La Rose Angel Mugler 2006

Wonderful strong perfume, highly recommended to those who adore Angel flankers especially innocent. Dominating patchouli aroma, yet not heavy of heady and could wear it even in the summer. The rose in not strong though, while it is spicy enough to keep it very interesting. I am sure if you start collecting Mugler perfumes you would never stop doing it because the secret lies in the formulation and you become a Mugler addict. I am thinking of trying the whole Garden collection. Super choice!

I haven’t tried the other Angel Jardin fragrances, but this seemed like the logical one of the group. In the original Angel, the screaming white floral is deflected by the patchouli, creating the discord that makes Angel such a blast. Substituting rose for the mixed white floral should make for a perfume that is loud and expansive, just not as jarring as Angel. Rose has a natural ‘in’ to patchouli. The tart wine like and peppery rose elements join easily with the earthy patchouli notes.

Others have said that the drydowns of all the Jardins are the same---more or less that of Angel. Because there is less cotton candy in La Rose, and at least a remnant of the rose remains in place until drydown to match the patch, the drydown isn’t simply overtaken by the ‘Angel’ side of La Rose. Somehow, La Rose has Angels’s ridiculousness, its silliness but not its sense of mania and jeopardy.

I dog many of the Angel imitators for not understanding that the inherent conflict is what makes Angel a brilliant perfume. They tend to copy the surface and miss the point by miles. The ride La Rose takes you on is loud and fabulous like Angel’s, but not as risky, and therefore should not work. But it does. It’s a smart spin on Angel, and not simply a copy of patchouli/candy/flowers without intention, my complaint against the Angel imitators.

People are very attuned to the different tones of laughter. La Rose’s is like the laughter of friends relaxing, smoking a joint and dishing a bit. A lot of giggling, a little laughing til you cry. It releases the tensions of the week and makes the group feel close. Angel has that irrational, inappropriate laugh of someone at a cocktail party that makes everyone unconsciously take a nervous step away. It’s the laugh of someone who breaks unspoken social form because she’s unbalanced in a way that sort of scares you. It doesn’t relax inhibitions and bring a group together. It raises hackles and all the pre-arranged ‘time to leave’ cues start passing back and forth between couples.

La Rose strikes on my skin like the drydown of Angel, loud patchouli + choco-caramel combo. It then soon dissipates.

Then comes the heart which is my favourite part. Plum, bergamot, patchouli and some pepper, displayed on a rose carpet. Underneath hide chocolate and caramel, which I catch a whiff from time to time. The rose is never dominate, but helps to blend everything in. It acts more like the caramel in Alien the Taste of Fragrance if you understand what I mean.

Towards the drydown, the patch + choco-caramel combo becomes more and more prominent but never to full strength like the original. Though I love the typical Angel base notes, I still wish the middle parts could last longer as it combines classic Angel elements but restructures and brings something new to the table.

The sillage and longevity are both significantly softer. If you're looking for a toned down Angel, this can be a good option. However, if you're looking for an extraordinary rose dominante fragrance, I'm afraid this might not meet your expectation.

I had the chance to purchase this lovely fragrance, and bought it blind. The notes sounded so inviting, I just had to try it! I am so glad I did! This is really a fabulous fragrance. I have had Angel in the past, and found it OK..not one of my real favorites, just OK..so, I wondered what Angel would smell like, with a twist. The opening is a blast of green bergamot, almost like the green stems of the roses had been crushed together with the bergamot. I was worried this note would remain throughout, and was momentarily disappointed. But no, after a few minutes the note settled into a lovely soft rose, combined with a nice juicy plum. This is not a fruity plum, but a sort of soft anchor for the Rose. After awhile , I could pick up on the Angel vibe, but this was not the shout in your face Angel. This is the refined cousin, who has been to Private Schools, and has elocution lessons. She has beautiful manners, and knows when to appear, and always comes across like a lady. The longevity is very good, and sillage as well. The dry down is just beautiful! Not too sweet, but the caramel and chocolate/patch is there. I have already worn this several times, and each time I enjoy it more. Presentation is lovely, the bottle, box, velvet pouch...it all goes with the concept. Yes, I am impressed with this lovely little lady. The elegant, and refined cousin of Angel....

I love the rose note in this when you first spray it on the skin. It's very nice and fresh smelling in the beginning. I wish the rose smell would last throughout the dry down stage but unfortunately it doesn't. If the rose would have lasted longer, it would have been a "love" for me but since it doesn't, it's a "like" instead. What I mostly get in the dry down on my skin is the patchouli and caramel making it smell too similar to the original Angel which I admittedly don't care for. At least this is lighter, which in my opinion, saves it from being too "in your face" which is exactly why I don't like the original Angel. If you don't care for the original Angel and find it a little "too much" like I do, you may want to give this one a try. It's definitely a nice alternative.