I know, I know, we're all sick of flankers, right? The worst case scenario — maybe, the most common scenario — is a trite variation on a fragrance that wasn't all that imaginative or important to begin with, followed by two or three or eleven more, evenly spaced over the coming months and years, whether the world needs them or not. Eventually, inevitably, we get the flankers of flankers, with their vaguely ridiculous names as though they just could not stop themselves — Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things Noir Tease Temptation, seriously?
But then there are those rare cases where we get creative and just-plain-fun twists on iconic fragrances. Props to Thierry Mugler on that score; they've done a great job over the years. The "Pure" series of A*Men flankers (Pure Coffee, Pure Malt, Pure Havane) have been highly enjoyable, and have accomplished exactly what flankers ought to accomplish: they've made me appreciate the original A*Men all the more. The Angel Garden of Stars series (Peony Angel, Lily Angel, Violet Angel and Rose Angel) did the same for many people, but did not manage to break through my long-standing dislike of the original Angel. Then lo and behold, they got me too, first with Angel La Part des Anges and then with the similar (and more affordable) Angel Liqueur de Parfum. If you had told me five years ago that they'd ever make an Angel I wanted to own, I'd have shaken my head in disbelief.
Now they've done it again. The new Angel Taste of Fragrance / Le Goût du Parfum (both names are on the packaging) is part of a larger collection that also includes Alien, Womanity and A*Men, and that bills itself as "a daring collision of luxury fragrance and haute cuisine". It's all very involved and includes a chef and recipes and whatnot, but what you need to know for Angel is that they've amped up the chocolate notes with bitter cocoa powder. Once some really high-pitched berry and citrus stuff in the opening wears off (I mostly ignored it, and it doesn't last all that long), it's all about the cocoa, and yes, it really is bitter cocoa: Angel Le Goût is a gourmand, and it's sweet, but think of a sophisticated truffle rolled in cocoa powder, not a Hershey's bar.1 Or maybe don't think of a candy at all — it's less dessert-like than you might expect, and to drive home that point, the recipe associated with the fragrance is not a chocolate cake or some such, but sautéed duck breast in a pink praline crust, beets, turnips and raspberries, beet and citrus sauce with intense Mexican mole sauce (and do let us know how that works out after you make it).
Angel Le Goût is nearly linear once it settles on my skin, and as with the Angel Liqueur de Parfum, it's recognizably Angel, but it's also as smooth and mellow as can be, with all the jagged and jarring elements of the original polished away, so that it wears almost like a woody comfort scent. It's rich and deep, and quite long-lasting, but the sillage is maybe a bit quieter than that of the original. I cannot decide if I like this one or the Liqueur de Parfum better, and I do wish they'd do a little holiday coffret with the two of them in very small travel sizes. But that never happens, does it?
Thierry Mugler Angel Taste of Fragrance / Le Goût du Parfum is a limited edition, and is $90 for 35 ml Eau de Parfum.
1. If what you're after is a Hershey's bar sort of thing, try Demeter Jelly Belly Hot Fudge Sundae, or maybe the old standby Serendipitous by Serendipity 3.
You have seriously piqued my interest, Robin. And I didn’t mind the original Angel, although I never owned any. I might have to check this out. A great review, ending with those red-flag-before-the-bull words – Limited Edition! 😉
I think you can still buy the Liqueur de Parfum, so hopefully this one won’t disappear too quickly either. The LdP has been on my “to buy” list since it came out, but I never have bought it…keep hoping I’ll find a really cheap bottle.
Hey, Robin. Looks like Fragrancenet has it for $65 plus $10 off. Free shipping over $70 though.
Oh, thanks! I should have said — my idea of “really cheap”, which is about $30, and not likely for this one!
Thanks….you are an enabler!!! 🙂
Ha ha…do I get my enabler badge??? 😉
Robin~
I might have a few samples of the LdP if you would like them.
Oh that’s so kind! But I do still have a tiny bit left, and this has reminded me that I really ought to buy a bottle 🙂
I giggled out loud a couple of times reading this review Robin, Case in point: the entire first paragraph. And again here: “sautéed duck breast in a pink praline crust, beets, turnips and raspberries, beet and citrus sauce with intense Mexican mole sauce (and do let us know how that works out after you make it)”. teehee
Angel Taste of Fragrance / Le Goût sounds Very interesting and like a must sniff. With all that bitter cocoa going on, I’m not surprised you like it. We all know you love your dark chocolate treats! 😉 Thanks for the fun review!
