A*Men Stellar Mugler 2025

I recently had the opportunity to try the latest pistachio-based fragrance from Penhaligon's, as I am particularly fond of this note. Fortuitous Finley, appears to be a slightly greener & overpriced repackaging of Spicebomb Night Vision Eau de Parfum. In contrast, Stellar aligns perfectly with what one would expect from Mugler.

The fragrance opens with a prominent pistachio note that is both nutty and creamy, making this the most unisex aspect of the scent's journey. There is a hint of bergamot in the background, though it remains quite subdued. After a couple of hours, the nuttiness diminishes, and Stellar evolves into a scent reminiscent of the latest OG A*men iteration, which is quite pleasant. Although patchouli is not listed as a note, I can detect a distinctive chocolatey scent throughout the late dry down.

Some reviewers have commented on the fragrance's performance, describing it as weak. I don't agree. I experienced 6-8 hours of progressively fading projection, with the scent lingering as a noticeable skin scent for up to 12 hours. I plan to wear it a few more times to fully evaluate its projection.

Overall, the recent Mugler releases for men have been quite solid. While the OG can be polarizing, I find the dry down to be delectable and masculine, despite not typically favoring fragrances that are too gender-specific. A*Men Fantasm remains a strong performer, albeit slightly fainter than the OG. The scent is unisex and may appeal to those who enjoy an "Oreo chocolate" vibe.

In my opinion, Stellar is as good as the OG, if not better, with its pistachio overlay. Returning to my initial point, Stellar is far superior and more intriguing than Fortuitous Finley. For those interested in pistachio as a note, I recommend trying Stellar, as well as Luscious , which leans more towards a unisex/feminine profile.

A*Men Stellar is marketed as a pistachio heavy gourmand, Pure Pistachio would have been fun, coming just one year after the A*Men line’s somewhat muted return with Fantasm.

While Fantasm received mostly positive reviews, still falling short of the heights of the line’s most lauded offerings (PM, PH, UZ, PT), it makes you wonder why they decided to keep the formula so similar to last year’s release. This is A*Men we’re talking about! A line that has for decades pushed the gourmand note for men in a way no other designer could claim.

Stellar feels most like Fantasm in the opening, where bergamot, coffee, and that signature A*men “spice” really shine. After 1-3 hours, this fragrance feels both more dull and less vibrant, if those are different things. I’ve worn this to work many times so far when I’ve never dared to wear Fantasm in the same setting. The slightly less sweet, less in your face nature of Stellar is where it really shines.

To comment on the fragrance alone, it’s clean, it’s spicy, it’s heavy. It’s inoffensive while pushing just enough powder to be daring for a younger man.

Is this what I want from A*Men? No. No more part II’s. There’s a whole world of notes out there for this brand to put their ubiquitous magic on. Thierry Mugler does their best A*Men workwhen they swing for the fences (see above 4).

First wearing of A*Men Stellar, the latest Mugler men’s release, described with a simple note breakdown of lavadin (though I think they meant “lavandin”), pistachio, and woody accord. Its opening is bright, with a decent balance among the sweet, sharp, and woody aspects, and very little of the original A*Men DNA seems to be present, even if there is a vague sort of sweet/dark/patchouli aspect very far in the background. This feels more like a modern men’s signature scent, reasonably sweet and versatile, like a lighter, brighter, less sweet variant of A*Men Tonka, albeit not the sumptuous gourmand. Still, I like it and would wear it in the absence of alternatives. However, I enjoy the darker ensemble of most of the other A*Men flankers that I love—Malt, Havane, Coffee, Tonka, and, mostly recently, Fantasm, which itself is not too striking either, but the chocolate of which provides an interesting, pleasant alternative to the others that’s still interesting.

Mugler very recently updated their pricing to $115 for 100ml (previously, when Fantasm was recently, it was $90 for 100ml), more or less consistent with other designer brands’ nowadays. Stellar performs well enough, albeit not as well as Fantasm on me. Overall, it’s an interesting creation but is not moving enough for me to want a bottle at this time.

7 out of 10

A*Men Stellar is very identical to the original A * Men combined with Fantasm. It has an identical scent profile which focuses more on the minty and vibrant opening, mixed with the aromatic lavender and a creamy fresh spicy base after. It's not a unique release, but a commendable one.

The longevity is no different than the other A * Men. It lasts approximately 8 hours on my skin and projects about an arm's length for the first 2 hours before it turns to a skin scent after. (Depends on skin types)

Here we go!

Synthetic pistachio, unsalted and fresh in the opening - thanks to the bergamot. It seems to be the simple ingredient that does the trick and Mugler's new secret weapon in the top note, just like with "A*Men Fantasm" last year. It prevents the fragrance from marching in like the heaviest, sweetest cavalry. Instead, the opening presents itself as creamy and woody - for some, rather spicy. The musk here is very clean and gentle. Tonka bean and coffee are also lurking somewhere in the vastness of this star. The scent settles pleasantly, slightly boozy in the dry down. Not like with Pure Malt, but rather as if you were taking a deep breath from a freshly opened bottle of vodka. But that's just a small aspect that one might want to sniff out, I would say - no drunken revelry, but cool clarity.

Somewhere, the new A*Men also smells quite foreign. So this is what the cosmos smells like? Gourmand? Delicious!
I like it. I suspect it will rub some people the wrong way - but that's exactly what we expect from this house. If it were different, it would be boring, right?

My Russian Blue cat is already spinning all its whiskers in circles - the pistachio tames the puma like crazy.

I had hoped Mugler would surprise us this year with a true summer release for the hot days - with a slightly lighter fragrance. It "only" partially worked. However, I’m not angry about it. The new A*Men is, for me, a ¾ all-rounder, as it will perform in autumn, winter, and spring - and who knows, maybe even on cool summer nights on the porch, by the fire, when you’ve had a few drinks. Time and space will tell.

I’m glad that the house of Mugler, apparently, will now delight us annually with a new A*Men - after we men have been thirsting for new releases like starving dogs, while the ladies have been spoiled with two to three releases per year. (Next year, please deliver a yellow bottle and capture summer, just as an idea).

Whether this fragrance will reach the heights of Pure Havane or Pure Malt is for the community to decide. But for me, it’s clear: This one has dared no less than our beloved flagship scents. The A*Men Stellar is simply good.

So… here’s to a new era of A*Men - this time unfortunately without Thierry Mugler.

At least we still have senior perfumers Jacques Huclier and Louise Turner who have worked their magic here again. Chapéu.

I hope Fantasm and Stellar are just the beginning.

See you!