and more unisex. Here is how I would describe the notes: Upon first spray you're met with a slightly medicinal and vintage (think Chanel) scent, it reminds me of something my mother would have worn. After 10 minutes the suede/leather note takes over, the OUD in this is very mild and has a just perceptible black pepper smell. Soon after a syrupy sweetness appears. It reminds me of grape soda or some bubbly drink. Similar to Escada Magnetism for Men's grape soda note. 40min+ into wearing, an elegant leather and amber fragrance makes itself known, its in the same vein as Cuir Beluga but less powdery/vanillic and more unisex. The oud is still there, but buried in the background. The grape note fades and leaves behind a slight fruity scent, to me I would describe it as a peach smell.

HOW GOOD IS THIS? Well from the second I first sprayed this gifted decant, I knew I was in for a real treat, a burst of spiced notes, and a distinct amber greeted my nose, a hint of oud in the heart along with the jasmine and soft suede plays out a beautiful composition of notes. Now I'm no oud fan, with the exception of Oud Wood by Tom Ford but but the oud is so delicate here in MM that I'm actually liking it! What this perfume reminds me of is Portrait of a lady and I'm told over and over AND OVER, that POAL has NO OUD, but I SWEAR it does and this oud is done similarly and in the same 'NOT in your face' way, as each other and I do make a strong connection between the 2 fragrances. The performance for MM is above average, but not to the same degree as Portrait, but nevertheless, I just ordered a bottle and feel quite lucky to have found one being the last one, at 'Feeling Sexy' today. The few drops left in my sample will be gone before my online order is delivered. I'm curious to see the anticipated presentation which other reviewers have classed as impressive! The next bottle on my want list is MM's sister Miroir des Voluptes, daring to 'take on' what I believe is a slightly heavier oud accord. Exciting introduction into the first of a collection of six in the Miroir line of Thierry Mugler (which were unknown to me until today). Oh and I know myself. It's probable I'll buy the entire line! ;)

Amazing ambery Alien-akin. While Alien is vibrant, loud and uniquely beautiful, her distant cousin MdM is more poised, confident, comfortable in her skin and subtly seductive. Like most complex scents, the opening of MdM can seem overwhelming, but I’ve learned to wait it out. The star here is the amber, a truly mesmerizing one. Spicy, sweet in a balanced way, rich, resinous, warming, sensual, creamy and intoxicating are words that just start to describe it. The oud is a just a smidgen (if I didn’t read the notes I would have guessed sandalwood). The leather is a velvety suede, and neither of these is intimidating or overpowering, they just add depth. Unlike the reviews I’ve read, I can sense the Alien DNA for sure though in the background. The amber is truly majestic here. Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? All Thierry Mugler creations to be honest. They sweep you off your feet in terms of uniqueness, performance, bottle and packaging. Everything was carefully thought out. GORGEOUSNESS 💖