It is probably delicious, but any dish that requires a garnish and two sauces is not likely to get produced in my house 😉
While I will definitely sniff this if I see it, I think I’m covered with my decant of Angel Liquer de Parfum and samples of La Part des Anges. Agree that TM does well with flankers – I wore Angel Innocent back in the day (and weren’t they also guilty of the flanker of flanker? I think there were some Angel Innocent flankers as well?).
Anyway, lovely review as always. I’ll be making that recipe just as soon as I see pink pralines at my grocery store ; )
Oh, you’re so right — Angel Innocent Rock, among others!! Thanks for reminding me.
God, I love this one so much!
I never tried any of them but remember seeing one in a Marshalls, perhaps? According to Fragrantica, there was Innocent Rock, Secret, Illusion, Summer Dew and Summer Flash. Good grief!
Alright, well this now has my full attention! It’s a miserable day today, and I’m also feeling awful and out of sorts, so I’m in the mood for a comfort scent. I have a small 5ml sample bottle of the original Angel, as well as the hand lotion, but I rather feel like they wear me, not the other way around. I’ll be at Macy’s for an event next week, so I’m going to check it out : )
This is of course assuming that I can find it for sale… has it been released yet or am I jumping the gun here?
I just purchased it through the TM website…and according to Robin’s online fragrance shopping post yesterday, it’s now available at Nordstrom, but I don’t see it on the Nordstrom website yet.
Oh you’re right…I saw the A*Men and assumed the others were there but looks like they’re not. They must be coming though, if they have the A*Men….
So sorry you’re having a crappy day — hope it gets better!
Lord & Taylor has it online already, so I assume it’s out there somewhere.
OH! Lord and Taylor website is having a F&F 10% off fragrance sale with free shipping over $49! So…the taste of fragrance bottles are $90 minus 10% = $81 and free shipping. Not bad considering these are new!
This is VERY tempting. I think I will go grocery shopping and think about before I pull the trigger unsniffed : )
Oh, nice deal — thanks for posting!
I just purchased this unsniffed a couple of days ago!!! Awaiting its arrival. Sounds so good. I’m also curious about the other scents – Alien, Womanity, and A*Men. All sound interesting. Have you tried the others yet, Robin?
And speaking of chocolate…I just discovered Jean-Paul Hevin while in Paris last week (yes, it was heaven). Looked at their website, and looks like you can order online??? Oh my. Dangerous. Haven’t gotten far enough to see whether or not they deliver to the U.S. Shipping prices must be astronomical. In the meanwhile, I’m savoring some dark chocolate/coffee disks and dark chocolate covered almonds that I brought back with me…ahhh…chocolate…
Uh, they do ship to the U.S. Just checked the shipping price. 500 grams = 78 Euros!!! Don’t think I’ll be ordering anytime soon. Perhaps I’ll have to take another trip. 😉
Oh, then hope you’ll love it!
I totally agree with Kevin’s assessment of the A*Men: fine, but not so good as the 3 Pure scents.
Alien — I am not a fan of Alien, and for different reasons than Angel. Angel is made up of things I don’t like, whereas Alien is made up of things I *do* like, I just don’t like how they’ve used them. All of which is to say that Alien Taste of Fragrance was pretty bad on me, but I didn’t expect to like it.
I have not yet tried the Womanity, planning to do so soon.
Have bookmarked that site & will go back later…caught up already in the picture of the macarons! I don’t understand (just kidding, really I do understand) why the French get macarons everywhere and we just get cupcakes everywhere.
I tried the Womanity “A Taste of” flanker and it seemed as though the fig note was amped up, but in a sweeter, jammy sort of way. I was sort of hoping for it to be saltier/drier, not sweeter in any case, but maybe it will suit others.
Ah. If it’s sweeter I doubt I’ll like it either.
I LOVE THIS !! I wish they’d replace original Angel with it. it would sell like hot cakes, pardon the pun ;). and convert Angel haters. I’m sad that it’s a limited edition tho 🙁
it’s the jagged and jarry parts of original Angel that I don’t like, but when I get passed them I enjoy it.
I didn’t think this was all that bitter, it smells more of dark chocolate to me. it does start out eye-wateringly nausiating, but after a few minutes I noticed aswell that’s only about half as strong as original Angel.
I need to get this. it’s quite reasonably priced in the UK = £42 or something. I might get two 😀
I found the top notes quite off-putting, but they’re so short lived that I don’t mind. Seems strange though…it’s like they don’t “match” what comes after *or* serve to entice the consumer.
Robin, on Thierry Mugler’s website when you go to purchase these only the A*Men and the Womanity have “Limited Edition” under them. The Angel and the Alien don’t :). Ihope they stay around, if I love them 🙂
Not sure if that means anything, but we’ll see! I did look through the press materials I have, and can’t even figure out how I knew it was LE at all.
Hi Robin
Thanks for the review! 😀
I’m a fan of Mugler. Angel and Cologne are always included in my small “collection” so I hope it comes to my country soon.
Cologne is one of my favorites too 🙂
I’ve just smelled these today at the Galeries Lafayette. My but they are strong, even stronger than all the originals — and Alien in edp lived up to its Ridley Scott name by sticking on my skin for four days, popping up to gobble up the other perfumes I sprayed on when I thought it had disappeared…
Anyway, I had blotters of all four new flankers inside a notebook and zipped up in my handbag at the restaurant. The smell seeped through the paper and zipper. Six hours later, I was still smelling like I’d been rolled in cocoa powder, and that was with the handbag firmly zipped.
When I finally decided to ditch the blotters in a bin in the subway, the inside of my purse was wafting the briny bit of Womanity.
I think I’ll have to get it exorcised.
The perfumes are pretty good, by the way. But they’re definitely an invasive species.
The original Alien already makes me insane; the Alien Taste of Fragrance nearly killed me. And yes, it does *not* shower off, nor does it leave fabric without a fight.
Robin first off I will just say how much I enjoy your reviews. There’s often a slight tinge of weariness about them which I’m sure we all recognise ie not weariness about perfume but about the amount of perfume. (I didn’t believe you about that Victoria’s Secret noir panty tease thing – OMG) And then something comes along which makes you sit up (despite pink praline dusted duck breasts). I admit that I was intrigued by these after Octavian’s complimentary reviews and have sniffed these from strange little perforated tins at the TM counter in John Lewis. I even sniffed Womanity and I usually give the sales aisle where that is located a very wide berth for fear of contamination. Anyway. I agree with you about the bitter cocoa note in this. It really works and somehow mutes that cotton candy aspect.
Thank you, that’s very kind!
I did not make up that perfume name, I promise! IIRC, it’s a flanker of a flanker of a flanker. And I’m hoping they’ll do one more generation just for the joy of seeing the name.
I just blind bought this and I am not disappointed at all. It reminds me of Angel from the 90s before it got reformulated but with that added delicious dry cocoa in the heart. I can’t wait to try the A*men piment rouges when it gets to my neck of the woods!
Glad your unsniffed buy worked out!
Finally tried this today, after much drooling over descriptions and reviews like yours. Funny, but I actually don’t find it wildly different from regular Angel, aside from the extra blast of cocoa at the beginning. The deliciously bitter “truffley”-ness of the cocoa fades rather quickly to my nose, and then I’m left with a slightly more full-bodied Angel (I agree with Pamplelune that it smells closer to the ’90s formula of Angel than the current juice, which isn’t quite as neon-charged and vividly candied as the original). It’s great, but I don’t know that I’ll spend 90-something dollars on it when I have an empty bottle of regular Angel that I can get refilled for a discount.
As for the men’s version with its chili pepper note…count me out. It smells too literally like one of those dark chocolate and chili bars, and its drydown lacks the patchoulified (and inedible) oomph of the original A*Men. Love the red star bottle, though.
I got this as a Christmas gift from a very thoughtful Mr. Absolute Scentualist (who got the idea from my commenting here on coveting it when he was looking for gift ideas no less hahaha), and it is like a smoothed out, cocoa-dusted Angel without all the intense patch of the original. It is still there, but where as the original Angel was an intensely crisp and busy biscuit/cookie, Angel Taste of Fragrance is creamy chocolate mousse. The sillage is more quiet, but I’ve been wearing it since around eleven o’clock and am still catching gentle hints six or so hours later. If the original Angel is too harsh and sharp, I really recommend this interpretation. It reminds me a great deal of the Liqueur de Parfum version as well. I am already wishing it wasn’t limited edition. And those cocoa-filled top notes… Blissful! 🙂
Happy holidays and an even happier new year to everyone.
Ah, the best things are always limited, I do not mind the original Angel, however I do not love it but this sounds like my kind of a gourmand, bitter chocolate, oh yes:))) but that top sounds weird, I get the impression that all of Mugler’s frags are built similary, somehow the top smells like a total misfit for the rest and this, while it may be interesting, does bother me because it makes me think of Mugler trying too hard to be original, whereas you can be original and gorgeous at the same time if the entire composition is complex enough but not this contrasted, does this make any sense?
It makes sense — but try it before you decide!